Fishing K.I.

You've probably heard old fishermen say they remember the days when there were so many fish they almost jumped into the boat. But fish have become a bit harder to come by these days. We've come to American River on Kangaroo Island to meet Ian King. He's a professional fisherman who runs a charter operation. Ian reckons if the fish are there, he'll find them. And while they probably won't jump into the boat, the secrets locked away in Ian's head will put you ahead of the rest if you're after a good feed of fish.

Heading out into the bay we took a slight diversion to visit an oyster farm. This type of farming is known as deep sea aquaculture. It's an operation run by Raptis & Sons, the fish exporters, and the idea is one that Ian helped get up and running in the waters around K.I. These oysters are 8 weeks old. They live in trays that are suspended 2 or 3 metres above the ocean floor in the pristine water. And just like farm animals, they are checked and cared for by the farmers. "Well currently they're knocking the oysters and they're ready to go" Ian tells us.

Anyway we had some serious fishing business of our own to get on with. Soon we were in King George Whiting territory and Ian could almost smell the fish. A bit of ground bait or berley helps to attract the fish, then hopefully take the bait on your hook. "Drape the cockle on the hook, cast the line and take up the slack. There's something on there now, looks good and its the right size so we can eat it." If you feel like a fish out of water with a rod in your hand, a quick lesson from Ian soon gets you thinking like a fisherman. It's all a matter of timing, and pretty soon I was on a roll. We weren't the only ones happy to be catching a feed - one of Ian's friends was waiting for his share too. We fished into the sunset on the flat calm water in the bay at American River. After catching about 3 dozen fat whiting, we called it a day. You can't always guarantee that you'll catch a fish, but with a pro like Ian, the odds are in your favour. And even if you don't get a bite, it's hard to imagine a more relaxing way to spend a day. If you want to charter this boat it costs $50 per person for up to five people, or you can have the boat to yourself for $250. That includes Ian, the tackle and the equipment for five hours fishing. Phone 8553 7003 for bookings. For more information you can email info@postcards-sa.com.au