Relying on Technology

by Jarrod Day, FishingBoating-World Editor on 14 Oct 2013 As I sit and write this weeks editorial, I sit in front of my laptop looking out of my office window into the lush green forest I call my front yard. Residing in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges I couldn’t think of a better, more relaxing place to live.

This week for me has certainly been a test, being the editor of an online magazine you heavily rely on technology, ipad’s, iphone’s, laptop’s, the internet and the list continues just to be able to submit your works on time.

Well this week my world stopped dead and really made me think just how heavily we rely on technology.

It was Thursday last week and my wife was looking out of the kitchen window into the 'forest' (our garden) and said, 'That Blackwood tree is going to fall soon' to which I replied, nah, not for a long time.

Friday at noon, I get a phone call from my wife. Before her reception cut out she said 'Blackwood' to which I left work and drove home immediately only to find the tree spread across my front yard crushing my car along with bringing down the power lines and phone lines.

In that, all we had left was my iphone and very limited access to the world. The electricity company sent out technicians to remove the live power line but couldn’t restore a new line due to limited light and the fact the tree was in the way laying on the ground.

Having cut it up and removed the tree well into the night, the following day, power was restored but I was still lacking communication due to no telephone line. Three days later, six phone calls and a lack of understanding that I required the installation of a new phone cable from the power pole to the house; the phone company was very little assistance. Finally, when I was told that their technicians don’t work on Sunday’s, one shows up and re-installs a new line also hooking up our other line which is connected to another phone companies. Our life saver and we were back in businesses.

I have written about technology quite heavily in fishing articles and how heavily we rely on it these days. In fishing, there is no better way to stay in touch with fellow anglers whether it is with facebook or other social media, text messages, emails or just flicking through web pages, the internet is now a very important part of our lives regardless of where you are in the world.

In fishing, the internet is everything, being able to assist you with GPS maps to help you back to port, fishing reports so you can find out where the fish are biting and many other things, if your disconnected, you on your own.

Being back online, I had some time to reflect on some past trips and not so long ago had one of the most entertaining fishing experiences of my life. Australian salmon might not be a high priority species to target for some anglers but on the surface, they are down right dirty. Surface poppers and stick baits are all the range nowadays and when you get to experience surface strikes, the adrenalin rush is very addictive. A few weeks ago I sought out some surface feeding action and hit the mother load.

Gary Brown has an in depth look at fishing beaches and unique features that may help you in finding fish.

So begins a letter from Alfred C. Glassell Jr. to Michael Lerner, then the President of the IGFA. The year was 1952, and Glassell had just caught his first World Record black marlin.

Though he ended the letter by calling the 1,025 lb catch 'the greatest fish ever taken', another angler broke the record within a few days, and Glassell regained it for a second time shortly thereafter with a 1,090 lb catch made in the same area.

Carl Hyland takes a wander around the apple isle and shows just how productive the fishing is this week.

Until next week,