NT Update Catch and Release

When you’re reeling in and releasing fish after fish in the Northern Territory the departure time of your flight doesn’t seem quite so important. It’s when you’re in a remote coastal camp in the Northern Territory with a boat ride and off road drive between you and the airport that you’d be taking precautions not to miss that flight.

Team Rhino-Rack were nestled off-shore amongst the Sir Edward Pellew Islands in the Northern Territory. Two Rhino-Rack executives Chris Murty (Engineering) and Ernie Fernandez (Marketing and Business Development) were set to depart that evening.  Ben Hathaway calls last casts before the departing members must transfer from the Quintrex boat to an off-road vehicle and charge through the Northern Territory in hopes of scraping enough time to make the flight back to Sydney.

The rods are bent back and tackle is sent flying. Three lines go out. Ben, Chris and Ernie hold still for a second, letting their lures drop to the right depth, then they’re reeling in. Ernie’s line is hit and as he whipped it back sinking the hook Chris and Ben’s lines are both struck.

As has happened countless times on this Northern Territory adventure we’ve got three lines in the water and three fish on the hooks.

The team have predominantly been catching Queen Fish of sizes up to one metre. They know the fighting patterns of the Queenie, they can tell the size of it before it’s been pulled in.

Both Ernie and Ben have called their catch as Queenies of a good size. Chris has noticed something different. His fish doesn’t have the same fighting pull. He initially thinks it must be a smaller fish and while happy to be pulling one in on his last cast in the Northern Territory he was secretly hoping for a different fish, an elusive fish worthy of the amazing adventure that Rhino-Rack has had so far.

Ben pulls his Queen Fish into the boat, quickly unhooks it and as he’s been doing for every fish possible, he releases it back into the ocean. Giving the fish and a future angler another chance.

(Ben Hathaway releasing a Barramundi into the wild)

If there is a fish whisperer amongst team Rhino-Rack it is Ben Hathaway. Ben looks at Chris’s rod movements and denounces the idea of a small Queenie.“You’ve got a GT on the line!” He said with the certainty of declaring the sky blue. “Don’t lose it, get it into the boat. This is THE FISH.”

Queen Fish are beautiful and delicious to eat but a GT or Giant Trevally is an anglers prize catch.

It’s the difference between going camping near the beach and camping on the beach. The campground camper is happy he’s in nature and the ocean is close but the beach camper wakes to see the sun rising over the water.

Ernie pulls his Queenie in, releases the fish and all attention is on Chris Murty.

With reel hand strong from two weeks of battling fish Chris isn’t going to let this one wriggle off the line. His reel screams as the GT takes line. Chris let it go then brought it back.

The fight stretches out to ten minutes before the GT is nuzzling up against the boat. Fish whisperer Ben gaffs it neatly under the jaw; protecting the fish from damage.

The Giant Trevally was brought on deck, Chris held his prize catch proudly for a photo then released the fine specimen back into the wild.

(Ernie releasing his Golden Travelly)

With that finale the boat is turned for camp and the return home starts for Chris and Ernie. The other Rhino-Rack executives are staying on in the Northern Territory but for now Chris and Ernie are done. They make it to the plane with minutes to spare.

A round of high 5’s and last glances at the incredible landscape and the exec’s enter the flight terminal.

Just like Chris’s Giant Trevally caught on lure, the Northern Territory hooked Rhino-Rack executives with alluring landscape, pristine waters and rich colours. And in similar fashion the catch has been released. Chris and Ernie are back in Sydney having been changed by Australia’s Outback. Unlike the Giant Trevally the guys miss the Territory that captured them.

Head over to the Rhino-Rack social media pages to follow the journey and see even more amazing images.

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Twitter: @RhinoRack