Reel Chase Game and Sport Fishing

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A large black marlin shows why anglers are enthralled with hooking these awesome creatures.

Another big black marlin puts on an aerial display while the deckies try to subdue her.

When the boat backs down the cockpit takes on water - not as bad as it looks though as the water drains away extremely quickly.

John show off his good GT (giant trevally). These fish are incredibly hard fighters.

Ben with a good sized coral trout - one of many the deckies catch for the dinner table.

Clipsal guests show their catch at Yeppoon, August 2004.

Yahoo, it's a wahoo on a day out of Cairns in September 2004.

The instrument panel on REEL CHASE's flybridge - back left is the GPS and back right is the Wesmar Sonar

Each year REEL CHASE visits remote Flinders Reef between Townsville and Cairns to fish for bait for the giant black marlin season.

REEL CHASE at anchor at Flinders Reef, September 2004.

Flinders Reef dogtooth tuna - this one had its tail bitten off by pursuing sharks.

The Sonar screen on REEL CHASE showing the Reef edge and drop off at Flinders Reef.

The sand cay at Flinders Reef is the only land for miles & miles.

The local inhabitants are the birds

This booby bird is sitting on an egg - no nest building here.

A booby bird takes flight....

Soaring high....

Don't you wish you could fly like this...

About to descend...

And landing

In the first week of May 2004, Jim & Anne visited Tau Game Park in Madikwe Reserve, North West Province, South Africa, where they had the most fantastic time going on safaris and seeing all the animals. Fabulous !!!

This curious elephant got real close - Anne thought he was going to join her in the vehicle/

This lone old buffalo allowed us to get up very close for this great shot.

A lion at a waterhole drinking after helping his pride kill & consume a wilderbeast.

Same lion and one of his mates with very full bellies on the move again early the next morning.

We were replacing a punctured tyre on our vehicle while this rhino crossed the track just in front of us.

Lovely reflective shot of a giraffe doing the splits to have a drink.

Wild dogs coming down the track towards our vehicle.

Jim & Anne with Richard and Owen, two of the fantastic Tau Rangers.

After Tau, Jim & Anne visited Cape Town and here they are at the Cape of Good Hope.

Solid bent rod on a 2004 Port Stephens marlin.

Deckie Wade gets ready for the tag shot.

More bent rod and cockpit action.

The one that did not get away - this one's tail was bitten off by a speedy mako shark.

Tag flags flying on REEL CHASE at the end of a successful day.

Some Port Stephens Marlin aerial ballet.........

This Row are recently accessed shots by Rob Bufi from the 2002 Heavy Tackle Giant Black Marlin Season.

No finer sight that a large marlin tail walking.

A common occurence of a fish jumping in the glare from the sun.

Mid-air tag shot by James (in red) while Ben holds onto the leader.

A subdued fish at the boat. Note the use of the in-gunnel tuna tubes on REEL CHASE.

Wade the deckie helps Jim's & Anne's 11 year old grandson Adric hold up his Gold Coast mahi mahi.

12 year old Matt from Sydney lays into a black marlin at the Gold Coast, January 2004

Matt's marlin jumps.

Soon after, Matt and his father have a double hook-up of marlin.

Father & son keep the pressure up until both black marlin are tagged & released.

The Sailpast at the 2003 Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic.

500 lb black marlin on the leader.

Fish out of water!

Lookout! Comin' right back at ya!!!

Kevin's nice Yellowfin Tuna.

Ben and Wade with a nice morning's work spearing Coral Trout for the table.

Moose was happy with his first Coral Trout on a spear.

View from the tower of Sperm Whales wide of the Ribbon Reefs.

This pale whale seemed to be leader of the large pod of Sperm Whales encountered.

This Sperm Whale pushed its head up for a look at the passing boats.

A trip to Princess Charlotte Bay in September 2003 was bountiful for the anglers with many large fish caught and released.

The Skipper's birds-eye view of the Reef from the tower.

Now that is a Wahoo!

Happy anglers with a Wahoo pair.

A very decent GT.

A pair of Trevally.

Reflections.

September 2003, and the Team in the Townsville Tournament again had a Humpback Whales experience at Cape Bowling Green.

Vivette gets up close & personal with the humpbacks.

A whale of a tail as a humpback dives in front of the boat.

In June 2003, REEL CHASE encountered a Pod of Orca (Killer) Whales following the migrating Humpback Whales off the Gold Coast.

A few of the Pod of Orca Whales

The high dorsal of a male Orca

The anglers lucky enough to see the Orcas

Full Moon rises over the wake of the boat.

2002 Lizard Island Classic - the action was HOT !

Incoming - a deckie's nightmare as the fish jumps at him.

James lining up the tag shot.

An eye-full of a giant black marlin from the flybridge.

Deckhands Ben & James get up close and personal.

A grander plus jumps just after being tagged.

Ben handfeeds a Long Tom at the anchorage on Yong Reef - watch those fingers, their teeth are sharp !

Angler Ryota Sakai with a nice Cape Bowling Green sailfish - this fish was released after photographing.

2002 Townsville Billfish Classic team in costume - don't let the feathers fool you, these chicks can fish and have lots of fun as well.

Chmpion Team 2002 - Anne, Jan, Lindsay, & Barb along with Jim & Ben celebrate another win.

Perfect partners - 'Ophelia IV' and a Mallard flying boat. That is one way to get anglers to a ship way out at an offshore reef.

The Mallard taking off as seen from the cockpit of 'Reel Chase'

Fay and Ben with a huge coral trout - this fish was released to breed more of this fantastic eating species.

Birds of Flinders Reef - note how big the chick is - as big as its parent.

Another big chick (the fluffy one) and its parents.

Change of pace - during June 2002, Jim & Anne toured Alaska and tried different fishing . Note - even though it was early Summer, it was very cold (by their standards) and they rugged up considerably compared with normal dress standards in warm and sunny Queensland. Jim's perpetual tan was seriously in danger of fading.

Jim's halibut weighed in at 98.8 lbs.

Not to be too outdone, Anne's halibut went 92.4 lbs.

Anne's 35 lb king salmon broke line but Jim hooked it again and landed it, still with the other lure attached.

And was it cold? Well that is ice floating in the water near one of the many glaciers visited. Truly an amazing part of the world.

'Reel Chase' in the 2002 NSW Interclub at Port Stephens

Jan Parkes' striped marlin off Port Stephens

Jan faces a wall of water over the transom and keeps on fishing.

Mark Parkes' active blue marlin keeps just out of tag range..

A magical sunset as seen from the cockpit of 'Reel Chase'

Joe Temple's large black marlin - early November 2001.

Again - Joe's fish as the leader sneaks just out of the deckie Dax's reach.

A black marlin caught on a lure about to be released.

View from the Tower - this cranky fish left its mark when it whacked the transom with its bill.

Lizard Island groper accepts a free meal.

September, 2001, and the girl's team aboard 'Reel Chase' won the Townsville Billfish Classic by tagging & releasing 12 black marlin & 3 sailfish during the 5-day event.

Ben is about to tag one of Jan Parkes' black marlin during the tournament.

On one trip back to port a pod of humpback whales paid the boat a visit.

Paul (ine) Gleeson shows that he can be one of the girls and catch billfish too.

Winners are grinners L to R - Colleen Gleeson, Anne Dalling, Paul Gleeson & Jan Parkes, while deckie Ben looks on.

August 2001 - Gold Coaster Mark Lowe along with his two sons and some friends went fishing out of Townsville, and caught some good reddies for the table.

Now that's a reddie!

More reddies waiting to be cleaned.

Another one comes aboard.

Even young Nick got into the action.

More reddies from the Townsville area.

Barramundi Cod

Also during August 2001, the Huray family of Singapore joined the crew of 'Reel Chase' for 5 days of fishing fun off Townsville. The following are some shots taken of their trip and catches, many of which were subsequently released.