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I've got a ticket to ride, I've got a ticket to rrriiidddeee,
On Thursday I accepted an observer position at the 2011 Daiwa Australian Open, a prestigious boating tournament and one of the highlights of the ABT calender. Just what is the job of an observer you may ask, well in my case I got to ride with a top ABT angler for seven hours in a warp speed Stratos and pick brains with some of the industries finest. At first I was keen to accept a three day position but with a hectic landscaping schedule ahead of me this was wisely shortened to one.
The weather was as predicted, overcast and choppy. I was allocated to Ian Seeto, one of the infamous Seeto brothers and a Daiwa sponsored angler. Ian took control of the conditions and shared his knowledge and approach openly, delivering a full bag to the weigh master on each and every day. Be it cranking flats and pylons, blading deep/shallow water or running boat hulls with plastics/hard bodies Ian had an answer for every situation. His dedication to tournaments was duly noted and was shown plenty of respect from peers and entrants alike.
To be honest I was a little tired from lack of sleep and travelling and even nodded off a few times (Not from boredom Ian, honest), only to be awoken by 'Damn it' or 'Nooooo' (A sure sign Ian had just lost a good fish). I lost count of how many decent Bream he lost and how many just under legal length Bream visited his deck. Ian commented that it would kill him having to watch someone fish for seven, I was fine for awhile... But...
Being keen on Sydney Harbour angling I tried to justify and validate a day trip on the kayaks, just by feeling out the banks and walls. At one stage we came to a big cockle bed that was only a foot or two deep, this is about when the craving kicked in. I could have spent a whole day on those flats alone, never mind the other areas we visited. It was at this stage when I suddenly realised that maybe the ABT non-boater role might be more appealing than I first thought (Anything is worth a shot, right?).
I missed the live stream today due to landscaping duties but quickly found out the end result from the http://www.bream.com.au website. Ian came in a commendable 8th place (Just above his good mate Josh), a top 10 finish worthy of his efforts. Congratulations again Ian and thanks for my time onboard, I have some photos I would love to email you (Contact - paffoh@aol.com). Good luck for future tournaments mate and I might even see you around as your non-boater... Maybe...
For full tournament results, please visit:
http://www.bream.com.au/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=737&mode=&order=0&thold=0
