WHEN Andrew Cavanagh heads away for a holiday, there is one essential item that always makes it into the car before the suitcase – his fishing rod.
The 39-year-old recently spent a long weekend on North Stradbroke Island, making a beeline for the end of the Dunwich jetty in the hope of catching dinner.
While he does not consider himself a die-hard angler, Mr Cavanagh said fishing had always been part of his family’s story.
“My grandfather, Barry Preo, owned a fish and chip shop and sold what he caught,” he said.
Growing up in Bega, NSW, Mr Cavanagh said he remembered his mother and aunt hand-fishing in the river to help supply the family business.
“Grandad was hard core, catching fish with nets,” he said. “My memory of him was that he would always tell me when I wasn’t doing it right.
“He knew what he was doing and made a living from it.”
Those early memories sparked a lifelong love of fishing in all its forms.
His biggest catch came while fishing off the islands of north Queensland.
“It was a parrot fish. I can’t say how big it was, but it was big for me,” he said.
Although he has enjoyed beach, river and estuary fishing, Mr Cavanagh said river fishing remained his favourite because of the familiarity that comes with learning the water.
“You get to know the spots – where the holes are and what is there,” he said.
Before moving to the Redlands, he lived on the Sunshine Coast, where he regularly fished from beaches, rivers and cane bridges, targeting flathead and bream.
Fishing at Dunwich is still a relatively new experience.
“I haven’t fished here much, so I thought I would give it a go,” he said.
Mr Cavanagh prefers to fish around sunrise and sunset, saying those quieter times not only improve the chances of catching fish but also provide a sense of calm.
“I see it as mindfulness for the common man,” he said.
“There’s a lot of interest in mindfulness at the moment.
“If you’re a man who’s not into yoga or meditation, you can fall into fishing and experience that same feeling without realising it.”
When he does land a catch, Mr Cavanagh keeps it simple.
“I like steamed fish best,” he said with a smile.
“And I usually always catch something – eventually.”
