IT’S less about the fishing and more about being on the water for Bruce Macdonald, 74, of Macleay Island.
The son of a professional fisherman in New Zealand, Bruce was raised with a bit of salt in his veins.
Early memories are of working as a deck hand on an old Tasmanian cray boat with his father Eoin Macdonald, knee deep in crayfish, off the Southern Ocean.
These days, his fishing ground is Moreton Bay, a place he describes as beautiful, but treacherous.
“On any day, at any time, it can turn. It depends on the tide and the weather,” Bruce said.
Bruce fishes from a 4.2m tinnie, catching enough for a feed and that’s all.
“I look for where the fish might hang out. Eighty per cent of fish are close to shore. I adjust my bait and tackle according to what I want to catch,” he said.
“I also have two sons and two grandsons who are keen amateur fishermen. There’s always competition, but it’s always good natured.
“My biggest catch on the bay was a yellow tail king fish off Peel Island. I don’t go for volume. I catch what I want to eat. That’s the joy of being amateur. For me, it’s just about being out there.
“I like to look at the water and see the birds, occasional dolphins and turtles and, on one occasion, some pilot whales. It’s incredibly relaxing.”
Bruce also talks about an unexpected catch of two snapper off the shore at Cleveland Point and landing 16 sand crabs one Christmas morning.
“I went out about 5am, was back by 8am, and the crabs were on the table for Christmas lunch. That’s the best thing about being close to the bay – the ability to go out impromptu and come back with a feed,” he said.
“There was another time when I hit the mud at Garden Island. The boys worked the front of the boat and we worked the back and after an hour we had 4kg of prawns. Just magic.”
