IF YOU ask Ormiston’s Norm Haupt how often he goes fishing he will tell you “not enough”.
For him, fishing is a sport and he is in it for the fight of the fish, not the flesh.
“I fish for the adrenaline rush. Sure, there are some we eat, but there are a lot we let go,” Norm said.
Norm’s fishing is usually done in the deep sea, mostly when he takes his 20m, six-berth Fleming model 58 yacht out to places like Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, the Kimberley region, Sydney, Lord Howe Island and north Queensland.
His last catch was in the Indian Ocean 160 nautical miles out and about half-way to Indonesia.
“We fished for eight days out there. We caught nine sail fish and other species. If we catch a yellow fin tuna, we slice it up and eat it raw. But most of the fish are catch and release.”
Norm said targeted fish were pelagic (surface swimming fish) including wahoo, gold tooth tuna, blue fin tuna, sail fish and marlin.
“Snapper and cod are bottom fish and these are usually the ones people catch to eat,” he said.
“Me, I like the surface fish. They are fun to catch and they fight hard.”
For this, Norm uses a light tackle with a 25kg line.
His largest catch to date is a 420kg black marlin.
Norm said his father kindled a love of fishing for him and his brother Don, fishing the Wynnum foreshore.
He said he also enjoyed fishing with his grandchildren in the canals at the back of his house at Ormiston.
“I reckon I am lucky. I fish with my crew and being together with your mates is all a part of the experience.
But this is a bit more luxurious than most.”
