Remembering Alan Zavodny, a pillar of Townsville’s fishing community

An avid fisherman from North Queensland who appeared on Hamsh and Andy’s ‘True Story’ has been remembered as a man who could ‘talk to anybody’. READ THE TRIBUTE.

Tragic loss – widely known and well-respected gamefishing and charter boat skipper Alan Zavodny lost a long time battle with cancer last weekend

The North Queensland fishing community is once again in mourning after the death of a much loved fishermen and charter skipper.

Alan Zavodny passed away on July 12 in palliative care at the Townsville University Hospital.

Mr Zavodny was the owner of AZ Fishing Charters, a member of the Townsville Game Fishing Club, and a former Townsville Bulletin fishing columnist.

Last week, another beloved personality of the NQ fishing community, Marty Price, died after a seven-month health battle.

Former business owner Dale Weldon met Mr Zavodny in 1984 when they were on a trip fishing for Marlin.

“Al was a great guy, in all honesty I loved Al,” Mr Weldon said.

“This is the type of guy he was, if I had a dinner party and I found that someone was going to be a little bit hard to have there I would always invite Al.”

Game boat skipper Alan Zavodny on his fishing boat the Black Pig – NQ may 1998, the fishing community is mourning the death of Mr Zavodny

“Because he would talk to anybody, and he would talk to them on their level, and he would talk about whatever they wanted to, he was a great conversationalist.”

Mr Weldon said that Mr Zavodny took great interest and had great enthusiasm in many different aspects of his life.

He said Mr Zavodny would be a loss to the fishing community in Townsville.

“Al had a lot of friends, he ran a charter boat out of Townsville for quite a number of years, but even apart from that, he was very active in the game fishing circles,” Mr Weldon said.

“And he really prided himself on being a red fisherman for the red emperor, he really liked chasing the reds.”

Mr Weldon said people gravitated to Mr Zavodny.

“You wanted to be his friend, he was a good bloke,” he said.

“That’s the way I remember him.”

Mr Zavodny was featured on the television show True Story with Hamish and Andy in 2018, after an anonymous friend submitted one on his behalf.

Colourful life well lived – fisherman Alan Zavodny was a guest on nationwide television show True Story with Hamish and Andy – 2018

His story was chosen out of 8,000 submissions and he was excited to watch his story come together told the Bulletin in 2018.

“Next thing I know, I get a phone call from Hamish and Andy,” Mr Zavodny said

“I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t,” Mr Zavodny

A celebration of life service will be held for Mr Zavodny on July 25 at the Woongarra Crematorium Chapel.

Originally published as Remembering Alan Zavodny, a pillar of Townsville’s fishing community