Life on the line: Fishing writer Al McGlashan celebrates 10 years
Al McGlashan’s Gone Fishing column has appeared every Friday in The Tele for 10 years. And it’s not just about bringing home dinner. His stunning marine images celebrate the amazing marine life in Sydney and along the NSW coast.
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Al McGlashan will die with a fishing rod in his hands.
The beloved writer of The Daily Telegraph’s ‘Gone Fishing’ column and television presenter reflects back on his big catches and encounters as he celebrates a decade of writing.
And his most memorable moment is a hard one to beat.
The fishing guru had jumped into the Pacific Ocean off Port Stephens on the NSW coast, his assignment was to film a textbook release of a striped marlin.
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But a mako shark that had been stalking the shoot, past the stunned photographer and ripped into the marlin as McGlashan captured the ferocious attack from a few feet away.
“The plan was to film the release to document how marlin handle the stress of catch and release. After taking a series of close-up shots, I moved back and was preparing for the final shot when all hell broke loose,” he said.
“Without warning, a massive mako shark of at least 272kg raced up and nailed the marlin right in front of me.”
When it comes to a big catch, a 226kg swordfish takes the prize.
“It was delicious. I was having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he said. “My younger one Cooper took it to school and was trading it for lollies and soft drink. I was wondering where all the leftovers were going.”
As the fishing industry turns to a more “conservation mind”, McGlashan is set to work on filming a documentary looking at the East Australian Current.
“The Sydney Harbour is home to 650 species and the whole of Europe and as the water warms a lot quicker it is bringing a lot more species,” he said.
“Many people don’t know that NSW has something unique right on its doorstep.”