# Middle Harbour 120707 attacked by giant eels



## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I got an early afternon off work, so at 1500 I set off into the beautiful waters of Middle Harbour. After early starts the last few trips, an afternoon launch was luxurious, practically warm even. There was the requisite group of interested onlookers, who I managed to amuse by falling flat on my arse on the ramp, so with said arse sodden, and 8 oyster cuts on my left hand, I hove to.

Caught a nice little tailor about 200m from the ramp (about 30cm), and decided to keep him for bait. Another 200m and I saw the largest arch I've ever seen on the sounder, so rapidly filleted the tailor and sent out a slab. After 15 mins of nothing, I moved on. Continued over to the jettys off Quakers Hat Bay, and picked up a flounder (lost as I was dehooking - about 30cm) and a couple of small bream. Time to move on to spot K.

A quick detour into Sailors Bay, where I saw some XOS bream in the shallows, but they weren't interested in the plastics I flicked at them. Caught an undersize snapper, and headed over to Sugarloaf Point to tie off and await the jewfish.

I had some very frozen pilchards, so broke off a few, and put them in the footwell to thaw (note to self: don't do this). Night closed in, and things started to get weird. I could feel some bumps - the kind of bump you get when something is playing with your bait, but I couldn't feel anything on any of my lines. The bumps continued, when through the gloom I caught a glimpse of something long and sinuous. 5 mins later, one of the rods went off, and I wound in a large eel. Fortunately he let go just as I got him up to the kayak, but I added up two and two, and came up with footwell full of pilchards = big kayak shaped berley cage. I chucked a test pillie out to the side of the yak, and a huge eel came out from underneath and snaffled it. The bumps turned out to be several eels attempting to mate with my mirage drive, so I spent the next half an hour trying to get a decent photo. The largest one would have been around 1.5 metres. Around 1900, I gave up on the winning comp entry (for now) and headed home.


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

aaaaaaaark. freakin EELS!!!!

they are scary beasts!

Hows the pilchard smelling feet today?


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

Eels are a great fight when they go off!!


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Nice report mate, i like the underwater photo of the eel.


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## xerubus (May 17, 2007)

great report. nothing like things that go bump in the night!


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Great report and pics sbd - you're lucky an eel didn't come up through a scupper hole looking for a feed!! :shock:


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## onemorecast (Apr 17, 2006)

Sounds familar. I've gone out 2 times at night in pursuit of Jew and came up with eels each time! Hate em! And the more you keep them out of the water the more they wind around your line. The're almost as icky as occtopussies!


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

used to catch a heap in port douglas...just used to cut them off and never bring into a boat......even shore/wharf fishing just cut them off.......icky, sticky things YUK!!!!

i hooked on to a large one a couple of months ago it was about as thick as my calf......cut off and let go.....

although fresh water eels are good smoked, a friend in tassie breeds/has them in a dam and has a smoke house, come out quite nice

cheers


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

don't like Eels ? :shock: 
Fart down your scupper holes :lol:

what are Parramatta eels doing at Mosman anyway?


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## FISHPEDDLER (May 12, 2007)

Reminds me like something ot of the movie 'Anaconda' . Great pics mate. Paul


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## kingfisher111 (Jun 13, 2006)

Eels, top bait for Gummy sharks. Get 'em.


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## lostinoz (Feb 18, 2007)

great pics, if some thing that big was nudging my yak, i would crap myself, good luck, steve.


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## tuco (Dec 3, 2006)

Classic!
They look bloody huge.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Holy whatsipoly...

You put your hand in the water to take the photo, or just dropped it in tied to a lanyard????? I would not be putting my hands in the water for a bunch of chummed up (but possibly still ravenous eels) They are almost as dangerous as the legendary King George Whiting of Selicks Beach!!! Amazing they didn't eat the camera....what were you thinking.

Cheers Andybear


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

redphoenix said:


> Mm.. Eel sushi japanese style. Yum.
> 
> Red.


Oh man, now you got me wanting grilled unagi... AND I'm on my way to Chinatown. Thanks Red! :roll:

Doesn't look too different to the short finned conger eel found in the aquarium trade. If they are similar SBD they will have very small teeth, getting bitten would probably be a nicer experience than oyster inflicted wounds.


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

are you sure it was the kayak they were trying to mate with?? :lol: :lol:


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

craig51063 said:


> are you sure it was the kayak they were trying to mate with??


Don't get me wrong, I'm a very attractive man.


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## Southerly (Apr 20, 2007)

Great photos Dave. An experience to be enjoyed, gotta love the water.

David


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## Wattie (Apr 30, 2007)

Great report...even if you never got anything decent.

We used to smoke our eels.....not literally, but smoke them and eat them.

They were great. ;-)


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## chris58 (Nov 25, 2007)

nice eel there, i used to export them live to japan it is a anquilla rinehardi eel, we where buying them for $12kg live to the catcher and 18 yrs ago they were $80 kg in japan. you were safe with it as i have waded through tons of then in a tanks in shorts and bare feet and never had a problem in 7 ears. :lol:


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## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

By the photo it is Anguila australis or A.reinhardti (or something like that) ie short finned or long finned eel (can't remember which). They don't have teeth but a wedge shape mouth that if it bits will effectively graze the skin at worst. They are good to eat but a real beach to prepare, nail the head to a tree, cut the throat and a strong pair of pliers pull the skin away, probably not worth the effort. still bloody great photos


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## joey (Jul 5, 2008)

Are these the "Unagi" that you get at Japanese restaurants? Or is that a different type of eel.


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

AGggggggggghhh frickin kreepy eeeels...... :shock:

We know a song about eels............ :twisted:


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

Brilliant Paddy :lol: :lol: . Another Boosh fan. So that's where your avatar came from (or was it the other way around). You've inspired one of their best tunes!


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## Schmidty (Jul 28, 2008)

Here is a scary story, We were fishing in a small dinghy and the boat & motor lifted over a large black log in the shallow weedbed at Sussex Inlet. Much to our suprise but this 8 foot or 2.5 metres 40 cm deep log swam off in a sudden hurry after being run over by our 4 hp motor. I asked the orator of all fishing knowledge what it was ( The Sussex Inlet RSL Door Man), He replied that this the Inlet has been a breeding ground for these large eels for a few centuries, ( not sure he was around to validate this statement but I took him at this word) .
I can tell you that 2 weekend fishermen got the fright of their life and your eels must have been the babies from Sussex Inlet.


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## scleburne (Aug 10, 2008)

chris58 said:


> never had a problem in 7 ears.


I'd say going through 7 ears is quite a problem mate....


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