Long Range Samsons
LIKE most keen fishos, I dig fishing DVDs. Not so much the slow, instructional type with dull tunes, but rather the fast action vids with plenty of quality fish and interesting scenery.
South Oz has been fairly limited when it comes to fishing DVDs. We’ve seen our fair share of snapper footage in the past, but not too much of anything else. It’s always great to see a quality DVD made in your own region, and with familiar species.
Well known South Oz fishing identity Shane Mensforth guides a crew of keen fishos to some of SA’s remote offshore islands in Long Range Samsons. Aboard Calypso Star, Shane guides the boatload of fishos offshore from the South Western tip of the Eyre Peninsula on a five day live aboard adventure.
The boys experience champagne fishing for southern bluefin tuna and albacore, and with persistence they are rewarded with a tackle-busting session on samson fish, with some thumping broad-shouldered, bronzed fish boated. There’s a host of different species landed in between the offshore heavyweights, with a good snapper session thrown in too.
The boys visit a totally wild and remote region of the state in their pursuit for offshore bliss. The towering granite pinnacles of Greenly and Rocky Isles make for an impressive backdrop to the foreground fishing.
The fishing action is constant, and around the changing weather conditions the boys target a variety of fish species at a number of remote locations. It was a very entertaining 50 minutes of consistent action, and showcases the exciting potential of SA’s long range charter trips.
Pat Brennan’s review
THE quality of fish was impressive with some very nice samsons, snapper and snook coming aboard. I got a real sense of “making the most of any situation” in this DVD. When the weather gave them curry, they simply went and found somewhere else to fish and something new to catch. It presents very well as s showcase for the diversity of fishing options in SA.
Throughout each fishing segment, there are discussions on rigs, rigging, techniques and tactics but the DVD couldn’t really be described as “instructional”. In fact, I don’t think it is intended to be so. Most people who watch the film will pick up a thing or two, especially if they plan to fish the areas mentioned, but the thrust of the film is entertainment. In that context, I thought it was excellent. My only criticism is one that is common with fishing films out of SA. I found myself cringing at the quantity of fish going into the kill buckets. At a time when most fishing shows are going to extreme lengths to promote the catch & release message and ethical handling of fish, this film was a bit of a let down. At $29.95, it is still a great watch and I’ll be watching it again just before I head over there myself to do the trip.
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