Just before our last day up at Port Hedland, I went down to my favourite spot to get in a couple of hours fishing before we left to come home. I'd only been there about 10 minutes when a guy turned up telling me that he'd caught several salmon there the previous day, so we should be in for an exciting time.
Too right!!!
A huge splash only a few metres out from the wharf suggested there was something rather interesting in the water, so I could not wait to get baited up and cast out. Before I'd even got my tackle up together he was into something.
AND IT WAS BIG!!!
His rod bent absolutely double, and he started screaming..."It's a shark, it's a shark!!!" But not just a normal (for this end of the woods) one metre long reef shark, but a woofing great big bugger of something like the tiger type family.
"Help me, please help me" he desperately shrieked in my direction.
Since there was no-one else in my vicinity, I had to reluctantly respond, but I was not a happy bunny since I'd looked into it's gaping jaws and they were damned sharp. Trembling with anticipation, I grapped his gaff and started to slowly ease myself down the steps of the jetty to the next level which, to my horror, were now under about 9 inches of water due to the rising tide. As I reached the bottom, I found the water almost up to my knees. Looking out into the bay I spotted the large dorsal fin slicing through the surf in my direction, and as it broke surface realised this fish was a ruddy sight bigger than I was. SOD THAT...the last thing I wanted to be in was the same environment as this now very pissed off tiger shark heading straight towards me. Feverishly scurrying back up the ladder, I yelped my apologies to the now exhausted guy up top, telling him he'd better cut it free before it takes us both out.
His eyes were out like organ stops "I'm not cutting him free, it's the biggest thing I've ever caught" he wailed.
"Tough" I shouted back, "you're on your own then, cookie boy" There was no way I was losing my legs to his lifetime best catch.
At that moment, the hand of providence stepped in. His line took one more massive dive into the depths, followed by an ear splitting TWANG as his tackle gave up the uneven fight.
Talk about gutted...he was so depressed he never even spoke to me again, just boxed up his gear and left.
At least I finished the day with both my pins intact.....scary!