Blackfish Or Drummer?

[james7]

Hi Raiders

This fish was caught by my father somewhere near Dalmeny on the south coast 50 years ago (before I was born). As a child, when shown the photo, I thought my father told me it was a blackfish, but I'm not sure. (Memory is a funny thing) Could it be a drummer? I realise that the photo isn't very clear. It's not important, but I was wondering if anyone can identify it. I know he was really proud of it.

Thanks

Peter

[luderick59]

hi peter s

it looks like a nice blackie to me

peter

[noisy]

it looks like a drummer and a good one at that...i bet roberta knows....bob

[rocky2812]

it looks like a drummer and a good one at that...i bet roberta knows....bob

looks like drummer to me mate.

proper name is rock blackfish!

[Beaver]

I would say black drummer too.

[marlin1962]

it looks like drummer for sure , we caught a few that size of the rocks at kiama.

[arpie]

Hi Peter

What a mighty fish!!! No 'holding out in front to make it look bigger here' - it just was big!

I am no expert on drummer (or blackies for that matter ....) but my first thought was a drummer - I blew it up & couldn't find any sign of stripes that should show even on discoloured blackies!

I bet he was proud!

Cheerio

Roberta

[noisy]

hey roberta that vest u were talking about on the inventors is at WWW.REAPERCHEAT.COM. BUT I CANT FIND WHERE TO BUY IT AND ...and i knew you WOULD recignise it as a drummer....bob

[james7]

Thanks Raiders for your help.

I re-scanned the photo but it still isn't clear. I couldn't see any stripes, so I'll asume it's a drummer.

Cheers and thanks

Peter

[Blackfish]

Certainly hard to say, but Geee... the tail wrist and the tail seems too long for a Drummer also bigger drummer tend to get rounder.

I give in,but it's great looking at old photos.

B.F.

My rough stab............ Blackfish

Edited August 29, 2007 by Blackfish

[luderick59]

hi blackfish

i agree its got to be a blackie peter

[jewgaffer]

Thanks Raiders for your help.

I re-scanned the photo but it still isn't clear. I couldn't see any stripes, so I'll asume it's a drummer.

Cheers and thanks

Peter

Lovely old sentimental photo, Peter !

And looking at the smile on the faces of those kids, that huge blackfish had all their hooks in its mouth at once !!!

jewgaffer

[mark84]

i reckon drummer

[jewgaffer]

i reckon drummer

I suppose we should settle on a "black drummer fish" and maybe the stripes of blackfish fade away to an extent with age and habitat.

Still the float looks a bit light in my eyes for the lead needed to fish properly in the swell for drummer.

I'm not 100% convinced whether it is a blackfish or a drummer but it's a good size one that's for sure.

We've heard from some of the best blackfish specialists on fishraider, maybe a few more drummer experts may like to help out and take a good look at the photo.

jewgaffer

[james7]

I suppose we should settle on a "black drummer fish" and maybe the stripes of blackfish fade away to an extent with age and habitat.

Still the float looks a bit light in my eyes for the lead needed to fish properly in the swell for drummer.

I'm not 100% convinced whether it is a blackfish or a drummer but it's a good size one that's for sure.

We've heard from some of the best blackfish specialists on fishraider, maybe a few more drummer experts may like to help out and take a good look at the photo.

jewgaffer

jewgaffer, I've been looking at that photo all my life and never noticed the float. You are very observant! Although, the original photo is only 8x6cm.

It's been great getting so many responses from the Raider experts. Thanks again. It's rekindled many fond memories of fishing with my dad when I was a kid.

Cheers

Peter

[jewgaffer]

I suppose we should settle on a "black drummer fish" and maybe the stripes of blackfish fade away to an extent with age and habitat.

Still the float looks a bit light in my eyes for the lead needed to fish properly in the swell for drummer.

I'm not 100% convinced whether it is a blackfish or a drummer but it's a good size one that's for sure.

We've heard from some of the best blackfish specialists on fishraider, maybe a few more drummer experts may like to help out and take a good look at the photo.

jewgaffer

jewgaffer, I've been looking at that photo all my life and never noticed the float. You are very observant! Although, the original photo is only 8x6cm.

It's been great getting so many responses from the Raider experts. Thanks again. It's rekindled many fond memories of fishing with my dad when I was a kid.

Cheers

Peter

PeterS. Peter when you look for lightness and the length of the float compared to the size of the four fingers of the little boy's hand, it looks too light for holding enough lead weight for an experienced angler to keep the line or bait down in drummer country even if targeting blackfish.

Wave swell carries some force in drummer territory and if fishing there for blackfish one would think a float heavy enough to take enough lead to hold the bait down was essential.

And the lead needed to keep the line straight for the whole length of the line from the float would sink a little cane and light cork or balsa wood float as the general blackfish floats of that era were made of.

I don't think the odds of catching a drummer in an estuary blackfish habitat where your dad would use a little light float like the float in the photo, would be the favourite with punters.

So I may well take what I think is a better bet and I'll think it's a blackfish.

Very interesting older fishing family photo for both older and younger members and for you Peter and your family and friends as time goes by.

jewgaffer.

Edited September 1, 2007 by jewgaffer

[Blackfish]

Through great pain and suffering I had to go out and catch a Blackfish and a Drummer today, just to get a photo of their tails to try and solve this "Mystery"

I will let the masses decide

B.F.

[arpie]

Well done, Blackfish!!! Great photo! So, after all that - what do you reckon?? Blackfish or drummer??

Cheerio

Roberta

[jewgaffer]

Through great pain and suffering I had to go out and catch a Blackfish and a Drummer today, just to get a photo of their tails to try and solve this "Mystery"

I will let the masses decide

B.F.

Good effort! Clarifies it much better for me for my own benifit now thanks. Your photo is of a blackfish and a drummer captured either in a turbulent or a calm situation.

Other members may be able to help you to indentify which is which

jewfaffer

no offence with the emicon - these critters wear funny hats at times and I'm laughing at my own point of view.

[mark84]

ok the tail is long and the float is light its very hard to tell i certainly didnt notice the float at first im now leaning towards blackfish?????????

Edited September 3, 2007 by mark84

[coastspinna]

i'd call it for a drummer look at the difference in their dorsal fins... see how the drummers dorsal fin is more bulging and paddle shaped towards the tail end and the blackfish one is curved more evenly... look at the first pic.. just a thought

[cajun]

seeing it was 50 odd years ago, it may even be a Bluefish (Girella cyanea). Now a very rare capture on the east coast, still caught in numbers at LHI.

Bluefish

I should also mention that we caught a bluefish off the stones at Batemans in the early '70s, so Dalmeny isn't that far away.

Edited September 5, 2007 by cajun

[jewgaffer]

seeing it was 50 odd years ago, it may even be a Bluefish (Girella cyanea). Now a very rare capture on the east coast, still caught in numbers at LHI.

Bluefish

Hi cajun. Well done! There's a lot of good information for the members here.

Trying to indentify the fish in the old photo as being either a blackfish or a drummer now brings bluefish into the equation and that's interesting because the "which fish debate" has now increased from identifying one fish in two fish to one fish in three.

Does anyone know if a bluefish has a fair amount of blue in it as the fish in PeterS' old photo is in "black and white"?

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited September 5, 2007 by jewgaffer

[Blackfish]

A Bluefish certainly crossed my mind at first but their tail is a bit more pointy

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/gcyanea.htm

PS I'm led to believe that Bluefish point in Sydney was named after the Bluefish caught there ... few years ago now.

I caught a little one at Little Beach up at the Central Coast many years ago fishing for Luderick

And the plot thickens

[jewgaffer]

Hi Raiders

This fish was caught by my father somewhere near Dalmeny on the south coast 50 years ago (before I was born). As a child, when shown the photo, I thought my father told me it was a blackfish, but I'm not sure. (Memory is a funny thing) Could it be a drummer? I realise that the photo isn't very clear. It's not important, but I was wondering if anyone can identify it. I know he was really proud of it.

Thanks

Peter

Hi cajun. Well done! There's a lot of good information for the members here.

Trying to indentify the fish in the old photo as being either a blackfish or a drummer now brings bluefish into the equation and that's interesting because the "which fish debate" has now increased to identifying one fish in two to one fish in three.

Does anyone know if a bluefish has a fair amount of blue in it as the fish in PeterS' old photo is in "black and white"?

Perhaps the old photo could be analysed to determine what effect the colour blue has on a 50 year old black and white photograph?

By analysing the photo, a bluefish could well be taken back out of the equation and it would only have to be determined whether the fish PeterS dad caught was indeed a blackfish and not a drummer.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[cajun]

Perhaps the old photo could be analysed to determine what effect the colour blue has on a 50 year old black and white photograph?

jewgaffer

The body changes to a grey-green colour after death.