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Ron Calcutt - A Fisherman's Life


Little_Flatty

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A number of people have mentioned this film in posts over the past week and even though I have never fished like this (and probably will never), this video had a profound effect on me. I still remember hiring it out from Civic Video as a kid and watching it in amazement. I think it might already have been almost 20 years old when I first watched it.

In particular I remember Joe using a pan-sized bream for a live bait and the music as Ron starts his high speed retrieve was also forever burned into my brain.

I searched it out when I got wind that it was on youtube and thought I'd share here.

 

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I watched that until the  VHS broke ! There was a whole series of videos under the “A Fisherman’s World “ title and another favourite in the series was the Rock hopper . 
Going for Gold ( Yellowfin Tuna) and Marlin off the rocks were also great videos to watch also . 
If you are into Bass and don’t mind a bit of reading the the Top of the list is a book called Bethune on Bass ( John Bethune was one of the founders of Fishing World Magazine along with Ron Calcutt) and that book has some fantastic stories in it !

Isn’t it nice to watch a show about fishing that isn’t one big add with a few fish thrown in to keep you interested !

Edited by XD351
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How times have changed, if that was a fishing show now, they would be wearing fancy fishing shirts, with brand names all over them, every reel brand would be mentioned every second, lure brands quoted to make you run out and buy one!

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I was one of the lucky ones that knew Ron and John, fished with them and shared some good times with them both, sadly both gone now but the memory's are still there. Ron was the person that taught me how to use a buoy and painter for anchoring all those years ago , and I do have a pristine copy of John's book , a collectors item and one I will always cherish.

Frank

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4 hours ago, XD351 said:

I watched that until the  VHS broke ! There was a whole series of videos under the “A Fisherman’s World “ title and another favourite in the series was the Rock hopper . 
Going for Gold ( Yellowfin Tuna) and Marlin off the rocks were also great videos to watch also . 
If you are into Bass and don’t mind a bit of reading the the Top of the list is a book called Bethune on Bass ( John Bethune was one of the founders of Fishing World Magazine along with Ron Calcutt) and that book has some fantastic stories in it !

Isn’t it nice to watch a show about fishing that isn’t one big add with a few fish thrown in to keep you interested !

John also made a few videos about Bass in his later years.

179279125_bethuneonbass.thumb.jpg.8d6303f316ccc88c2cc7327c67d63076.jpg

We had some good times .

Frank

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3 hours ago, noelm said:

How times have changed, if that was a fishing show now, they would be wearing fancy fishing shirts, with brand names all over them, every reel brand would be mentioned every second, lure brands quoted to make you run out and buy one!

If I remember right this was on the ABC which would have meant that it couldn’t be commercial. I wish the ABC could do more fishing content again. Does anyone remember ‘A River Somewhere’ with Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch? Again a type of fishing that I rarely indulge in but that’s another series that profoundly affected me. Completely different kind of show, but beautiful and educational all the same. I’m sure it inspired a whole lot of people to start fly fishing.

Edited by Little_Flatty
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Couldn't agree more, the older fishing shows were all about being informative, about the lifestyle, enjoying the outdoors and so much less about pushing the products.  In that vein here's the first of a series about the Hawkesbury ... a gem of a show and still so relevant today. I'm sure many FR's would be familiar with these locations and sights. Enjoy! .

Cheers Zoran

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Fishing the Hawkesbury was a classic ! 
I had a pile of videos by Mal Florence many years ago but once the VHS died they eventually got pegged out - some of the best sportfishing videos ever made.

A River somewhere was also a gem of a show - one episode I recall was they were fishing for trout iirc and Tom decided to play the Harmonica around the campfire- Rob snatched this from him and hurled it into the bushes and sat down thinking that was the last he would ever hear of that , next night Tom pulls out the same Harmonica and starts again - this time though Rob doesn’t chuck it in the bushes he chucks it in the Fire 🤣.

The ABC had some fantastic shows - The Bush Tucker man was another and I’m getting buried with my Bush Tucker man DVD’s 🤣

I have turned off to many  Fishing shows on TV and many podcasts as they had become a competition to see which one can mention some sponsor the most in each show and I’m certain they are being paid a bonus every time they mention a sponsor .

This imho was one of the best Fishing books ever written and it really gave me an insight into how Ron’s fishing mind worked and how good an Angler he really was . Ron  also wrote one of the first decent books on depth sounders but as technology has marched on from those days the book is now outdated .

3F6B4233-DA11-45DE-8359-4CAE5892383A.jpeg.96cd033de3ea84a3d429f73c5e4a6edd.jpeg

Edited by XD351
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@Little_Flatty thanks we just watched that video and Stewy knew every reel, rod and piece of equipment by name and number - fond memories. 

@frankS you will know these characters

https://www.shimanofish.com.au/content/fish/oceania/au/en/homepage/articles/land-based-game-fishing.html

Check out this link above about LBG fishing Jervis Bay- look carefully for a pic of swordie who gaffed Scott Mitchell's first marlin off the rocks

http://www.fishingheritagejervisbay.net.au/index.htm 

 

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9 hours ago, XD351 said:

Fishing the Hawkesbury was a classic ! 
I had a pile of videos by Mal Florence many years ago but once the VHS died they eventually got pegged out - some of the best sportfishing videos ever made.

A River somewhere was also a gem of a show - one episode I recall was they were fishing for trout iirc and Tom decided to play the Harmonica around the campfire- Rob snatched this from him and hurled it into the bushes and sat down thinking that was the last he would ever hear of that , next night Tom pulls out the same Harmonica and starts again - this time though Rob doesn’t chuck it in the bushes he chucks it in the Fire 🤣.

The ABC had some fantastic shows - The Bush Tucker man was another and I’m getting buried with my Bush Tucker man DVD’s 🤣

I have turned off to many  Fishing shows on TV and many podcasts as they had become a competition to see which one can mention some sponsor the most in each show and I’m certain they are being paid a bonus every time they mention a sponsor .

This imho was one of the best Fishing books ever written and it really gave me an insight into how Ron’s fishing mind worked and how good an Angler he really was . Ron  also wrote one of the first decent books on depth sounders but as technology has marched on from those days the book is now outdated .

3F6B4233-DA11-45DE-8359-4CAE5892383A.jpeg.96cd033de3ea84a3d429f73c5e4a6edd.jpeg

And that could be Craig McGill on the cover. That was a few years ago so I may be wrong.

Edited by mrsswordfisherman
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Donna. Yes I did know a few of those guys mentioned, and am still good mates with a couple of them, but overall I was NEVER a LBG fisherman, pretty well all my fishing in them days was from my boats, I bought my first boat when I was 15 and have never been without a boat since, sometimes had as many as 5 boats at a time, and as a matter of fact I currently have 5 boats, but only 2 still mobile and registered. Must do something about that !!.

Frank

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52 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

And I remember back in the day buying the Telegraph on a Friday to read Ron Swinbournes column.

 

Then there was David Lockwood for the Herald. I had one of his fishing hints books from the 90s. That book is the one that transformed me from absolute novice to reasonable amateur.

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When I was a kid there was Fishing news - a newspaper dedicated to fishing  - I think fortnightly publication  . It was very similar to what Fishing monthly is and may have been it’s predecessor. Then the goldmine of info was published - The Encyclopedia of Australian Fishing -  Three volumes that were purchased in magazine format and when you had the lot you ordered the covers and spent half a day sorting all the issues out and fitting them into the covers . The third volume ( not shown )was the master guide to practical fishing .

13E5D625-6E30-497B-A3F4-5FA6EA60EE17.jpeg.626b13e0f99d2645d24a0cb79e5d1d94.jpeg

Edited by XD351
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Here is the full set. Each month ( or was it week ? ) I would pretty well wait at the letter box for the postman to arrive with the latest book, Some really good articles and lots of information.

books.thumb.jpg.3cce9348d261413f04c03e4da59a31a9.jpg

Haven't read anything from them for the past 10 years or so.

Frank

OOps slightly different publication, but probably the same information.

Edited by frankS
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3 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Then there was David Lockwood for the Herald. I had one of his fishing hints books from the 90s. That book is the one that transformed me from absolute novice to reasonable amateur.

David always lurked here and would report on the legendary Fishraider Hairtail weekend each year. 

 

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