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Out of time?
As mentioned previously, QFM has been occasionally publishing articles on kayak fishing.
- Sep '04 - Kayak fishing at Lake Samsonvale
- Jun '05 - The Silent Hunter
- Sep '05 - Kayaks for Fishing
- Oct '05 - Luring Flathead by Kayak
- Dec '05 - Kitting Out a Kayak
- Dec '05 - Kayak Fishing at Lake Wivenhoe
- Jan '06 - Crabbing by Canoe or Kayak
- Mar '06 - Kayak Fishing is Hooking Boomers
- Jun '06 - Paddling the Piles
- Jul '06 - Kayak fishing beyond the breakers
- Sep '06 - Iron Bar Strength
If you can't find copies in your local library, it may be worthwhile contacting QFM to see if they have any back issues.
As we roll into November and the residents of the southern states change their clocks forward an hour for "daylight saving", it's given me reason to ponder "what if" Queensland were to step into line and switch to Eastern Summer Time.
By the end of November, sunrise in Brisbane will be at 04:45 and the sky will start getting light at around 04:00. At the other end of the day, sunset will be at 18:24.
During Summer, I typically drive to a spot 90 minutes up the coast from my home with the aim of being on the water at daybreak. This of course means I'm leaving home at around 02:30 and I'm certain that I'm not at my most alert. I'd love to be able to finish work on a Friday and head up the coast, set up camp while it's still light, have a good night's sleep and be paddling beyond the breakers as the sun rises. That extra hour of daylight in the evening and the extra sleep before the sun rises would make all the difference.
The strongest arguments against daylight saving have (understandably) always come from the north or west of the state, where sunrise and sunset times are naturally later. For example, at the end of November the sun rises over Cairns at 05:34 and sets at 18:34, while at Karumba the times are 05:52 and 18:55.
The problem is that Queensland is such a large state and would be best served by having two time zones. That could introduce a different set of problems, but most of those are already being faced by people living either side of the state border.
The State Premier has recently suggested that it is time for (another) plebiscite to decide whether daylight saving should be adopted. Hopefully someone will come up with a decent proposal that will suit most people regardless of where in the state they live, but when politicians are involved the outcome could be anybody's guess.
In the meanwhile, I'll keep setting the alarm early and trying to sneak out of the house without waking the family.
Tight Lines and Towed Kayaks,
Tony Smith, November 2006.