By Derek Schlennstedt
There is a good reason that fishermen call it fishing and not catching – sometimes no matter how much you prepare or how much knowledge you have, you still don’t catch anything.
But for most fishermen it isn’t catching a fish that is the reason they partake in the hobby, it’s the experience of being out on the boat with friends and family.
Upwey Fishing Club provides that platform.
The not-for-profit club has provided a community hub for local anglers and their families since 1946.
President Larry Stephens told the Mail that returned servicemen formed the club after World War II.
“We’re a group of likeminded and interested people who all like fishing and anything that goes with it,” he said.
“We fish freshwater, salt water, estuary, from boats and from the bank.
“In the early days nobody had a boat, no such things as a trailer boat.
“They’d hire a cutter at Mornington and fish from a hire cutter and later on a few of the hire boats came into play…but these days every second guy has a trailer boat!”
While Larry prefers to fish from a kayak, he said anyone was able to join the club, even if they were just interested in gaining an understanding about the sport.
“You can come in as a stock absolute beginner if you want,” he said.
“Our aim and commitment to providing a community-based fishing club has not changed in the past 70 years or so.
“We welcome anybody who wishes to enjoy a social, fishing/angling type of environment to come along and join in our activities and maybe learn something or even teach us something but most of all, enjoy themselves.“
The club also engages and supports local community groups and was looking forward to make the most of the recent restocking of fish at the former Ferntree Gully quarry.
“We’re absolutely chuffed by it,” Larry said.
“We’ve done a few talks with the local Upwey scouts and cubs and we took a group of them down there three weeks before they stocked it and we caught nothing, so we’re looking forward to doing that again now they’ve stocked it.”
The group holds regular club competitions and embarks on a fishing trip once every three to four weeks.
Anyone interested in joining can contact the club through Facebook or www.upweyfish.com.au.
