TALKING FISH: Broken River: Geoff Brennan

INT But when you were young; did you pull them out? 2/10:46 GB No. No. Don’t sort of remember when I was younger. Even fishing on the Murray. GB No. No. Don’t sort of remember when I was younger. Even fishing on the Murray. There wasn’t a lot of .. people just didn’t talk about trout cod. I don’t think, back in those days, when I used to go out there with dad in the ‘60s, ‘70s, fishing, that, you’d probably .. a lot of people wouldn’t know the difference between a trout cod and a Murray cod to be honest with you.

INT Yeah. It was one of the problems, wasn’t it? 2/11:09 GB Yeah. It was, yeah. So, I would dare say that, you know, we probably caught them GB Yeah. It was, yeah. So, I would dare say that, you know, we probably caught them and didn’t know it. Back then. But I believe, in recent research and figures, that they’re making a bit of a comeback, the trout cod. So, that’s a real positive, yeah.

INT So, you talked a little bit about your telescopic rod – that’s a very modern sort of thing: What sort of gear were you using when you were growing up?

2/11:31 GB Oh, when I was growing up, probably, dad’s gear revolved very much around the old GB Oh, when I was growing up, probably, dad’s gear revolved very much around the old Mitchell Fishing Reels which were reasonably expensive back in those days, but they had the reputation of being the best reels and sort of yeah, the .. some of them, he had some of the old cane rods and then, you know, he progressed in the ‘60s, went to sort of fibre glass fishing rods and different types of reels but he was an advocate for his Mitchell reels and ..

INT So, did he mostly got out and use just the one set of gear when he went out, or did you use things like springers and set lines? 2/12:07 GB I used to use set lines a little bit. But, they’re mainly just .. I think he would have GB I used to use set lines a little bit. But, they’re mainly just .. I think he would have always sort of taken two fishing rods. And he had one that he’d use sort of with live bait and he had a sinker and he’d just fish with one on the bottom, sort of, that was the way he fished…

INT Wow.. 2/12:23 GB .. and he’d walk, and he used to always talk about being patient. ‘Gotta be patient GB .. and he’d walk, and he used to always talk about being patient. ‘Gotta be patient when you’re fishing, Joe’. [laughs] You know, ‘cause as a kid you can imagine what it was like. Drop the rod in the water, and after five minutes …

INT .. where are the fish? 2/12:34 GB .. where are the fish, you know? [laughs] Yeah, so, he didn’t have a lot of fishing GB .. where are the fish, you know? [laughs] Yeah, so, he didn’t have a lot of fishing gear in that sense. You know, he’d have his rods that he’d take up the Murray and .. you know, the old side cast reels and short sort of rods to fish out of the boat. Really strong, you know. He’d probably fish with no more than probably .. up the Murray, 25 / 30 pound broken string. For trout, yeah, he’d fish with a very light line, even with macquaries in the river, he’d probably only fish with four, five, six pound line.

## INT Okay. 2/13:11

Checked by Jodi Frawley 12-1-2011

15