It is always comforting to start yet another year at the top of the food chain, with the sharks once again coming a distant second.

Sure, they get to eat a couple of us occasionally, but we eat a hell of a lot more of them.

With the silly season comes the opportunity for some idle thought, so I’ve been wondering of late where all the dead birds go?

You do not see them laying in piles under trees, do you? 

Sure, you see the odd bird splattered on the highway by a car, but where dead birds go remains a complete mystery.

Some new mysteries arose during our January competition.

Like Steve “Lizard King” Wilson’s non-appearance on the lake on the Saturday of the comp, only to reappear on the Sunday to lure up duskies, snapper and bream and steam roll to an open lake category triumph.

Of all the nerve.

Another mystery – Mark “the Canberra Raider” Albiez hit the Ulladulla ocean and netted, among his catch, three beat the board fish – leatherjacket, red rock cod and pigfish, while his companions just held sticks and gazed at the scallopy horizon.

Mystery number three – there was not much success by our usually productive female anglers, the exception being Linda Robson, who recorded and released the biggest fish of the weekend – a 70 centimetre (2.5 kilogram) lizard.

This contributed to Linda’s women’s lake win with a 3.765 kilogram bag.

The gun team of open champ Darren Ashforth and junior champ Jake Franklin scouted the beach with skill and success.

Jake took out the junior section with 4.695 kilograms, including biggest fish – a 1.835 kilogram Australian salmon.

Darren just bettered that with 4.720 kilograms for his open B and R victory, and open biggest fish – a 2.155 kilogram tailor.

Our venerable weighmaster, Dave Loughlin, returned to the podium with 3.490 kilograms plucked out of the Ulladulla Ocean for the open ocean category honours.

What was not a mystery was the resilient Pam Stockwell’s return to victory in the Lake 60+ section after Allan Stewart’s unexpected interruption to her domination last month.

Thanks to Lake Conjola Bowling and Recreation Club for its continuing support.

Next comp starts at 5pm on Friday, February 6.

Time is fish, Mark Paloff.

ROUND seven of the saltwater competition was held last weekend, January 10 and 11.

On Saturday misty, fine conditions prevailed, however, Sunday was a different proposition, with wind and rain aplenty. 

Six boats ventured offshore and a number of members fished the rocks and beaches.

Results are as follows:

Paul – four flathead, one Nannygai and one Snapper weighing 2.2 kilograms.

Steve I. – four flathead, one leatherjacket, one morwong and one nannygai weighing three kilograms.

Bruce – one mullet, two salmon, one trevally, one tarwhine and six whiting weighing 4.4 kilograms.

Steve P. – six flathead and one pigfish weighing 2.2 kilograms.

Tim – four flathead, two morwong, two snapper and one salmon weighing 4.614 kilograms.

Andrew – one bream and six whiting weighing 1.6 kilograms.

Phillip – five bream, seven luderick, one rock black fish and one trevally weighing 6.2 kilograms.

Tony – four flathead, one morwong and two snapper weighing 4.6 kilograms.

John – 10 flathead and two gurnard weighing 4.8 kilograms.

Annette – four flathead weighing 1.6 kilograms.

Craig – six flathead, one leatherjacket, one morwong, one nannygai and three snapper weighing 7.6 kilograms.

Tom Mc – three bream and three whiting weighing two kilograms.

Fred – four flathead weighing 2.2 kilograms.

Anton – one bream, four luderick and one salmon weighing 2.6 kilograms.

Shann – two bream and five luderick weighing three kilograms.

The mystery fish offshore was won by Steve I, with a morwong weighing 1.054 kilograms; rock and beach by Tom Mc, with a bream weighing 0.492 kilograms and the ladies, Annette, with a flathead weighing 0.507 kilograms.

The fish of the month is flathead.

Coming events:

February 6 to 8 – Freshwater competition round three, to anywhere.

February 14 - 3.30pm, committee meeting at the club.

February 14 to 15 – Round eight of the saltwater competition, 3pm weigh in.