Above image: Evan with his 100lb king fish

When asked the question why do you love fishing? Evan’s witty reply didn’t fail to put a smile on my face, “I dunno, I guess I’m hooked.”

Anyone who knows Evan well knows that he’s a fishing fanatic. He loves his boat and planning holidays around fishing. What I wanted to find out was why he and many men alike are obsessed with fishing? I didn’t want to hear the cliche answer ‘It’s the only way I get any peace and quiet’, so I went trawling for answers.

Evan loves nothing more than wading through rivers, trawling through crocodile infested waters and braving the elements for ‘the big one’. “Fishing gives you time away from the stresses of everyday life. It gives you a chance to push everything out of your brain and just focus on fishing and all nature has to offer” Evan explains. “Besides if you’re on the ball you don’t really have time to be worrying about anything other than things like handling the boat, setting up your lines, watching your speed, the fish finder and the weather.”

Evan’s love of fishing developed at a young age, he became addicted to fishing after his first big catch.

“As kids my brothers and I used to fish off the rocks on the banks of the Murray River. I can’t remember my first catch specifically but I remember the excitement and it earning me bragging rights for the rest of the day.” Evan also recalls the first boat he purchased  “At age 12 I bought my very first boat, I sanded it down and painted it red. It was the start of many great fishing experiences.”

While Evan is an avid fisherman, he can be quite modest as to how exceptional his fishing skills truly are. If nothing else the fishing memorabilia around his home displays this, a large photo of Evan and his son Joshua with an impressive 40 pound cod that is not so discreetly placed in the center of the kitchen. Continue into the lounge room and you’re greeted by the beady little eyes of a massive 100 pound king fish mold, a trophy and the main talking point of the room. Much to the dismay of wife Jackie, who is not quite as impressed by the focal styling point of the room however Evan speaks proudly of his monumental catch from Port Augusta, SA explaining how the 100 pound king fish put up the fight of his life.

While Evan’s caught many fish in his time he makes it clear the biggest catch of his life was his wife of 21 years, Jackie. Although Jackie doesn’t share the same love of fishing as her husband, Evan says “she’s never stopped me from doing what I love.”

The male pastime of fishing baffles most women including Evans wife Jackie. Jackie often asks herself why he insists on having so many rods and reels and explains how the beautiful, red gum cabinet that holds all of Evan’s prized rods is often mistaken for a crystal cabinet. “I wouldn’t mind going down the river for a couple of hours but Ev will literally fish all day and night. As long as he doesn’t ask me to go with him he can fish for as long as he likes.” Jackie explains while laughing over a hot coffee. “When I’m not working I’d rather be at home with the kids, catching up on things.” Although Jackie confesses that she used to go fishing with Evan when they were younger and she was trying to impress him which it seems he fell for hook, line and sinker.

A surprise to some, fishing seems to be quite an expensive hobby when you throw in a boat and trailer, fishing holidays and charter boats as well as different rods and reels to suit each location and fish; of course. When I asked Evan to crunch the numbers on the price of being such a skillful fisherman Jackie was quick to chime in with “Too much!” Evan accompanied Jackie’s answer with a nervous laugh but says, “Yes I’ve spent quite a bit of dough on fishing but it’s my hobby and if you’re going to do something you may as well do it right or you’re just a man with a stick”.

“There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot” – Steven Wright

While a lot of men enjoy sinking a few cold beers Evan says he’s not a big drinker and would much prefer to sink a few lures and enjoy a cold ginger beer with friends and family. Some identify fishing as a time to bond and when asked Evan says he’s always trying to get his kids out of the house and into the boat with him. “It’s good to see them outside rather than sitting in front of the TV or on their phones.” Though admirable, something smelt a little fishy and when questioned Evan admits his kids make a good first mate. Every fisherman needs their right hand man or woman and Evan says his kids have always been interesting to have in the boat.

“The kids have been places and caught fish most men will never catch in their lives. For example Joshie’s biggest catch to date was at age 2, with a helping hand he pulled in a 25 pound cod. Josh also had a crack at the 40 pounder but the weight on the rod was too much and he kept saying ‘it’s stuck dad, it’s stuck.’ Nikita also had a great catch at age 8 with another 40 pound Murray cod, while Brooke caught an 18 pound snapper off the beach which was an awesome experience.”

“Although Jackie usually sets us up with some lunch and snacks for our fishing trips, her fishing efforts have been pretty dismal really” he says, “having said that Jackie has been on a few camping trips with me since we’ve been together and I remember she caught a nice little cod back in 1993” Evan also talks about some great fishing trips with his mate and allied fisherman, Peter. “Pete and I have had some great times fishing together. One pretty memorable experience was when Pete lost his footing and fell out of the boat into crocodile infested waters, the look on his face was priceless.” he explains while having a good laugh at the memories.

Evan says that he’ll never tire of fishing, “No two fishing trips are the same. There will always be new people to meet,  places to go, fish to catch and adventures to be had”.

Images below:

Evan with a barramundi
Evan with another barramundi
Evan with a 40lb Murray cod
Wife Jackie with a Murray cod
Evan with daughter Brooke
Evan’s kids Nikita & Joshua with a barramundi
Nikita with another barramundi
Josh with a little 2lb barramundi
Fishing buddy Peter with a 100lb mulloway
Peter with a snook
Evan with a blue devil fish
Brooke with an 18lb snapper
Evan with a 30lb mulloway
Evan with son Josh and a snapper