Cockatoo Island

Trailerboat enthusiasts are known fanatics who never shrink from the daunting task of dragging their boats thousands of kilometres to fish an exotic destination.

One mob of fishing freaks embarks on such a journey every year in order to compete in the Buccaneer Classic fishing tournament.

Held among the 800-odd islands of the remote Buccaneer Archipelago in the Kimberley, Western Australia, participation involves not only dragging your boat to Derby, but also joining the convoy of boats bound for beautiful Cockatoo Island. Boats of all sizes spread out across King Sound to streak among the jewelled islands and headlands, drinking in the picture postcard scenery. In fact, it usually takes a whole day to reach the starting point of the competition.

The Buccaneer Classic is an annual tournament organised by the Mary Island Fishing Club of Derby, and is staged at Cockatoo Island. The gathering takes place in memory of Kim Keevil, a man who contributed much to the charter boat industry based in the Buccaneer Archipelago. The closeness of the community is particularly evident when the organisers make it known that the full resources of the island resort are dedicated exclusively to the event.

Whole families travel very long distances to enjoy the occasion, and accommodation on the island is temporarily closed to other visitors. The hospitality on the island is legendary, as is the social aspect of the event. The atmosphere is one of celebration, high spirits, remembrance and a distinct lack of inclination to play by the rules. It's a catch and release only event, but bonus points are awarded for using pirate tactics, distractions and diversions!

YOU'RE NICKED!
As a source of revenue for the club, a system of 'fines' is imposed during the event. Any hilarious mistake or dubious activity on the water translates into a fine once the team makes it back to base. For example, one skipper anchored without fastening the bitter end of the line to the boat. Farewell anchor! He copped a hefty fine.

One keen angler worked up a thirst tying a bimini twist to double his line. He made a connection to the leader with a perfect Albright knot, used a double sheep shank to fasten a lure to the end, trimmed all the tag ends and managed to trim the whole rig off the main line. That definitely deserved a fine. And so it continued with the audience in stitches, even when it was their own turn to pay up.

HUGE TIDES
The logistical aspect of this gathering has to be one of the most challenging due to its remote location. Only Alaska boasts a greater tidal range. Spring tides generally exceed 11m. Anybody with a shred of common sense can understand from that information the importance of adequate ground tackle, warps and chain.

Safety today is popularly considered to revolve around mobile phones, but such trinkets don't even make good fishing lures or sinkers in the Buccaneer Archipelago. They certainly don't work as phones.

Telstra services in the bush? Non-existent out there, mate, and the nearest public phone stands at Derby. Radio communications? Sure, your VHF will work in line of sight, but for dependability among 800 ironstone islands you need HF.

For the people of Mary Island Fishing Club, who take their freedom very seriously and understand that freedom comes with responsibility, the challenge means they look after each other. No good expecting the water police to rock up and bail you out. Better to be in charge of your own affairs in the first place.

THE 'A' TEAMS
This year 19 teams contested the event, and one of those teams was a group of women from Broome. They were the only all-female team. Deb Foster, who has fished by invitation with the Reel Girls team in the Broome Billfish Tournament, decided to lead the assault on the Buccaneers.

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she persuaded four others to join her. Tina Matthews, whose usual approach to fishing is the laid-back Sunday arvo variety tagged along, as did Pam Blatchford, who took out champion female angler at the Broome Billfish Tournament, and Sylvia Lerch, Reel Grannie and my mum.

Most courageous of all was Nicki Bilston of Mary Island Fishing Club, who not only abandoned her own ship Serenity but joined a team from outside Derby! It's surprising she wasn't heavily fined. The women chartered the Four Winds' boat Lively skippered by Dean Kemp. They chose 'Lively Lassies' as their team name.

Categories for the competition included sportsfishing, reef, creek, beach or jetty fishing.

Only one man was heard to say, chuffed at his own perspicacity, "You're an all women's team, eh? Then you must be in the beach and jetty section." He was possibly an octogenarian or about ninety in the shade. Most of the throng milling around the bar just looked like pirates, or corsairs, or buccaneers, and the lively banter, good humour and total enthusiasm never waned.

The system of scoring provides a more level playing field between anglers who target big pelagics and anglers who choose to remain land-based or are restricted to creeks or estuaries. This also allows the competition to proceed almost regardless of the weather.

AN INSTITUTION
But this gathering is much more than just a fishing competition, or a memorial to a lost mate. Whole families join the convoy for the trip across from the mainland to the island resort. The trip on Friday becomes a family picnic as lunch is taken at Croc Creek, a popular stopover for cruising yachts. The tradition of leaving messages and names reaches out as a bond of human contact in a truly breath-taking, but utterly isolated, part of the world. Folk-art festoons the shade awning at the waterhole where cruising yachts stop to replenish their water supplies. After lunch, it's on to the hospitality of Cockatoo Island and all the comforts of a luxurious resort.

This extra-long weekend is a family affair. Saturday and Sunday are fishing days where no one even has to bother cooking the catch, since it is strictly a catch and release tournament.

The Lively Lassies were soundly beaten in the 2002 competition, but were content to be placed fourth overall.

Monday morning saw all participants gather at an idyllic beach on a lonely island, like castaways and beachcombers. After a light-hearted competition weekend held in fish-rich waters and the five-star indulgence of the resort, everyone congregates on the final day at the tiny island the late Kim Keevil called home. This hideaway is a refuge of true recreation - by which I mean re-creation: becoming whole again.

The Mary Island Fishing Club provided the typical Aussie barbecue brunch on the beach. Sore heads were nursed. It was a very enjoyable wind-down after a fun packed, exhilarating weekend. Before the morning had drifted over the horizon, the convoy set out on the long return trip to Derby.

As the Lively Lassies team looked back wistfully, Nicki's apt comment was: "Oh well, only 365 more sleeps and we can do it all again!"