I just had a shock tonight reading Hal's newsletter about the passing of a top bloke who's life was family and fishing. Peter Goadby was well known through his works in the fishing media [lately Bluewater Magazine] and his own books, he had a certain presence wherever he was but even in his later years he would always find a seat and sit down and have a chat to anybody. He will be missed.
Extract from the Bluewater [Hal's] newsletter.
Bluewater Tackle World News for November 8th It is with much sadness that we report one of the doyens of Australian fishing, Peter Goadby, passed away October 31st after a long battle with cancer. Devoted to conservation and ethics in fishing, Peter was instrumental in the development of the Cairns giant black marlin fishery and with the introduction of tag-and-release fishing in Australia. A well-known author and lecturer, he was the first to land a shark and a marlin each over 1,000 lbs. Peter was awarded an inaugural NSW Maritime Medal for his 60-year commitment to the conservation and ethical handling of fish, including tag and release methods. Peter's work to protect and conserve fish stocks became legendary, and his authorship of books including the iconic Big Fish and Blue Water brought him into thousands of anglers' homes and hearts. He also worked on best-practice boat handling to ensure fish are captured and released safely and humanely, and sat on National and State committees regarding food chain management and conservation. Peter was an active member of the NSW Game Fishing Association and the Australian Game Fishing Association. He was an honorary life member of both. He was also a founding member for the Sydney Game Fishing Club and sat on many Australian and international committees related to game fish, including the International Billfish Foundation. Peter was also inaugurated into the IGFA Hall of Fame in 2004. RIP
. *** Peter Pakula related an old joke on the last day in October, which gives an insight into what many anglers who knew Peter Goadby thought of him: - Two angels in heaven see a great 120-foot gameboat trolling through the clouds. The pure gold outriggers and rails sparkle in the sun as the boat glides past, trolling a full set of custom lures of pure diamond heads and gold thread skirts with crystal hooks. As the boat glides past, they see an old man with a white beard in the game chair. One angel says to the other, "That guy's up himself, he thinks he's God." The other says, "No mate, that is God, he thinks he's Peter Goadby!" -
