A greenblocked wrasse or surge wrasse

Fishing Roundup: Meet the founder of Hashtag and Release

Written by Boatsetter Team
March 22, 2018

Last Updated on September 3, 2021 by Boatsetter Team

Meet Jay Barker, fishing and adventure guide on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific Ocean, and read his advice in getting started fishing or for those already looking for the next big catch.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to fish more but isn’t sure what kind of equipment to get or is worried about their budget?

The most important part about fishing is your passion to do so, it doesn’t matter so much what gear you have or how much it cost if you have a passion and desire to catch fish. Get online and learn everything you can about your chosen species (there’s so much free information available to those willing to search for it!). Yes it will help to have the ‘right’ equipment, but just remember the ‘right‘ equipment isn’t always the most expensive – equip yourself with knowledge and you can’t lose!

 What’s one piece of gear you couldn’t live without and why?

This sounds trivial, but I couldn’t live without my scissors. It’s a routine I go through tying on a lure or a fresh leader and grabbing my scissors to trim the tags…when I can’t find them everything else feels out of place. It’s very important for me to have everything organized and in its place before I even start fishing so I can concentrate on the main game and not thinking about where all my stuff is!

What’s your favorite spot to fish, and why? What are some of the best features there?

Norfolk Island is hands down my most favorite place to fish. The diversity and availability of fish here is something that has to be seen to be believed. The fact that I can live in a community with a small country town feel, and still have my boat to the water within 10 minutes of leaving my house (or land-based fishing in every direction) is one the best features. Endless reefs, coral lagoons and volcanic ridges provide for pretty amazing fishing too…


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