LEE RAYNER

From chasing trout in the high country to dropping for swordfish in the ocean’s extreme depths, Lee’s another ‘good dude’ of the recreational fishing industry…

Growing up in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains (NSW, Australia), Lee’s aquatic addiction began when he caught his first fish at around four years of age.

“Although we were surrounded by freshwater where I grew up, it was less than two hours’ drive to the coast,” Lee said.

“By the time I was a teenager, saltwater was flowing through my veins.”

 

NO WORDS

Working hard to combine his passion with his profession, Lee’s spent the best part of 20 years creating content for magazines and television shows — these days it’s primarily for Australian outdoor adventure retailer Anaconda.

“The water’s my happy place… I still enjoy wading through a crystal-clear alpine stream, although my real passion is being out on the big blue.

“From interactions with whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife, to witnessing crazy surface-feeding frenzies and crossing paths with giant marlin, tuna, sharks and swordfish, these experiences can’t be put into words.

“I’ve had so much fun on this journey and it’s a long way from being over!”

 

WHALE OF A TIME

Spotting a spout far off in the distance or hearing some fluke slapping piques the interest of every ocean lover… having inquisitive humpback whales surface next the boat is next level again.

“While once a semi-rare occurrence to see a whale, there are so many of them around these days.

“At certain times of the year, heading offshore in the boat before dawn or heading home after dusk is simply not an option — for their safety and ours.

“It’s great to see whales migrating along the coast, although some do get a bit too close for comfort when they divert their path to have a good look at you up close.

“Likewise, when a really big great white or mako shark turns up boatside… in most cases they’re quite docile as they swim around the boat, although the sheer size of some sharks makes it an exhilarating and frightening experience at the same time!”

 

Not just a pretty face…

 

OCEANIC WANDERER

Based in Melbourne (VIC, Australia), Lee spends as much time as possible travelling around Victoria and interstate to create educational recreational fishing content.

From selecting the right gear, the right location and conditions, through to carefully handling fish, he pretty much covers it all… but it’s not all fun and games.

“If you spend enough time on the water, you’ll eventually get caught out in weather that really makes you worry.

“One situation I’ll never forget [for all the wrong reasons] was while fishing for Southern bluefin tuna off Victoria’s southwest coast.

“The weather and seas got worse and worse… as we pushed into the swell, a monster wave formed in front of us.

“I accelerated to get the boat over the wave and as we climbed the face it started to break… driving to try to beat it did nothing. It got us.

“The wave spun our boat around like it was a toy, until we were facing where we had come from — we didn’t flip, although being at the complete mercy of the ocean certainly put the wind up all of us.”

 

WILD ABOUT IT

Spending so much time on the water inevitably leads to other less-than-ideal experiences, such as witnessing the impact plastic has on all marine life.

“The vast amount of plastic floating around the ocean is bad in itself, but it’s an even harder pill to swallow when you see a seal or dolphin with plastic caught around its head.

“Then there’s the not so visually prominent effects of plastic waste… microplastics are impacting all of us, not just marine mammals and fish.

“The whole situation makes me really wild, so we all need to band together to make genuine and lasting change.

“Along with picking up any rubbish you see in the water and along the shore, think about all the ocean-bound plastic [within 50km of the coast or major waterway] that might be on the footpath… pick it up before it’s racing along the gutter to a drain, so it doesn’t even make it to the ocean.

“Every little bit helps… the plastic bag or container you can reuse and the plastic you can avoid by making better everyday choices.

“Many hands make light work!”