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Vale Arthur Dobe
A BIG MAN A BIG LIFE
Quite often you would hear people refer to Arthur as a big man and whilst he was that physically, that statement was so true is so many ways. Arthur was a staunch and passionate member of the Australian National Sportfishing Association (COMONLY KNOWN AS ANSA) which he joined in October 1987 becoming a Arthur was without doubt the driving force behind the Fishing and Outdoor Expo held each year in Townsville. Arthur presided over the initial Expo held at the Table Tennis Center on Charters Towers road which saw Arthur chastised by the local police for not advising them of the event which caused gridlock on Charters Towers road for nearly 2 hours. He continued on as Chairman of the Expo committee up until 2005 when he decided that he needed to allow a new generation to pick up the ball and take the Expo to the next level. His work and commitment to the Expo without a doubt has allowed the event to grow into something which was never envisaged to become one of the premier fishing and outdoor lifestyle shows in Queensland if not Australia, a fact which Arthur was very proud of. Arthur is recognized by the Australian National Sportfishing Association as having reached the rank of Master Angler, and also holds an Australian Record for the capture of a 15kg Barramundi and is respected for his knowledge across the Queensland Branch of the Australian National Sportfishing Association. Arthur’s knowledge of the rules, regulations, protocols and etiquette of our organization was second to none . With over 20 years services to ANSA we are a lot poorer for the loss. Over Arthur’s many years of service to the club I have been privileged to witness on many occasions his enthusiasm towards new club members just starting in the world of sportfishing, he would always be the first to offer a new member a seat in his boat “BLUE MOON” to chase his beloved barra . A day spent with Arthur down the Haughton or Morriseys would leave any one a much more enlightened angler. Arthur would never ask for or accept fuel money and he always put on a gourmet lunch on the water. A fishing trip with Arthur was certainly an interesting experience, one which you would never forget. To be honest when it came to Barra fishing Arthur was a perfectionist, you HAD to have the right gear, you Had to have the right bait, You Had to have the right tides and every one in the boat must work as a team and do it Arthur’s way and the one overbearing factor that had to happen was that THERE MUST NEVER BE ANY BANANAS IN THE BOAT. This is an old mariner’s bad luck superstition I have on a few occasions deliberately snuck them on board and started to eat one in front of him only to be given the evil eyes, Arthur would go red in the face start shaking, you would think his head would explode . And in Arthur’s polite and gentle way he would ask you to please get rid of them (I have edited this bit as we are in mixed company). So many people from within and outside the club owe their first barra capture to Arthur or at the least owe the skills that they acquired from either fishing with or talking to him. His methods and the skills he passed on are now used commonly by many anglers across North Queensland. He certainly set many people on the way to becoming great anglers.
Over the last 20 odd years Arthur devoted a significant part of his life to representing all recreational anglers on a wide range of issues from fishing in National Parks, Bag Limits, Junior Angler Education and most recently the ongoing Green Zone issue where he fought for the right of all anglers for a fair go. Filling his shoes in this capacity will be no mean feat. I mentioned at a club weigh in last Monday of the long weekend that I did not know what Arthur’s beliefs were as to where one would end up when all things were said and done. However I do know that where ever that is Arthur’s got the boat full of fuel, the bait tanks full of prawns, the tide is just starting to turn and gently flow in and the Barra are just coming on the bite. Arthur good fishing mate hope you get your bag of Barra. We will miss you. |
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member of the Townsville Saltwater Sportsman Club, soon after he joined the Townsville Sportfishing Club and held duel membership until he was elected President of the Townsville Sportfishing Club in 1993 after which he resigned his membership of the Townsville Saltwater Sportsman Club. Arthur held this position for 3 years and then continued on in various executive positions for the next 15 years serving as Club Webmaster, Club Photographer and Public Relations Officer.
Arthur was an individual, one of a kind, passionate, generous, full of enthusiasm, and had an extremely energetic mind. Arthur was a great thinker and would debate any fishing topic with the best of them . Any one who has come up against Arthur when he had his sight set will attest to the fact that it was almost impossible to sway his mind or change his opinions. He served the club in a range of official capacities on lobby groups and fisheries based management groups advising council, government and representing all anglers in not only North Queensland but the state as a whole.
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