Meet the Team

CHRIS DIXON

Our man in the west is an angler that fishes to beat of his own drum. While Chris’ journey into fishing was a classic pathway chasing bread and butter species in his local estuary with his grandfather, today the fishing road he travels is far from run of the mill.

Enamoured by the adventure of getting off the beaten track and the challenge of chasing unique fish and the thrill of fishing places few people visit, Chris’ drive often sees him fishing hard to reach, remote landbased locations in picturesque southwestern WA.

About CHRIS

Name:

Chris Dixon

Location (City/State):

Perth, WA

Profession/Job:

Electrician

Favourite angling location?

Dirk Hartog Island

Favourite species to chase?

Spanish mackerel

Favourite style of angling?

Landbased, I just love the thrill of big fish from the rocks.

When did the love of fishing grab you and was there someone that got you into it?

I got into fishing because of my grandad. One of my earliest memories is fishing for squid in Albany with him as a young kid. Since then, it’s always been what’s new to me that’s guided my fishing, I can’t ever just focus on one fish forever I always need a new challenge.

What was the style of fishing that you did when your first started fishing?

Squid and King George whiting is where it all started for me. As I got older into my teenage years I spent a lot of time reef fishing offshore for dhufish, snapper, and baldachin groper from Two Rocks and that’s kind of what drove me to landbased because of how easy boat fishing became to get our fish. Landbased was a new challenge and I found much harder to crack consistently.

What (e.g. escapism, competition, connection with people/nature) does angling give you?

My angling is my time to myself, it’s my break from the world and release. It’s why I fish solo so much and enjoy the time I spend away from it all in nature. I’ve learnt the past few years to enjoy a lot of what I take for granted. By taking some friends, family and now my son fishing and seeing the enjoyment simple things I have seen a thousand times over makes me appreciate how important they are. Great examples of this are whales, dolphins and turtles. For me I see them almost all the time but when people get to experience being right up next to them for the first time it really makes me appreciate how lucky we are here in Australia.

Who or what inspires your angling?

This is a tough one, I guess my biggest focus is just learning, to always be learning and figuring out what’s new to me. I love having to crack the code on a new target species or method without having to ask for help or spots from others that may have done it before me. Reward for effort I guess on goals I set myself and manage to achieve.

What has been your favourite moment/memory in fishing?

I couldn’t possibly narrow this down to one moment, the fish I have worked hardest for I feel are my more rewarding and memorable. My first big GT from the rocks of Quobba Station. My 142cm mulloway from the Swan River in Perth, the huge blue groper I caught after swimming across an estuary with my fishing gear then hiking for hours to reach a remote headland. Figuring out topwater pink snapper in Shark Bay to a point where I can target them easily. There is lots and lots, and I couldn’t possibly single out one thing.

What’s your angling goals for the future?

To not stop! Fishing is my passion and I want to be able to keep doing it for a long time to come. Now getting my son into it I want to see him share the excitement of his fishing with me.

What advice would you give to new anglers entering the sport?

Enjoy it, take note of details, and keep a diary. Fish follow patterns and keeping track of things is an easy way to make it easier to catch more fish. More importantly though fishing isn’t just about catching fish. Appreciate the places it takes you and the experiences you have because of it and look after it so we can all enjoy it for a long time to come.

What can we do as anglers to make our sport and the industry better in the future?

Don’t abuse the privileges we have. Clean up after ourselves, take only what you need within your bag limits and encourage others to get involved or take them fishing. I know I get just as much enjoyment out of helping others catching fish as I do catching them myself nowadays.

What does the Daiwa brand mean to you?

Daiwa to me is a company that has supported me and many others on our adventures. It’s helped lots of Australians create a lot of awesome memories and is very proactive in trying to make our sport better for everyone involved.