By Yorke Editorial · · 5 min read
As the sun drops on the gulf coast, anglers gather on the old timber jetties of Stansbury and Port Vincent for one of the Yorke's most relaxed pleasures: squidding at dusk.
The gathering hour
There is a moment, as the sun slides toward the gulf, when the jetties of the Yorke's east coast begin to fill. Families wander out with rods and buckets, regulars set up in their usual spots, and one by one the squid lights flicker on along the rails. The evening squidding session is a quiet ritual here, and everyone knows the rhythm.
Stansbury and Port Vincent are two of the best. Their long timber jetties reach out over shallow seagrass flats - exactly the habitat southern calamari love - into clear, sheltered water that stays calm when the open coast is rough.
The gentlest of fisheries
Squidding is forgiving. You don't need much: a squid jig, a rod, and the patience to cast it out over the weed beds and jig it slowly back. The takes are subtle - a sudden weight on the line rather than a strike - and the reward is some of the finest eating the sea offers.
It suits the pace of a Yorke holiday perfectly. Kids can have a go, the gear is cheap, and a good evening sends you home with enough calamari for a feast.
More than the catch
What makes it special, though, is the setting. The gulf turns gold and then violet, the lights of the opposite shore come on, and the only sounds are the slap of water on the pylons and the occasional whoop when someone lands one. Walk to the end of the Stansbury jetty at dusk on a summer evening and you'll understand why generations of South Australian families have made this their summer.