u/farisclose

Just wrapped up my Guangzhou trip late last September and landed back home in Sydney. Sitting back here now, the contrast in speed and energy between Syd and GZ is huge, so I figured I’d share this wild story with the sub.

I flew over mainly for work—sourcing fabrics, finding apparel factories, and getting sample patterns made for my streetwear brand. My original plan was to hire a local agent to handle translation and factory tours. But after two days in GZ, my previous translators were either unavailable or completely unprofessional. I was proper stressed out and running around in circles.

Then the most random Aussie-style miracle happened.

A while back in Sydney, I met a Chinese international student down at the rocks. He’d hooked onto a bloody massive squid, but the swells were huge and he couldn't haul it up. I hopped in with my gaff hook and landed it for him. I didn't catch jack that day, so he kindly gave me the squid. We swapped WhatsApps and ended up going fishing heaps after that. All I knew about him back in Sydney was that he ran a furniture retail biz in Aus.

In total desperation in GZ, I messaged him on a whim. Turns out, mate was actually in Guangzhou at the same time—and his family owns a garment factory.

He took me under his wing and walked me through endless fabric markets, clothing factories, and design studios. While waiting on sample patterns at one of the studios, we even sneaked away to Shenzhen for a night of squid fishing. It was absolute madness—we bagged 68 squids between the two of us! Even back in Sydney, a night like that is unheard of.

Afterwards, he invited me to his family dinner for squid stewed with chicken. Easily the most immersive Chinese dining experience of my life, even if I couldn't understand a single word of the local dialect they were speaking.

Ironically, I didn't end up using his family’s factory—they specialize in formal/evening wear, whereas I needed streetwear. But he still helped me lock down the right supplier, sort out fabric selection, pattern adjustments, production, and QC.

Sharing a few snaps from the trip:

1. The factory I ended up picking doing TikTok livestreams selling their own designs.
2. The insanely professional sample/pattern-making room.
3. A classic GZ scene: a hilariously overloaded fabric transport truck.

Guangzhou is an amazingly vibrant, energetic city. Huge shoutout and good luck to anyone heading over for the upcoming Canton Fair—hope you survive the crowds, because I reckon I’ve had my fill of that Canton Fair traffic for a lifetime!

Cheers!

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share this huge monster I stumbled upon while squidding the other night! I definitely wasn't expecting to hook into a massive Hairtail (Ribbonfish) on a squid jig.

It actually got me thinking though: Do squid ever eat hairtail?

I know bigger hairtails will regularly munch on small arrow squids, but what about big Southern Calamari / Cuttlefish? Would a large squid take a crack at a juvenile or smaller hairtail, or do hairtails strictly hold the upper hand in that predator-prey relationship?

Would love to hear your thoughts or if anyone has seen anything similar! 🦑🐉

Hey everyone,

I was out fishing last evening, just working my usual spot, when something hit my line.

The drag started screaming immediately. My rod was bent double, and for a hot second, I genuinely thought I’d hooked into a massive kingfish or a serious predator. It took a solid few minutes of careful reeling and pure adrenaline to finally bring this beast to the surface.

Prepare yourselves for this absolute leviathan of the deep...

Okay, okay, maybe "monster" is a slight understatement... 😂

It turned out to be this tiny little octopus! He was literally smaller than the lure I was using. I have no idea how he managed to hitch a ride on the hook, but honestly, it’s probably the most interesting and hilarious catch I’ve ever had.

After a quick photo to document this legendary battle, I gently released the little guy back into the water. He swam off completely fine, hopefully ready to grow into the actual monster I'll catch next time.

Has anyone else ever accidentally caught a "beast" this tiny before? 🐙

Honestly, my heart completely shattered into a million pieces during this.

Was battling this absolute unit of a calamari, and right when we got it to the edge, a massive swell hit. It slipped off and dropped right back into the water. This happened multiple times—just an endless loop of hope and pure despair. I was 100% convinced that this beast was gone for good.

Huge shoutout to the legendary Chinese fishos who were next to me! They were incredibly helpful, stayed super calm, and kept trying to scoop/gaff it for me despite the sketchy waves.

Watch till the very end to see if the fishing gods blessed us or if I’m just crying over spilled ink. 😂🦑

It was off the rocks at Kurnell Point

It’s been raining non-stop in NSW lately, and I’m honestly so done with this cold, wet weather. When my mate hit me up to go squidding around Jervis Bay, I originally didn’t want to go at all. You just know that cold weather + heavy rain drops the salinity, and squid usually completely shut down.

But then he literally rocked up to my house towing his boat, so I had no choice but to hop in—though I had zero expectations.

Turns out, I hooked into an absolute monster! This thing is literally bigger than my girlfriend’s Shih Tzu, haha. The hood alone measured 46cm, which is just unbelievable. Easily the most unforgettable catch of my fishing life.

DINGDING, It topped the scales at a whopping 2.36kg!👇

Managed to land this 1.56kg calamari recently — easily the biggest one I’ve caught so far.

Still pretty new to chasing squid around NSW, so I’m keen to hear what everyone’s biggest catch has been.

What’s your PB calamari? And for NSW, are there any general areas or conditions I should be paying more attention to? Not after anyone’s secret spot, just trying to learn where to start and what to look for.

Cheers legends.