The forecast included a gale warning for my area. North-westerly winds of up to 40 knots. I decided not to risk it even if for just a short dash to the next bay, another 16km away. As it was the morning showed no sign of any wind but my decision had been made the previous evening.
When I learnt that the tavern was hosting a fishing competition I thought I’d try my luck with the kayak so after attending to some shopping chores, I enrolled and put to the water. I was informed that most of the boats had put to the water well before sunrise.
When I learnt that the tavern was hosting a fishing competition I thought I’d try my luck with the kayak so after attending to some shopping chores, I enrolled and put to the water. I was informed that most of the boats had put to the water well before sunrise.
No hint of the forecast gale!
I spent three hours skirting the perimeter of the bay and actually pulled in no less than seven fish. They were all kahawai and there was a $1,000 prize for the largest catch of this species. Regrettably, all but one were smallish… the largest was approaching 30cm but even this was far smaller than my single catch a few days earlier so I decided that it probably wouldn’t be enough to walk away with the prize and how right I was!
Impressive ... the jacket, I mean?
I had returned and showered when as the afternoon wore on the boats began returning. They queued up to deliver their catches for weighing. Their focus was on the hapuka (otherwise known as groper), and I saw one beast that weighed no less than 31kgs. I am glad that I threw my fish back rather than embarrassing myself in front of those hardcore fishermen.
They auctioned the fish at the end of the day and people were buying 20kg groper for $15!
