A day away from the hectic life of being a veterinarian to the hectic life of being a SPEARO. The Ocean has been spectacular for the passed few days. Buoyweather predicted light S winds and all the reports we had were of great diving conditions. Michael, John and I got together at Coffs Harbour launch ramp before the sun was anywhere near the horizon. The sun crept over the horizon as we approached the wave recording buoy. Fish were leaping to escape submerged predators which is always a good sign. It did not take long to kit up and jump in. John spotted the school of Dorado first and started looking for a good specimen. He picked up on it too late because my spear hit it squarely near the pectoral fin. First drift and a good fish in the esky already.
We had co-ords for some fish traps and we were soon on our way to these, John being convinced he was going to get something big. First stop yielded nothing, second stop nothing, then the rest of the co-ords proved useless, the traps having been moved. Moved on to the FAD. Michael picked up another good Dorado but John was having one of those days, dropping 2 nice fish. Just as expected, the fish became shy after the first few drifts. This can be especially frustrating when you can see an ocean full of Dorado but you cannot get near them.
The next move was to water with a bottom. We stopped in the bay at South Solitary Island looking for Spanish. There was a distinct fishy smell, something I have noticed when fish have been feeding heavily on oily bait. There were no Spanish but as I lay on the bottom, a school of large Tailor(Bluefish in the USA, Shad/Elf in SA) swam into range. True to form the fish seemed unaware of me on the bottom. I selected a good fish and whacked it through the head, from below. These fish are very difficult to shoot from above because they zoom through the water as if everything wants to eat them. Just another species which supports my idea that it is much easier to get to a fish from below than above.
We then moved into deeper water, looking for Sambos and Wahoo. We found lots of Crocodile Gar which can only mean the Wahoo are going to be around in numbers soon. Michael dropped a large Jewfish and then landed a nice Samsonfish. I lost a Sambo too but then found a big Yellowtail King. I was on my way to get a Jew when the King swam in under me. I lined up for a head shot but the spear went through the shoulder and missed the spine. The fish dragged me along at some speed and I think the struggling fish enticed a shark which started following me. This is all conjecture because the fish broke free and I suddenly came to a stop in the sea. That was when I felt a massive strike on my right fin. The shark must have come out of the water at that stage, I rolled to see the shark pass next to me and then down, not to be seen again. Everything happened so quickly I can only guess at the species but I think it was probably a Bronze Whaler. I headed back to the boat to check my fins, nothing, not a mark. I can only surmise the shark was coming up at me then realised after it had committed that I was not worth eating. I think the impact on the fin was the shark's unchecked approach after it had committed itself.
We moved again, to N of Groper Island. This is out of the extensive reserve around Groper and is a small highly prized spot. John picked up a Striped Tuna but it did little to appease his agony at not being able to land anything worthwhile. Michael soon loaded a Gold-spot Wrasse, then a Mangrove Jack. I was disappointed because I had just come away from the school of Bulls-eye hanging close together, apparently a prime indicator for Pearl Perch when Michael dropped in and smacked the Jack. I dropped down again intent on a Jack. The bait closed around me but I moved deeper. There was colour and movement, 2 Bluebar Parrots. I tracked the larger of the 2 and successfully took it. These fish are always skittish but amongst the bait they were very approachable.
A while later, I made a deep dive and spotted what looked like a Jack. As it came closer I noticed the black mark on its saddle. This was a species of snapper I had never encountered. I lay very still allowing its approach. I lined up well before the fish turned to offer a shot and the spear went through its gill plate coming out above the jaw on the other side. Identified as a Moses Perch and is good eating. Michael's gun started playing up and he was fretting on the boat. I shouted to him to get his back-up and get back in. He did just that, only to drop in on a school of Spanish and another into the esky.
Between the 3 of us the bag was 2 Dorado, Striped Tuna, Gold-spot Wrasse, Samsonfish, Mangrove Jack, Bluebar Parrot, Moses Perch, Tailor and a Spanish. Not a bad haul for what seemed a quiet day of spearfishing. The bag of fish looked quite amazing with the range of colours. John endured a great deal of ragging and I have no doubt when the tables are turned, I will be in for a fair share myself.
Michael kindly prepared a few different species last night, in beer-batter, and these tasty morsels were scoffed with some really good home-brewed beer. I wonder if I could be more content than I am right now.
Several points worth remembering were the presence of several good fish amongst the dense school of Bulls-eye, the enormous numbers of Garfish, always a good indicator of surface predators and try to get your big Dorado quickly because the longer you wait the less chance you are going to get. Lastly, we stopped off in a reserve area to practice some breath-holds. On descent there would be no fish, but as you lay on the bottom, the numbers stacked up around you. I noticed on a dive with a bottom time of 2.5 minutes that there were fish coming to see what was happening from a long way away, beyond the edge of viz. Obviously the diver is new and worth investigating and as the fish move into the area they produce low intensity vibrations which arouse the curiosity of others, the more fish hanging around, the more attention the diver will attract.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
27 January 2009
Sunday was to be the club comp day. A NE had been blowing moderately, turning the shallows into milky muck. Then a strong S was expected, dropping off to a light S by Sunday morning. Perfect conditions: warm, clear water, perhaps a little choppy on the surface but that always seems to turn the fish on. Arrived at the launch at Arrawarra with the trees straining in a hefty S. The sea was on its head. Comp postponed to next Sunday.
Disappointment was clear on everyones' faces. I was keen to give my new DiveR carbon fins a go. Took them to the pool instead this morning. There have been the odd good fish coming out. Late Sunday afternoon and Monday (Australia Day i.e beer & braai) had great promise. Several Dorado were taken off the buoys and fish traps in the area over the 2 days. I heard of a Mangrove Jack, Purple Cod and Gold-spotted Wrasse taken yesterday.
Conditions over the next few days are great. Light S, the sea is absolutely beautiful. It is clean and warm, reminiscent of that Mozambique water you hope for in Sodwana or off Aliwal. The viz is around 30m+. Offshore the fisherlmen have had a hard time with little to show for their effort. Tomorrow should be a perla day and I have a long diving session planned.
Club Competition has an interesting format. There is a very limited list of really good fish on the list and each diver may only weigh 2 of each species for the year. You need to be a consistant diver throughout the year to have a shot at being club champion.
Disappointment was clear on everyones' faces. I was keen to give my new DiveR carbon fins a go. Took them to the pool instead this morning. There have been the odd good fish coming out. Late Sunday afternoon and Monday (Australia Day i.e beer & braai) had great promise. Several Dorado were taken off the buoys and fish traps in the area over the 2 days. I heard of a Mangrove Jack, Purple Cod and Gold-spotted Wrasse taken yesterday.
Conditions over the next few days are great. Light S, the sea is absolutely beautiful. It is clean and warm, reminiscent of that Mozambique water you hope for in Sodwana or off Aliwal. The viz is around 30m+. Offshore the fisherlmen have had a hard time with little to show for their effort. Tomorrow should be a perla day and I have a long diving session planned.
Club Competition has an interesting format. There is a very limited list of really good fish on the list and each diver may only weigh 2 of each species for the year. You need to be a consistant diver throughout the year to have a shot at being club champion.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
22 January 2009
The ocean appears to be settling down very nicely and has looked extremely inviting over the last week or so. I was fortunate enough to get out for a quick dive on Sunday. Conditions were still unsettled after the S blow but the sea was warm, with reasonable viz. There was a considerable current pushing S-N which had us starting just S of NW Solitary Island. The area was very fishy, lots of bait and indicators hanging around. On the first dive I saw a large school of good Yellowtail but they were reluctant to allow any approach. Headed upcurrent to prepare for another drift when a good 'Tail swam under me. It was an easy dive but the fish seemed quite flighty. I stopped to allow it to settle and started flicking my fingers at it. A small school of Yellowtail came in for a look, I selected a good fish and shot, hoping for an immediate kill. It was a good shot but slightly further back than I would have hoped. The fish bolted N dragging me along.
Getting the fish under control took considerable effort but once it was on its back I was able to dispatch it easily. I reloaded my gun and popped up for a look at where the boat was. It was a good 1.5km away. What ensued was a 1/2 hr swim back to the boat to load the 'Tail. All the divers got fish with Michael taking a nice 16kg specimen. Justin had a school of Cobia swim up to look at the second Yellowtail he shot, unfortunately the rest of us weren't close enough to get in on the Cobia action. Saw a few small Spanish but they were very shy. Some Bonnies came through, Sarda sp, and Michael took one, which made excellent sushi. Michael prepared some of the 'Tail yesterday by marinading it in Green Thai Curry and lime then onto the barbecue with a basting of coconut milk, mint and coriander. The fish was served in a wrap with Basil and tomato...spectacular.
Passed John on Sunday, he was on his way out to N Solitary. They got some good Mangrove Jacks in very deep water which bodes well for the future. There is still stacks of bait around and there are reports of fishermen getting some Spotted Mackerel (very similar to Natal Snoek) just S of us. Got my new rigid DiveR blades which I am very keen to fit to my fins. Sincerely hope that the effort required to do the deep dives will be markedly reduced.
Sunday is the club competition and I have decided to be more active in participating this year, now that I am settled in. I also want to get a better look at some of the spots before the Bluewater Classic at the end of March.
Getting the fish under control took considerable effort but once it was on its back I was able to dispatch it easily. I reloaded my gun and popped up for a look at where the boat was. It was a good 1.5km away. What ensued was a 1/2 hr swim back to the boat to load the 'Tail. All the divers got fish with Michael taking a nice 16kg specimen. Justin had a school of Cobia swim up to look at the second Yellowtail he shot, unfortunately the rest of us weren't close enough to get in on the Cobia action. Saw a few small Spanish but they were very shy. Some Bonnies came through, Sarda sp, and Michael took one, which made excellent sushi. Michael prepared some of the 'Tail yesterday by marinading it in Green Thai Curry and lime then onto the barbecue with a basting of coconut milk, mint and coriander. The fish was served in a wrap with Basil and tomato...spectacular.
Passed John on Sunday, he was on his way out to N Solitary. They got some good Mangrove Jacks in very deep water which bodes well for the future. There is still stacks of bait around and there are reports of fishermen getting some Spotted Mackerel (very similar to Natal Snoek) just S of us. Got my new rigid DiveR blades which I am very keen to fit to my fins. Sincerely hope that the effort required to do the deep dives will be markedly reduced.
Sunday is the club competition and I have decided to be more active in participating this year, now that I am settled in. I also want to get a better look at some of the spots before the Bluewater Classic at the end of March.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
15 January 2009
My lack of diving continues unabated. I am almost depressed by the prospects of working while the spectacle of a calm ocean haunts my dreams. A strong S did push in over the weekend but it blew itself out way too quickly. Predictions are for another extended S blow this weekend.
It appears that sharks are thick all around Australia. A youngster was investigated twice by a 5m White off Tasmania and fortunately her cousin came to her aid and it is very likely his brave action saved her life. In my neck of the woods there have been 2 incidents involving Bull Sharks attacking surfers in shallow water. Some friends were diving recently when a Grey Nurse came up to the surface and investigated the one diver's flashers before turning and making some threatening moves at the diver on the surface, this in approx 20m water!
From a fish point of view, the diving has been hard but the glory goes to those who persevere. I heard of several Cobia, Wahoo and Amberjack being landed. Interestingly the Amberjack and Cobia appear to have come from particularly deep dives 30m+. One Wahoo was shot at by a diver on the surface when he estimated the fish to be 4kg. The fish was taken by a dive buddy and turned out to be over 10kg. Clean blue water can play havoc on your ability to judge fish size. When you believe you are close enough GET CLOSER.
It appears that sharks are thick all around Australia. A youngster was investigated twice by a 5m White off Tasmania and fortunately her cousin came to her aid and it is very likely his brave action saved her life. In my neck of the woods there have been 2 incidents involving Bull Sharks attacking surfers in shallow water. Some friends were diving recently when a Grey Nurse came up to the surface and investigated the one diver's flashers before turning and making some threatening moves at the diver on the surface, this in approx 20m water!
From a fish point of view, the diving has been hard but the glory goes to those who persevere. I heard of several Cobia, Wahoo and Amberjack being landed. Interestingly the Amberjack and Cobia appear to have come from particularly deep dives 30m+. One Wahoo was shot at by a diver on the surface when he estimated the fish to be 4kg. The fish was taken by a dive buddy and turned out to be over 10kg. Clean blue water can play havoc on your ability to judge fish size. When you believe you are close enough GET CLOSER.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2 January 2009
My diving has been shelved over the last few weeks. When the Ocean looked good, I was at work and when I was available, the conditions turned to crap. The first half of the month was quite good but the second half has been really shoddy. Now that the excuses are out of the way, there have been some fish landed.
In the last week there have been some Dorado taken, as well as a Jewfish. My grapevine informs me that several Marlin have been seen around North Solitary Island (Big Island). I even heard of a Wahoo that was dropped at the FAD off Coffs. The guys also saw a Mako jumping around at the FAD, no surprise that the Dorado were so flighty then! The reason for the poor results has been the light NE which has kept a cold, dirty thermocline at the 15-20m level.
All predictions are for a hefty S blow over the next week which should finally push the good water in against the shore. It would be great to have some consistent conditions to dive in again. I am looking forward to a great year of diving. I hope to bump into one of the big Spanish around Pig Island this year. Last year a fish of over 40kg was taken on rod-and-line.
In the last week there have been some Dorado taken, as well as a Jewfish. My grapevine informs me that several Marlin have been seen around North Solitary Island (Big Island). I even heard of a Wahoo that was dropped at the FAD off Coffs. The guys also saw a Mako jumping around at the FAD, no surprise that the Dorado were so flighty then! The reason for the poor results has been the light NE which has kept a cold, dirty thermocline at the 15-20m level.
All predictions are for a hefty S blow over the next week which should finally push the good water in against the shore. It would be great to have some consistent conditions to dive in again. I am looking forward to a great year of diving. I hope to bump into one of the big Spanish around Pig Island this year. Last year a fish of over 40kg was taken on rod-and-line.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
19 December 2008
The last few days have seen little diving on my part. I have been busy helping my family move into our new home and arrange everything to their liking. Always good to be accumulating brownie points for later use when the weather improves.
Wednesday was my day off and I went diving with John and Michael Featherstone and Kris Banks. There has not been a substantial S blow yet and we still have a thermocline at around 15m (cold, dirty and really spooky).
Started at the FAD. Water was quite clear and warm. Massive school of Yellowtail mixed with Rainbow Runners and small Dorado. There was no indication of any bigger fish. We even tried pinning one of the smaller Dorado to encourage bigger fish to come and have a look. No luck. We then moved to the reef N of the Big Island (Hitler's). This was comfortable diving all above the thermocline. There was very little current which allowed a thorough look at the area. I stuffed up on a big Green Jobfish. Instead of lying still and patiently waiting for it to come closer, I tried to chase it. Total waste of time, fish disappeared pretty smartly. Due reward was collected shortly afterwards. A school of small Yellowtail swam up to me, I tucked over to look behind me and saw a Spanish following the 'Tail. Turned and tracked it. The fish initially raced off then seemed to stop and glide to the left, right into my target area. That is my first Spanish this season, not big but my dance card has been opened.
We moved around to the S side of the Big Island. The viz opened up beautifully. Viz down to 20m+. Lots of bait around and several schools of small 'Tail and Amberjack. I was looking for Wahoo or Cobia. Found several massive Black Rays at around 20m and diligently looked under them for Cobia. Encountered an Eagle Ray with an Amberjack but the ray spooked and took the Amberjack with it. Shoaling Hammerheads came through in a school of about 30 sharks. True to form, they were very skittish. When I thought I was not going to see a Cobia, dropped down to check out a ray and found 2 Cobia. What a blast taking a Cobia in such a classic situation. By this stage we had rustled up 2 Spanish, a Blue-Bar Parrotfish and the small Dorado.
We did our best to find some Mangrove Jacks but the conditions were deteriorating. We elected to move to The Wash. Again the thermocline was found at about 15m. I could find no fish in the dirty cold water but around the pinnacles there were plenty. Took a reasonable Yellowtail and as I tried to put my hand into its gills it broke free. Then I found a school of large Big-Eye Trevally. The school seemed very flighty almost harassed. Every dive at them, had them scuttling off into the deep, only to return several minutes later. With their next pass I exhaled and slowly sank down to them. This gave me a closer look and I managed to pin one. It fought very strongly and scraped along the reef, dislodging the spear.
We decided to call it a day and head back to Arrawarra. The Cobia is in the fridge being prepared as Gravlax and the 'Couta in a brining solution for smoking today.
The weather this weekend does not look good for diving but a quick jaunt out to look for Dorado may be a good bet. If that fails, I will take my bow out and go looking for some deer on the surrounding hills. I am really in need of some good old fashioned BILTONG!
Wednesday was my day off and I went diving with John and Michael Featherstone and Kris Banks. There has not been a substantial S blow yet and we still have a thermocline at around 15m (cold, dirty and really spooky).
Started at the FAD. Water was quite clear and warm. Massive school of Yellowtail mixed with Rainbow Runners and small Dorado. There was no indication of any bigger fish. We even tried pinning one of the smaller Dorado to encourage bigger fish to come and have a look. No luck. We then moved to the reef N of the Big Island (Hitler's). This was comfortable diving all above the thermocline. There was very little current which allowed a thorough look at the area. I stuffed up on a big Green Jobfish. Instead of lying still and patiently waiting for it to come closer, I tried to chase it. Total waste of time, fish disappeared pretty smartly. Due reward was collected shortly afterwards. A school of small Yellowtail swam up to me, I tucked over to look behind me and saw a Spanish following the 'Tail. Turned and tracked it. The fish initially raced off then seemed to stop and glide to the left, right into my target area. That is my first Spanish this season, not big but my dance card has been opened.
We moved around to the S side of the Big Island. The viz opened up beautifully. Viz down to 20m+. Lots of bait around and several schools of small 'Tail and Amberjack. I was looking for Wahoo or Cobia. Found several massive Black Rays at around 20m and diligently looked under them for Cobia. Encountered an Eagle Ray with an Amberjack but the ray spooked and took the Amberjack with it. Shoaling Hammerheads came through in a school of about 30 sharks. True to form, they were very skittish. When I thought I was not going to see a Cobia, dropped down to check out a ray and found 2 Cobia. What a blast taking a Cobia in such a classic situation. By this stage we had rustled up 2 Spanish, a Blue-Bar Parrotfish and the small Dorado.
We did our best to find some Mangrove Jacks but the conditions were deteriorating. We elected to move to The Wash. Again the thermocline was found at about 15m. I could find no fish in the dirty cold water but around the pinnacles there were plenty. Took a reasonable Yellowtail and as I tried to put my hand into its gills it broke free. Then I found a school of large Big-Eye Trevally. The school seemed very flighty almost harassed. Every dive at them, had them scuttling off into the deep, only to return several minutes later. With their next pass I exhaled and slowly sank down to them. This gave me a closer look and I managed to pin one. It fought very strongly and scraped along the reef, dislodging the spear.
We decided to call it a day and head back to Arrawarra. The Cobia is in the fridge being prepared as Gravlax and the 'Couta in a brining solution for smoking today.
The weather this weekend does not look good for diving but a quick jaunt out to look for Dorado may be a good bet. If that fails, I will take my bow out and go looking for some deer on the surrounding hills. I am really in need of some good old fashioned BILTONG!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
9 December 2008
Buoyweather has been a little on the conservative side recently. Indications have been of really poor weather but we have been enjoying some very settled, clear and warm sea. On Saturday, some dive mates convinced me to go out to the local wave-recording buoy. Apparently, news of some Dorado was doing the rounds. The sky looked pretty ominous and the swell was quite impressive but we made the most of it. I have found the wave-recorder to be quite mediocre to date. I drifted toward it in the strong current, fully expecting the usual Yellowtail creche to come out to great me. What a pleasant surprise to see a school of Dorado swim past. My shot was poor but Justin nabbed one, not big but a great start. A few more drifts saw Kurt and I heading toward the recorder. I saw the school and started to stalk them but Justin began shouting at me from the boat. I looked across to see Kurt into a nice bull. It fought like a demon. Fortunately, I was in time to make a securing shot. It weighed a convincing 13kg.
Kris took some friends to dive at Split Solitary on Monday. The conditions were great and I did not need much convincing to head out with him on Tuesday. The NE had churned the sea up a little. Viz was poor, around 8m, but the sea was quite warm. I made several dives on a school of small Yellowtail but nothing worthwhile was in the offing. I made a dive to the bottom to lie and wait for something to come knocking. Something did. On the edge of viz a large shape loomed, distinct white belly, dark back. The shark stayed on the periphery, in the gloom. I decided it was probably a Raggie but the consensus is that it may have been a little White. A short while later, a Raggie came up to have a good look at me in midwater. With the poor viz, the shark activity and the lack of suitable quarry, we decided to call it a day.
Big family excitement. We have been flitting from one holiday accommodation to another and finally we now could move into our new home. To celebrate, John Featherstone suggested we go diving.
Friday had us heading out to the Coffs FAD. I jumped in and surprised a Marlin. I don't know who was more startled. The Marlin obviously had chased any other quarry away from the FAD. We headed to Grouper but the water was mucky. The N-S current convinced us to head to the N end of Grouper. We took a few Yellowtail but then the Raggies showed up again. They were very feisty. Discretion being the better part of valour, we elected to try Black Rock. What an exciting place to dive. The rock sticks up out of 20m of water. We encountered lots of bait in the vicinity but the current pushed us off the hotspot very quickly. I did manage to shoot a large Yellowtail that took me way upcurrent. This made for a few anxious moments with 2 divers being separated by a few hundred metres.
We moved onto The Small Wash near Black Rock. This is another inspiring spot that just seems to scream fish. We were hoping for a large Amberjack or Samsonfish but were prepared to settle for a Cobia or Jew. Unfortunately, our quarry were not co-operating. We dived hard and at one point, I thought, as I finned along the surface, that I had just seen a Cobia. I quickly ducked down to be confronted by the largest Yellowtail I have seen up to now. I made a good holding shot. The shot was confirmed by Kris and John, both happy that the fish was secure. Moments later I was dragged down about 15m by the seemingly very alive fish. Then nothing..... gone! Perhaps the Raggies were enjoying what they perceived as their just desserts.
The weekend was spent unpacking and sorting through our boxes from South Africa. The club held a competition on Sunday which seems to have been very productive. Yellowtail Kings featured extensively but then there were Samsonfish and Cobia tossed into the mix. The luckier divers managed some Pearl Perch, Mangrove Jack and Red Bass (Bohar Snapper).
The weather is spectacular and I am keen to get out and try some new things I have read on www.saspearoranking.co.za. I am intending to restring my 1.4m gun with dyneema directly from the reel to the spear, leaving the clips and bungee off. The other piece of gear I intend acquiring is a belt-reel. This will allow an additional length of line available, to clip to the gun, if something big strips the line off the reel on the gun. These belt-reel are available from Rabitech.
Kris took some friends to dive at Split Solitary on Monday. The conditions were great and I did not need much convincing to head out with him on Tuesday. The NE had churned the sea up a little. Viz was poor, around 8m, but the sea was quite warm. I made several dives on a school of small Yellowtail but nothing worthwhile was in the offing. I made a dive to the bottom to lie and wait for something to come knocking. Something did. On the edge of viz a large shape loomed, distinct white belly, dark back. The shark stayed on the periphery, in the gloom. I decided it was probably a Raggie but the consensus is that it may have been a little White. A short while later, a Raggie came up to have a good look at me in midwater. With the poor viz, the shark activity and the lack of suitable quarry, we decided to call it a day.
Big family excitement. We have been flitting from one holiday accommodation to another and finally we now could move into our new home. To celebrate, John Featherstone suggested we go diving.
Friday had us heading out to the Coffs FAD. I jumped in and surprised a Marlin. I don't know who was more startled. The Marlin obviously had chased any other quarry away from the FAD. We headed to Grouper but the water was mucky. The N-S current convinced us to head to the N end of Grouper. We took a few Yellowtail but then the Raggies showed up again. They were very feisty. Discretion being the better part of valour, we elected to try Black Rock. What an exciting place to dive. The rock sticks up out of 20m of water. We encountered lots of bait in the vicinity but the current pushed us off the hotspot very quickly. I did manage to shoot a large Yellowtail that took me way upcurrent. This made for a few anxious moments with 2 divers being separated by a few hundred metres.
We moved onto The Small Wash near Black Rock. This is another inspiring spot that just seems to scream fish. We were hoping for a large Amberjack or Samsonfish but were prepared to settle for a Cobia or Jew. Unfortunately, our quarry were not co-operating. We dived hard and at one point, I thought, as I finned along the surface, that I had just seen a Cobia. I quickly ducked down to be confronted by the largest Yellowtail I have seen up to now. I made a good holding shot. The shot was confirmed by Kris and John, both happy that the fish was secure. Moments later I was dragged down about 15m by the seemingly very alive fish. Then nothing..... gone! Perhaps the Raggies were enjoying what they perceived as their just desserts.
The weekend was spent unpacking and sorting through our boxes from South Africa. The club held a competition on Sunday which seems to have been very productive. Yellowtail Kings featured extensively but then there were Samsonfish and Cobia tossed into the mix. The luckier divers managed some Pearl Perch, Mangrove Jack and Red Bass (Bohar Snapper).
The weather is spectacular and I am keen to get out and try some new things I have read on www.saspearoranking.co.za. I am intending to restring my 1.4m gun with dyneema directly from the reel to the spear, leaving the clips and bungee off. The other piece of gear I intend acquiring is a belt-reel. This will allow an additional length of line available, to clip to the gun, if something big strips the line off the reel on the gun. These belt-reel are available from Rabitech.
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