An eye for an eye !

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    Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 11:20am
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As mentioned in a previous post my younger brother was arriving from Cairns so in anticipation I had a trial run on a couple of rivers, also out in the boat sea fishing to establish where was fishing best & felt I had found where the fishing was hot.

However as the old adage states  "The best laid plans of mice & men etc." were about to be proven true, but will get back to that later.

The night after he arrived we had a meal of freshly smoked sections of blue nose including the head which before smoking looked absolutely grotesque yet once smoked the pockets of tender flavoursome meat proved to be superb.

Before smoking :-

After smoking :-

Enjoying "the proof of the pudding !"

We obviously must have imbibed rather vigorously beforehand, as when we recalled how when we were kids our old grand dad, much to our horror used to delight in using a spoon to scoop out the eyes from freshly cooked fish heads, then eating them that a mutual challenge was made to do likewise, hence the title "An eye for an eye". I considered myself quite safe as was certain Les would not be game but to my amazement he followed through leaving me no option but to follow suite or lose face. Actually once the initial feeling of revulsion had subsided we both had to admit they tasted ok & surprisingly enough with a gelatinous texture rather than as had been expected .... marble like.

Next morning we set off albeit quite a bit later than planned arriving at the river about 2 - 30 inn the afternoon & after getting set up to fish toddled off to the river, beginning first with technique practise as had been quite a few years since Les had fly fished. Once it appeared he had the hang of things once again, we decided it was time to move on slowly upriver to try the 'real stuff" whilst I tried to advise where the fish usually lay & how best to fish for them. After less than ten minutes Les was into a fish which he duly landed, certainly far from a monster nevertheless a well over legal size brown & that seemed to bode well, or so we thought.

That evening we had a problem with the lighting in the motorhome as the lights faded soon after switching them on, then also with the lack of power the water pump was not working so we were without water so had to resort to cooking & eating by torchlight.

Next morning I managed to land a reasonable size fish but from thereon only managed to hook undersize fish most of which could be best described as tiny despite Les's technique by now being near faultless.
 

The power problem with the motorhome seemed to be linked somehow to the 3 way fridge / freezer however Les managed to restore the lights by cleaning up the battery cable lugs which had oversize holes that suited the previous battery but due to lack of contact had not been providing enough power to run various applications so we opted to switch off the fridge even tho it ran on LPG when the motor was not running. We enjoyed a meal of fillet of deep sea Bass that evening along with pre dinner ales, followed by a couple of toddies from a fantastic rum Les had brought from duty free then a good wine with dinner.

Residing as he does in tropical Cairns Les is used to 35 to 40 c temperatures & no doubt as happens in a hot climate his blood has thinned somewhat so is no surprise he began to feel the cold that night as the first frost for the year began to form but neither of us was anticipating the intensity which
was such that waders left outside could have probably stand on their own.

Unfortunately meantime there had been a deluge up in the hills resulting in the river having risen considerably & was coloured to the extent that fishing was barely marginal. Therefore we decided on some local sightseeing to kill time until the river settled down which it did in due course but sadly the fishing had not improved at all & we only managed to catch small juveniles despite trying several new stretches we had not as yet fished.

We were advised by Daryl the farmer on the land we were camped on that the mature fish had moved on to the upper reaches to spawn & our results certainly supported that theory but I found it amazing that it could have happened in such a short time, as I had experienced red hot fishing there a little over a week ago.

Had we had more time could have moved further upriver to find them but Les was on a restricted schedule so we left on an uneventful trip home having enjoyed a good time together even if the fishing had been far from mind blowing.

Salt water trip to follow
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote petethemeat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 11:28am
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nice read Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 11:33am
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We had planned on having two trips out sea fishing in the boat when we arrived back in Auckland once on the West Coast & the other on the East on consecutive days but thankfully common sense prevailed when deciding we would put all our eggs in one basket by settling to have one only. Had been out on the Kaipara recently and the fishing had been red hot, plus we would be able to fish,
gather oysters & set the flounder net so the Kaipara it was.

The first objective was to set the net on the way out to collect on our return, then move on further to fish. As it was close to high tide there was plenty of water to get out but was mindful that coming back before dark could be different. I could not understand why on the previous trip about a fortnight ago the fishing was all on with big fish yet here we were in virtually the same spot & only boating
undersize fish. This continued for quite some time, seeming like it was destined to be a repeat of the fly fishing trip & I was beginning to wonder if Les was a jinx when he finally landed a healthy size snapper around 8 lbs.

I managed one keeper then Les was hooked up on a another nice fish about 6 lbs.
 

Next followed a ray each & a plethora of kahawai which are hard fighting fish but only need so many so it was decided we would go ashore for oysters as well as clean the fish. I had been a bit concerned about the tide times as the water was still falling & there would need to be at least 2 1/2 hours of incoming in order to get back in which was cause for concern as to if there would be enough light at this time of year to see the channel markers as well as haul the net.. We managed to push out then refloat the boat then head out again to fish whilst the tide built, at the same time keeping a concerned eye on the falling light. We optimistically set off earlier than ideal inevitably running aground a few times requiring we jump over to push / pull the boat but thankfully finally reached deeper water & it only remained to retrieve the net.

It is inadvisable to set a net at the river mouth on high tides particularly after heavy rain as there will most likely be a lot of rubbish being swept down that will get caught in the net. Having been caught out several times one would think I would have learnt by now however here I was once again ignoring advice by taking my chances.

Murphy's law prevailed yet again inasmuch as this time there was a huge amount of rubbish caught to the extent the anchors had dragged & it was purely by chance we came across the marker buoys a couple of hundred meters from where we had left it. Somehow with great difficulty we managed to haul it in without getting caught up in the prop or whatever complete with a couple of ky sans any flounder. Was dark by time we pulled into the ramp which as it often is on low tide muddy & slippery nevertheless retrieved the boat onto the trailer without mishap.

Once again had just got back by the skin of my teeth & despite the fact we were already going to be late home elected to have a beer at the nearby boat club which went down a treat. Was a late dinner however the thick fillets of fresh snapper were particularly delectable no doubt because the fish had been kept in a salt ice slurry from the time they were caught.

Clearing the net the next morning of assorted debris which even included of all things a bicycle tail lamp.
 

Les is currently spending time with our sister & brother before returning to fly back to Cairns on Sunday however plans may need to be altered as sadly a cousin passed away yesterday.

When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 11:36am
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Great read Bazza. Good to see you out there doing it and getting good results. Must be a hard change from Cairns to frost.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MacSkipper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 12:20pm
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Good read Bazza - enjoyed.
Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Clifftastic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 1:00pm
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Great stuff Bazza!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote dalgo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 4:55pm
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Nice report bazza
That net was quite a mess - but at least you found it Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Apr 2015 at 2:55pm
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Les left early this morning to fly back to Cairns having had a few days flyfishing & a couple of days out in the boat. The fishing was not exactly red hot but at least the snapper he did boat were a respectable size & he managed a 6 lber, two 8 lbers & a ten which most of us, I am sure would be more than happy with.
 
We were to have another trip out on Thursday but a series of unrelated problems saw us stranded about 1 km out from the ramp. Firstly there was insufficient power in the battery to start the motor & of course I had not got around to installing the brand new one purchased a few weeks ago in anticipation of the existing unit possibly beyond its' use by date. Nevertheless borrowed the battery from he wagon & with the aid of jumper leads it immediately leapt into life so off we went but not for long before the motor cut out then would only briefly run at idle nor would the starter motor fire if the hand throttle was lifted, which is normally required when starting when the motor is less than fully warmed up consequently we were going nowhere. I wrongly thought Les had put the anchor down but by the time I realised we were drifting the easterly had pushed us another couple of hundred meters away from the ramp.
 
We set about trying to resolve the problems but could only get the motor to run at idle for a matter of seconds before it would splutter to a stop again & trying to increase the revs via the hand throttle would only cause it to cut out completely as well as disable the starter. After messing about for awhile it became obvious the problems were rather complex so as mucking about with jumper leads in a tin boat with fuel about was not a very clever idea so we concluded best to figure a way to get back to the ramp without having to resort to troubling the coastguard for such a relatively short distance. Tried getting the attention of any boats in the vicinity but were largely ignored for quite some time until a boat trolling a minor workup came over in response to our signalling after the workup moved over closer to us.
 
The guys on board were most obliging & kindly set about towing us back to the ramp, after which they refused to accept any form of payment or suchlike .... good on you the crew of "Allo Allo" ... thanks a million.
 
 
Put the boat into Fish City the next day & as suspected there were several problems contributing to the confusion.
 
Firstly altho there appeared to be insufficient power to start the motor the anchor winch was working fine so something of a contradiction existed there.
 
Secondly the motor when it fired would only run a few seconds at idle & any attempt to increase revs would result in the motor stopping & the starter disabling ... definitely something wrong there.
 
Then there were other minor things that did not, or had not, felt quite right also, such as the fuel hose priming bulb feeling rather solid.
 
Once home installing the new battery ensured full power should be available yet the problems still remained so it was off to Fish City for their opinion.
 
They discovered :- a problem had developed in the throttle control box that was causing the starter to malfunction as well as finding that one of the tanks had over a LITRE of water in the fuel which was the causing the motor to cut out once it fired.
 
So the BIG question is .... how did the water come to be there ??????
 
IMO there were only three possibilities one of which is very remote ie malicious, but surely in the unlikely event that had that been so, then both tanks would have been tampered with plus can think of no opportunity for them to have been tampered with.
 
The second possibility was contaminated fuel & had topped up one tank when going out the previous week so strongly suspect this is where it may have come from, altho without being certain would be unfair to identify the station even tho apparently they were successfully sued several years ago for vehicle damage caused by water contaminated diesel fuel or so I am told.
 
Ok so the outboard is petrol not diesel so unlikely to have suffered any damage but is a real worry that the fuel could have been contaminated & the problems this could cause if out at sea when changing over tanks.
 
To that end is there any sort of inline fuel filter that removes contaminants available?
 
Our unfortunate experience on that day nevertheless did not deter us that evening from enjoying a seafood platter of, seafood chowder, cray tail, prawns, scampi, paua, mussels, salmon, sushi, sashimi  filo wrapped blue cod fillets etc.
 
 
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Apr 2015 at 6:50pm
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Barry you never seem to stop amuzing me with your tales of near disaster,glad your brother got some decent fish,another excellent detailed report(need to write a book Barry)Question
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Nice story... it just shows what a great place we live in...  Thumbs Up

We are privileged to live in NZ...   

Thanks for sharing.

James
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote mozz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 6:26am
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Racor fuel/water separator.

You can get water from condensation, contaminated fuel, open vent etc. It is not uncommon 
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Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Olfart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 8:25am
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Definitely need a fuel filter Bazza....I'm a bit surprised your service mechanics have not already suggested this.
Semper in excreta sumus, solum profundum variat....



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 10:02am
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Thanx for the comments, suggestions & advice guys but there are still a few unanswered questions I find confusing.
 
Firstly - as mentioned there was a litre or more of gunky looking water so would a filter or separator
be capable of removing that amount ???
 
Secondly - where did the water come from ? Was only in one tank which would tend to rule out condensation as both tanks are constantly kept in exactly the same environment plus the sheer quantity would also rule out a gradual build up.
 
Thirdly - it suddenly appeared without any previous hint of contamination, which to me would strongly
suggest it was introduced in one dose.
 
OK so where did it most likely come from ? Imo the circumstances point strongly in one direction.
 
The last time the boat had been out was approx. a week previous setting off from home with one full tank & the other under half full so stopped off on the way to top up the second tank. The second tank was not used on that occasion but may well have been the one connected on the trip out on Thursday when the trouble occurred. To my mind after much deliberation, this was the most likely cause & have decided to make a special trip back there today to tell them of my experience as if their fuel was contaminated to that extent then surely I would not have been the only one affected however getting them to admit it could well be a different story. 
 
It is a real worry that there was a strong possibility they could have had a contaminated tank & if so this could well have serious consequences such as switching tanks when about to cross a bar or suchlike.
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 10:15am
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Was the breather on the tank open when you last washed the boat down. Could water enter via an open breather.?  Not sure how possible that is but close mine down tight as precaution.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 10:33am
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Originally posted by cirrus cirrus wrote:

Was the breather on the tank open when you last washed the boat down. Could water enter via an open breather.?  Not sure how possible that is but close mine down tight as precaution.
 
Extremely unlikely John, given the volume of water in the one tank only plus my routine on returning from any trip out on salt water is to firstly flush the motor then remove the tanks along with anything else in order to clean the floor area, then otherwise boat when boat is not in use, it is as you know, securely garaged under cover .... therefore imo next to nill chance.
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 10:48am
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That really leaves only one other likely possibility. Water contaminated fuel at pump.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 11:17am
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Remember when pumps at gas. Stations use to have a glass bowl on then"is it internal now days"
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Lethal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 1:31pm
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your saying 1L of water managed to get into your tank when it was refilled?
and it was already half full before refilling. think about that, 

lets say you put 15L into it and it also received 1L of water while doing it,
a situation like that would not go unnoticed, cars would be coming to a stand still within a few "K"s of the garage and the publicity would be immense.

has to be something else bazza.    
Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 1:34pm
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Hairline crack on upper surface of tank. Water can get through almost anything .

I tend to empty the residue of my tank every so often,into car or mower and check for water in bottom layer.. So far have found none.
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