Henk Gros

Grant Dixon profiles Henk Gros, a well-known retired charter skipper in Vava'u, Tonga.

After 24 years fishing in Vava’u, Tonga, well-known charter skipper Henk Gros is retiring – but has no intention of ‘hanging up his lures’ just yet, just his captain’s hat. Grant Dixon, on a recent trip to the Pacific paradise, caught up with Henk and wife Sandra for what was one of their last charters…

This is not the first time Henk has retired. At 49 the hard-working Dutch immigrant was involved in the New Zealand building industry and decided it was time to quit work. So when Sandra won a teaching position in Nuku’alofa, the Tongan capital, in 1993, Henk chose to swap one set of sharp tools for another – chisels and saws for flying gaffs and hooks.

“I had been chasing dollars all my life; all I wanted to do now was go fishing,” the affable skipper says.

Just as he did in the building trade, Henk soon built up a successful charter business.

It started upon purchasing an Australian built Haines Hunter called Platyroo from the Australian High Commissioner, which he renamed Target One. Little did he realise then how that boat name would become synonymous with game fishing in Tonga.

Target One was lengthened by a metre and her twin Suzuki 175hp outboards replaced with a Yanmar 140hp, driven through a shaft. This was later upgraded to a 170hp diesel.

Target One proved a reliable vessel that pulled fish, but also had an unfortunate history, sinking three times.

The first was at Tongatapu while still owned by the high commissioner.

“Ironically, I was due to go fishing with him, and he had one of his staff launch the boat and tie it off at the wharf.

Unfortunately, he forgot the bungs, and when we arrived, all we could see was the tip of an outrigger above the surface.”

The second sinking occurred with the boat on her mooring in Port of Refuge Harbour. A sheet of iron smashed through the front windscreen during a cyclone, and the huge wind-generated waves washed across the foredeck to fill the boat.

“Luckily, she was sitting on a bed of sand, having missed several nearby coral bommies, so we re-floated and repaired her.”

Another cyclone saw a drifting local boat hit Target One’s mooring line, breaking it, resulting in her coming to rest perched on the reef with a hole in her side.

Henk brought the boat back off the insurance company and patiently set about repairing it, replacing all the electronics, wiring and the motor. Whangarei boatbuilder Alec Wakelin was called in to help with the rebuild.

Despite these trials and tribulations, Henk says the boat has served him well.

“She has quite a heavy hull, and while it takes a bit more fuel to drive her, the extra weight makes her an excellent sea boat.”

Over the years Henk has landed some great fish, both for his clients and on his own behalf. He particularly likes lighter-line fishing, with 15kg his favourite. Henk currently holds the Tongan 15kg yellowfin record.

Henk had been chasing that mark for a while before landing a 71.0kg fish to set a respectable new record, only to break it a week later with a 71.5kg effort.

Fishing a bait, a client caught a 35kg Spanish mackerel, just 0.2kg under the word record.

Another light-tackle Tongan record, held by the boat, was a 31.8kg giant trevally caught on 10kg.

“That day we trolled over a pin close to a drop-off and had 10kg and 24kg lines out. The GT was part of a double strike, the other fish being a 24kg dogtooth [tuna].”

Henk has also produced some magnificent billfish for his clients over the years.

The heaviest was a 325kg blue that took the angler three and a half hours to land on 60kg tackle. Caught in August, 2009, by Graham Clarke, it is a record that still stands today.

“The fish was too big to bring on board, so we pulled its head in as far as we could through the transom door and towed it home. It had bled a little, and all the way in I was worried about sharks.”

Another memorable fish was a 312kg blue caught by a southpaw angler.

“He couldn’t wind for very long using his right hand, so began turning the handle with his left. It was a bit of a mission getting him to spread the line, but we got the fish in the end.”

Henk says it is not always the big fish he remembers.

“We had a lady angler on board who said she wanted to tag and release any marlin she caught. Until this day, she had only ever caught snapper. She hooked up on a small blue, and on getting it to the trace, I asked her again and she said, ‘Bugger it, we’ll take it!’ It is always the angler’s decision and we brought the fish, weighing around 90kg, on board. All the way home she kept turning and looking at it, a quiet smile crossing her lips. I really enjoyed seeing that.”

And it is not always the anglers who win – occasionally the fish have the last laugh. Henk is a member of the ‘underwater wireman’s club’ for crew who have been pulled overboard by a fish.

“We had hooked into an unidentified fish, and when we finally got it close, we realised it was a big blue – estimated at over 400kg – which came close enough for a gaff shot, but we couldn’t hold it. I somehow got the gaff rope hitched around my ankle and was pulled over the side, suffering a decent rope burn as well.”

Henk managed to scramble back on board, but meanwhile the gaff had slid down to the fish’s tail for a precarious hold. Then the hook fell out, followed by the gaff, and they could only watch as the fish slowly drifted down and out of sight.

Another time they landed a 289kg blue marlin – without sinking the hook!

“We were lucky: the hook was only around the bill, not in it, and the fish did all the right things, staying level or ahead of the boat until we could get a gaff shot. When we finally got it on board we found it had just eaten a 15kg yellowfin.

“That’s it with fishing – you have to expect the unexpected. You are learning something every day.”

Henk puts his success down to good preparation – his boat, tackle and knots. Before a tournament he will replace the older lines on reels, re-tie doubles and the like. He swears by attention to detail rather than a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude.

While his personal preference is for lighter line classes, he fishes 60kg mono top-shots over braid on Shimano Tiagra 80s and 37kg rods. He says this gear is more forgiving – important when the bulk of his clients are less experienced anglers.

Henk also pays tribute to wife Sandra, who has been an ‘amazing support person’, as well as his crewman Teau Koleke.

“Teau has a great memory – he can recall just about every fish we have caught – and has amazing eyesight when it comes to spotting birds. We have been fishing together for 14 years and I think of him more as a friend than an employee.”

Over the years the Gros’ have played an active part in the community. Henk has overseen many building projects, including houses and jetties. They established Adventure Backpackers Lodge, which they operated for 10 years. Another project was refurbishing Mystic Sands, two motel-style accommodation units near the Tongan Beach Resort.

Sandra has not been idle, either. Combining with good friend, Pat McKee, they established a holiday-home property-management business.

Henk says he has also enjoyed the camaraderie that exists among the fishing fraternity and the charter operators.

“At times we are competitors, but we have also become good friends.”

Now, finally, at 74, he has retired for good.

“I have sold the boat to a couple of locals, and all but a handful of the rods and other gear has gone.”

This doesn’t mean you won’t see Henk out on the water, though. He has kept two of his favourite outfits – a 15kg and a 24kg trolling set – along with his most successful lures. He plans to buy a smaller boat, something around six-metres, so that he can still go fishing on days when the weather is settled.

While they are to be domiciled on Waiheke Island (when not travelling overseas, which they plan to do more often), the Gros’ have no intention of cutting their ties with Vava’u. Having established a wide circle of friends and built a beautiful home overlooking Port of Refuge Harbour, Vava’u will be their escape from the cold Kiwi winters.

However, whether on Waiheke or Vava’u, you can bet on one thing: Henk’s thoughts will never be far away from the water and the fish that live in it!