Hmm, the handspear approach sure makes life difficult. After many dives looking for the Tarakihi in Deep Water Cove, I finally saw some. 

And so I'm there at 20 metres with handspear, swimming slowly after this little tarakihi who has no cover to hide in, so he just swims, and swims, and swims, along the side of the reef.   You know how fish know how far a speargun can shoot? Well, this guy knew the range of a handspear, and kept about 6 inches out of it.  Finally he bolted and after a long dive I surfaced with an empty spear.

Blair tagged and released 2 (as he does) and finally shot one so big it looked like a Porae, and even he thought it was for a couple of seconds, as it lost its stripe on one side where it had been shot. Nice fish.  I saw another, but it was too late in my dive to get.

But, the handspear did collect a Johnie on a weedline at Oki Bay.  Unfortunately, no kingies at Whale Rock (but I saw a monster old sick looking snapper on the front of the reef).

Spottie

Reidfish

THE SPRONGERS FOR LARGE FISH WERE 180 mm IN LENGTH (6) WITH THE BARBS FACING INWARDS. AFTER SHOOTING/IKI AND THEN PLACE THE FISH BETWEEN YOUR FLIPPERS AND PUSH THE FISH OF THE SPRONGER WITH YOUR FEET.

NO SINGLE BARBS OR DROP OF HEADS WERE USED AS SPRONGERS WERE THE IN THING.

A LIGHT FISH LINE /FLOAT  SAME AS TODAY.

Hey buddy, watch ya mouth!

A few pies never did a man any harm. Ask Jim Jaw

Anyone interested in covering some distance in L. Poo-puke as training?

 Could take a gun as well. Might even get me a Wilberforce (Russ, ask your kids)

Lots of big snappers being taken around the traps. Two 20lb+ on Friday (G. Barrier) and 3 in weekend ( Coro 22lb &South of C. Brett 21lb +25lb).

So, the question is.....Who's taking me diving this weekend?

Hiya Sous marine,

Tell me, how did they set up their handspears in those days?  Regular 5/6 tine prongers or barbless 3 prongs?  What makes for a good handspear in your opinion? Did they use any floatlines? If so how did they attach?

Those were the days, eh? Puka with a handspear - us young'ns may never see a puka freediving ('cept His Longness - he could be freediving to 80m+ in the next few years if he wanted to try or if he went and did some training instead of eating pies and watching porno on the Wild Blue computer all day long)

Reidfish

HANDSPEAR/WORLD COMPS-1969

I WAS A MEMBER OF THE 69 NZ TEAM TO ITLAY,DUE TO A POLITICAL UPRISING THE COMP. WASCANCELLED AND RELOCATED TO OKINAWA/JAPAN EDDIE DAVIDSON      NZ REP.ONLY HANDSPEARS USED.

THE NZ TEAM E.DAVIDSON,DAVE SHIELDS, JIM THORNBURY TRAINED IN FIJI FOR TWO WEEKS USING HANDSPEARS AND MANY LARGE PELAGICS WERE LANDED DAILY. UP TO 50 lbs.PHIL LEYLAND EX-BLUEFIN LANDED A 55 LB PUKA USING A HANDSPEAR, SO WITH THE RIGHT PRONGERS, PATIENCE AND A GOOD BREATH YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LAND MOST SPECIES.

Hi Russell

i would love to do that, maybe you can jack Trevor Bodger up to come along as well, i really did get along with him as we dived almost every where together even Stewart Island when they had the NZ spear fishing champs down there is he still married to Sue?

Let me now when the next meeting is and i will see if can make it....

Cheers lethal

Hi Lethal , I have been with the Bluefin Club for 10-15 years now (am 37) and know alot of the names you mentioned. Used to go to Matai Bay with Dick Mead , Ren Waring ,Ted Blackburn (my 2nd uncle?- he is my mothers first cousin) . THey were the ones that first got me into spearfishing-something I will never forget.

The jOhn Anderson in the club is a youngster but a damn fine diver all the same. ONly been in the club less than 2 years but already one of the finest the Bluefins have ever produced. PLease come to one of our meetings - the boys would love to hear some stories.

Russell Nelson

"coach" Bluefin Spearfishing Club

Thanks Reidfish im not sure if this is the right place,  it should be told in pub with lots of beer already consumed and lots more sitting ready to be consumed,

from what i remember it went like this,

four divers got up one early morning hoped on this float plane down where the container wharf is now and flew over to Never Fail Rock here they landed and prodeced to shoot about 6 kings around the 40 to 50lb mark and a few snaps up to18lb they got back in the plane to go home with there bounty when they relized the plane could not get off the water so out come the knifes and a lot of gutting and a few heads went out the door but by now the inside of the plane looked like a slaughter house with the kings protesting about being cut open started kicking and flaping around anyway this let the plane just get airborne so they flew back around the top of Coro to get home, when they arrived the NZ Herald took some photos and published them the next day making them all heros and these guys did all this before they started work that Day, no one was ever alowed to hop on a float plane again if he looked like a spearo............. 

the mad old days     Cheers Lethal

Thanks for that Reidfish

yer im a bit old now LOL only due to the fact ive be here longer than you, going 55 now, so i don't shoot them anymore i gaf em, had a 40lb king come along side the other day and pulled him clean out of the water with the gaf bit of a buzz, made me thing about the ones i had speared all those years ago before they brought those dam box nets into play i did have the biggest king in the club for a few years went 82lb but i remember getting a letter saying some pilot nailed a bigger one some years ago,    thanks for the info on those folk, and im sure your Dad would remember some of the other names,                                                                                                    Another question John Anderson in your club is he old?    Did he own the South Auckland  u nderwater Dive Shop,   if so i started my diving career with him.                                                                                                                 im a true blue rod & reel fisherman now, gave up plundering the crays and scollops 2years ago, the cold is what stoped me.  Congratulations on your 20ld snapper i loved reading your exploits on spearing it, brings back memories, i should take you out sometime to where i fish in the last two trips we managed four over 20 in 60ft of water on 12lb line i have them all on film, on a CD that can play on your computer, but what im really after is someone to film them for me underwater i have the camera, mybe we can get togetter one day soooooooooooooooon, 

Cheers Lethal                      

Lethal, this one's over to you, I get into enough trouble myself without slandering the reefplunderers - oops, reefcombers.

Reidfish