Good on the warriors but let's not forget the massive effort from the Silver Ferns!

 

 

Nevertheless am pleased to do so but always after qualifying I am no expert merely someone who should have learned something after 40 yrs. or more of making every mistake or bad decision in the book. One aspect I strongly warn against is going out in foggy conditions or when there is likely to be heavy rain making it difficult to establish your location or where sand bars are ... also best if possible to operate on a rising tide so as to have a degree of latitude should you run aground.

 

OK this still applies but yesterday proved to be yet another example of not listening to my own advice & one of "do as I say & not as I do" when driving to the Mangakura ramp in thick fog. The tide was falling towards low but reasoned that we could at least launch then possibly make our way out via the markers as the fog appeared to be rather patchy & hopefully would afford sufficient visibility to do so. 

 

Managed to make reasonable progress to about what we thought was over half way out before the fog thickened & could not see any marker stakes or buoys, so wisely ( for a change ) opted to anchor until we could do so choosing to fish whilst we waited despite the shallow water which produced a couple of KY. Awhile later a marker stake could be made out albeit barely, so up anchor to move in its' general direction whereupon subsequent makers became visible so

being mindful of the falling tide went faster than sensible managing to hit a rock when a double stake indicated a rock & not the channel. This was rather confusing as should not be there from memory but reasoned that maybe it had only recently been placed so seemed little alternative than to continue following the markers however was becoming increasingly concerned they were not forming a familiar pattern or that we had not yet sighted an island which is a major landmark the channel passes close to.

 

Eventually the puzzle was resolved when a familiar landscape became visible thru the mist revealing the fact that somewhere or other we had done a 180 degree turn & we were well up the Hoteo river on the way back to the ramp. Made the snap decision to turn back to take our chances despite now having lost time to an all important falling tide.

 

Somehow or other managed to make our way out beyond the shallow water with only one grounding which was resolved by my jumping over & some how with seconds ticking by, only just managed to push the boat into a bit deeper water then get underway again.

 

We were now somewhat comforted to be in deeper water but the downside was that without visibility had no real idea of exactly where we were or what direction to head, so once more anchored up which added another couple of KY. At one stage we heard a noise & a larger boat passed close by at a fair speed obviously aware of where they were & heading to .... presumably the heads but I would not have picked they were in that direction.

 

Eventually could make out the hazy outline of familiar cliffs so moved off in that direction but with half the sky now clear blue we were constantly going into patches of thick fog that would suddenly form. To further complicate matters the sounder reading tended to drop at alarming speed from 11 or 12 mtrs to 1/2 mtr requiring the motor to be tilted & a quick decision made as to which direction to head for deeper water ... thankfully managed to get lucky in that regard but were further concerned that unfamiliar exposed rocky reefs were appearing ... oh ho another mini disaster in the making ... congratulations Bazza.

 

Against all odds blundered our way to our intended location by which time it was almost right on slack water so we opted to go ashore for a couple of buckets of oysters.

 

Thankfully things improved somewhat from thereon & at least the sea was absolutely glass like ... more so than I have ever seen. Overall the fishing was mediocre with only KY & gurnard ... nary a snapper yet 3 weeks ago were scoring plenty of fine specimens.

 

Pockets of trapped fog could be seen here & there midway thru the day, so decided to be prudent by heading back before any likely temperature changes made it re form.