Boxing day on Cossack

Xmas Eve 'Dre fired me a text. "Whatachadoin Boxing Day?" I replied "going fishing with you?" and it was sorted, just like that. We arranged to meet up with Al at Taka Ramp at midday, for a lure mission, softies & slow jigs. The boys had had a big afternoon the 2 days before Xmas, taking 18 big snaps and getting a feed of scollops. So 'Dre threw his dive gear aboard Cossack as well. The breeze was a fairly stiff 15 kts from, you guessed it, the NE - pretty much the shittiest wind for Hauraki Gulf on the Ak side.

Do you belive in Karma? Well I do. God or some other higher power struck me down for the relentless mocking of TT , or harbouring evil thoughts about the mental neighbours, or.... (yes Mr Deity, you have a long list so take your pick). We set for our first drift. Al caught a spiney dog ("hahaha" I thought", "he's carrying the curse today"). 'Dre caught a snapper. I caught a mackeral. Little did I know that that would be it for me for the next few hours. Al caught a snap. 'Dre caught a snap. Then they caught some more. I didn't. Between them they boated a dozen odd fish. The bite certainly wasn't hot, but I couldn't buy one. Poor TT, I know how he felt. The boys began to (rightfully) get lippy. I stammered weak rebuttles. I changed rigs. I copied their rigs. I tried slow jigs. 'Dre put on a slow jig and caught a snapper. Al caught a snapper.

We finished the drift and decided to go get some scallops. 'Dre was going to do the dog work while Al and I sat and acted like the boatman and jr boatman. 'Dre circled us for 25 minutes before approaching the boat...

Someone told me that Mr Snuffit caught a fish! Just kidding....

We dragged 'Dre's gear aboard and counted and measured out 60 fat scollies, throwing the undersized and over count fish back.

Then we moved out to drift the Haystack Reef. Predictably, Al caught a fish. So did 'Dre. Then, finally, I got a hit and struck at it. I proudly reeled in my snapper, foul hooked just by the eye. Of course. By now time was getting on so we headed to Rakino Channel for a drift. We (ok, all of "we" except for me) caught more snaps.

Then Al got a big hit. We called it for a kahawai by its runs, but as the minutes stretched out it stayed down deep rather than head up like a KY. Finally a good snap breached and I netted it.

Al with a good 4 kilo + fish

'Dre caught a small carrot. Then I got a thumping strike. It was all on for about 10 seconds before the hook pulled. Hilarious. Not for me.

Al got another good 3kg fish. I caught zilch. 'Dre caught - well I'm not going on any longer.

Jeff arrived soon after in his work's boat and we lifted our gear and headed home. We thumped into the swell to make the windward side of Motutap. then rounded and headed back with a following sea.

I took home 20 scollies and 3 snaps. Not bad for someone with the luck of Jonah...

Thanks lads, can't wait for the re-match. (Licks his wounds and retires stage left).