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THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2015
www.thefishingpaper.co.nz
A Most Complicated Catch
I LOVE
By Mary Garner
Salmon Season
With the weather looking good for an overnight fish on The Secret Spot - hint, Pelorus Sound - a good catch was anticipated but Murray got more than expected. There he sat, a rod out both sides of the boat, the berley trail working, when he hooked into a 5-6ft, seven gill shark. The shark swam under the boat, around the other line and back out the other side of the boat again, resulting in both lines being caught up. To avoid a tangle disaster of potentially monumental proportions and using the gaff,
By Marg Delore
he was able to hook the bight of the non shark line and pass the rod under it to clear the tangle. The shark was still there but now safe on one side of the boat. A minute later, the other released line started peeling out. Knowing he only had a seven gill shark on the first line, he lightened up the drag, placed the rod in the holder and turned his attention to rod two. This was the most pleasing result, a 23lb snapper. NB. Tail now missing due to chilly bin constrictions!
Murray Garner with ‘Stumpy’ the snapper!
I’ve had two trips down to Lake Mapourika in South Westland in the last three weeks. Both times the weather has been hot and very little wind. Perfect. The first trip. There were about 9-10 boats fishing, 10 salmon were caught on the Saturday I heard of and I did see one being netted. Alas, only a stinky, slimy eel with beady little eyes for me, which I didn’t want in my boat and I really did like the lure he had in his mouth, so something had to give. It felt good putting the lure back into the tackle box and the hammer back under the seat. Second trip. I was surprised as I weaved my way up the channel to see only one other boat out fishing on the first day. As the daylight hours increased, a few more arrived. At 1:00pm, I landed the first salmon for my boat this season, a small dark hen about 6.5lb. ‘Whoop whoop,’ I was happy. With the net back in the cabin I settled back into it and I’d only travelled 300 metres and
the rod bent again. As I wound it in, reaching to click the ‘nipplely’ thing on the net, keeping the rod up and pressure on, I managed to net a beautiful 11lb hen. Nice and shiny, with a deep belly. I felt pretty special with that. The guy with the fly rod at the shore called out a yahoo, which wasn’t quite as loud as mine. The next day, there were only two serious boats that did the daylight to dark fishing and they were Pat and Karen Burrows and me. They hit the water 10-15 minutes before me and as I pulled up alongside them Karen called excitedly, “I GOT ONE!” Yay, celebrations all round. “ALREADY, hell that was quick!” was my shouted reply. Time passed slowly, each time we’d pass each other we’d yell what we had seen, or how many lures Pat had lost. I think it was about 3.00pm when I had another fish on. Another hen which had more will to stay in the lake than the others and she weighed 7lb. Pat’s turn next time.
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