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timlawrence Fishing Spot
Millwater wine review
Château deVaugelas Corbières The days are shorter, wet and colder, so red wine is a must to match with the hearty slow-cooked dishes. As Kiwis, we tend to stick to Kiwi or Aussie reds as our go-to options but, if you look a little further afield, there are gems well worth seeking. Such a gem is Château de Vaugelas from Corbières, based in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea. This estate has some excellent vines to source its fruit from, the Syrah is old vine and the Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan is all from 100 year-old vines, plus the vines are organically grown, the wine is low in sulphur and, at $19.99, a real bargain.
Winter arrived with a bang this year, bringing the colder water temperatures with it. The first big storm meant I was landlocked for three weeks waiting for the wind to drop, which was right on Queen’s Birthday weekend. Since then we have had a couple more good weekends to get on the water and I bet there were a few of you out there itching to get some fresh fish back on the dinner table. As predicted, our Whitianga trip was postponed due to high winds and it looks like it will be postponed again, as a big westerly system passes later in the month – that’s fishing. Luckily, we got out on Queen’s Birthday weekend and what a trip it was. We left home at 4.30am for Omaha and caught some livebaits before heading out wide. I was dead set on fishing in deeper water to chase bluenose and hapuka, so we headed north out past the Mokohinau Islands, which is about 53km NE off Omaha Beach. We watched the sun rise in the east and set on the west that day – it was a big day on the water. The forecast was for 5 knot winds but, when we got out on the open sea, the wind was blowing more like 10-15 knots and it made for a slow trip. We made about a dozen drops to 200m+ and drifted over some structure, landing two nice sized gemfish but there were no pukas for us that day. With time against us, we headed back to the Mokes to fish at Maori Rock, live-baiting and straylining before heading back to Omaha before dark. With a bin full of snapper and a couple of gems, we were happy fishermen. Neither of us had caught gemfish before and man did they taste good! Now we are truly in the middle of winter and this time of year can be the best time for fishing; with less competition, less boat motor noise and plenty of hungry snapper lurking around good structure with current. The secret is to take lots of burley to entice the fish to bite. Be prepared to set up camp and wait for up to an hour before the fish start biting. Trust me, it’s worth the wait. I tend to only fish at Little Barrier this time of year, to get the most consistent results. Good luck and tight lines!
Abundant sunshine, accompanied by almost constant wind in this high elevation terroir (1300 to 1600 feet), provides ideal conditions for the hearty red varieties of Château de Vaugelas, which include gnarled Carignan vines over 100 years-old. Though not certified, vineyard practices are essentially organic at Vaugelas, as natural conditions eliminate the need for pesticides and fungicides and the soil is worked manually. Yields are kept well below permissible maxima. To give you an idea, this would appeal to Shiraz and Syrah drinkers. Dry in style, medium-bodied and very, very smooth; full of aromas of dark berries and currants, with herbal and mineral notes; dark chocolate flavours with some spicy oak and herbs make this an absolute treat. Ivan Tvrdeich Millwater Resident Manly Liquor
Millwater Fun Millwater sunsets, red and gold Millwater people, young and old All have beauty that’s for sharing All have hearts so true and caring. New folk arriving day by day Some of them from far away So make them welcome, every one And share with them Millwater fun. Anon
