Subject: fishing yesterday -- 07Aug09
Date: Saturday, 8 August 2009 12:51 PM
G'day guys
We took a punt on the weather yesterday afternoon. The forecast was spot on, as it turned out and we got a great afternoon if you discount the fish aspect as they didn't show up, apart from the juveniles always out at the shoal.
Anyway, I got there first around 1115-30, found a carpark and launched without knowing whether anyone else was coming, although I was pretty sure that Jaro would show later. I was just about to set off after setting up when I heard a shout, turned and saw madcow paddling toward me. We paddled out together in perfect conditions, very light NE breeze, small swell, clear sky. Then the radio started to blare and soon I was aware that Jaro and turtleboy were on their way, and then, quite a bit later, jimbo.
The drift was perfect and I would have put money on getting a snapper but the place was shut down. Never mind, it was invigorating to be out there and enjoying the company of fellow yakkers and other wild creatures. My one bit of excitement came around 1400, after I'd been fishing without success for at least 1.5 hrs. I cast my jighead and SP bait downwind about 20m in my normal style and turned away to attend to something or other. A few seconds later I looked up to see a gannet flapping on the surface close to where my jig had commenced its watery descent. "That's odd!" I thought, and then the squawking gannet decided to take off straight across my bow. A couple of seconds later my line came up tight, the drag screamed and the gannet stalled, flopping into the water. I realised then that the bird had chosen to attack my SP and jighead and was likely hooked. I've mentioned this before, but the best way to unhook a gannet is to grab it by the neck just below the head, holding its head (with attached very strong and menacing beak) away from your face while removing the hook. The other trick is to leave your dominant hand free to wield the pliers, camera, radio, etc. For me this means bringing the gannet to the left side of the yak, which I managed to do after a fairly lengthy process of gentle subduing. Of course, as soon as the bugger gets next to you it starts pecking away at anything that seems capable of being damaged. The next thing you have to do is to distract it, or better, temporarily "blind" it. I was unwilling to apply a blind using my $25 Columbia hat as it was tethered to my PFD and so not conveniently located (I could also imagine the gannet flying away wearing my hat), so I turned to distraction. I offered up my dive-bootee clad left foot which the bird seized in its bill with characteristic viciousness and held on to with tenacity perhaps believing that it was doing its attacker serious damage. This achieved, it was my turn to seize and the next instant I had the bird in the required grip and more-or-less under control, dragging it into the yak and onto my lap.
The hook was just slightly impaled in the port wing and a minute or so with the pliers was all it took to free the jig hook, put on a dab of antiseptic, make sure the now cut line was not entangled, and set the bird free. As it flew off I noticed that a small memento had been left with me, but I managed to wash most of this off later.
(Above) The grip.
If possible, offer a distraction while working to extract the hook... Don't worry, my Columbia hat is tethered to my PFD.
This is the pointy end which you must keep away from your face, in particular. Oh, and keep your sunnies on, just in case.
And so that's the report guys. No fish. Back at the beach Dan (spooled1 in AKFF) from Byron Bay was waiting to have a chat and I then took the opportunity to video my four colleagues who were following me as they arrived at the beach. To my disappointment, no one got smashed or rolled but the video demonstrates the professionalism and care with which these guys approach and execute a surf zone transit, even though it's only a small surf, as in this case. "Always assume that you're going to be rolled and rig accordingly" is their maxim. Here's the video:
Thanks for coming, yakkers
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com
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