Sunshine Reef recce, 19Feb12

TR by sunshiner, pic contributed by gemini

Wind: SE, starting at 5 knots, building to 10-15knots
Swell: low NE
Current: at A-Bay, toward the north, about 1kph
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: richmond, gemini, jaro, sunshiner

With sunrise around 05:30, jaro had called for a 0500-ish launch. Of the four starters, I was last into the carpark and last to launch, at around 05:05. The SE wind was just making its presence felt at launch time and I spent a few seconds floating and waiting in the hole at the end of the wall before ducking out quickly with a completely dry bum. Richmond had already departed for the NE but jaro and gemini were concluding their preparations out the back. The consensus seemed to be that we’d head out to the northern end of Sunshine Reef in search of pelagics and I was happy to go along with this.

Jaro popped his sail to take advantage of the breeze and then sat back with a cup of coffee and the paper (read with the aid of his headlight) while gemini and I dug our paddles in and propelled our craft the traditional way.

I had my trusty HLP out, as usual, on my trolling outfit and presume my companions did likewise. Because of the wind, I held tight in to the headland which, blocking the wind, offered a slightly smoother and faster passage for paddlers.

05:40, passing Granite Bay. Note reflection of clouds and sky on smooth wet deck.

At this time no pelagic action had been sighted but richmond was out front, just off Hells Gates and soon called in that he could see flocks of terns whirling around out to the east. That put some adrenalin into our systems and the three of us, one by one, followed richmond out into the open sea, all keenly scanning the lumpy horizon for the birds he’d mentioned.

As they often do, the birds had now scattered all over the ocean, as we could see. So shortly we found ourselves, at varying distances from Hells Gates, travelling in line abreast south toward what we hoped was pelagic action territory.

As we got closer to the southern end of A-Bay I had some tuna leap clear of the water just 100m in front of me, simultaneous with a small bust up further away. Then gemini, closest to shore, showed that he was keeping a good look out because he called the attention of the rest of us to a large flock of terns behind us. What we saw was just what we’d been hoping for -- a couple of hundred terns hovering and diving. They were tantalizingly close but just too far away and by the time jaro, gemini and I had arrived on the scene the action had fizzled out. Very frustrating!

The terns, obviously very interested in what was happening below them.

Above, gemini's track overlayed on GE map. Image by gemini.

We all hung around this area for 30 minutes or so and even had one fast travelling bust-up get close enough so that jaro got a cast away and a hookup. But the fish threw the hook.

From 7:00am the wind started to strengthen, cutting up the already choppy sea even more. And by then there were no signs of fish anywhere on our horizons so the decision was jointly taken to return to the shelter of the bay in the forlorn hope that fish would be encountered there.

This was not to be and by 08:30am we were back on the beach with not a fish between us. That was a pity, for there were plenty of prospective fish holders hanging about, disappointed that their services would not be required today.

At least, as gemini said, we got some exercise today and maintained our fitness for the battles to come. Bring ’em on.