Sydney Harbour 17/4

Clarkie · April 19, 2005

After spending most of Saturday, and Sunday morning paving, I was more than keen to get on the water. The plan was to meet up down at Balmoral beach, where a mate lives around 2ish. I was deckie in his Tinny, and my other Sth African mate was supposed to be meeting us there in his. Well, the other guy was a no-show. Got home around 5am apparently in no state to leave the house again.

Anyway, me and Dave drag his Tinny down to the beach (he's got a little trolley set-up) getting lots of strange looks, and off we go. Start off trolling a couple lures out the back with the plan to head over to nth head. Going around the navy dock we get a hook-up, but it turns out to be a plastic bag. Problem is, when we're ready to start-up again, the clip-on won't fire. As we drift into the no-go zone, the Navy patrol boat comes along to watch us. It was pretty obvious we didn't intend to be there. After about 5 mins trying to fire it up, the handle comes off the ripcord, and the cord comes off the pulley and jams tight. Bugger. No chance of getting this little baby started now, so we drag ourselves on the ropes tying the barge to the pier till we're on the northern side, then the wind starts taking us back to the beach and out of the restricted zone. The Navy boys were happy with this and took off home.

Tied off an another of Dave’s mates mooring, and spent about an hour trying to fix the pull cord while Dave tried to burley up some bait. Thought I had it sussed once, but one pull and the return spring slipped off the spool. Bugger this, time for a fish. A couple of casts with a placcie, and one of the tender boats runs straight over my line without looking. Took about 30mtrs before I cut it off. Anyway, re-rig, and next cast come up tight on a 40cm flatty. Nice one. There's dinner taken care of. After about ½ hr of mucking around sipping beers, the guy who owns the mooring rings up and is keen to keep going, so he comes in to drop off his missus and pick us up. It’s about 5pm at this stage. But at least we’re going to get out of Balmoral.

Troll for a bit to middlehead for nothing, then over to the waverider for a bottom bash. Pretty windy, but not much of a swell. Didn’t have any luck getting any livies, so frozen pillies and small squid are the bait. Lot’s of pickers around. I picked up a wrasse, and the guy who owned the boat picked up a good sized rock cod, which went back. I also got an eel which was a first for me. It actually took me back to his hole and wouldn’t let go, so I thought all I had was bottom, but after about 5 mins of pulling he finally let go and up he came. Nothing else so at around 8pm we head home. Did see the Endevour come through the heads though.

To cap off a pretty ordinary day as we were loading all our gear back into the tinny when I stepped on Dave’s bait jig. Thankfully it was only 1 hook into the middle toe, but F**k it hurt on the way out.

It was better than paving though.