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View Full Version : easter#3 the pink peg and the fish


John B
04-09-2002, 12:58 AM
This copy and pasting lark is good eh. " here's one I prepared earlier" LOL.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p5019a6f896f1f48e939468d7c7397b41/fdd24443.jpg
The Pink Peg.
Last season sometime it came to light that our friend Dave,(The skipper of Ronaki) had discovered that all beaches have at least one pink plastic clothes peg washed up on it. This has rather escalated into a sort of Waione versus Ronaki " who has found a pink peg" competition. It's all very civilised normally but I'm afraid that the Waiones are responsible for an escalation in manouvres. It all started fairly smoothly. As normal, each family would make it to the new beach. A bit of a chat, skim some stones, bomb a piece of wood, quietly meander down the beach or across the rocks and find a pink peg. First to find has kudos.
That all changed when we spent the day at Anita bay. We were heading further around the coast but it was blowing too hard just around the corner. Stopping at Anita bay was a real find. Rocky islets and cliffs either side of a steeply shelving pebble beach.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p612dfe1f30b6feb02a6acde635cdba82/fdd274f8.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p9b38ece2ec7afbf577f29aa0be8c5e5c/fdd274f5.jpg
Both boats stopped for lunch aboard. We waited until they were committed to their sandwiches and in a well oiled operation the kids were marshalled below decks( picture a Dakota with paras nervously preparing for the jump) fitted into their parach....I mean life jackets, and then.... right you, into the dinghy, you, you, go go go. 4 oars hitting hull speed as we emerged from under the bow of Waione heading for the beach at full speed. Oh, how terrible it must have been to be sitting aboard the Ronaki that day. The beer no doubt just opened, the sammy halfway to the collective mouth, the thought of a quiet siesta and then a leisurely search of the virgin beach.
No way Hose.
We were in before they even left the boat and the first peg found before they were ashore.
There were repercussions though. The next day at Hooks bay, those dastardly Ronakis were on the beach at 7.00 AM scouring 200 metres of beach and coming up with 4 before we were even awake.
As an interesting aside, we were having a bit of a get together on another beach a few days before with other people. These others happened to remark on the fact that Dave was wearing pink clothes pegs attached to his collar and that I had been seen with them on the brim of my hat. This generated a conversation on the subject . It transpired that my theory that the reason that only pink pegs are found is that fish get all the other colours was disputed. Evidently, I was told, Pink in fact ,is good for catching fish, a challenge which could not go untried. The morning that the Ronakis played their trump and searched the beach before we were even stirring, I made a lure from a pink peg and a couple of days later I was to find that a pink peg is LETHAL to fish. I made an experiment using a known lure as a control and then used both the pink peg lure and the fork lure.( you remember the knife and the fork lures?) 4 with the PP, 2 with the fork and small ones chucked back with the control.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p2a6e69b6cff47f5e1dcb760feae8c4ca/fdd274da.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/pa940211e2f5b089e2d38db3b25d05246/fdd274d6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/pc1d04b58d4a44998759c136e7aafa8b7/fdd274d4.jpg
I rest my case.

skuthorp
04-09-2002, 01:54 AM
I just love this! I'm not a fisherman, but when I think of all the cash people fork out for lures every season and round our way don't catch much, let alone the cost of their purpose-built plastic and metal boats I just laugh. Looks like a good trip, even if you found more boats about than you thought. Over easter there were long lines of trailered boats waiting to launch and retrieve, so much so that tempers flared and threats were made. Sort of 'commuter traffic' on water. Takes the fun out of it I'll bet.

Concordia..41
04-09-2002, 07:37 AM
Thank you so much for sharing with us. We always look forward to the posts!

- Margo and Dave

Biofish
04-09-2002, 10:01 AM
At least the weather is better now..... i didn't think i was gonna make it. Nice lure!

Rob :D

John B
04-09-2002, 04:59 PM
I'm actually a bit disapointed in the knife lure. I've only caught one fish on it and it's being ignored by most. I think it's because it's too big for the local fish. I'm sure a kingfish will go for it when there's a chance. Perhaps a smaller one,...a butter knife..?hmmm.

Donn
04-09-2002, 05:04 PM
John..have you tried tuning the knife lure? A slight bend about a third of the way back will give it a whole new action.

No spoon lures? Seems a natural. Another favorite is a seashell lure...natural killers!

John B
04-09-2002, 05:10 PM
Donn, I really want to be able to say that I've caught the fish with my knife and fork. The spoon... yes, that would be easy but I don't know. just hasn't got the same ring to it has it ?

Now the seashell!! that sounds like fun.
I wonder about a zip off an old pair of pants.a nice shiny zipper. " I caught this one fly fishing" "no No not that sort of fly" lol.
There's a challenge for you. Whaddayareckon?

reddog
04-09-2002, 06:48 PM
John:
Thanks for the pics and a tale of your adventures.You certainly live in a beautiful spot.One day, we have promised ourselves,we will visit your beautiful country as well as Oz.
The fish certainly seem to like your lures.What kind are they,(The fish)?They look sort of like our mackerel.MMmmm,MMmmm,some good.
We probably won't get on the water 'till the long weekend in May.Not much ice this year,but it's still cool.
All the best:
Earl

John B
04-09-2002, 07:15 PM
The fish are Kawai.oops. spelling mistake ... Kawhai is what they are. They aren't highly regarded as an eating fish generally but when they go from sea to pan in say 1/2 an hour , my family is quite happy with em. Good fighting fish actually. Some people fish for them on trout gear for sport . That's a 20 litre bucket theyre in by the way,...so I suppose they might be about 18 in or so long. those five fed us for 2 meals as it happened. Lunch and dinner.

[ 04-09-2002, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

Donn
04-09-2002, 08:01 PM
They're obviously some part of the Herring family. The tail gives that away. I'll research them when I'm back on the 'big computer' (read cable modem instead of dialup) Oily fish..good for bait, for chum, for smoking...best cooked immediately, and well. Cook em all up at once, eat some hot, then chill the rest. Flake the cold flesh off and make a fish salad the next day...I'll wager.

John B
04-09-2002, 09:36 PM
Spelt Kahawhai in this reference.
Life of an Australian Salmon
Tommy Ruffs and Australian Salmon are endemic to the southern Australasian region. They are not related in any way to the true salmon or herring but are named after their resemblance to those northern hemisphere fish. They are closely related to each other, belonging to the family Arripidae along with the eastern Australian salmon which is virtually indistinguishable from the western species.
http://www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/RPIO-4Y997N?open

Other common names by which these fish are known are Sea Herring, Ruffies and as mentioned Tommy Ruff (Australian herring) and black-backed salmon, kahawai (New Zealand), Bay Trout and Salmon Trout (Australian Salmon).

http://www.fishsa.com/salmon.htm

[ 04-09-2002, 09:41 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

John R Smith
04-10-2002, 03:50 AM
John B

we have really enjoyed your Easter cruise. It's always good to be able to share other folk's experiences elsewhere in the world. And what fantastic sailing waters!

Nice one

John

Donn
04-10-2002, 07:18 AM
Well John, I read up on the Kawahai, and they sound like immense fun to fish for..big schools on the surface, eager to strike anything, and fantastic tail-walking fighters. I'm jealous!

http://www.seafriends.org.nz/enviro/Fish/arripi/FA001813lr.jpg

[ 04-10-2002, 07:46 AM: Message edited by: donnwest ]