As usual, we motored to a spot about 20 minutes from the ramp just down our road and tied up among the commercial mussel beds which are a haven for marine life. It was our best day ever and in 3 hours, had completely filled our large chilly bin with snapper and run out of bait! Given that snapper is over NZ$30/kg in the shops, not a bad haul! Beautiful cooked, or diced and marinated raw in lemon juice, then mixed with coconut cream, diced red peppers, onion and fresh chilli, then chilled for a couple of hours - yumm!
Jennie with 4lb snapper
Me with 11 lb snapper
Bobscoot will note the lucky red shorts being worn - certainly lucky on this occasion! No pink Crocs though, just boring brown.
After an excellent feed, we sat on our deck with a cold gin and tonic and watched the sun set - and spectacular it was too. Here's the photo:
Dusk from our deck
Doesn't get much better than that - have a great and safe weekend everyone!
Fantastic effort there Geoff......(that reminds me that we have some snapper fillets in the freezer waiting to be eaten)
ReplyDeleteThe colours in your sunset photo are magical. Well done!
Hope the weekend is a good one mate.
Although I am suitable impressed at your haul of fish, and your beautiful sunset photo, do you really have to go to such lengths to wind up us working class!! I will take mine smoked.............
ReplyDeleteI'll have mine marinated and raw thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAnthony:
ReplyDeleteBetter than the last but one outing when we caught nothing. It was blowing a bit so went to a sheltered area called "No Fish Farm" by the locals. Now we know why. You too mate!
Roger & Nick:
So fishing and riding motorcycles all day isn't work? This retirement business is tough! Given a short bit of notice of your impending arrival in Coromandel, we will do our best to accommodate you both. My old smoker fell to bits a couple of years ago and one of our sons bought me another one for Xmas. Guess he was thinking of his stomach too :-). Have a great weekend guys!
Geoff:M
ReplyDeleteyou took the words right out of my mouth. When I noticed your photo and before I even scrolled to the bottom I was already thinking of your Lucky red shorts. Soooo glad they worked today. I love snapper but they are nearly fished out up here and not that available. nice to know you have your own secret stash.
Great minds must think alike. Whilst riding home tonight I also snapped a red sunset. I saw it and was desperately trying to find a spot to pull over.
Retirement must tire you both out. You have to go on vacation soon
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Bob:
ReplyDeletePlenty of snapper and other fish stocks down this way as long as we can keep the S-E Asian fishing boats at bay. Geographic isolation pays off sometimes!
Saw your sunset and loved it. The trick is to be quick eh? There was a glorious sunrise this morning and I missed it by less than a minute.
Yep, definitely need a break ;-)
Stunning sunset! You can have the fish all to yourselves, though... :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers Sue. Catching fish is nice, but the greatest pleasure is simply being on the water on a gorgeous day. Never really mind if we don't catch fish, as long as it doesn't become a habit!
ReplyDeleteGeoff:
ReplyDeleteHow would you like it if you were a fish and just out for a quick float around the bay, and just happened to be hungry and reached up for the swinging bait. Now the whole family is waiting at home for him to come home for dinner, but he doesn't show up and is never seen again . . .
bob
Wet Coast Scootin
A salutary lesson Bob - don't accept food from strange humans.... there's always a hook in it :-)
ReplyDeleteGeoff
ReplyDeleteBob has a point....
But fish have an attention span of only 5 seconds so no great shakes
Nikos the fish expert
Thank you for your expert knowledge Nikos...
ReplyDeleteAha.. free food
Ouch, there's a sharp bone in it, I'm stuck.....
Now where was I???
The light is getting brighter, am I going to Heaven?
Now where was I???
Gorgeous sunset picture. Sounds like a lovely relaxing day of fishing and basking in the sun. Makes me long for summer......
ReplyDeleteTrobairitz:
ReplyDeleteThanks! Trouble is, after a few hours out on the water, followed by washing the boat and filleting, I don't stay awake long enough to appreciate the evening! Summer will soon be here for you....
Mike:
Apologies - for some reason, I stuffed up the publishing of your post :-(. When's dinner? About half an hour ago but don't worry, we have more than enough if you can get over here in the next few days; otherwise I'll go out again just before you arrive!
A bike, a boat, nice climate and a view to die for. You are a lucky bunch of people. I hope to live for the day, that I can have this, too ;-)
ReplyDeleteNow I have a craving for fresh fish... where did that come from?
Greetings Sonja!
ReplyDeleteThanks mate - after 30 years of 55-60 hour weeks, it's nice to reap the rewards.
Errr.... you're not pregnant, are you? ;-).
I'll pop a nice fresh snapper in the smoker whilst you're over!
Geoff, where do you get the red shorts from? I really do with some that work that well!!
ReplyDeleteThat big snapper is a catch to be proud of.
Cheers Jules.
Jules:
ReplyDeleteThey're actually swimming trunks and I hate them! I have a preferred blue pair which for the life of me, I can't find anywhere. However, you know how it is with fisherman's superstition!!!
Geoff:
ReplyDeleteI hope you were just joking ! You had better not get rid of the RED pair, or else . . .
bob
Wet Coast Scootin
Bob:
ReplyDeleteNope, I'm more of a "blue" person but with catches like that, I'm not about to stop wearing them!