11-13th February 2005
Terrigal lagoon Canada cup and Alliman
Moon: new
Tide: High-12pm
Water: 20-21 degrees
Swell: 50cm
Vis: 10m
It was 8th Feb. Tuesday night when as I was drinking with Ryan his girl, Catfish and Dutchy. I was asked over the phone by Captain Ahab through Dutchy if I would like to be his boat very *friendly* person like last comp. My initial reply was “poor bastard,” but then considered the possibility of black mail so took the phone and told him, “I’ll talk to you later.”
After guzzling down a few beers I walk home and considered the possibilities. I was later informed that we would be spending the weekend there and negotiated when I could go spearing before and after the comp, (not like there is a point in me competing).
So it was set, I would meet Ahab at King’s cross station on Friday afternoon at 3pm. I have my suspicion’s why he choose that location, especially when he came 20min late. Anyway he came; I compressed my bags into what space was left in his trusty car and performed some acrobatics getting in through the maze of spear guns.
There was myself, Ahab, Don the bomb and Wooly the New Zealand sheep.
Don a very unfortunate beached dolphin, permanently unable to get in the water with a weapon due to a shoulder injury. He really surprised me with his dedication to help out all the other spearo’s in the water by looking after all the beer and other vital stuff at the tent. Wooly, as described by Simon “twice as good as me,” is as some referred to him as “a bloody new Zealander.” In general, he is a blond curly/wooly haired quiet and friendly guy who has traveled the world killing fish of all species and competed in the world spear fishing championships at Chile.
So we arrive at the apartment and unpacked, it was a great choice of location, laziness wise as it was a 5min walk from where the comp was held. It also had room for 6-8 people and a fridge that had room for many more beers. I realized what I had to do, this was the best time for it, I got ready to sneak off and kill some fish. Simon lent me his new gun and a wet suit top. There was no one to go spearing with me, grudgingly I went off by myself to the boat break wall. I left my bag by the fence and went into the water, I swam towards the break wall and looked up at a sign in the water, which I expected to say that boats must go under 4 knots, but instead it said, “no swimming within 25 meters of this sign,” at the same time I hear about coming next to me and am wondering how much will the fine be. I pick up the pace and slither past the sign towards the break wall, then swim towards the end. I made it there and didn’t see any of the oversized flat heads Simon had mentioned were there, but did notice an overcrowding of evil sea urchins. So I took to them and found a rock and started bashing them. I saw what I think may be an electric sting ray and tried to get it to zap trippies gun. I got bored, well really one of the evil spines of the sea urchins made a hole in my finger and I decided I should swim out and see if sharks can really sniff blood in the water…
As soon as I got on the other side I see luderic feeding, but they saw me first. I swam straight out to deeper water looking into caves. There was just about nothing, then as if they where in attack mode 3-4kg fish started swimming past me, they were salmon and I got excited. I fired away, hit nothing, Dam!
I start reloading, the school is huge, surrounding me from both side, thousands of these fish swim past me as I reload, it takes me 3min to reload and as soon as I do they are gone. I swim on towards the cliffs and find an amazing ledge which I follow to the rocks. I dive down to a cave a few meters from the shore and stay there looking into it. Surprisingly there were no fish there so I look around behind me, I realize I’m being watched by some silver drummer and rise up, then look round and also see a tailor 1kg. Still all the fish stayed away from me, I decide to swim back as it was getting dark. On the way a 3kg King fish swims by me at speed, in a rush to get to bed?
I go back to the apartment and brief Simon and friends. Most of the other guys, Divin Dave, John and Pat are already drinking, then I realize one of my mistakes, I forgot to take my drivers license. I went to bed around 12 and woke up at 6:30 am. I got ready and went out to look for food.
Met Trippie around tent where sign on was held, I quickly hopped in for a swim and found the head of a…flathead, as wide as Mine. Swam a bit and got out. The comp started with a wave of a flag and the boats raced off up the coast. The guys on the boat were beside my self, Ahab, big Al, Wooly and Steve? An interesting note would be the fact that Steve and his father built the boat we were in, I’m still here so it yeah it’s good. We first went to 2 mile reef and the guys hoped in and went to kill fish. I stayed in the boat and vegetated.
After some time Simon got out with 4 fish or so and said he wanted to go, I though he had a lot of fish but when we picked up the other guys each had around 6 fish. We then went to 3mile reef and the guys hopped in. I drove off up current to wait for them; we were there for maybe an hour or more. I didn’t get to floor the boat too much but it was fun, I had to look after Big Al who swam ahead, maybe 500m. Wasn’t to much notice able action, just many species, Big Al lost an 18kg kingy. I entertained myself my looking into the water from the boat, I also ate some junk food they had and ingested soft drinks.
We then went to a bomby and surprisingly Steve told me to go for a swim, he had ear problems. Well ok I think, yet he wants me to take his gun and float with him? How the hell will I load his gun?
I get in, taking his fins, socks, gun and float. Now I’m in the water and spend 5min trying to load it, no pad or anything. First the hip, then the chest then I try the stomach. One problem is that sunscreen in slippery and I was afraid of what many others have suffered so I swam over to big al and he loaded the gun for me. Looking back I could have taken off my swimmers and taken the sunscreen of with them when the fish weren’t looking.
Lots of trevaly and mowies but nothing interesting, after 5min I got out empty handed and we went to another spot. Steve stayed out of the water and the other guys got in, then suddenly there was lots of commotion, Steve said “must be a shark or a Jew.” Few min later Big Al put his Jew in the boat and then Wooly gave us his first Jew. We raced back, got the gear and fish out etc. I helped in with some of the weigh in then got some fish for myself and went to fillet them.
Some nice stories were made that day, tuna got his second Jew, well haha he got his first too. What you call 2 Jews with one stone… I mean spear, around 8kg, 8 Jew taken all together. Wooly broke his spear trying to bend it back after shooting a 3kg kingy, not happy(sea tech). Wooly was very angry that Ahab’s mowie got more points than his Jew, he declared they would all Die the next day (the mowies.) there where a lot of people there from all around, dutchie, scuba Pete showing off his action man physic, or so he says…
The night was full of drinking and chasing women, but I was not around to help in the bar because of you know what.
When they came back, from an unsuccessful misadventure Wooly showed us his DVD’s of his diving and surfing films from his underwater video camera. One of the dives was 41m wow, he also told us how he couldn’t walk for 2 weeks after a wave ripped him off the reef and grated him over the coral before getting washed into a lagoon. There was video of commercial abalone gathering, so many in some spots like pebbles in a riverbed. The surfing flick had a quick glimmer of a babe’s nipple. Some nice camera work, we then went to bed, reportedly, Ahab had good dreams, to wake up around 7am.
I got ready and met Simon at the tent, weather was bad but I thought the comp would go ahead since the previous comp; condition’s seemed twice as bad. But it was not so, the news spread quickly and awards were handed out. First Ian the machine who got a 90L eski… then I don’t know but Wooly came 5th and gave me the wet suit pants he won; I love New Zealanders come to think of it. Simon gave me a Rostan float he won (he came 8th) and told me “I don’t want to see that boogie board again!”
Anyway, put all my stuff in Divin Dave’s car and went home too early.
Simon's Favourite fins
Wooly (shane fitzmorice) swearing revenge on red mowies, background-Don susing me out.
