Leo_N.
11-09-2004, 12:26 PM
Yesterday was an absolute glassout! Halifax bay was the destination, launching from the Bhole River. Several undersized red emperor and bombie cod came aboard to be released again. One emperor had a hook already embedded well down in it's mouth, making me wonder how long it actually does take for hooks to rust out ???.
Anyway, someone else rocked up before long and he didn't seem to be having much more luck. A school of tuna came past, but the other boat pulled up anchor to chase them so I left him to it. I moved to Philips reef before too long and pulled up next to a big bommie that looked promising. Several coral trout just under legal, one keeper and a good hussar was yielded in quick succession.
My final coral trout for the day came in a bit green, so when he (sorry, she at that size) shook her head the free hook of my paternoster rig swung around, straight into my right nostril and back out through the septum (middle bit) of my nose. I tell you I can reccomend Eagle Claw lazer hooks for sharpness. So there I was by myself with a feisty fish on one hook, firmly attached to my nose with the other hook. I quickly dehooked the trout and measured it only to find that it was 3cm undersized. Unfortunate as after all that trouble I really wanted to eat that fish. He went back to the water as I tried to decide what to do with my new piercing. I tried to cut off the end with pliers, but those Eagle Claws are as tough as they are sharp. As I'm sure you can imagine I couldn't even see what I was doing. I then decided to crimp the barb down and suceeded in threading the hook back through my nose, which was no mean feat with a circle hook.
Deciding to call it a day to avoid bacterial septicemia, I motored back to the boat ramp, only to remember that it was low tide, and the heavily silted mouth only had about 10cm of water over it. Waiting for the tide to come in I wondered how many fish I was missing out on and when I would get the next glass out in Townsville.....
Anyway, someone else rocked up before long and he didn't seem to be having much more luck. A school of tuna came past, but the other boat pulled up anchor to chase them so I left him to it. I moved to Philips reef before too long and pulled up next to a big bommie that looked promising. Several coral trout just under legal, one keeper and a good hussar was yielded in quick succession.
My final coral trout for the day came in a bit green, so when he (sorry, she at that size) shook her head the free hook of my paternoster rig swung around, straight into my right nostril and back out through the septum (middle bit) of my nose. I tell you I can reccomend Eagle Claw lazer hooks for sharpness. So there I was by myself with a feisty fish on one hook, firmly attached to my nose with the other hook. I quickly dehooked the trout and measured it only to find that it was 3cm undersized. Unfortunate as after all that trouble I really wanted to eat that fish. He went back to the water as I tried to decide what to do with my new piercing. I tried to cut off the end with pliers, but those Eagle Claws are as tough as they are sharp. As I'm sure you can imagine I couldn't even see what I was doing. I then decided to crimp the barb down and suceeded in threading the hook back through my nose, which was no mean feat with a circle hook.
Deciding to call it a day to avoid bacterial septicemia, I motored back to the boat ramp, only to remember that it was low tide, and the heavily silted mouth only had about 10cm of water over it. Waiting for the tide to come in I wondered how many fish I was missing out on and when I would get the next glass out in Townsville.....