Monday, February 16, 2009

The Adventure to the Not-So-New World!

Rough seas, sea-sickness and people sympathising to octopi could not stop the vast adventure taken by the fair salts that is Hobart Ward! A boat full of 23 plus Steven set off from Limington in search of the more elusive flathead. First catch was made by Dallin, HOWEVER his eight-legged friend was not on the menu for us humans, but for the fish in the deep. After an eventful cut-up of the semi-live bait, a few of us left the comfort of our mothership in the tinny dingy, the HMAS Awesome! Our first trip saw nothing but one flathead, so after a bit we journeyed back. On our way though, we stopped and caught an orange Gurnard with spikes out its earholes but meat you could sink your teeth into........after you clean it, of course. After that Dave, Andrew and I braved the rough channel between Gordon and the Bruny Isle. There we caught a cold. Plus some fish. We'll get to that later. On our way back to scrounge down some sausage and hamburger we got absolutely drenched. No, seriously. I had water squelching out of my shoes and when my pants dried they had salt marks on them, didn't they? Anyway, I digress... After our feed I take Dallin, the bright-eyed American, who needs some lessons in handball, but not in catching fish, and take on the calm channel this time. We stay for half and hour. THEN an emergency. A whistle is heard in the distance. Dallin and I stand up, then realise - don't stand up in a dingy! So we looked and see a small boat with no petrol and Steve. We go to them and tow them back to the mothership, which took 20 minutes (I may be stretching the truth with this one, it took really about 10 minutes). After that, us men (and some girls) (yes I found the brackets on the keyboard) retired to the galley for the return home. I caught fish. THE END.