One fish

Went out fishing with my Ex again this morning. I was already to take Jack down to the Farmer’s market for a bacon buttie for breakfast when he called. Apparently the sea was flat, the weather was warm, and he really, really, needed a boat driver.

My two older sons were unavailable and Zoë was going to have her first snorkeling attempt out in the deep. How could I refuse? Well, I did hesitate for a bit. I had promised Jack that bacon buttie and my husband isn’t very keen on me going on expeditions with the ex-husband. But, what the hey? He is away in Auckland at a conference and then a tiki tour of Pahia in the Bay of Islands, and so I went.

It was a flat sea and lovely warm weather and I’m getting better with the boat handling – even managing to drive it up onto the trailer when coming home. But flat as it was I ended up with a queasy stomach – probably from a guilty conscience.
Zoë wasn’t allowed a go with the spear gun, but she had a bit of a splash with Ben’s super long flippers and saw a few fish big enough to eat. Stephen only got one fish, enough to feed the family though. This is Zoë measuring the paua.They have to be 125mm long. Last weekend they got hauled up by a fisheries officer and had their catch painstakingly measured. Unfortunately Ben had made the measure a couple of mm short and 11 of their 40 Paua were judged undersize. They got off with a warning but it was scary Zoë said, as the officers have the power to take your boat, car and gear if you break limits on size and quantity.

Back in town by 2pm and Jack got a chocolate croissant for lunch instead of a bacon buttie for breakfast. Happy all around?