News
NORTHERN AREA CHAMPS
 Report from Gary Conway
The Bluefins club’s late decision to hold this year’s comp at Slipper Island, Tairua on the 24th April proved to be a good one with competitors diving in 20m plus visibility, balmy seas and sunshine. The water and fishiness was truly astounding and the visibility the best any of the divers have seen in the area. The competition area was restricted only by the 6 hour comp time, allowing dive teams to venture as wide as they liked with some swimming 40 minutes out to the large rock structure midway back to the Tairua coast. The fish list also challenged teams to consider their best options for points with the 5 x Gurnard wild card. The weigh-in saw a really fine selection of great table fish that was filleted, bagged and donated to the Tairua Fire Brigade to distribute to the local community as a fund raiser.
Prize giving, BBQ and tall stories lasted well into the night. With such amazing visibility on Saturday it was decided to use it again on Sunday exploring the extremities of all the local weed edges around 25 meters looking for treasure. It was an excellent, easy and fruitful weekend that will definitely be repeated.
A huge thanks to all the competitors, Matt Lind and Wild Blue for the great prizes, the Bluefins club, and of course, the women on shore for organizing the food and letting us do it.
Winners:
1st place John Anderson & Andrew MacDonald (13 fish)
2nd place Julian O’Neal & Matt Lind (12 fish)
3rd place Simon Jones & Peter Macintyre (10 fish)
1st Junior Nick Stretton
Most Meritorious Paul Best: Tarakihi
WILD BLUE NORTH ISLAND SPEARFISHING CHAMPS
Many thanks to all who volunteered their time to help out on Sat
Despite 2 prior cancellations & also sharing the day with Plimmerton boating club fishing comp, the day was a great success.
Registration got underway 730 sharp & competitors signed in / safety briefing was done & then it was all go at 9am with a perfect day
Weigh in started at 330pm, A total of 112 fish were weighed in & a staggering $1700 was raised for Mary Potter Hospice.
We had a huge turn out from the public & fish auction was well supported.
1st place went to Mel Bird & Kevin Lowrey / 2nd – Anne & Steve Rose / 3rd – Scott Perkins & Daniel Bruce
A Total of 112 fish were weighed in, 44 butterfish / 8 moki / 10 banded parrot fish / 8 butterfly perch / 1 bastard red cod / 2 copper moki / 11 blue cod / 4 red cod / 3 john dory / 1 XXL kingfish
1 koheru / 6 red mullet / 1 sweep / 11 terekihi / 1 telescope fish
Next year we will also include a junior section & add the largest kina into mystery prize (two kina went for $19 in auction)
Special thanks – Matt Lind / Wild Blue, sponsor / prizes (Matt – we had your banner flying high)
Doug & Jan Palmer – Harcourt’s
Jude Harris – City life news
Beach FM
Pak n Save
Bob Rosemergy / President NZ spearfishing assn (Bob – we will put a KUC team together for the next Taupo cat fish cull)
Steve & Anne Rose
Helpers on the day:
Pete Jones, Paul Bennik, Toddy Martin, Andy Garner, Neil Calvert, Darryn / Brenda / Rochelle Plows / Sue Nelson / Pete Martin
INDEPTH FREEDIVING COURSE
Wild Blue's proud to have Dave Mullins coming up our way to conduct one of his 'InDepth' Freediving courses. These courses are tailored towards deep diving so are better suited to spearfishing than most other courses available. The courses cover topics such as safety, physiology, equalising and technique, chest flexibility; mouthfill equalising and packing; exhale dives etc.
We're going to be running his intermediate course as he recomends that one as most specific to spearfishing. There will be a classroom session here at Wild Blue, a pool session and open water session held out at the Poor Knights which will be a great trip in itself. Check here for the course curriculum and prerequisites.
The course costs $450 and that includes all expenses for the course - including boat to the Knights - and course manual. We're taking bookings now and you will be issued your manual when you pay so you can be all swotted up by course time. Register here at courses@wildblue.co.nz
Dave Mullins holds several New Zealand and World records in both freediving and spearfishing and was voted ICARE Male Freediver of the Year in 2008.
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