I always ping them on my plotter to give the exact spot .As we arrived to a flat sea everything seemed in order,the two buoys with their white marker buoy and green blow up were where we had left them.
Pulled the first one ,only a rat so threw him back,all Hope now on the second one,Biggs threw the grapple and Peter ran the line through the pot hauler,Choroz tidied up the grapple line and buoylines.
Shock horror,the line came in with no pot on the end,bugger.The two places where the bridle was connected to the pot had chaffed through.We thought maybe they had a workout up at Hibbs as it was still pretty wild when we fished there.We had not noticed any wear and to think both of them had failed at once was an unlucky break,it looked like they had both been cut through but there was no one around who would do that.
We bugger again,better go and have some breakfast.Went up towards Fitzroy Point and anchored off the Islands.
During the morning we decided on a plan ,go back down and see if we could pick it up on my little down vision sounder,Biggs spliced a stronger line onto the grapple and we saw Molly steaming up after putting a pot down for a dayshot near Coffin Bay.
Gave him a call on the radio to see if he had a viewer,of course he had an excellent one which we borrowed.
Now we have everything for a shot at retrieving my newest pot.I steamed over the plotted spot and marked it with a sinker,fishing line and my Cold Power plastic bottle.
Biggs and Peter got into the dinghy and mucked about for an hour but no luck,the sounder was no help and the water had the brackish divide which only looked blue when looking through the viewer.
The long strands of kelp did not help either.(good to see them however as they are the endangered type ).
Gave up and decided to go up the bay where quite a few vessels were anchored exploring the Davey River by dinghy.
Saw my brothers boat anchored and went over but the were up the river.Returned Molly’s viewer to Nancy as she went past.
Tried to barter a pot off Andrew for a couple of crays but they upped the anti so no deal there.
Choroz had started making bread so we hung around ,a couple of the crew went part way up the river for a run.Left about three but Molly called up and said he would dive on it later on.I gave him the numbers but we decided if he was good enough to have a go we would hang around.
We remarked the spot with the Cold Power and anchored nearby.
Crispian showed up and he expertly anchored on the spot.He has a small DC Hooker compressor.
Got into his wetsuit and jumped in,Biggs and Peter assisted in the dinghy and Nancy was the dinghy boy in the hose.
After quite a while he was forced to give up,although the bottom was only five meters deep the visibility was poor with the brackish water and another hazard was the string kelp tangling his lines.
Everything was the same colour which did not help.
We were grateful for his efforts though and as it was now getting late it was time to go.
Molly was rewarded though,when he pulled his pot he had a nice haul,definitely out fished that day!
I had seen Jerry go inside Kathleen Island on the way up and thought I might try the shortcut on the way back,got a bit nervous going into the narrow entrance but proved to be ok,a nice big sandy bay in behind Boil Rock.The sea now going off ready for the mass exodus in the morning.
Anchored in Schooner for the night,vessels giving Jerry their plans for the early morning start on the radio sched.
Amazing place Port Davey,I have been going there since I was 14 and still find new things to do.
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