Done and dusted for the year's trip and a bitter sweet memory.

Still love the place, fishing drinking heaps of booze and of course the fishing. Some serious lessons learned this year both on and off the water. 

Number one never underestimate that F%$&ing track and never use single leaf parabolic springs on her, have ordered some 9 leaf so back to basics. 

500m from the homstead in a merry state after a couple of beers and the end in sight we hit a water rut not going that fast  and bang both springs snapped, ahhh lovely. Luckily had a spare as I was always dubious of the bloody things from the start, but the guy at Martins assured me they'd never had one snap since they'd stopped galvanising them (riiiight)  Anyway after 2 hours and some bush mechanics later  we crept into the station and unloaded.

Luckily Saturday wasn't a fishing day so one deckie back to Carnarvon to thankfully pick up a spare spring (last one in town) underated load wise but would get us on the water for the next few glorious days. 

Farken lucky enough to get Johnno67 on the phone who was heading up Sunday and brought us two more proper rated springs ( thanks you grumpy prick lol)  

Sunday  was 100m day  and it was on,  Good Reds and massive Goldband, Deckie managed a nice Yellowfin on the troll which we had some as Sashimi that night, bloody beautiful!

Monday   was much the same as we headed back out there, more good Reds, Goldband and some big Redthroat.

Tuesday  was blowing NE so decided to Head north and fish shallower grounds, it was the first time I've ever fished Gnarloo and not come back in with a demersal. The sharks are horrendous and I mean horrendous, stop the boat they'd literally be circling, where they weren't they were waiting on the bottom. It's pretty well unfishable from 30-70m , spots I have in 40m where we'd never seen a shark they were there. It was a matter of getting fish past the sharks as they'd be be chewing on your rig as soon as it hit the bottom.

Managed a 13kg Spaniard on a floater a 10kg Cobia and that was that. 

Got on the piss Tuesday night with the boys a few FW members up there, big deep fry cook up of Red and Goldband wings they are the bomb! Cheers Col!

Bloody good to meet you Blair and to see Paul again. A good laugh and I promise not to parade in my jocks again lol. 

Wednesday a lay day so got the trailer properly sorted springwise, made up a heap of rigs and were pumped to hit the water.

Thursday back on the water and fished in close for 1 Rankin and a GT another crap day feeding the sharks.

Friday was the last opportunity to hit 100 and with a Westerly slop wasn't pretty getting out there in my smallertub but the skipper hit his straps  with a fat day of 2 Reds and 3  Goldband the boys finishing off the bag with more Goldy's to end the fishing side of the  trip. 

This I just had to mention because it was a highlight of the trip and for a few other blokes at the filleting shack one night as well.

We'd nearly finished filleting and a couple of older fellas wandered over and asked if they could have the Goldband wings, no probs as we already had a heap for the trip. Well these blokes who were 80 and over entertained us all with their back and forth banter beween each other. One comment to his mate " Can't you hear me you old fool?" To a reply of " No, I took my bloody hearing aid out so I couldn't" 

These old troopers (6 of them) have doing the Gnaraloo trip for 36 years. Towing up two big dinghys and fishing the bay, just pure gold. It inspired us all. They said once one drops off they'd probably give it up but also said no one bloody well has so they keep coming. Fella I spoke to said he'd been mates since he was 14 years old with a couple of the group. How's that for mateship!. 

Few pics attached, not many as we'd forget after a few stubbies.