Back into it!

After my broken leg, my first fishing trip for 23 months, we cannot fish from rocks at level 3 but can from the beach, so off I went just before low tide near the head of the harbour.
Possibly not the wisest spot for a first trip, with a coating of fine Kaipara river mud over wet sand, and still a bit wobbly on the leg. I don't move my feet when I cast, but it is bloody hard when your feet are glued to the ground. I did not quite fall over but after the first attempt I carried a rod rest as a support.
Missed the first good pull but struck the second as I was holding the rod, first fish a 1.5 to 2 kg Kahawai, missed another bite just before leaving, foot was getting sore from all the ungluing. There is a wharf at the car park but the boat ramp is just upstream so too much hassle with boats going around the end. Sorry no photos, too muddy, the fish was a grey lump when I pulled it up the beach.

Great to hear you are back out Rhod. Take it slow. You have my sympathies with the leg pain. I have a much lesser sporting injury  (plantar fascia tear under the heel). I went out for a few hours fishing yesterday. Had to use my tripod as a crutch to get back up the steps  

Hi Rhod,
Great that you have been able to get out, take it steady but must be good for the mind to get out fishing after all that time.
Not being able to fish the rocks at level three I take it is about reducing accident numbers and health service pressures in the light of covid? At least you are looking at Spring when we have Winter approaching and whatever that might bring.

Pin whiting, Notbad?
The no rock fishing was more about the coast guard / surf lifesavers not having to be called out and having to break their bubble restrictions if they had to do a rescue.

Went out again yesterday and managed 5 or so hours there, fairly slow until high tide at 1-45 when a few bites started, ended with one red gurnard, 2 medium silver trevally and a couple of small kahawai, lost a small shark just before leaving, I did not want it so I was a bit brutal, dragging it around the rock between waves which cut the line and I lost the hook.
Great conditions, 2 to 4 ft waves every 16 seconds, water much cleaner, a bit of current heading south, no wind and the sun shining between passing clouds, and only 5 others there all of whom left before the bite started, then an old friend of mine arrived, so just the two of us.
Not much water on the rock until near high so I was able to sit on my bucket for some of the time, and I left the front of the rock to the younger and more able bodied fishers to cope with the splash and the bull kelp along the front.
An interesting bit of knowledge about the west coast is that every year for the first one or two weeks of October, a run of bigger than average snapper come in to the shallows, It is then up to the weather as to whether we can get there to catch a few. They soon disappear, leaving the occasional smaller specimens until the end of the year when mixed schools seem to come in after spawning and stay until early July when they all disappear. Also towards the end of October the trevally come in full of roe and stay until the end of the year.
Nothing like local knowledge gleaned over the years. Sorry no photos, I have to get the camera out, too risky carrying my phone, too likely to get wet. as in very wet!

Another good report Rhod well done.

We went to Rhosneigr yesterday ( not fishing) the surf was well up, lots of surfers, some of the kite surfers were getting more altitude than the jets heading in to RAF Valley! Mrs Notbad was telling me how much it reminded her of New Zealand.
The weather forecast here isn't looking like sea fishing weather but the storm beach may be full of carrion when the wind drops.