The Wairarapa Sports Fishing Club's Superfish 2012 competition at Castlepoint was a testing assignment with anglers confronting a 17-knot easterly and a two-metre swell.
First on Saturday, there was the 5am wake-up call to go and see what the sea looked like at the "gap" ... why we thought, it's pitch dark. For those who don't know Castlepoint, the gap is the harbour entrance, which is small and always has a big sea rushing into it - daunting for any boat whatever the weather but worse in an easterly.
Anyway game on and off went 20 boats between 6am and 10am with anything from two to five crew aboard, the timing depending on how early people wanted to get out of bed.
Listening to the radio, you could hear things such as "sea steep and short", "nothing doing", "we are coming in, can you put my trailer out on the beach please"; the reason being the wind and sea had got up and it was making many seasoned crew feel ill.
All boats had returned safely by 3pm, earlier than expected.
The comment was "some of you need to listen to the radio checks a little more, you did not respond" ... was this because they were too busy fishing or too ill to answer the radio?
Weigh-in was between 4pm and 6pm, many locals and others gathering round to see the fish being weighed, a maximum of one species per person, and to swap rough-sea stories.
That evening saw a gathering with a few fishing prizes, a lot of spot prizes and a good party.
Sunday morning - another early call to look at the gap in the pitch black. Strange people these fishermen.
The forecast was due to be worse but, in reality, it was about the same so off went the hardy ones. Some of those with ill crew the day before opted sensibly to stay on land.
It was interesting to note that the fish weighed were smaller than those of the previous day. Perhaps the fish decided a strong easterly wind was not ideal either.
Weigh-in was another fun affair for locals and fishermen alike in the now improving summer's evening.
The prize-giving session included prizes of rods, reels and fishing bits for all and another good party at the clubhouse.
Results:
Land-based angler: Aaron Davey 495pts 1, Wayne Adcock 2, Kate Wilton 3.
Junior angler: Amber Brewster 1404pts 1, Adrienne Maxwell 2, Roger Laing 3.
Closest to average weight kahawai: John Gibbs 2.083 (day one), Lucy Brophy (overall) 1.912.
Kahawai: John Button 2.65 1, John McNab 2, Doug Brewster 3.
Closest to average weight albacore: Andy Pottinger (day one) 6.071, Lawson Campbell (overall) 6.06.
Albacore: Carol McGee 11.25 1, Kelly Armstrong 2, Samuel Davies 3.
Kingfish: John McNab 1.
Tagging prizes for sharks: Doug Brewster, Amber Brewster, John Button, David Cameron, Kelly Armstrong, Rodney Kjestrup, Lucy Brophy, Carol McGee, Geoff Curtis, John O'Flaherty.
Boat under 5 metres: Lawson Campbell 963pts.
Boat over 5 metres: John Coffey 1409pts.
Champion angler: John McNab 1493pts.