b'FeatureThe kids were eager to catch fish off the rocks over the May school holidays.W hen I was awould pitch a tent or stay at theand with the kids bored over the keen youngFletchers Bay farm accommodation,May holidays, there was a good man in my earlyoften in the woolshed.Whilebreak in the weather before another twenties, wayother times I just went on mystorm arrived, so it meant a quick back in the lateown and slept in the car the night,overnight trip up to Coromandel.90s, I wouldwaking at dawn to fish my feet. A storm was coming in a day or often head toDriving up the dusty metal roadtwo and with a calm day forecast, the Coromandelpast Colville, with such picturesquewe quickly packed up and drove on a road trip after finishing workbush and ocean scenery andup on a Monday night to stay at in Auckland on a Friday night.Backthen scaling the rocks downthe Shelly Beach TOP 10 Holiday then I worked in banking and being ato deep water ledges was fun,Park just north of Coromandel country boy who grew up in a smallwith solid snapper and kingfishtown and shared a bedroom with Northland town, I just needed tousually making an appearance. bunks in their lodge.We woke get out of the city and into nature. early and the two boys, Beau (9 I had learnt to surfcast on theRETURN TO THE ROCKS years old) and Leo (7 years old) west coast, but I had read all theHaving owned multiple boatswere excited as we drove north in stories in the fishing mags of bigfor many years since my thirties,the dark past Colville and found fish caught off the rocks on theI havent fished as much off thean easy access rock ledge by the Coromandel, with the best spotsrocks as I used to, but I still enjoy it,metal road south of Fantail Bay.up the top near Port Jackson andand I get a calling to return to theIt was coming up to high tide and Fletchers Bay.I would usually getrocks every now and then.Afterovercast conditions with no wind at a mate keen to come along and weselling my boat earlier this year,all, the calm before the storm. 28FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE'