A
fter another big 
storm hit Northland 
at the end of March, 
I was looking at 
my fishing options 
having arrived in 
Dargaville to fish the 
Kauri Coast Fishing 
Contest.  The Sunday after the 
contest was looking to be very still 
with light winds and dropping swell 
on the west side, so I planned to hit 
the Kaipara graveyard with my uncle 
Muzza Pattinson.
Launching his big alloy cat “Double 
Strike” in the Northern Wairoa 
River at Ruawai at 9am and the 
river was swollen from the flood 
waters, and I had never seen so 
many logs and debris.  It was coming 
up all around the poles and ramp, 
we had to basically push branches 
and logs out of the way when 
reversing out into the channel.
Launching Double Shot in the Northern 
Wairoa River near high tide after the 
big storm with debris everywhere.
Heading down the river in the fog at 
low speed to avoid the logs flushed 
downstream from the storm.
Feature
28  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE

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