b'W here the hell isGlinks offers a rugged beauty with theJanuary after New Years each year.In Glinks Gully? wild Tasman, stunning sunsets, big surf, and1972 Rhys Davies made a shield at his This is theof course fishing was a popular pastimewoodwork class in Form 2.The shield was question manyand way of life for most families.My familypassed on to Glinks stalwart and self-people wouldwere keen fishers and I loved going downproclaimed Mayor Rex Fernandez who ask me when Ithe beach to help the men drag the net forwith Rhyss dad, Bryn Davies helped run was studyingflounder and mullet for smoking, or whenthe competition.and working inthe sea conditions were calm, and theyRhys wanted the shield to be named after Auckland in thewould go surfcasting for snapper. his grandad, Ted Searle, who also loved to mid-nineties, and I told them where I wasI learnt a lot from going on those tripssurfcast at Glinks Gully and had taught him heading to for my Christmas break. and often other men from nearby bacheshow to fish.But somehow, the shield was The small bach settlement is aboutwould fish together on a sand bank andnamed after Rhys so since 1973 - the Rhys 15 minutes drive from Northland townalways give each other good banter on whoDavies Shield for the heaviest snapper has Dargaville and right on Ripiro Beach.Mycaught the biggest or most fish. been up for grabs.I was born in 1974 and grandfather Alby Pattinson was a builderso it is nearly as old as myself and growing and built a bach here in the 1950s. I wasRHYS DAVIES SHIELD up at Glinks and fishing in so many of these fortunate to grow up there and spent allA local fishing contest started before Ifishing contests over the years, I wanted my holidays out on the mighty west coast. was born, and it was usually held in earlythat shield! /FISHINGINGODZONE95'