Thread: Greymouth albies

Shot down Friday, arrived at 11.00 after a prick of a day ( Black Friday no less).

Up at 6.30 expecting an early start ... Nope gentleman hours!! On the boat at 8am coffee's in hand.. So I stashed a dozen in the ice box and we set sail over the bar and away


Straight out off grey water temp hit 19.4 and lures were set.... Blue water wasn't were we thought water temp was great but the water stayed a tan green brown, skipper changed our course and instead of running in to the swell we were running at 45 degrees to it heading for the trench. This hit a few of the crew hard no spewing but they went dead quite


Then right on que with the change in the water colour a reel screamed in protest and we were in! The action wasn't thick and fast we were getting one and twos but every one got on a rod and winched played or otherwise secured a couple of fish!
I dropped the first one on the outrigger / pole line / handine much to everyone's disgust only to watch others do the same except for speewy who managed the fish of the day.
Fish of the day bout 15 kg fish ( me and the mad butcher) one of those photos you wish you could re take

The skipper gave me the word to start into the fish and my uncle ( the mad butcher ) gave me a hand in the end I took his knife off him and only gave it back when he wanted to gut and gill the frames ( he wastes nothing ).

Any who the skipper shot us up to some holes in the trench at 25 plus fathoms and we dropped gropher rigs into some likely looking holes ... Up down up down saw the punters pretty much call it a day. No real marks showing on the sounder so out with the lures and away home. A few more fish and home. Crack a beer some b&e pie and I was in heaven ... Great day good fishing .

Didn't know you could chase them up here?
Good stuff. Would you get a fizz boat out to them?

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Yip blue water only 4 k off shore on a good day / average day , skipper normally heads out off grey sets a couple of set lines for turbot, then out to blue water catches half a doz albies, then back in pick up lines and home. Albies are a lot bigger this year last year we got bullets this year solid fish, bugger all birds about though, lures were dark colours blue black brown.

Looks like the coast turned it on weather wise Stingray, mint weekend by the sounds

I have been home over a week and only seen a day of rain.
Too figgin dry. Need rain bad for salmon and other stuff.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Looks like the coast turned it on weather wise Stingray, mint weekend by the sounds

It was cam traveled home via the coast road, a beautiful part of NZ, sun rising on breakers and steep bush covered contry.... Wind down the window and you could smell the sea and the around the corner that pure NZ of punga beech etc ... Priceless

Good solid albert there stinger. How do you cook them?

Originally Posted by Gibo

Good solid albert there stinger. How do you cook them?

Keen to know as well.
I like them raw but the cook and kids don't.

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I like em raw too and skippies but the boys freak out on me when i get stuck in on the boat

Alby is great cubed, beer battered then eaten dipped in sweet chilli one of my favorites

Yum! Gunna try that.

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Originally Posted by R93

I have been home over a week and only seen a day of rain.
Too figgin dry. Need rain bad for salmon and other stuff.

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@R93
The wapiti hunters would be having a good time of it then ?

Originally Posted by R93

Yum! Gunna try that.

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I hope you next thread doesn't say 'i suck at alby fishing' go get em while they are there!! All i can say is salt ice and lots of it. I dont know a fish that spoils faster

Originally Posted by Munsey

@R93
The wapiti hunters would be having a good time of it then ?

Should be eh. Weather is supposed to come in on Saturday but isn't much.

Here's hoping for good weather into April.
Last time I went bush for 18 days we only got 4 days hunting. I got sick of reading and digging motes😆



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As Gibo said you have to kill em and chill em, they are a turbo charged fish and run bloody hot, we belt em and bleed em and onto ice slurry, they bleed like a ...well stuck pig realy.. the boat can look like a slaughter house at the hight of the season, but you have to get them dead and bleed and chilled to preserve their eating quailties, I've smoked , fried , baked ,raw (suchmi) em even fish cakes and pie.

You certainly get a shit load of eating out of every fish, even a bullet will feed a family of 5 easily.

Originally Posted by Gibo

I hope you next thread doesn't say 'i suck at alby fishing' go get em while they are there!! All i can say is salt ice and lots of it. I dont know a fish that spoils faster

Yeah I have caught a few in haast when mates where doing it commercially.
It was hand lining tho, and just work.
Have caught a few on my salmon rod and that was bloody fun.
I will always try and have a slurry on the boat.
Talking with Adam who is out at sea now reckons they have not had a good season in Haast this year as the warm water did not come in. I have never gone off Greymouth before in a small boat so will leave it till he can take me sometime.
The bar is supposed to be pretty dodgy at the best of times.


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