Tag & Release Coromandel holds precious memories. Stinking hot summer days, dusty roads, small cars packed to the gunnels with an overloaded trailer in tow, sunburn, ice creams and lugging brown sacks full of dive gear up the beach in pursuit of the sporting red moki and mighty butterfish with my awesome Dad. I shot my first fish here back in 80’. A black angel fish on pole spear. Didn’t see the big ray till the very last second, face to face rounding a boulder Whispers of great vis lead us east. Doris arrived at 4.30am. The Viking and Perception weapons on trailer, off we went. Our first weed line was as they say “going off”. Very exciting. Piper darting the surface, schools of tiny baitfish, trevally, snapper, blue mao mao and porae – with the occasional pack of kingies circling in the current. Found a nice snapper tucked up under the first decent ledge Meet Doris at Stingray Bay for lunch. He proceeded to tell me how he’d shot and lost five fish - kingies, kahawai and a supposed 20lb snapper sitting oblivious face away above kelp. The wind rustled softly “muuuppetttt” through the trees. He mumbled something bout’ his dynema on the rubber being too long – something his selfless, loyal buddy had replaced the previous day and had explicitly told him to check before we launched. I lost interest. Suppressing my laughter, “We’re not here to tag and release mate” We paddled/swam our separate ways back. Doris skewered some large yellow tail kahawai. I had to keep up my Boary Culling credits, and proceeded to harass a group of 4 or 5 along the calm, clean white weed line. Sun behind the back, paddling to golden sands. Can’t complain really - Snoop