Winter’s sneaking up

THE CATCH

The wheeling terns and flocks of shearwaters that have been such a feature of inshore fishing in the Waitemata Harbour for months were nowhere to be seen – and this just two days after coming across dozens of work-ups beside Rangitoto Island while on a boat test. I’m not sure if we’ve seen the last of the anchovies for the year, but their absence that day was a reminder winter is on its way.

As we transition into winter, the big bait schools of autumn will gradually disperse and most of the school snapper will move out into deeper areas. The harbours and channels that fished so well in February, March and April will be much less forthcoming and the species mix will