Hardy, your comments regarding the success you have experienced in preserving and improving the fish stocks have now been on this site for a few days.

Your comments regarding the success of your fishing competition, a great selection of prime fish brought to the scales. A well run competition patronized by anglers, people who give freely of their time and have achieved so much. This is a credit to you the Southerners, perhaps this is why it is known as the mainland.

You have not only reported on what you have achieved, you have given freely of the information on how you went about it, invaluable information where much can be learned.

Up until now this has drawn a nil response from Hawke's Bay anglers, other than one angler who must view your association with kontiki anglers with considerable disdain as he suggests gill netters should be invited to fish alongside of you. I pass no comment on such a suggestion, it's simply not worth it.

I will certainly admit Legasea have been far more active in matters pertaining to fish stocks for surfcasters, rarely a week goes by without their name popping up. Over the coming weeks there are several competitions for surfcasters to enjoy. It would be interesting to hear if the NZACA have representatives in attendance, handing out literature on the work they do for surf casting, thereby trying to gain some new members. They could also explain the hard work they are doing on improving local fish stocks, which for too many years in Hawke's Bay have been in free fall.

Hardy, I smiled at your idea of a huge ray taking a top prize and a 20 kg snapper missing out. A few years ago, in local competitions, they would put up a prize for the heaviest non-scale fish, this to cover sharks and rays, but even this wasn't fool proof.

Local angler and Pania member, Gerry Derricut, caught an 8lb 12oz Moki. This fish obliterated the club record, a magnificent achievement. His prize was $50.00 as 'heaviest other fish'. The snapper prize winner (there was only one caught) weighed in at a little over 2 lbs, the angler took home $1000.00.

Surf casting is not always fair and on occasions it can throw up some interesting results ... or anomalies.

As to Phill's idea: one of the most sensible suggestions I have read for a very long time. Let the NZACA get on with casting and annual running a fishing competition. Let anglers and their clubs look after, and encourage running their sport, after all, they at at the coal face ... so to speak, and are very familiar with the needs of their sport.