Random Ramp Rage and Snapper Leads
Posted by Meggs | Fishing Holiday Stories, Fishing and Boating Posts | Posted on November 29th, 2008
Snapper leads are for fishing not for throwing!
Greetings!
I’ve just returned from a week’s holiday at one of southern NSW’s prettiest towns – Sussex Inlet. The weather was not kind to us but with great company and the help of four local drinking establishments we all managed to have a fantastic trip.
There was one minor moment for some concern.
Whilst we were putting the boat in a certain height disadvantaged individual who I never care to meet again started rabbiting on about how I owe him a beer because he spent all day “fixing up the boat ramp”. Most people just say hi, how you going? Now I’m the type of guy who doesn’t need to be told who I need to owe a beer to because it’s always self evident. There was no sign on this ramp that said “Must buy small man syndrome individual beer for making himself feel important”.
There are a couple of points to be made here. Those of you who have been to Sussex Inlet would attest to the fact that there are no shortage of boat ramps in and around the town. There is also nothing wrong with the ramp in question that needed to be fixed. This bloke just came along and put down a load of bricks at the end of the ramp for his own use. Our boat and trailer didn’t come close to needing any of it to launch and retrieve the boat safely.
Just as abhorent was the next statement to come out of this blokes mouth that he had spent the last two days finding the best fishing spots in Sussex Inlet and that if our boat was to come within 150m of him he would start to throw snapper leads at us. Can you believe that?
Not only was this guy the saviour of the ramp his boat was one huge fish magnet!
He then described how people use to throw snapper leads at him – this I could understand. Unfortunately mine were back at the unit.
Stupidity is obviously inherited as his son aboard the vessel pointed to the water and declared a 55cm flathead was lying below. Clearly he was his father’s son and not afraid to spin a story.
I’m not prone to violence and I did bite my tongue and walk away. The fact was we weren’t going fishing that night anyway – we just wanted to put the boat in and tie it to our jetty. All this took place in five minutes of us arriving at the ramp.
As the week went on we did get a few laughs out of the thought of tossing snapper leads at passing boats but clearly there was something dangerously wrong with this individual to even think about putting the safety of people on the water at risk in this manner, let alone thinking he had the right to all the fish in Sussex Inlet within a 150m radius of his boat.
As a postscript to this story justice did seem to prevail. It blew a gale, the heavens opened up and God put on a thunder and lightning show like you wouldn’t believe whilst our new friend (the one who I and apparently everyone in Sussex Inlet still owes a beer to) was on the water.
The lesson here is clear. Always be kind and considerate to your fellow fishermen and boaties. You don’t have to be an idiot at the ramp. All you need to do is to say hi, smile and get on your way.
Sea you later,
Skipper Meggs