I awake in darkness as the alarm beeps away informing me my 4.30am wakeup call has arrived. Bleary eyed I get out of bed and thump my alarm clock off. My first instinct is to turn the kettle on and ready my first coffee fix of the day. I check the fridge and no milk because I'd left it out by mistake the previous day. I smell the milk and decide against it.

All my fishing gear was packed the previous evening so a quick wash, shave and I'm out the door with all my gear ready for a days fishing.

I meet up with a friend who's also as mad as I am and we drive to the garage first and then onto hopes nose. We pull up and peer down to the nose. No surprise that no-one was there but after the storm we've just had I thought just maybe there might be. We unload our gear and head down to the bottom. My only thought then was the walk back up after the days fishing (locals nickname it Cardiac Hill for a very good reason hehe).

We reach the bottom and within milliseconds I'm set up ready to cast out and my friend has his first coffee. Damn him because I left my flask in the car :)

After losing countless rigs I finally got on a roll and away I went. I even braved a reel with no line feed which I tend to birds nest more times than waves hitting the rocks. With only one birds nest I settle down and with two rods I cast out and wait for a bite.

It wasn't long before I had my first bite. I was trying two new things down there today and both paid off because one catch became two, then three, then four and before I knew it I had already caught and returned two dozen fish. A dozen more fish later I check the time and it's already 3pm and I have to head back to feed the dog.

The walk back up cardiac hill was a nightmare and more so because I hurt my knee the other day and it's still playing up. 3 few minutes stops and a long trudge later I was back by car and heading home.

A good day and lots of fish.