Rock N Roll Shrooms - random harvesting report

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The swell has been a nightmare for months... every week it flattens a bit mid-week, then spikes upwards for the weekend.   



Saturday, I finally got talked into diving.  A buddy wanted to try diving from a kayak, but conditions didn't look optimal and I really wanted to find a better day to take him on his innaugural trip.  Nevertheless, he was very eager and I missed the ocean... so off we went.   

Turned out to be a nice day with lots of sun & low winds.  The water was warmer than expected, but kelp was sparse due to the winter/spring storms.  Long period swells rolled through and made diving challenging.  Near the top of a pinnacle it could be 25-30ft vis... but a hazy 4-6ft vis further down where the bottom was churned.  In some places way offshore, I was getting tossed around on the bottom at 50ft+ depths!  Lots of lings still around and a good amount of rockfish milling about.  Only found one lone red hiding in the lee of a boulder cluster; it appears the other reds had taken refuge in deeper calmer waters.  I used a bit of steel to coax that one red and a few olives to come home with me.  A few other assorted rockfish & a couple hefty perch rounded out my stringer.

Felt great to be out on the water, brought home some fresh rockfish to eat/share, & my buddy had a blast learning to dive from a kayak.  All in all, a very successful day.   

Pic he snapped while I was preoccuped with one of my stringers:







Sunday... after fighting surge and diving all Saturday, I headed out with another buddy to catch the end of chanterelle season.  By the end of the day, my legs were rubber from all the hiking/climbing.  Beautiful conditions and when all was said & done, our packs were filled to the brim with the golden delicacies.  Spent Sunday evening cleaning/trimming them... snapped this picture of my drying table... then passed out cold.   






This week has been well spent recovering & eating all the locally harvested goodies.

Yeah Bro that's what I'm talking about!!!!! Glad you were able to dive and at the same time very jealous!! ... I will get out with you some day soon...Thanks for the report.. What are the coordinates of your dive?

too cool Fuzz.

 I gotta get in on the 'shroom bloom next season.....

very nice report.

that is awesome!!  I am jealous.  Not only the stringer, but the mushrooms.  A true harvest.

Holy crap Harold, thats a pile of mushrooms. What part of the state were you in for those.  Fantastic is all I can say.

 

Nice harvest Fuzz

I'm thinking I need to try those bad boys again... so far... I'm not a fan of the chan... Can't wait til rock season opens up again though.

Freddie

Nice hunting!  Thanks for the report and pictures Harold.

Great work Fuzz.  You are truly a man after my own heart.  Nice looking olives.  The shrooms look like they are still in really good shape too.  I am going to have to get out up here one more time and check a few spots.
dave

Wow, I'd almost forgotten what a rockfish looks like!  Nicely done!

The swell has been a nightmare for months... every week it flattens a bit mid-week, then spikes upwards for the weekend.   

I hear that!  CALM DOWN already big blue!!!  Need to get out and try for some more crab, or dab's and Halis!

Great report, and I love that pic of the shrooms!   

Living the life Fuzz! Man that haul of Chants is almost Northwesternly.. Excellent haul.

Z

Fuzz... you're killin' me, especially with those pics of chaterelles out of my own back yard.  That's not fair!!!

WTG