Family Fun and Fishing

Organising a 50th birthday trip for my hubby took months of research and meticulous planning. Of all the adventures we managed to lock in  over those 12 glorious days, Marlborough was the standout for all of us. The plan was simple: we all wanted to fish—and fish we did!

I reached out to a few different fishing charter businesses and decided that Steve at Reel Therapy Charters in Picton was the best fit for us.  He offered one price that included everything. I didn’t have to hire rods or buy bait; we simply had to show up on the day and he would take  care of the rest.

From our very first interaction, I felt at ease and trusted Steve to help make this the trip of a lifetime for our family. With seven people  ranging in age from eight to 83, Steve had his work cut out for him keeping us all entertained on the water. And boy, did he deliver!

Meeting Steve at the marina in Picton was like catching up with an old friend you hadn’t seen in a while. The conversation flowed easily, and he shared our excitement about what we hoped would be a magical day of creating lasting memories. His fully equipped, purpose-built vessel   offered all the mod cons, with a level of comfort I didn’t expect from a fishing boat.

Steve’s knowledge of the local hot spots soon had us jetting across the water with our lines set and ready to drop. Within four seconds of the  bait sinking below the surface, we had hits—on all four rods! The blue cod were practically jumping into the boat. We also managed to snag a  few gurnard and several other species that we chose to catch and release. With our quota reached and the sun beginning to set, we headed  back to the marina with our haul of fish and a huge sense of accomplishment. Every member of our party of seven had caught a fish. We were  going to eat like kings!

When I mentioned earlier that Steve’s price included everything, I meant it. After taking care of the boat, he met us at our accommodation  and made quick work of preparing the fish we had caught. He handled the  clean-up and removal of the fish frames, leaving us with  beautifully prepared blue cod fillets.

I will forever be grateful to Steve for the way he effortlessly connected with our family and transformed the simple act of fishing into a  treasured family memory that we will continue to talk about for many years to come. I’m already planning our return visit!