Hi Darren - didn't get an opportunity to respond before the forum decided to take a holiday
I've still got the little Olympus. The one thing that really bugs me about the camera is the lag time (I think it's technically called shutter speed) in taking photos. On the other hand, that little camera is so convenient as you can slip it into a pocket without noticing it is there. I know bugger all about cameras. All I know is to point and click. I've been considering a Canon G9 with the waterproof casing. I'll probably get around to buying one sometime.
I can't remember what the spaniard was caught on. You catch more on stickbaits but they do take poppers quite readily though. If you've seen the Nomad promotional DVD of 2007 highlights, there is this amazing segment of a spaniard that grabs my cubera and flies about twenty feet into the air! The Nomad boys were really disappointed when I didn't hook-up as they were thinking of their stomachs whereas I was really happy I didn't lose another popper.
One thing I found in New Caledonia - there are a lot of barracudas there, bloody mongrel $@#$%$ things that they are. I also found out the New Caledonian resident barracudas have a particular liking for Orion Bigfoot 170s, especially fusilier coloured ones. I think I've decided that I like barracudas even less than wahoos.
I've had a few people comment about my trademark hat. It's still around - I just had a waterproof gore-tex hat on in some of the really open conditions. I still find the old hat much more comfortable.
