Hook, Line & Sinker was listening to a weatherman last week and as he was wrapping up, he said: "It's coming, watch out."

Having just heard his synopsis, it was time to go and find some hatches to batten down.

The six-metre-plus swells that accompanied the blow kept the offshore conditions crappy for fishermen but great for photographers.

Things did improve over the weekend and there were reports of salmon, bream and drummer getting caught around the Fraser Park-Snapper Point area.

Reports filtered down from up South West Rocks way, that there where snapper on the chew offshore and schools of XXXL salmon offering great sport around the headlands.

Up at Glenbawn Dam (turn right at Aberdeen about 20 minutes north of Muswellbrook), another mob spent the weekend having a beer and a laugh but apparently the fishing was only ordinary.

It's important to remember that there are some new rules regarding offshore boating that carry fines and will be strictly enforced by both Waterways and the water police this summer.

Flares must be carried and they must be current. Apparently the things have a use-by date and you're not allowed to carry them once this has expired.

What you do with them once they've passed their use-by is still a matter for some conjecture as the suppliers don't want them, the tip won't take them and council reckons (rightly so) that it's not their problem.

Hook, Line & Sinker is awaiting reply from the relevant government department as to when, how or where you can dispose of the things.

Life jackets, or personal flotation devices as they're now called, are compulsory when you are crossing the bar at Swansea not just in the boat but actually on your back and if your planning to travel more than two kilometres offshore, then you must carry an Eperb (electronic personal emergency response beacon), which is basically an emergency homing device you trigger if you get into trouble and are in need of rescuing.

That's it. Remember, there are less than 10 weeks until Christmas.