Fishing identity picks up his life

By CLAIRE TREVETT

On a blustery day in June 1996, fishing identity Bill Hohepa took six passengers out on the charter that nearly ruined his reputation.

The trip to go rock fishing in Doubtless Bay ended in the drowning of Keith Philpot, from Otaki, after the boat capsized.

Mr Philpot had tried to swim the 800m to shore. His body was found eight hours later at 10.30pm, after a search plagued by delays in searching properly for the emergency locator beacon that Bill Hohepa, whose real name is Wayne Wills, set off.

The verdict from the second inquest was released last week, ending a chapter Mr Wills would rather forget.

Mr Wills' boat that day was called the Hunky Dory, and his life reflected it.

"Some people have their careers early in life, like football players. When you're a fisherman, you have to wait till you've got a few gray hairs. And all my goals were on track, everything was coming up roses. The television shows, books, videos. I was building on the reputation I wanted, putting my name out there in a big way."

But the fallout of that day went wide, nearly put an end to the business he had set up over 30 years.

He stopped working as a charter boat operator and the income from his main business - making fishing books and videos and appearing on the media - dropped by about 80 per cent in the three years after the accident.

He coped by cutting costs and "closing ranks" with his family.

Devastated by the accident, he broke down in court and on television. He said he still did not like to think or talk about it, saying "it left a scar".

Behind him he leaves a bitter battle with the Maritime Safety Authority - they were at loggerheads throughout and remain so to this day.

The authority laid criminal charges against Mr Wills and after the first inquest successfully asked the Solicitor-General to order a second one.

Mr Wills believed the authority was dogging him, perhaps looking for a high-profile scalp, despite his acquittal on the criminal charges.

"We managed but we made huge sacrifices, and for what? The police inquiry said I had done everything right and had more safety equipment than required by law. And for that I've had eight years of victimisation."

However, authority director Russell Kilvington said this was "utter nonsense".

"We prosecuted him because we thought it was very poor seamanship on his part. I am obliged by law to consider taking such action where breaches of the Maritime Safety Act have occurred. If I had the time over again, I would prosecute him again."

Mr Kilvington suggests Mr Wills' acquittal was lucky.

"He thinks we are singling out a high-profile media figure. I would say it is because he was a high-profile figure and appealed to the jury that he got off."

He still believed Mr Wills ignored some basic boating procedures, which the second inquest highlighted adequately.

He planned to take it no further.

Mr Wills is just as happy to leave it behind.

"There are no good fishing spots. Fish are where they are. That's what life is all about. Some days you're catching fish and some days you aren't. But whatever way you're going, you've got to keep your eyebrows up."

Over Christmas he released his new book and a video.

After spending last week on Camp Hohepa - an annual week-long camp for at-risk children held on Kapiti Island - he will return to the fishing programme he is working on for Maori TV, his radio spots and his columns in the Fishing News and Truth. He moonlights as a fishing guide - hiring other charter boat operators to take the party out.

He hopes that in time he can reclaim the anonymity of his alter ego and return to being Wayne Wills.

"If everything goes well, then later, in 15 years or so, it would be nice to sort of just withdraw and be somebody else."