TAILING LOOP
Kahawai Madness By MARTIN DVOŘÁK
The Kahawai (Arripis trutta) is one of the most common saltwater species in New Zealand. They can be found all around the coasts of both islands and are often sighted close to shore, frequently schooling in large groups. Kahawai make lengthy migrations along the coasts, usually associated with spawning and changes in food supply. They are often very underrated by local sport fishermen but trust me, these fish are great fun to catch. If you’re a trout fisherman, you don’t need any special gear for targeting them. Just grab your streamer rod in the range of #79WT and pair it with a weight forward floating or intermediate line and you’re basically ready to go. Ensure at least 100m of backing and a minimum of 15lb leader to complete your reel set up. For fly patterns I realized that baitfish pat-
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terns with a bit of flash work best. Clouser minnows in white or white/ chartreuse are also good choices. My all-time favourite selection for Kahawai is the Surf Candy in natural colours, tied with Bob Popovics Fleye Foils. Great places to spend your hunting hours are around river estuaries on an incoming tide, but you can find these fish practically anywhere. I landed many Kahawai during my stay here on the North Island. A bad day on the water always beats a good day in the office, but there are always some days you’ll remember forever. One day my friend Pepa called me and asked if I wanted to join him for some fishing on his boat. What a stupid question. Of course, the answer was YES! We met in Tauranga Harbour very early on
a Saturday morning. Pepa, his colleague Sam, and I assembled at daybreak at the start of May. Our main target was Snapper. They feed hard before the winter comes to put on weight for the cold months. First stop was Pepa’s favourite place. The fish finder showed a depth of 25m - pretty deep for fly fishing but I had to try. I was fishing a 350 grain extra fast sinking line and pulling a big Clouser minnow with heavy lead eyes. This was one of those cases where using a fly set up really isn’t the most ideal tactic for effectiveness but hey, I love it. I tried for about an hour, using all kinds of different flies but got skunked. Meanwhile the guys were busy catching Snapper, Trevally and Kahawai bashing the bottom with bait. Deep water and a strong
