Offsite Issue 41 Mar/Apr 24

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

HUNTING SPECIAL

04

Rafts, Bulls & Backing Out

Supercars Set for NZ Return

ColorCote Tradie Pro le: Tom Williams Into the Bush Tradie BBQ Recipe

Deep Dropping for Sword sh

177B Marua Road, Ellerslie, Auckland

Editor: Nick Jones

Designer: Dialog Studio

Sales: Josh Williams 021 862 579 sales@nz shingnews.co.nz

Editorial Enquiries: editor@nz shingnews.co.nz

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A Salute to Tradies

In the land of the Kiwi, where mountains stand tall, Tradies weave dreams, at our beck and call. From the hills to the cities, with tools in their hands, They create and construct, connecting the lands.

Builders erect homes, sturdy and grand, A shelter for families, a place to expand. With hammers and saws, they carve out a place, Where memories are made, and futures embrace.

Electricians spark light in the darkest of space, Guiding the way, leaving none to retrace. Welders and tters craft a legacy, in every design, A testament to skill, resilience, and time.

Plumbers, the unsung heroes below ground, Ensure water ows freely, without a sound.

Piping the essence of life to each home, In the veins of the nation, they tirelessly roam.

So here’s to the tradies, throughout our ne country, Whose hands shape the future, by giving a hundy. In every nail hammered and pipe concerned, They build a nation’s dreams, leaving no stone unturned.

- Nick Jones

Rheem offsite is published bi-monthly by NZ Fishing Media Ltd.

Cover Photo: Scoping the hills of Mt Cook. Photo: Thomas Greenaway.

Rheem offsite is proudly printed on sustainable PEFC-certi ed paper.

RAFTS, BULLS & BACKING OUT

Words by Gabe Ross, Images by Thomas Greenaway

The arrival of spring every year prompts a rather bipolar move fro ew ea and’s i a a an tahr These crazy animals move from the high, ragged peaks and bluffs of the Southern Alps to the lower tussock land and thick monkey scrub. As well as this they also merge into groups of male and female animals.

For hunters, this move and decision to group together makes these animals

a he of a ot easier to target e don’t have to venture into country that gets you questioning your sanity and we can assess multiple animals at once to determine whether there is one in there we want to shoot.

In early November, Raz, Thomo and I chose to head into South Canterbury in search of a quality bull tahr. For this mission we decided to use a pack-raft in order to save a fair few hours walking up a bouldery river bed. However,

upon arrival to our first river crossing it appeared we had come under gunned. The river was up a fair bit and we had one measly paddleboard paddle to propel us across to the other side. After a few attempts and some consultation from white water expert Raz, we found a technique that had us across somewhat comfortably but certainly not dry.

Time was getting on and we were keen to set up a tent and get out hunting as we only had a couple nights in here.

“Right on cue as Raz and Thomo nished the tent set-up, I found three bulls that dwarfed our previous ndings.”

fter a in te s eed wa , we’d spotted 30 or so nannies and young bulls and found base camp for the night. I managed to skive off my tent assembly job and promptly put my binos and spotting scope to use. Right on cue as Raz and Thomo finished the tent setup, I found three bulls that dwarfed our previous findings.

Within five minutes we had our dry clothes on and kit for the evening ready. We were off on another speed walk up the river as the race against fading daylight was pretty neck and neck. Once at an assembly range, all three of us looked over this small mob and confirmed that there was one in there that was worthy of a bullet.

There seemed to be a relatively clear path to get within shooting range and to our surprise the sun was still up. We began our approach. Within the first 50 metres of our climb up toward these animals, a large mob of juveniles popped up and began making a fuss, whistling and hurriedly making their way in the opposite direction – pretty much straight toward the three animals we were targeting. We worried this would spook the bulls we were after and, unfortunately, we were correct. One day down with no luck.

The next morning was pretty uneventful on the tahr front with a few nannies and young bulls spotted but nothing that required further

investigation. As the morning drew on a couple of Canada geese made themselves present bloody close to our campsite. Knowing that they are quite the pest and hearing rumours that they aren’t ad chewing, we decided to ta e one. One pill from the 7mm Rem Mag at 100 yards swiftly ended one of these irds’ i es or nch we had so e its and bobs, but everyone was keen to try this goose. The only cooking surface we had available was a thin rock and the only thing we had remotely close to seasoning was so sa ce t’s fair to sa our attempt on the first breast was a nogo. However, a bit more time on the hot rock and a more willing attitude meant the second breast offered more reason

to keep shooting these things.

The rest of the arvo was spent traveling down the riverbed to the next hunting zone. We bumped into a group of hunters early on and made our plans c ear as to ee o t of each other’s way. I was fortunate enough to draw the pack-raft card and got to float down the river with our kit whilst Raz and Thomo navigated a gnarly bluff section over a few hours.

The afternoon was now drawing to a close so we began to look for a campsite. To our surprise we stumbled

across a set-up tent right where we were intending to hunt.

hh we , we’ o e on and find a zone further down the river,” was the call.

Another few kilometres downstream and we ran into yet another group of hunters. Now this was going to be a bit of an issue. Luckily, we were able to have a yarn with a couple of these hunters and both communicate a clear plan. The reality was that we were last in here, the public land was bordered by private property restricting us to a

smaller area, and there was no way of us getting back up the river. As such there was really only one option – we had to head back to the car. Another tough river crossing in the raft and a couple hours on foot had us back at the car before dark.

t is what it is et’s go find something tomorrow.”

We made the long drive back to Hawea and discussed our plan of attack for the following day. It was now chamois that we were going to target and an early morning up on the tops

“The call was made to carry the whole animal out so we could have a big cook-up that night.”

seemed like the best option. The use of a Honda side-by-side made it easy work to get up high. We jumped out of the vehicle and began poking our head over the bluffy ridges and guts. Very early on we spotted a chamois sitting down on a shaded, wee knob. The spotting scope was swiftly brought out and assessment began. After the spotter did the rounds through the crew we decided to take him. The stalk downhill was simple and the shot even simpler. The buck was dead where he lay.

The call was made to carry the whole animal out so we could have a big cook-up that night. The carry-out was brutal but we would find out later that it would be well worth the effort. That afternoon we were joined by our mate Bill. Bill is a taxidermist and as such has a particular skill for butchery. For that night’s feed, we were excited to see how creative we could get with the ribs, loins and back steaks. There really is no better way to finish off an epic adventure than sitting around a fire telling stories and chowing down on the result of all the hard work from the days prior. On a final note, have a go at chamois ribs –they are bloody tasty!

Supercars Set for NZ Return

In April this year, the Supercars Championship is coming to Taupo for the very rst time – and the Shell V-Power Racing Team have already set themselves up for success. They will be elding two Ford Mustang Gen3 Supercars in 2024 for Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison, which will be engineered by Perry Kapper and Richard Harris respectively. Rheem has been a proud sponsor of the Shell V-Power Racing Team for eight years, and the NZ contingent can’t wait to have the team back on our shores.

While things didn’t go to plan in every race for the Shell V-Power Racing Team in 2023, De Pasquale is looking to build on his success at Repco Bathurst 1000 in 2023 – his podium nish at the premier event of the year providing a massive highlight for the entire team.

“It was really cool to get a trophy at Bathurst – our biggest and best race of the year,” De Pasquale said after the

race. “We fought hard, put our best foot forward and got rewarded which was really cool! Thanks to all of our team for all of their hardwork!”

The Shell V-Power Racing Team had two other cars in the great race, including a Wildcard co-driven by Kai Allen, who only celebrated his 18th birthday in 2023. While nishing in P20 wasn’t the ideal result, it was still an amazing achievement for Kai, who went on to become the youngest ever winner of the Dunlop Super2 Series Champion later in the year. The Shell V-Power Racing Team are understandably excited about working with Kai again soon, so watch this space!

While Kai won’t be joining the team in NZ this year, De Pasquale and Davison will be arriving in April ready to give their best. The Shell V-Power Racing Team has also welcomed back Dr Ryan Story AM as Team Principal for the 2024 season, who is con dent

about a strong future for the team.

“Following a few years of health challenges, I’m delighted to return to the role of Team Principal,” Story said. “We have a strong foundation upon which to build, and this restructure is all about looking towards the future for the Shell V-Power Racing Team.”

Co-Owner and racing legend Dick Johnson was thrilled to welcome back Ryan Story.

“Ryan is like a son to me and to welcome him back into this role means the world to all of us,” he said.

“We have great people, the best supporters and the best partners in the business. Bring on 2024!”

Tickets and event packages are now available for the 2024 ITM Taupo Super400, so if you’re keen to experience the rst ever Supercars event at Taupo International Motorsport Park, head to the of cial Supercars website and secure your spot!

Rheem proudly supports Save the Kiwi to achieve their goal and take kiwi from endangered to everywhere. If you’d like to take part and help save New Zealand’s national icon, go to www.savethekiwi.nz/donate – Your donation will help hatch and raise kiwi chicks in safety, increase kiwi populations, and protect wild kiwi habitat.

THE COLORCOTE TRADIE PROFILE

So, let’s get started with the simple stuff. Who is Tom Williams?

I am 29 years young and live in the mighty Hutt Valley, north of Wellington. I have lived in the vibrant valley all my life with the family. I am a serial socialiser who can’t say no to a couple of beers around a BBQ, golf with the boys, or taking my best mate, Goldie (aptly named after my favourite beer – Export Gold), for a walk.

I’m a plumber/gas tter and owneroperator of TomGas. TomGas has been going for 6 years, and I just took on my rst apprentice, Hunter. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to share what I have learned over my 12 years and bring some young blood into the industry. Wellington isn’t known for its warmth, so I specialise in gas central heating, speci cally, Braemar ducted heating systems. We also do a lot of

Wellington Gold:

high-end bathrooms and full renovation packages. I know tradesmen get a bad rap for terrible comms – but it’s one thing I pride myself on (and something all of my customers comment on).

Why did you decide to become a tradie?

I knew when I was skipping IT to sneak off to tech class and nish off projects, I wouldn’t be working in an of ce. I enjoy working with my hands and have many fond memories working with the old man. In hindsight, I have followed in his footsteps to a degree as he was also a plumber/gas tter. When I’m not working, I’m renovating the house or doing something with my hands in some way, shape or form (although I never seem to get to the bottom of the to-do list with the missus and family constantly adding to it!).

TOM WILLIAMS

So, you’re based in Welly. What do you like about living there?

It may sound cliché, but you really can’t beat Welly on a good day! I’m close with my family and friends, and with Mum just around the corner that’s always a good bet for a decent feed! A lot of my friends are tradies who run their own companies, and it’s been bloody good to build stronger relationships to help offer all of our customers a better service. Being close to my mates is important. Life is changing as we’re getting older, especially with engagements, weddings and a few of the boys slipping one past the goalkeeper (me included) having babies/making young caddies.

Paint us a picture - describe your perfect day.

A perfect day would be waking up knowing I had a morning tee time booked in with the fellas. Brooke (the missus) has cooked an eggs bene

with all the trimmings – don’t forget a hot chocolate to wash down! I meet the boys at the golf course, we are all playing to our handicaps, maybe I’m playing slightly better... and we celebrate with a cold one and a slap on the pokies at the local pub afterwards. All of the above happening on a beaut day (without getting sunburnt).

So, shing and gol ng are your fave offsite activities – what’s their appeal?

Their appeal is similar in a lot of ways – being active outdoors, and taking my mind off work and the other bits and pieces life throws at you. Some (Brooke) might say shing and golf take all day, and they are, therefore, a convenient excuse to skip work or jobs around the house! Catching a kingi at sunrise in Welly Harbour would have to be one of my favourite memories in my boat Tail Chaser. Golf has taken up the lion’s share of my time recently. It’s such a challenging game and something so hard to be good at.

What makes you feel more alive than anything else?

Playing a par-3 with the boys and ushing an 8-iron onto the green tighter than any of them.

What will you always buy, regardless of how much it costs?

Mizones. Crisp Apple Mizones. One a day keeps the doctor away.

What’s been your closest brush with death?

When I was younger and dumber, a bunch of friends and I went to Taupo for a mate’s birthday. A plan was hatched to enjoy the sunny afternoon oating around the lake with a few cold ones. We picked up some $20 in atable boats, and there we were, no more than 100m offshore, having a great time. The beers ran out so we paddled in and went back for a second drift. After a half hour, an offshore breeze had picked up

and we noticed we were a bit further out than we would have liked. The wind was building as we were trying to paddle in with these shitty paddles that were ying to bits. Luckily, one of the boys swam ashore and was able to call the Coastguard. We were rescued four hours later around midnight, bloody cold in the pitch black, 4km offshore... there isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for the Coastguard. ‘Nothing is faster than disaster’ rang true that day.

If you had to pick a couple of people who have been the most in uential in your life/career, who would they be, and why?

Gotta be laser-eye Mike – my old man – as he showed me the ropes. From building a deck at 13 years old to helping with renovations at my rst house. There was no job too big or small – he was always there to help.

What profession would you pursue if you couldn’t do what you do now?

Sparkie – they get paid plenty and you never see them doing much hard graft on site.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned throughout your journey into the trades?

Measure twice, cut once.

Consider the trades industry as we currently know it. Is there anything we could/should be doing better?

Putting on my business owner hat – there are a couple of challenges. Starting and then running a business is hard, and I feel a lot of people head into the trades with the goal of owning their own business. I mean, I can answer the phone, quote jobs, do the work, send an invoice – that’s the basics. As I’ve started to expand, how do I know which

jobs are more pro table than others?

What about employment contracts and payroll? There just seems to be so much to learn, and it would be great to have more resources or training around that side of things.

On a more industry-speci c level, there’s uncertainty about the future of natural gas in NZ. Many homes use gas for their water heating, general heating and cooking appliances, and the industry feels demonised. There are greener options (biogas or hydrogen) plus an existing infrastructure network. It would be great to see a clear plan around a managed transition to give consumers con dence.

What’s the best place you’ve been and why?

Vegas – the reasons are selfexplanatory – although I wouldn’t recommend going for more than four days…

Someone steals your Spotify login details. What music are they nding? Kiwi vibes on repeat – Six60, Coterie, Mako Road etc. Great chilled-out tunes. Also, Mr Big, ‘To Be With You’ is my karaoke go to!

Last one – what’s the title of your autobiography?

Do your best, silicone the rest.

This tradie profile is brought to you by ColorCote

INTO THE BUSH

By Lucas Hamilton

When my immediate family started throwing around the idea of flying across the ditch to visit for a reunion/holiday here in New Zealand, I saw the opportunity to tag on a five day early Sika rut hunt with my brother and old man at the tail end of the trip. I contacted eli ika as soon as we had some dates confirmed to see what options they had available at such late notice. fter some back and forth, we were lucky enough to secure a landing site on the edge of some remote DoC land in the Kaimanawa Forest Park, and the trip was on!

efore we knew it, the th of pril had rolled around, and we were on our way to the hanger with a truck full of backpacking gear, a newly ac uired electronic sika caller, and a hunting magazine. We had found the mag in the supermarket whilst completing our final preps, and as I was the only one who had any limited e perience chasing these deer and it was my first time chasing them in the roar, we were happy to find a detailed article in the publication with all the tips and tricks we needed to track down a stag. e took the four hour car drive to study as

much as possible before being thrown in the deep end.

e finally arrived at the helipad, filled out all the re uired safety paperwork, and before we knew it, we were standing on the open river flats in silence, full of anticipation as the buzz of the rotor blades disappeared down the valley. It was such an awesome feeling, but one we didn t have long to savour because heavy rain was on the way for the evening. e hastily got camp set up as the thunder started rolling around the hills and hit the hay for an early night.

e awoke to patchy rain on the first morning, and unfortunately, this was the theme for the trip. We put on a cup of coffee and sat around camp contemplating a plan. Declan, my brother, decided to break out the new sika call like a kid on hristmas with a new toy, and we were all shocked when the finished echoing, and we received an instant reply from a stag up on the tops. The plan was made for us at this point, and we uickly downed the coffees and started stu ng camp in the packs ready to cross the river and climb high out of the valley. It was hard work with heavy packs and constant rain, but a few hours later, we were in a

semi protected section of native beech forest up on the tops and set up camp number two just in time to head out for a uick afternoon scout. e glassed a few open faces and found some water for camp, but only one lonely hind was spotted for the evening with no more responses to the caller.

s we woke to the new day, once again, the rain was coming down steadily, and the wind had also picked up significantly. It was hard to find the motivation to put on wet boots, knowing that our chances of finding a roaring stag were going to be slim in such conditions. e got our kit together and headed out as a trio to find some secluded sections of beech forest out of the brunt of the weather where we could attempt to fool something with the caller. It was tough going, and although we managed to find two fresh scrapes and heard a couple of distant roars down the valley, we didn t lay eyes on a deer all day, and the mood was low.

s the evening approached, we started to make our way back to one of the scrapes found earlier in the day to see if anything had returned. It was a long shot as we had already scented up the area, but we didn t have many

options left. We were about 200m from the scrape when we heard a call. There was some discussion as to how close the stag was, and the error that was soon to be made would confirm that he was closer than we had anticipated. We rounded a spur still thinking we had some distance to cover when Declan, who was walking on a game trail to the right of Dad and myself, was startled by a close encounter – he had almost tripped over the stag! The animal let out a little squeal and was swallowed up by the forest. It was the first proper deer sighting for the trip, and we trudged back to camp with our tails between our legs. Lesson learned.

The next day’s forecast was for clear skies, and the weather gods didn’t disappoint. As we left camp together on day three, we were met with a stunning morning on the tops. The cloud was hanging in small pockets low in the valleys, and the red glow of the soon-to-be-rising sun doused the surrounding mountainsides. After two days of constant rain, wind, and wet gear, it was a welcome sight.

their direction, hoping a stag wouldn’t be far away. As we crested another rise and poked our way over into a new gully head, the unmistakable sound of a roar had us on high alert. I quickly dropped my pack and started scanning likely-looking places for any animals. A small clearing in between two patches of native beech trees revealed what we were looking for. A nice high-country sika stag was standing on the edge of the clearing 800m away. I quickly alerted the others, and we hatched a plan as the stag made his way across the clearing and back into the bush.

We decided the best option was to get within shooting range of the clearing and hope the stag would retrace his steps at some point. As we sidled around to our chosen vantage point, a scan of the clearing soon revealed a hind had poked her head out and bedded down in the open. This buoyed our spirits as we knew the stag wouldn’t be far away at this time of year. We were correct in our assumption, and 10 minutes later, before we had gotten set up for a shot, the stag reappeared and

We made our way up the ridgeline full of enthusiasm. As the sun began to bathe the faces, it didn’t take long to pick up the first two deer. hind and yearling emerged from a patch of scrub on a distant face, picked up by Dad’s binoculars, and we continued in

took his hind back into the surrounding bush. ugger e finally made it to our vantage point and ranged the clearing at 300 yards – a perfect shooting distance – but we had to decide about waiting for the stag to come back. Would he come back? Or was

the percentage play to try and find something else? It was now midmorning, and the decision was made to be patient and hope that the stag would come back again. It was the first real chance at a stag for the trip, and I was feeling optimistic that this clearing was a central part of his beat. “He will be back,” I proclaimed, hiding any doubts I might have had behind a confident smile, as I knew I had to convince the others to sit it out with me as much as I had to convince myself. The hours began to tick past… still no movement on the hill. Declan sat down, looking dejected, throwing pebbles at a shrub, while Dad took a nap. We continued to wait for another hour before Dad woke up and said he couldn’t take it anymore. He decided to go for a walk with the binos and told us he would meet us back at camp.

We continued to wait, and the time kept ticking. t pm, we got the first bit of excitement as a new character showed himself on the ridgeline. A spiker was making his way through the gully heads and provided some entertainment, but he wasn’t what we were after. It was just about getting too late to make a shot and recover the stag in time when we finally caught movement in the clearing. It was him! o time to waste the rifle was set up on the bipod, and the scope was

dialled and ready for the 300-yard shot. I quickly got comfortable and found the stag’s shoulder. As soon as he stopped, I didn’t waste any time sending a projectile in his direction. The connection was perfect, and as the recoil settled, a congratulatory slap on my back from Declan confirmed the stag was down. What a relief! After six hours of waiting, it had all come together.

few high fives later, we were quickly picking our way across the valley to recover the animal before nightfall. We knew it was going to be a late one. As the weather rolled back in and we finished the butchering, we had a few scary moments making our way back in the dark fog and rain relying heavily on the cellphone to guide us to safety. It was 9pm before we made it back to dry sleeping bags with smiles on our faces and a nice mature Kaimanawa sika stag hanging in the trees outside.

We had a helicopter pick-up booked for midday on the last day of our trip. Declan and Dad headed out for one last look while I took care of butchering the stag over a hot brew. o more deer were sighted that morning, and we eventually packed up camp and headed back down the hill to the helipad with one last ob ective. n the first day we had arrived, when crossing the river, Dad had spooked a large trout in the

“...the unmistakable sound of a roar had us on high alert.”

river. ith a fishing rod waiting back at the crossing, catching a high-country trout was the last thing on the list to complete the full ‘Kiwi experience’. In poetic style, on the third cast with a full audience watching on, a big rainbow jack smashed the lure, and it was fish on crazy fight ensued as the trout shot up and down the gin-clear stream, but he was eventually subdued, and it was high fives all around as the trout was released, putting the final e clamation on an epic trip. The only thing left to do was plan the next adventure.

BEER STEAMED MUSSELS

Recipe by Simon Walden @thetradiebbq

METHOD

1. Place a large pot over a medium to high heat. For this cook, I’m using my COBB grill and COBB saucepan.

2. To the preheated pot, add the chopped chorizo and fry until it begins to colour and turn crispy.

3. Follow this with the sliced shallot and garlic, and continue to fry until fragrant. Next add the smoked paprika and butter, cooking for a further minute.

4. Pop the cleaned and de-bearded mussels into the pot, followed by a generous pour of your favourite beer – I like to use a good hazy, and recommend saving a mouthful for yourself. Place a lid over the top and cook until the mussels are open. Make sure you discard any unopened mussels.

5. Garnish with parsley and get stuck in. My favourite side to any mussel recipe is a loaf of good garlic bread. This way you can soak up all the juices.

Ingredients Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Olive oil

• 1 chorizo sausage, roughly chopped

• 1 shallot, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

•2 Tbsp butter

•1 tsp smoked paprika

•1.5-2kg NZ green-lipped mussels, cleaned & de-bearded

•1/2 can beer (use your favourite)

• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

DEEP DROPPING FOR SWORDFISH

DROPPING SWORDFISH

By Nick Jones

Now is the time of year when keen Kiwi anglers get ready to do battle with one of the ocean’s most formidable predators – the broadbill swordfish.

THE SPECIES

The broadbill swordfish ( iphias gladius) is a highly sought-after species inhabiting waters around New ealand. enowned for their distinctive appearance and impressive size,

they can be immediately identified by their long, iconic swords, heavily built bodies, incredibly thick tail bases, and large eyes, which allude to their deep water and nocturnal feeding habits. The broadbill swordfish is a hearty predator, well adapted to the open ocean environment. These ape predators primarily feed on a diet of pelagic species such as squid and various fish species. Their ability to dive to significant depths and cover vast distances in search of prey contributes

to their status as formidable hunters in the open ocean. roadbill swordfish can reach impressive lengths, often e ceeding metres and weighing several hundred kilograms. ith their incredible strength and ability to continue fighting for hours on end, coupled with the fact that the average size of swords in is considerable (over kg , they rightfully have a fearsome reputation for putting some serious hurt on Kiwi anglers!

HISTORY

ears ago, sword fishing in was the preserve of large vessels that fished offshore banks, seamounts, and canyons through the night, targeting the fish as they came up higher in the water column to feast on s uid. Then a few pioneering skippers started fishing for swords during the day when they held down in the depths, borrowing deep dropping techni ues used overseas in places such as lorida. Initial success bred further e ploration and more catches. ow, many well prepared trailerboats head out for a day to catch swordfish – without the discomfort of drifting around in the dark waiting for a bite

WHERE?

wordfish hotspots are generally around seamounts, drop offs, trenches, and canyons anywhere from m of water. There is structure like this right up and down the coastline of , but spots like the Three ings, arden

atch, okianga ank, ream nolls, arrier ank, ayor nolls, hite Island nolls, and anfurly anks down to isborne are all known areas.

een sword anglers use good electronics – in con unction with at least a kw transducer – to locate likely looking terrain (detailed bathymetric charts are handy and to pinpoint concentrations of bait down deep, which is where the swords are likely to be holding. It pays to assess which way the current is flowing to identify the areas of upwelling that kick off the food chain.

WHEN?

roadbill can tolerate the greatest temperature range of any billfish species, having been recorded in waters varying from . ccordingly, they are available in waters for most of the year, but satellite tagging shows they move to warmer subtropical spawning grounds in spring and come back to our waters in early

summer. ost recreational fishing effort is focused from ebruary through to uly, with catches peaking in autumn – especially during bouts of settled weather which is advantageous, if not essential, for sword fishing.

uccessful deep dropping for swordfish re uires an understanding of their behaviour. lthough broadbill periodically come up nearer the surface to feed, particularly at night, they spend the bulk of the day down deep. The full or new moon phases are considered best for night fishing, while there are widely varying opinions around preferred lunar phases for broadbill deep dropping. ike most fishing, you may as well ust get out there when you can

HOW?

The target depths for daytime sword dropping add an e tra layer of comple ity and e citement to the pursuit. The typical sword rig involves a lb leader, a large circle

hook, a sacrificial breakaway weight (attached to the bottom of the hook with a bent wire or nail), a smaller sinker rubber banded near the swivel, and several lights or water-activated strobes to pique interest in the dark depths. Whole arrow squid, skipjack tuna belly strips, or small whole fish – secured firmly to the hook with rigging floss – are all proven baits. The terminal gear is usually attached to a solid game reel, a bent-butt rod, strong braided line (generally 100lb) and a 50m monofilament top shot.

Once you’ve found the spot and worked out your drift, carefully lower your rig and sacrificial weight into the water.

When it’s clear there are no tangles, it’s time to steadily drop your offering into the abyss. Hopefully, upon reaching the bottom, your sacrificial weight will break away, and then you can wind up your bait to the strike zone (generally 30-100m above the bottom where the bait is showing).

Baits are typically set for 30-odd minutes, during which time the crew is

advised to watch the rod tip like hawks. Sword bites can be very subtle, and they tend to swim upwards when they take the bait. Therefore, the line going slack can be the signal to start winding – fast!

Deep dropping for swordfish is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience and persistence – I spent countless days bobbing around in the middle of the ocean, staring at the rod tip and getting sunburnt, before I finally got to fight and land one of these amazing creatures. The reward, however, is absolutely worth the effort.

Swords are robust creatures and can usually be successfully released back to the depths from whence they came. However, if you’re keen to knock one on the head, they make great table fare either cooked fresh or smoked, and their bills make wonderful mementos once cleaned up.

Good luck out there!