Off-Site issue 18

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

ISSUE 18 APR/MAY 2020 TRADIE PROFILE

PARIS TERNENTJAMES

HOW TO CATCH KINGFISH

RIDING THE GHOST

WIN A PAIR OF

OAKLEY SUNGLA SSES

PG 19

CLIMBING TO NEW HEIGHTS

ALSO INSIDE

| TROUT – THE SEASON OF BEASTS | RHEEM – THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

WE’RE LOCAL IN OVER 90 COMMUNITIES AROUND NZ ITM stores are independent, locally owned and operated but with the cohesive buying power that comes from being connected to over 90 other ITM stores. That makes us the biggest group of independent timber and building material suppliers to the trade, while still being a local in your community. The best of both worlds you could say, local passion and national strength combined.

Find your local ITM store at www.itm.co.nz

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD! WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

AUTUMN IS HERE WELCOME TO ISSUE EIGHTEEN OF RHEEM OFF-SITE

CONTENTS 04 HOW TO CATCH KINGFISH 08 RHEEM – THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN 10 RIDING THE GHOST 14 TRADIE PROFILE – PARIS TERNENT-JAMES 16 CLIMBING TO NEW HEIGHTS 19 OAKLEY WINNERS AND WIN WITH OAKLEY 20 THE SEASON OF BEASTS

Summer’s ended but there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors – something made very clear by our contributors this issue. Nick Jones kicks things off with some essential reading – the title, “How to Catch Kingfish”, says it all. New contributor James Kirkham continues where Nick left off on page 10, providing us with all we need to know about one of New Zealand’s best mountain biking trails. I humbly step in next to profile a tradie you may have seen on TV: Paris TernentJames. Eating lunch suspended 600ft above the ground is not everyone’s idea of a good time, but this is exactly what regular contributor Steve Dickinson did recently. Starting on page 16, he discusses the trend of “cliffnicking” and takes a look at the fast-growing sport of rock climbing. Our resident freshwater expert, Josiah Atkinson, rounds out the issue by explaining why autumn is the best time for catching monster trout, and even gives us a few tips for catching them.

ETHAN NEVILLE Rheem off-Site is published bi-monthly by NZ Fishing Media Ltd. Offices are located at 177B Marua Road, Ellerslie, Auckland, Ph (09) 579 4060.

THE BOSS Grant Blair QS Grant Dixon PROJECT MANAGER Ethan Neville ARCHITECT Ricky Harris CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Leah Foxcroft HAMMER HAND (Advertising) Dean Andrew 021 862 579 sales@nzfishingnews.co.nz EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Ethan Neville 021 176 1366 ethan@nzfishingnews.co.nz Advertising within this publication is subject to NZ Fishing Media Ltd’s standard advertising terms and conditions, a copy of which is available by emailing grant@nzfishingnews.co.nz or by calling (09) 579 4060

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Saltwater

HOW TO CATCH

By Nick Jones

KINGFISH Everyone loves catching kingfish – they grow big, fight hard and make good eating. With the warm water beginning to

slowly cool, the next few months are a prime time to target chunky kingies. This issue, Nick Jones provides a crash-course on what you can do to increase your chances!

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Finding the Kingfish

Most NZ kingfish fisheries are heavily influenced by the seasons.

Late spring, summer and autumn are the prime times to find kingies in many areas as this is when they populate the inshore reefs, coastlines and harbours. However, don’t write off a spot just because it’s the cold season – good-sized kingfish will still be cruising around, but they generally won’t be present in substantial numbers.

When I’m hunting for kingfish I look for current, structure and bait.

Current and structure can easily be inferred from a quick perusal of the charts – think channels, reefs,

pinnacles, headlands, drop-offs, mussel farms and marker buoys.

Where are other good places to find kingfish? Either right in the middle of a workup or right where you are catching your livebait.

When I pull up to a spot, I always have a good look around at the structure and signs of life either on the sounder or visually. It pays to either fish good bait sign or kingfish sign itself. When kingfish are schooling in deep water, they tend to swim in a vortex and are obvious to interpret on a decent sounder.

Getting an intimate knowledge of your sounder through time on the water is hugely beneficial, allowing you to differentiate between what

“When kingfish are schooling in deep water, they tend to swim in a vortex and are obvious to interpret on a decent sounder.”

Kingfish sign on the fishfinder.

Don’t be afraid to use big baits – this kingfish consumed a live trevally.

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Clockwise from top: Early starts often pay dividends; Livebaits are your best chance to snag kingfish; Once you get the hang of it, Jigging can be productive.

is worth fishing and what might well be a waste of time. Kingfish move around reefs and pinnacles depending on the tide, generally holding on the up-current side where upwellings and eddies hold the bait. Kingfish often come on the bite over the change of tide when prey species alter positions in preparation for a new direction of current flow and therefore become vulnerable.

Livebaiting In many areas, livebaiting is the best method to consistently catch our distinguished inshore gamefish.

And it makes sense – livebaits are the real deal! Good species to use are jack mackerel, slimy mackerel, koheru, kahawai, trevally, yellow-eye 06

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mullet and piper.

Good areas to catch livebait are sheltered places like harbours, bays, shallow reefs and wharves.

Anchoring up in a likely area and luring in livies with berley, or cruising around and finding the bait with the fishfinder are the best ways to catch them. Birds on the water (gannets, terns and/or shearwaters) are also a good indication of baitfish, and the sign on your fishfinder will either show up as big balls in the water column or small scattered shapes around mid-water. Unbaited sabiki rigs are all I use to catch my livebait. If you are anchored up for the night and catching your bait under lights (a very effective method) then small, pink-coloured shrimp sabikis work very well.

“Birds on the water (gannets, terns and/or shearwaters) are also a good indication of baitfish�

There are three basic livebaiting methods to use for kingies. In shallow water at anchor, putting a livebait out under a balloon is a good passive method, slowtrolling livebaits allows you to cover ground to find the kingfish, and my preferred method in deeper water is dropping weighted livebaits directly over fish. Sometimes a livebait dropped 20m to the side of a kingfish school will not attract any attention whereas one dropped right in the middle of them will create a feeding frenzy.

I rig my livebaits through the nostrils with a non-offset circle hook attached to strong fluorocarbon leader. With standard mackerel livebaits on circle hooks I fish with the drag set at strike. Kingfish

Stickbaits can be very effective early in the morning.

interest will either be registered as several violent knocks on the end of the rod or one big hard pull if they inhale the bait straight away.

Patience is definitely a virtue here as our target species can play with the bait for a painstaking amount of time. I therefore tell my clients to just hold the rod steady until fully bent and line starts peeling out.

Exceptions to this rule are when the livebait is large or when surface livebaiting. In these situations, the kingies typically need time to turn and swallow the bait.

pay dividends before they become a tad gun-shy. It’s best to cast over shallow reefs, headlands and marker buoys where kings are known to hang out. As a rule of thumb, poppers make more commotion while stickbaits offer a more realistic swimming action. Sweep and pause retrieves are the most effective, and it pays to practice with different brands and models as each will have a unique action. Handcrafted wooden stickbaits catch more fish than their plastic counterparts but can be very expensive to lose!

Topwater

Jigging

Fishing with topwater surface lures is the most exciting way to catch kingfish but it can also be challenging. A very early start can

Jigging can be deadly in some areas and an exercise in frustration in others. Generally, jigs will catch smaller fish than livebaits, although

“Patience is definitely a virtue here as our target species can play with the bait for a painstaking amount of time”

they are very simple to deploy.

Simply drop the jig to the bottom (or where you see the sign on the sounder) and work it back up.

Practice makes perfect as the lift and wind jigging technique tends to catch the most fish. Many kingfish are also caught as bycatch when slow-jigging with lures such as inchikus and kaburas.

A final word of warning Kingfish are extremely powerful and my basic advice – including terminal tackle, lures, rods, reels and line – is don’t bring a knife to a gunfight!

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THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

After a fantastic 2019 season the Shell V-Power Racing team are back!

Rheem is stoked to continue its partnership with the premier Supercars squad for the 2020 Virgin Australian Supercars Championship.

Drivers Scott McLaughlin and fellow Kiwi Fabian Coulthard are excited to return home with their Ford Mustangs over the ANZAC weekend for the only New Zealand leg of the 14 round Australian Championship.

This year the ITM Auckland Super400 event moves from its traditional home at Pukekohe to the Hampton Downs racetrack.

The 2020 championship kicked off in Adelaide in February where two-time defending champion Scott McLaughlin capitalised on a refuelling error affecting Shane Van Gisbergen’s Holden team to win the Adelaide 500.

Affectionately known as Scott and Fabs, the racing duo guided their Shell V-Power Racing team home for the overall 2019 season honours and this year Scott is going for his third straight Supercars championship title.

In a bid to level the playing field, Supercar officials have enforced a number of changes on the Ford Mustangs and soon to be retired Holden Commodores. These changes aim to improve engine longevity and reduce costs for teams with smaller budgets.

You can catch all the action at Hampton Downs over the ANZAC long weekend which runs 24-26 April, or for more event or ticket information visit: www.supercars.com

Threats to Kiwi Dogs are one of the largest threats to kiwi. Unfortunately for kiwi, their scent is irresistible to dogs and because they have no breastbone even a playful nudge can kill them. So if you live, hunt or work with dogs near areas where kiwi are known to inhabit, make sure you know where your dog is at all times. Keep them on a leash or consider kiwi avoidance training to help them learn to avoid the birds.

For more information on where wild kiwi live and kiwi avoidance dog training visit www.kiwisforkiwi.org

Round 4 ITM Auckland Super 400 Hampton Downs 24-26 April

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY ÂŽ

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Mountain Biking

The Old Ghost Road offers breathtaking views.

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Competitive mountain biker James Kirkham unsurprisingly spends a lot of his free weekends exploring New Zealand’s trails. Here, he takes us through a recent trip to one of the best: the Old Ghost Road‌

RIDING THE

By James Kirkham

GHOST N

ot far from the sleepy town of Murchison lies some of the best multiday mountain biking adventures on offer in New Zealand. With the Heaphy, the Old Ghost Road and the new Paparoa trail, there is enough riding to keep anyone busy for months. The Old Ghost Road is an 85km backcountry trail through the remote Kahurangi National Park with just enough comforts to keep both hardcore adventurers and city dwellers happy.

The trail runs from the historic ruins of the Lyell mining settlement to the coastal town of Seddonville. The original road was cut in from the Lyell end to gain access to the Mokihinui Valley to explore mining options.

However, when the builders crested

the Lyell Saddle and found the valley on the other side, they were quick to turn around and look for another way out to the coal fields on the West Coast – and it is easy to see why. Rugged peaks, thick forests and gigantic boulder fields litter the trail, making us wonder at points, “How did they even get a trail here?”

We split the journey up into three days and two nights, staying in the Ghost Lake and Specimen Point huts. Both offer stunning views and just enough comforts of home. Pots, pans, cutlery and cookers are all provided, as are drinking water and composting toilets. This meant that all we really needed to carry was ourselves, our clothes, our food and a sleeping bag.

Day 1 - Lyell to Ghost Lake On paper, day one seems a bit daunting but we didn’t let that discourage us. Being the remains of an old road, the steady 4% gradient of the first section wasn’t as tough as the profile made out. We set off at a reasonable pace and took the time to stop, snack and read a few of the historic signs along the way, and before we knew it we were at the Lyell Saddle Hut (we even had a few chances to check our phones before disappearing off the grid for a couple of days). From Lyell, there was a bit more climbing to be done but once we broke through the tree line and found ourselves at the Rocky Tor, we had long forgotten about the hill,

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only pausing to look down and say, ‘Hey, we did that!’

Through the rocky alpine tops, the trail wound along an impressive bench-cut with exposed sections, which in some conditions were best walked (they were spectacular nonetheless). We finally reached a break in the Rocky Tor hillside at a spot aptly named Heaven’s Door which, with our lucky weather, let us look back down the valley all the way towards Murchison. Ghost Lake hut was now only a short climb away.

Situated on top of a rocky outcrop, it treated us to some of the best views we’d experienced at any hut in New

Zealand. After taking some time to enjoy the scenery, we decided to tuck ourselves up in bed for an early night in preparation for a spectacular sunrise.

Day 2 - Ghost Lake to Specimen Point After day one we felt we deserved some downhill biking and this is exactly what day two delivered.

There is a 1000m vertical drop between Ghost Lake Hut and Specimen Point Hut (not accounting for the day’s undulations). We started by winding down a narrow ridge and were treated to some of

the best scenery in the Kahurangi National Park. Some seriously steep steps marked the only un-rideable section of the entire trail. They spat us out just above the valley floor, but still left enough of a descent to make us forget any remaining grievances from the previous day’s uphill. Once past Stern Creek Hut, there was another short climb up the boneyard before another dive back down to river level. From here, the trail really opened up into some fast, flowy grade 2-3 terrain which follows the river all the way until Specimen Point Hut (beware of the sand-flies here!).

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Day 3 - Specimen Point to Seddonville Only 17km long and following the steep gorge carved out by the Mokihinui River, the final day was by far the most mellow of the three. In some sections where there is simply no room for a trail to be carved into the rocks of the valley, a series of swing bridges have been strung across gaps. In Seddonville, we stopped in at the Rough and Tumble Lodge right at the end of the trail for a well-deserved feed and even a cheeky brew. From here, Westport was only a 40-minute drive.

Everyone in our group was glad we were able to properly soak in all that the Old Ghost Road had to offer by taking a few nights to stay in the huts along the way. This let us take our time on the trail and also make the most of the $150 hut fee per person (this gives you four nights access).

With shuttles running to the start and finish of the trail from many locations, it is really easy to organise a 4-5 day return trip, but believe me, we really didn’t want to leave. It was the perfect long weekend getaway!

A few tips for your next trip The Mokihinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust is currently upgrading some of the more difficult sections of the trail to make it safe for everybody to ride. Most of the trail is grade 3-4 with sections of grade 5 and, as mentioned, even a few un-rideable steps. In saying that, there is never any harm in stopping to walk a

section. Sometimes the chance to get off the bike is a welcome break and even lets you appreciate the view more. The trail is remaining open while they upgrade it but be patient if there are any disruptions – what it really means is more awesome trail to ride in the future!

Be prepared for the weather. We were lucky enough to get good weather but the west coast is notorious for poor conditions. The Ghost is still scenic and moody in the rain but some sun was the icing on the cake.

Do it in summer. We gave ourselves the best chance of fine weather by booking our trip in the summer months. It also meant we didn’t have to deal with the snow that the trail sometimes gets in winter.

Up for a challenge? We were lucky enough that one of our group was interested in making a loop out of the whole trip. They started in Westport and extended day one and three, which meant we didn’t need to rely on shuttles and could use our own car. This being said, the shuttle service can be very convenient if no one is up for an extended loop.

Adding in the Denniston Shortcut makes the trail a full loop just under 200km long.

We made sure to carry insect repellent and we’re forever grateful for it! There are tonnes of sand-flies at various spots along the trail (especially around some rivers and huts).

But don’t let the bugs put you off.

This is an awesome trail and I can think of very few better ways to spend a long weekend!

WE WANT YOU! RHEEM OFF-SITE IS ALL ABOUT FEATURING SOME OF THE INTERESTING OUTDOOR STORIES THAT TRADIES HAVE TO TELL – YOUR STORIES! Send us your best hunting, fishing, diving and outdoors images as well - we have a pair of top Oakley sunglasses to be given away each month for the best image.

Tradies, Rheem off-Site is YOUR magazine. Please share your experiences and adventures with us. You don't have to be a Pulitzer prize-winning writer that is our job!

D! D, PLAY HAR !

WORK HAR , PL AY HARD

WORK HARD

ISSUE 18 2020 APR/MAY E

TRADIE PROFIL

PARIS TERNENTJAMES

H HOW TO CATC KINGFISH

TO CLIMBING HT NEW HEIG S

ALSO INSIDE

RIDING THE GHOST

WIN A PAIR OF

Y OAKLEES SUNGLASS

| RHEEM –

S N OF BEAST | THE SEASO IN TOWN ARE BACK THE BOYS

PG 19

TALK TO US SO WE CAN SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH OTHERS. Ethan Neville 021 176 1366 ethan@nzfishingnews.co.nz

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Tradie Profile

By Ethan Neville

Paris Ternent-James

There is very little that phases Paris Ternent-James, but when you’re one of the 3% of construction tradespeople in NZ who are women, I suppose not much can.

P

aris is in her third year of a building apprenticeship, working for MD Brown in the Wairarapa, and has no plans for stopping.

What became clear in our conversation was that she isn’t going to follow the path others prescribe. Her first job was working in agriculture with sheep and beef.

Sheering, milking, castrating – not every teenager, male or female, is cut out for such work. Studying through Taratahi College and Massey University, she earnt her Sheep and Beef Level 3 Certificate, and enjoyed the outdoor lifestyle of the agriculture industry.

However, she soon realised that this job was not a perfect fit. The often long and lonely shifts, while teaching her invaluable skills, had

The bounty from a recent diving trip.

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her looking for another “hands-on job that’s outdoors.” Building, she soon found, was a job that ticked all the boxes. She was also lucky enough to be surrounded by people who backed her decision to get into the trades.

“Mum was a hard materials design tech teacher and my brother in law was doing his apprenticeship and being around them made [building] seem possible.”

Her grandad, in fact, himself an accomplished woodworker, never misses an opportunity to introduce his tradie granddaughter.

“My family and friends were super supportive and stoked for me to take on a trade and are very proud of me and my achievements within the industry,” she tells me.

Perhaps a sign of the changing

times, finding a company to do her apprenticeship with was no trouble at all. But this isn’t to say it was always smooth sailing. There’s a fine line between workplace banter and sexist comments, and she informs me her first workplace veered towards the latter. Since moving to MD Brown, however, her experience has been only positive.

“I work with a great bunch of guys who give me stick but I give it back.”

The “giving it back” is key, Paris tells me, and judging by our conversation where she repeatedly beat me to the punchline, I’m sure she has not trouble in that department.

The skills she has gained over the last three years have also proven helpful elsewhere. Her mum builds furniture, and Paris’ experience means she’s a great help to the family business.

“I help my mum with her furniture.

She makes lots of beautiful tables and pieces out of recycled timber so I go help her at local markets.”

If at this stage you’re starting to wonder why she looks familiar, it’s because she probably is. As an ambassador for BCITO, she featured on their advert in which apprentices build a house for two kids. This aired as part of the “Got a Trade? Got it Made” campaign, seeking to get more people into the trades.

Outside of building, Paris has always had an interest in sports and outdoors. She plays in a mixed

“I work with a great bunch of guys who give me stick but I give it back.”

Fishing is the next sport Paris is keen to give a go. football team with three other women – the most of any other team in the comp by a long shot – but she was quick to inform me that this didn’t stop them coming second in the league!

Paris and her partner also recently went up to Te Araroa – “a beautiful and peaceful part of NZ,” she tells me – to spend time with family and compete in Pa Wars, “which is like a really big athletics day.” While she refused to compete in the line dancing, she chucked the ball round when she could.

“I participated in the 100m sprint and touch rugby. I won my heat and we did well with touch. But it was nice to chill with family and enjoy some quality time with no distractions and the phones put away for days.”

Fishing is next on the list. She owns a Shimano boat rod and recently added a brand-new Shimano surfcaster to her arsenal that she’s looking forward to christening.

She’s also collecting dive gear, and is excited to explore her local coastlines, even if her first dive involved a close call after getting wrapped up in the weed.

So, what does the future hold for Paris? A lot, I’m sure. She has plans to take her trade abroad at some point, but for now she’s focussing on finishing her apprenticeship – and I have no doubts she will complete whatever she puts her mind to! off-Sitenz

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off-site Rock Climbing

CLIMBING TO NEW HEIGHTS

By Steve Dickinson

Rock climbing is a sport on the rise in New Zealand. Below, Steve Dickinson gives us an insight into what’s going in the world of climbing, and provides some great tips for those thinking of giving it a go.

C

limbing was once the pursuit of outlaws, social rebels and the self-named ‘dirt-bags’ who lived outside of normal society just to go climbing. That’s what climbers were about. It was and still is in many areas, a full-blown counterculture, frowned on by park rangers and ogled at by disbelieving onlookers.

Then somewhere along the way in the last two decades, things changed. Out of the shadows and into the first light was ‘Dawn Wall’ (a hugely successful climbing movie), which was followed by ‘Free Solo’ (an Oscarwinning documentary). Now, climbing has stepped into the glaring spotlight of the Olympics.

For those who don’t understand the sport, it was (and still is) seemingly crazy, dangerous and hard to get into. In the

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past, unless you had connections in the inside circle, you had no hope of getting in because it wasn’t something one could just go and do. You needed equipment, knowhow and someone to show you the ropes (literally). The consequences of getting it wrong were far too extreme for anyone to just have a go themselves.

Today, however, things are changing – and fast. Instead of belonging to a particular group, climbing has become the newest fitness and outdoor trend. Pull on your Torpedo7 yoga pants and Kathmandu stretchy tee, order your expensive soya double shot chai latte and head on down to your local climbing gym for an hour session at lunch. You don’t even need to own climbing shoes – you can rent shoes there, hit the easy beginner grades and just like that you’re a ‘rock climber’.

Media cover the most “daring” rock climbing feats. It is easy to reinforce the widespread misguided perceptions of the sport. New and non-climbers only see select climbers doing amazing feats like Alex Honnold who climbed El Capitan in Yosemite without ropes (watch the movie – it is staggering).

There is a massive step from the climbing wall at your local gym to putting yourself at risk on a real rock in the wild.

If you are keen on taking the next step to go outside, make sure you join a good club or do an appropriate course with people who know what they’re doing. There is a whole world out there to climb and making sure you learn the ropes and do it safely is essential.

Below is a brief introduction to some of the most popular forms of outdoor climbing you may want to give a shot.

Free Climbing

Free Soloing

Free climbing involves using your hands and feet to find handholds and footholds to climb the rock-face.

You have a rope tied to a harness around your waist, and a belay partner is holding the other end of that rope. If you fall, the rope which is controlled by the belayer will catch you. This is common at indoor climbing gyms, with the rope often tethered to the ground.

No ropes are used with this style of climbing, and if you fall, you will drop all the way to the ground or the next ledge.

Those that do it enjoy both the risk and the freedom, but the consequences of a mistake are high.

Aid Climbing This is basically free climbing but on the difficult sections, aid climbers place chocks, cams or pitons in cracks above them, attach an aider, such as a webbing ladder called an etrier, and then pull themselves upward using the aider instead of pulling on the rock itself.

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The writer and his wife Lynne enjoying their time spent hanging 600ft above the ground.

Deep Water Soloing This is a new, high-profile way of climbing.

Deepwater soloing is another form of ropeless climbing, like bouldering, but is completed over water deep enough to safely break a fall. Most well-known deep-water soloing in recent years has taken place in overseas locations like Spain and Vietnam, but there are some viable spots in Taupo and Kawakawa Bay.

Bouldering Bouldering is the most accessible form of climbing; you need only climbing shoes, chalk and a “crash pad”. It is a bouldering aspect of climbing that will be at the Olympics. Bouldering routes, or “problems”, are typically very short, and only require a handful of very powerful moves to complete.

The ‘crash pad’ is to soften your fall as no ropes are used.

Cliffnicking Not for the Faint-Hearted Cliffnicking and the Via Ferrata are two more climbing experiences worth looking into, and I was lucky enough to do both recently.

Via Ferrata is an Italian phrase that means “iron way” and it refers to a fixed climbing route which has been established so people can experience what it’s like to rock climb, without needing to have any technical climbing ability.

‘Cliffnicking’ involves eating lunch or dinner on a portaledge attached to a sheer rock face hundreds of feet above the ground.

We checked into KMAC (Kent Mountain Adventure Centre) in Estes Park in Colorado and met Kalley, our guide for the day – she was the quintessential rock climber.

The Via Ferrata in Estes Park climbs roughly 600 vertical feet and traverses across the middle of an exposed, steep cliff, giving you a mental challenge as well as a physical one – this is what we took on first and the views were spectacular. You know when you’ve reached the top as the scene is somewhat similar to what you’d find at the prayer flags at the top of Everest.

After a brief stop, we moved to the

start of the rappel for our portaledge lunch. Going down is usually the easy part, but strangely that was not the case. Although clipped into the rappel line, tipping yourself backwards off the edge of a cliff is anything but natural. You are putting all your faith in the line, with only your feet securing you to the sheer cliff face. As we inched our way down, the portaledge offered only the tiniest of safe havens between us and the 600-foot sheer drop to the bottom. Perching on a ledge held onto the side of a cliff by a few tiny strap harnesses is a strange sensation (to say the least). Despite being reassured that the safety holds were exactly that, “safe”, it was hard to relax. It took every ounce of mind over matter to simply trust that we were indeed safe, when all our instincts screamed the opposite.

After a delightful lunch, we rappelled to the bottom and sat and looked up at the tiny space we had been sitting on as it flapped in the breeze. We were perfectly safe at all times but dipping crackers in hummus while hovering 600ft off the ground is not something you get used to in a hurry.

See Life Differently

Tim Evans with a 2.5kg Alb arcore caught on 4kg line off the Aldermans Isla nds in February 2020.

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Trout fishing

THE

By Josiah Atkinson

SEASON BEASTS!

OF

For keen freshwater angler Josiah Atkinson, this time of year means one thing: big trout.

Below, he offers a few tips for catching trophy fish in autumn.

I

t’s getting colder at night, the leaves are turning brown and the light is starting to fade. Autumn.

The season of beasts!

Autumn is such an awesome time to get down to the river and try your luck at landing some quality fish!

This year’s summer fishing has been really hard in my region. Little to no rain has kept rivers low and clear and made the bigger, more desirable fish very lethargic. The cicadas also haven’t been as loud as previous years – it was just a bad summer season in and around my area.

Luckily for us, autumn is here and will hopefully bringing some rain with it! We desperately need the heavens to open up and put fresh rain in our rivers and lakes. This will lead to bigger fish being more active,

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getting out of those deep dark pools and hopefully feeding on whatever we throw at them. Here’s a bit of information that I’ve collected over the years that has helped me nail a few in this season.

Why is autumn the time to catch beasts?

Simply put, they are out to play!

Brown trout tend to be the largest trout species on average and because they spawn early, have been feeding heavily in late summer/early autumn. Before their spawning periods, trout try to feed on everything they can wrap their mouths around. They store all the food goodness for the swim up into their spawning grounds, which for browns can happen anytime from

late February onwards.

How do you catch them?

“A good tip for fly fishers is to lift a rock and then match the size of your fly to the nymphs you find “

In my experience, there is nothing better than time on the water.

Putting in the effort to figure out where these fish sit and what they are feeding on is key, and this only comes from actually getting out there and doing it. No matter what your technique, whether that be fly or spin fishing, it’s all about finding what works in your specific region.

For my home patch (Rotorua), I’ve found different colour flies work in different rivers, even though these rivers are less than a few kilometres apart. A good tip for fly fishers is to lift a rock and then match the size of your fly to the nymphs you

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“bigger fish tend to hang in the eye of the pool as that is where the main food source is concentrated.

The eye is where the river first drops off into deeper water, and this can usually be found at the head of pool.”

find – this can improve your catch rate drastically. If you’re a spin fisherman, look in the water and wade the shallows. You should see small fish darting around. Just as with flies, matching the size of your lure with the size of these fish can improve your hook-up rate. Using the correct line weight is also pivotal.

Try and get away with as heavy line as possible. My go to for autumn is 8lb fluorocarbon, but if the river’s clear you may have to go down to 6lb. I discourage going any lighter when targeting the bigger fish as the chance of them snapping the line and leaving with a new piece of jewellery gets too high. It’s also best to play the fish for the least amount of time possible so you can guarantee a healthy release (that’s if you’re a catch and release kind of fisherman!).

Reading Your River At the start of every trout fishing

mission, I like to thoroughly prospect the river. I fish every piece of water early on and figure out where fish are sitting in the water. It’s important to do so as you will begin to see a pattern, which allows you to be more nuanced in the areas you are targeting and not waste casts in unlikely places.

I like to break down the river into four “parts”: the riffles, the eye, the pool and the tail. I would love to elaborate on each part in depth but that can wait for another article. To keep it short and to the point, bigger fish tend to hang in the eye of the pool as that is where the main food source is concentrated. The eye is where the river first drops off into deeper water, and this can usually be found at the head of pool. The “dominant” fish stake their claim here by chasing away smaller fish trying to get a feed in their spot. When fishing the eye, you need to get your fly down quickly. The flow of the river at this

spot is usually quite swift so using a heavier fly with a smaller trailing fly can do some damage!

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t catch one of the big guys in this period as it’s not a given every time you go out. It’s all about timing – right place, right time. I’ve put countless hours in over the last five years and can count on one hand the fish I’ve caught that I’d call “beasts”.

However, it just so happens that I’ve caught all of them during the autumn season. My biggest fish is an 8.5lb brown trout caught in April on the Tongariro River, but I have also caught multiple 6-8lb rainbow and brown trout in the Rotorua streams and the tributaries of the Waikato River from March-May. I’m excited for the autumn season and will of course be targeting the bigger fish that show up in the coming months.

From left: The writer landed this 8.5lb brown trout fishing from the Tongariro River; Another one of the writer’s fishing buddies, Gabriel Vilgalys, with an autumn special: a 10lb brown also landed in the Ngongotaha Stream; Kane Jennings pulled this 9lb brown trout from the Ngongotaha Stream.

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