THE
FISHING
Issue 144 1
PAPER
&
FREE
HUNTING
September 2017 Issue 144
NEWS
BUCKY’S SUPER BUG
A wary hind captured on an AJ Trailcam
Storyu pg 6
Cheeky cray Ticers take salmon African highlights
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2
THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
MOBILE RADIOS
Ground Water CleanUp
EVO3 blossoms in time for spring
Septic Tank System ‘Fit and Forget’
With Sean Ryan sean@fluidelectronics.co.nz
Simrad’s Evo3 units have been out now for a few months and their Kiwi R&D team have included some awesome improvements over the very popular Evo2. Firstly there is the big step up to the built in 1kW RMS sounder module. On the rear of the unit the structure scan port gives way to a second dedicated transducer port. The benefits of these changes is if you are looking for a package that includes a 1kW transducer, you no longer need an external sounder module to maximise the transducer’s performance and you can run two completely separate transducers from the same unit. Along with this there is a short cut or favourites button, which has two options: a quick push and a long push. Each of these can be assigned to various functions e.g. sonar logging or screen shots. With so many nice features, there are plenty to choose from when programming this new button.
The new multi directional toggle button takes this unit into the realms of true hybrid-touch, where everything can easily be done by button controls or touch; a real bonus when the sea gets a bit on the lumpy side and changes need to be made. The new unit is rounded off with built in WIFI and some pleasant tweaks to the menu, and its layout as well as the user interface and graphics. Simrad’s Evo3 have been in big demand nationwide so if you are interested in upgrading to set up for this summer, give us a call sooner than later for a demo or to find out more. And if in the market for a radar as well, there is a special running that saves you $1,000. On the mapping front, a very big advance in recent times in the sonar logging is the introduction of Sonar Live charting by Navionics. This is simply brilliant and allows the user to re-chart
SPRING PACKAGE DEAL • New built in 1kW sounder • Built in WiFi • Improved screen clarity • Navionics Sonar Chart live • Radar * T&C’s Apply
the seabed down to one foot contours in real time, when you are out on the water and need it most. This shows you what the bottom contours actually look like and allows you find the holes and reefs in detail you have never seen before. Couple this feature with your GPS marks and you have a deadly fishing catching combo. The requirement to achieve this logging is to have an up to date Navionics chart (any of the Naviconics charts worldwide) and, with SIMRAD and Lowrance, the Version 56 or 57 software update. The first year of the updates is free when you register your new card and after that there is a yearly subscription. CMap have taken over the Insight Genesis mapping from Navico and won’t be far behind in Navionics in Live charting. As the duel between these two companies hots up it will be interesting to see what little gem they come up with next!
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Water quality is a hot topic. Swimmable and habitable for fish gets a lot of attention but what about the quality of groundwater and aquifers? You can do your bit improving this de-graded water quality using the cleverly designed AES (Advanced Enviro Septic®) system, treating water you use from your house, holiday home, hunting lodge, camping ground, or mountain hut. With the lowest installed cost, no alarms, nothing to break down and no ongoing servicing or power costs, you can make a positive contribution to improving the quality of ground water in your area. AES treatment quality, achieved passively, is 10x better than the secondary treatment quality required by councils and officially recognised NZ testing has BOD<2mg/l and TSS<2mg/l, effectively visually clean water. Passively means no maintenance other than pump out the septic tank every five years or so. You get a wastewater treatment system that adapts to intermittent loading and sudden peak usage, requires no power, has no mechanical or electrical components to break, and you get a 20 year warranty on the components. As West Coast plumber drain-layer Paul the Plumber Cumming puts it: “AES is simply a fit and forget system: No bells or whistles, but the best treatment results and no ongoing maintenance expenses.” Laser Plumbing Gore installer Nathan Hoyle agrees: “AES works in every situation. It’s easy to design and install and with no moving parts, the best thing is we don’t have to keep going back to service them.”
An AES system can be installed using a locally sourced septic tank in two days by drain-layers around NZ for the lowest installed cost of any secondary treatment system. If site conditions or local councils require it, the output from an otherwise passive AES system can be collected to a siphon chamber or a low power pump, through drippers to enable re-use of the treated water for irrigation in the orchard or to meet council discharge requirements in the lawn or in landscaping. 400,000+ AES systems are now installed worldwide and around NZ. AES owners choose high performance AND the almost total lack of ongoing costs. Around NZ AES owners include DoC, at parks, huts, campgrounds - marae, baches, and cafés. If you need new or to upgrade your existing treatment system to meet the current standards, contact us for a free information pack or to help with your project; info@et.nz; 0800 Waste H20 (0800 927 834); www.et.nz.
Issue 144 3
Running naked with sharks
Papa, you are such a show off!
Derek Binnie
I remember back in the ‘50s with three of my siblings, crammed into the back of our new black Ford Prefect imported from England, and heading for the beach. We lived in Wellington and drove along the new motorway to our grandparents’ place at Parramatta where we played cricket, caught herrings in preserving jars, and had a marvellous summer holiday on the beach. Last ANZAC Weekend, my wife and I drove from Ashburton through the new inland route to Havelock with two of our grandchildren, Tyler (6) and Flynn (5). The cousins were going with nana and papa to our holiday home near Nydia Bay. When we sat in the back of a Ford Prefect in the ‘50s there was no such thing as headrest DVDs. You can’t imagine how frustrating it is to have parents give you fancy DVD sets that attach to the back of headrests, with power devices that plug into cigarette lighters and remote control units that operate said DVDs. What they don’t tell you when they install two new car seats in the back of your Landcruiser and strap two boys into them, is those
No fish yet...this sucks!
boys can’t reach the DVD and are too young to operate the remote controls. It is a seven-and-a-half hour drive from Ashburton to Havelock and then you have to have tea breaks, meal breaks, gosh I don’t feel too well breaks, and toilet stops. After the first DVD ran out, which was started by parents when they strapped their children in, both nana and papa had no idea how to load in another DVD and then get it to start. Who would have known that, in order to get our DVD to work, you pointed the remote control at the roof - not at the actual DVD. Don’t ask me how or why?
When we sat in the back of a Ford Prefect in the ‘50s there was no such thing as headrest DVDs On the first morning I decided to head around the corner to the ‘never fail cod spot’ and drop a baited hook down for the boys to catch fish. Everybody who has lived in the Sounds over many years has their favourite spot
that, if looked after and not overfished, always produces nice cod. Within 10 minutes, and two excited boys later, we were back around into a bay with three nice blue cod, tied up to a mussel line for a serious snapper fish. The boys are at that competitive age, where every game and every activity is to be won. If you’re not winning the game sucks, if you are not catching fish it’s boring. When you stand on the boat you have to stand next to papa because he has the
best rod and catches most fish, or 15 minutes later it’s much better to have nana
Within 10 minutes, and two excited boys later, we were back around into a bay with three nice blue cod, tied up to a mussel line for a serious snapper fish. help you because she is now on the best side of the boat and her rod is catching more
Pa, it’s only a snapper!”
When they finally went to sleep after the mandatory 20 minutes of blather in their bedroom, nana and papa would look at each other, grin and often start talking about our memories of being ‘that young.’ Over the next few days we caught a whole variety of
magnificent fish. The boys both caught small snapper, gurnard, and kahawai. But guess what? When we got home and we were asking the boys to tell their parents about their time in the Sounds and what was their favourite bit, they went on and on about the huge sharks they caught (dogfish) and how papa hadn’t taken a picture of them. It just goes to show memories are personal and we never know what magic we impart when we take grandchildren on adventures.
Okay, I'll distract papa and you slip it down his pants
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fish. Sitting still and listening isn’t possible. Pulling your pants down, running around naked, showing everyone and talking about bodily functions and your private parts is all part of being five and six-year-old boys.
NEW
4
THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Blue cod strategy needs you The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is developing a National Blue Cod Strategy, and want involvement from the public to make it work. “Blue cod is an important species that supports a high-value commercial fishery, a high participation recreational fishery, is taonga to tangata whenua, and it’s considered a top table fish,” says Steve Halley, MPI Inshore Fisheries Manager. “However, he unique biology of blue cod, together with its popularity, makes it particularly vulnerable to overfishing and localised depletion. A changing inshore environment has also had a direct impact on blue cod fisheries.”
MPI, recreational and commercial fishing experts, tangata whenua, and scientists held a workshop in July to begin developing the Blue Cod Strategy. MPI now wants the public’s opinion on what the experts have developed so far and what people think about their local blue cod fishery, to ensure all the issues and potential solutions are captured. Information provided by the public will be used to inform and guide the experts in assembling a robust and useful strategy to ensure this iconic species remains sustainable and abundant for all New Zealanders. To do this, MPI is holding eight information sessions around the South Island in early September and providing an online survey on their webpage. Information
Mixing it with Mackenzie Country mutants Ian Graham
Surfcasting is my main fishing discipline – it’s what I grew up doing in winter after cod and whiting on the East Anglian shingle beaches back in the UK. Surfcasting just fits with how 90 percent of my brain reserved for fishing MPI will then go back on the round for a second round works. of public feedback on the About five years ago, I got to proposed solutions, prior to know Adrian Bell. We talked the strategy being finalised. about our fishing exploits and I developed an interest in the “It’s important everyone Tekapo and Twizel canals, shares their views on having previously regarded what’s happening in their the fish in there as mutants blue cod fishery with us, whether a recreational fisher, or ‘pets.’ Adrian’s enthusiasm in telling me about his recent commercial fisher, iwi, or successes inspired me to have simply interested in blue cod,” says Steve Halley. a go.
Ian’s with a winter biggie 14lb of prime rainbow
gathered from the these sessions and the first online survey will be used to guide the development of potential solutions during a second expert workshop.
To keep up to date with the development of the strategy and to see how you can be involved, visit our website www.mpi.govt.nz/ bluecod.
We fished a technique that involved drifting imitation salmon and trout eggs downstream and, at several of the places we fished, I found eggs washed up that told me the colour and size my egg imitations needed to be. Don’t think it’s just a case of putting a plastic imitation salmon egg on a hook; if you see what a trout or salmon egg looks like just after spawning, that’s what you need to mimic. I basically used just enough weight to get my imitation egg to the bottom, then walked along the canal bank with it as it drifted downstream.
You can feel the weight bouncing on the bottom. If it is dragging, you’re using too heavy a weight and your egg will be drifting slower than the current and won’t look natural. Alternatively, not enough weight and it won’t hit the bottom. I used the minimum weight I could and something I found useful was to walk in front of it if it wasn’t tapping on the bottom enough as the current then pushes down on your weight. Conversely, if it is hitting the bottom too much, walk slightly behind so the current gets underneath your weight and lifts it up. Think about the shape of weight you use: you
want it to just tap on rocks or glide over weed on the bottom, so a ball weight isn’t the best idea. The first day, I caught a 3lb rainbow immediately: nice but not the double figure fish I was after. Later, in the afternoon, I hooked two fish. The first we saw and estimated at about 12 - 15lbs before the hook pulled out after a 10 minute battle. We’re not sure about the second fish; it was either foul hooked or a 20lb plus monster. It just swam upstream and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Eventually my 8lb fluorocarbon leader let go.
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Join us for a face-to-face meeting in one of these locations during September 2017: City or town
Date
Time
Venue
Motunau
Sunday 3 September
1pm to 4pm
Motunau Village Hall
Blenheim
Monday 4 September
5pm to 7pm
Marlborough Convention Centre 42A Alfred Street
Nelson
Tuesday 5 September
5pm to 7pm
Rutherford Hotel Nelson Trafalgar Square
Greymouth
Wednesday 6 September 5pm to 7pm
Kingsgate Hotel 32 Mawhera Quay
Christchurch
Thursday 7 September
Airforce Museum Morrison Room 45 Harvard Ave Wigram
5pm to 7pm
Dunedin
Saturday 9 September
3pm to 6pm
Dunedin Centre Entrance: Municipal Chambers off the Octagon
Moeraki
Sunday 10 September
1pm to 4pm
Moeraki Coronation Hall Haven Street
Invercargill
Monday 11 September
5pm to 7pm
Ascot Park Hotel Corner Tay Street and Racecourse Road
We want someone who has experience with using the phone as a sales tool and who is keen to learn about our business, calling structures and techniques. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve come from a reception or customer service background, or something else entirely, you will need to be able to work as part of a team and manage your time well. You will need crystal clear English, excellent communication skills and bundles of energy for this part-time phone-based role here in sunny Nelson. We want someone who likes a challenge and has a strong work ethic because our team works hard so we will expect the same of you. Attention to detail is also important with a sound knowledge of the usual computer systems. We have our own CRM so the ability to learn new software will be key. If you want to be our new-superstar or know someone who’d be great, there are a few other details you need to know: This is a part-time job, 9am to 3pm, Tuesday to Thursday. We offer an hourly rate and there’s an achievable daily bonus structure as well. We have an on-going training programme that helps you and our team reach your goals and be successful at what you do. There’s even a pathway to move into team-leadership if you have the desire to step-up! Want to be our new super-star? Let’s chat.
Call us on 03 970 2868 and let’s get the ball rolling.
Issue 144 5 The second day, I’d just got the weight tapping on the bottom as I wanted it and bang, I had a take that nearly took the rod out of my hand. A beautiful silver hen rainbow shot out of the water a second or two later. Game on and after a good fight, she was safely on the bank. She was around 8 - 9lb and became my eating fish to take home. A couple of drifts later, I hooked another fish. The take was much more subtle this time. The weight just stopped and I thought it was snagged until I lifted the rod and felt slow head movements on the other end. I struck, the fish dived and swam slowly but powerfully upstream, staying deep. Again, the hook let go after about five minutes. It struck me then both fish I’d lost had been while the fish was swimming upstream and I’d ended up slightly
downstream of it. Think about how the fish is going to be hooked when it takes food drifting down in the current, then figure out how much you’ve rotated the hook if you are fighting a fish heading upstream, while standing almost straight above it. Idiot! Mental note, next take stay just upstream of the fish. That ‘next take’ wasn’t until at our last spot before heading back home. Again it was a subtle take. I just lifted the rod and enjoyed the sound of a screaming reel. I stayed just upstream of this fish but there was another problem. I was 200 metres down the bank from Adrian – and the landing net. Frantic waving got no response, so I desperately fumbled around in my pocket for my phone, then holding the phone with the same hand as I was hanging on to the rod with, I managed to call him, “Errr….HELP!”
Ten minutes later, a beautiful 14lb jack rainbow in prime breeding colours was safely in the net. After a few photos, he got his freedom and swam off to breed another day. Mission accomplished!
...stays true to its premium pedigree.
There was one last twist. As I walked back to my Hilux with the net, Adrian had one more drift. At almost the same spot my fourteen pounder had just taken, he connected and found himself in exactly the same predicament as I’d been minutes earlier; big fish on but no one within earshot with a net. He did the only thing he could - phoned me! A sprint of several hundred metres and I netted the fish that just weighed over 20lb. No longer do I think of these trout as mutants or pet fish; chasing them is serious fun and I’m already looking forward to next winter. A happy Adrian Bell with an incredible 20lb canal rainbow
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6
THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Kayaking
with Chris West
SUMMER PADDLING
No fuss feather
d’Urville dreaming
Jake Williams
STORY
Love it or hate it, the equipment used in sports can be confusing. Kayaking is no different. Take a look at any item of gear and there will be a multitude of options, all of which seem to do a similar job. Kayak paddles are available in different lengths, with different sizes and shapes of blades, and different brands will be setup with different offsets. And then there are the paddles with adjustable offset. Here are some questions that come up when talking about offset. Q. P addle offset… what are you talking about? A. Offset, also known as feather, is the angle that one blade is set at relative to the other blade. A paddle with 00 offset has two blades that are parallel to each other. If the offset is 900 then one blade is at right angles to the other. Paddles with adjustable offset have an adjuster in the centre of the paddle shaft that allows you to change the offset. Q. W hy do I need to be concerned about offset? A. The offset of a paddle plays a large part in how the paddle will feel on the water. Offset effects how the paddle will feel when it’s windy, how quickly you can get a blade ready to do a support stroke, and how much stress is placed on your wrists. Q. W hy don’t they just set the paddle with the correct offset at the factory
Loaded with enough gear to set up a tackle shop
Fishing, to me, is defined by a number of aspects, with the opportunity to explore and the adventure that comes with discovering new places, most important. My head is always full of places I want to fish and can’t wait to get to, with some locations and target species being on a tier above the rest. For years, d’Urville Island, Stephens Island, and the notorious French Pass have been talked about and held in a higher
regard than most others. From the stories I’d heard growing up, d’Urville Island held a fearsome reputation and was always treated with a lot of respect. But those who dared, often won and when they did it was really, really big. Oli David from Ballingers Hunting and Fishing filled my head with stories, photos, and videos of huge kingfish and big snapper taken
from this Top of the South wilderness. Not having been near the swirling whirlpools of French Pass, Mike Dawson, Ben Pond, and I hatched a plan. For months we readied our gear, organised jigs and tied knots, studied tides and winds, the contours around d’Urville and Stephens Island, and even drew our own maps of where we were going to focus and on what tides we would be focusing. We arrived at
A. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Everyone paddles with a slightly different technique and wants different things from their paddle. If you have a paddle with adjustable offset, here are some things to think about when setting it up. When paddling, keeping your wrists straight is important; if you have to ‘cock’ your wrist to get a blade in the water on the correct angle, you are not only paddling with your wrists in a weaker position, you may also find it leads to wrist pain. Try adjusting the offset until your wrists do not have to move to get the blade in the water. There is no magic angle for this. The more vertical you hold the paddle shaft when paddling (referred to as a high angle stroke), the greater your offset can be. Those using a lower angle stroke will find a lower offset is required for minimal wrist movement. When your paddle is set with a suitable offset, you will find your forward stroke feels simpler. The movements will be simplified and your stroke is stronger. And, most importantly, your wrists will hopefully feel less strain.
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Issue 144 7 French Pass around midnight and set about catching piper that were schooling around the wharf. We slept briefly and woke to a view of a jagged, wild looking island stretching to the horizon, before heading to Catherine Cove as the sun rose over a calm ocean. Incredible currents pushed and swirled as birds dived on baitfish and dolphins rode along with us. Once settled into our accommodation, we were quickly off through the Rangitoto Islands towards Stephens Passage to give it our all. Ben drew first blood while slow jigging for snapper, with a 9kg kingfish. The wind picked up, making the power of this area all the more prominent, especially when you’re only in a small boat watching water slam into a 100m wall under water with nowhere to go but up. Ben noticed sign on the sounder and, after two drops, my 400g curved slider was slammed and, with my Shimano Trinidad 16NA screaming, I could feel the fish in the reef. I told Ben to put the hammer down. Dragging my fish off the reef and into 100m of water, I played out my biggest yellowtail to date, at 12kg. I was absolutely stoked but released my fish, which was respectable. I was happy to have achieved something I’d heard so much about, but it still wasn’t that 30kg horse I’d dreamed about. With light fading, we made tracks and moored up for the night The wind picked up that night and blew relentlessly for the remainder of our trip, which made fishing hard. However, there is always a place to tuck up and if you managed to time it right, the fish were there too. We drifted 160g slow jigs along 75m of water when suddenly my Shimano Stradic 5000HG screamed; something that a cod doesn’t do! Mike’s new Sahara 5000 screamed as well. We were both playing good fish, the best we’d hooked for a day or two, and a few minutes later had our
With slow jigs on the menu, Ben Pond dines out on snapper.
WONDERFALL Jake ticks another box snapper up and running
Shimano Wonderfall Jigs are a versatile inshore metal lure that has been designed to flutter side-on as they fall and are specifically engineered to suspend longer when dropping through the water column thus spending more time in the bite-zone thus appealing to a wide variety of saltwater predators looking for an easy meal.
24T
26T
Mike Dawson happy to hit the scorecard with this nice snapper
first snapper aboard - around 10lb each. Mike, having not used jigs very much, was pleased to have ticked it off his list and I was over the moon with my first snapper. A few more drifts produced a few more snapper before Ben decided to drop a Lucanus down on the new Avet SXJ reel I had been catching cod on, each time exclaiming that I was into snapper. It was typical for Ben to hookup almost instantaneously and, after a thorough scrap on the little
overhead reel, Ben landed one of his better snapper, weighing just shy of 13lb. Very happy with our efforts, we steamed down through the Rangitotos, feeling excited about our adventure. We had pulled up our target kingfish and snapper, along with big blue cod, tarakihi, gurnard, and blue warehou for the table. Pretty happy with our efforts, we all said we couldn’t wait to be back and how much more business we had left to do with the local kingfish.
37T
47T
Mike Dawson with a good d’Urville pannie
50T
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8
THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Chasing Canterbury mouse trout Ben Booth
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“The trout did something I completely didn’t expect...”
The fish was only just visible as it held in the current, intercepting nymphs every few seconds. I quickly made a cast and was rewarded with a solid hook up. The next few minutes will be forever etched in my mind as the trout screamed around the pool, while it tried to dislodge the nymph that had fooled it. After 10 minutes the fish began to tire but the fight wasn’t over yet, as it wrapped the line around a rock and tried to break off. Thankfully it didn’t. Not long after the fish was in the net. A quick check and re-check of the scales confirmed a trout over the magical 10lb. After taking a number of photos the fish was released back into the river, my heart still racing. I had received a phone call from Malc a few days beforehand, saying he might have found some of the often
talked about mouse feeders, so a trip was quickly planned. As we drove up the valley, we were greeted with a slightly overcast day, which made spotting very difficult early on. As we made our way upstream, we landed a few small fish but didn’t find anything big. Half-way up our chosen section of river, we found a handful of large looking fish sitting at the bottom of a pool. I made a few casts but the fish didn’t seem interested. After going through my whole fly box, I tied on a red beaded Hare & Copper, just to see what would happen. On the first cast with this new nymph, the smaller fish of the two smashed the fly. I was onto something. After a good fight, the fish came to the bank and pulled the scales down to 6 3/4lb. Later on, we came upon a pool that had several trout in it. A plan was made to hook
each fish one by one and drag it downstream without spooking the rest. On the second cast to the bottom fish, I was rewarded with a solid take. What happened next was mind-bending. The fish quickly rolled on its side, then raced off upstream. I didn’t dare try to stop it, as the fish was huge. The remaining fish all quickly spooked and raced back downstream. None were smaller than the fish I had on. After tearing around the pool for a few minutes, the fish tired and came to the net. It pulled the scales down to 12lb and, once again, I was super stoked; two double figure fish in the same day was totally insane. This trip was only the start of things to come, as this river yielded many large fish throughout the rest of the season, it was truly one to remember.
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Issue 144 9
Does this look deadly to you? Sodium Monoflouroacetate
-1080is a colourless, odourless, tasteless poison that has no known antidote. It is toxic to all air breathing organisms.
New Zealand is the world’s largest consumer of 1080 and it is banned or restricted in most countries because of its lethality and indiscriminate killing power. Sub-lethal concerns include male infertility, embryo changes and immune system damage. 1080 blocks the ability of the body’s muscles and organs to absorb energy from food and results in a slow, inhumane death which can be many hours for birds and up
Nineteen native bird species have had their corpses test positive for 1080 poison after aerial operations. to four days for large mammals. The Department of Conservation (“DoC”) and the Environmental Risk Management Authority (“ERMA”) rate its cruelty at six out of ten. Their logic in calling it “relatively humane” is that it is possible to more cruelly torture an animal to death. New Zealand’s much touted and new Animal Welfare Act needed a special
exemption for DoC to“wilfully and recklessly ill-treat wild animals” so that DoC can continue to use 1080 poison. DoC plans to aerially spread 1080 poison over one million hectares of New Zealand’s wilderness this year. This is the third massive poisoning operation in four years. DoC’s justification is a “beech mast” which it says could lead to population increases of rats and stoats. However, in previous drops the beech masts were “light to moderate” and rat numbers remained low or were zero at the time of the aerial operations in many valleys. DoC’s science tells us that rat numbers can increase up to four-fold after 1080 operations and remain high for several years. Poorly timed operations can increase stoat predation on birds. Nineteen native bird species have had their corpses test positive for 1080 poison after aerial operations. In the 63 years New Zealand has been spreading 1080 poison across our mountains there has been a 99% decline in kea
Kea are now an endangered species. numbers. Since radio tagging of kea began DoC has killed 40%, 64% and 25% of kea with 1080 poison. Franz Josef (2008), Okarito (2011) and Arthurs Pass (2013) respectively. Yet DoC’s recent Press releases point the blame on lead head nails, feeding by tourists and predation for the kea’s decline. This public denial of responsibility by DoC is of major concern given that an internal DoC report concludes “aerial 1080 may well be a significant threat to the kea population” with some drops “probably devastating”. Kea are now an endangered species.
Another major justification for aerial 1080 poisoning is the myth that possums transfer bovine tuberculosis (BTb) between areas. In the last decade 124,000 possums have been autopsied and only 54 had BTb. Most farmers now accept that BTb is moved around New Zealand on stock trucks and stock movement recording (NAIT) and controls on infected herds is reducing the incidence of BTb. In the last decade our Government has injected over 200 possums with BTb and released them into the wilderness in bizarre experiments supposedly, one could argue, to justify further aerial poisoning.
What would happen to New Zealand’s “100% Pure” branding if DoC’s continual 1080 poisoning campaigns were widely known outside New Zealand by tourists or if 1080 traces were ever found in exported food products? In 2002 40 tonnes of butter, 20 tonnes of casein and 75 tonnes of venison were recalled for extra testing after bungled 1080 operations. Ban1080 has 1600 financial members and Ban1080 will appear on every voting paper in New Zealand on 23rd September 2017.
TRUST US WITH YOUR PARTY VOTE.
Visit the web-site www.ban1080.co.nz to join or donate. Share or like us on www.facebook.com/ban1080party. Authorised by Mary Molloy - Ban1080 Party Secretary 13 June 2017, 68 La Fontaine Road, Hari Hari 7884
10 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Captain’s Log:
Shouting hunting is cruel doesn’t cut it Let me make one thing perfectly clear - I kill animals and I enjoy doing so quickly, efficiently, humanely, and as painlessly as possible. I am unashamedly a hunter, make no apology for it, and I promote the healthy pursuit of animals through The Fishing Paper & Hunting News: those who fish fall into the same category; if you pursue an animal, fish, or bird for food, you are a hunter. I do not have to justify my position because it is legal, natural, constructive in many ways, healthy, a personal choice, and essential. However, many hunters feel on the back foot today because of the recent surge in anti-hunting sentiment and the vitriol levelled at us by self-proclaimed animal rights activists, and feel that we have to justify what we do. But we have got it wrong. In actual fact, it is the antihunters who should be called upon to justify their actions and intentions. Put aside the fact that most attack us from a point of ignorance and emotion, and look at the realities. Firstly, hunting has been accepted for thousands of years as a
normal and natural societal behaviour and has only achieved leper status by a loud minority in recent times. This is largely due to urbanisation, a disconnect of many people with nature, mass instant communication, and the fact that, for many, people’s perception of nature has been reduced to the edited, sanitised, and humanised two dimensional version we see on Discovery and Animal Planet channels. What is lost on many is the fact we live in highly modified environments and the natural utopia where animals live in wild abundance and look after themselves no longer exist, or at best in isolated pockets. Because Man, by and large, is the main culprit of this change, it is incumbent upon us to manage it and, like it or not, hunting is a legitimate tool in terms of managing animal populations and providing food. As an example, let’s look at Africa. It’s a good model because it has made some horrendous mistakes in terms of habitat and animal waste but it also has some tremendous recovery stories. It also has the most ‘Disneyfied’ animals on the planet - consider Madagascar,
Lion King, and The wild which attribute unreal and human characteristics to wild animals, thereby engendering unrealistic sympathies from a disconnected and largely passive audience. This, in turn, polarises anti-hunter sentiment, propagates indignant outrage, and promulgates irrational argument based largely on sentiment, emotion, and skewed logic. Since starting a business hosting Kiwi hunters on safari to Africa, Crimpy’s African Safaris, I have copped a fair dose of vitriol from many quarters, including from supposedly ‘intelligent’ people. Take out the emotive bleating and the main argument seems to be that I am promoting the killing of ‘endangered’ defenceless African animals and contributing to the potential extinction of species. This is simply nonsense. First and foremost, the biggest threats to wild animals in Africa are: habitat loss due to human encroachment; displacement due to human encroachment and habitat modification i.e cattle farming; poaching for animal parts, including elephant tusks, rhino horns, and lion skins and bones,
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had become locally extinct. This had nothing to do with hunting but the widespread eradication of wild animals to make way for farming and rid vast areas of the potential threat of foot and mouth and other diseases like sleeping sickness. By 2014, when the second animal census was undertaken, the population of wild animals had risen to 22 million, of which 18 million were on private
a result, many locally extinct species have been restored to former abundance. Hunters dollars contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy and provide protein to thousands of poor Africans. To house this massive increase in wild animals, millions of acres of farmland has had to be restored to wild habitat, and, in wilderness areas, hunting concessions protect vast tracts of land being razed for native cattle farms. Crimpy’s African Safaris supports this and we only hunt fair chase walk up hunts on sustainable populations of wild animals.
It’s time we restored hunting to its rightful place as an integral part of society and demand of those who want it banned, to justify how they would fund the management, protection, and enhancement of both wild animals and habitat, how they would provide food, jobs, and a sense of worth to poor rural communities, This magnificent sable is a beneficiary of hunters' dollars how they would fund antipoaching initiatives, and how they would they would Now let’s focus on one game reserves. An amazing compensate for the loss of country, South Africa, as a turn around in just 50 years billions of dollars of hunting simple case study so we can and driven mainly by the dollars into economies get a simplistic overview demand for hunting and around the world. Only then of the situation in Africa. funded by hunters’ dollars, can we have a debate. By 1965, the wild animal with no monetary input population of South Africa from any of the international Simply shouting that had dwindled to a staggering animal lobby groups. Today, hunting is cruel and should half-a-million - 500,000 specialist game breeding be banned, doesn’t cut it and many endemic species farms are big business and, as anymore!
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which is largely driven through Asia and China; the bush meat trade - illegal poaching of ‘all and any’ animal(s) (including apes, reptiles, birds, and mammals like bats) to be sold as food on the black market in Africa and European cities where there are high densities of ex-pat Africans, like Paris, London, Brussels, and Zürich. Most recently, bush meat has been discovered in New York and Toronto.
Why? starting point. Let’s not go into the • Check for holes in your diseases that rats can pass property. Seal gaps onto us and their unhygienic where cables and pipes presents left after an enter, and repair gaps in infestation. Nor on their mortar courses impact around properties • Fit galvanised mesh over – they are the number one vents/airbricks and fit culprit for chewing holes bristle strips to the base in walls, wiring, pipes, and of doors. Rodents can electrical equipment. Rats. It enter through extremely makes economic sense to small holes – about 1.6cm control the blighters. • Keep all foodstuffs Rather, let’s focus on their covered and off the floors disastrous impact on our where possible wildlife. • Keep gardens The 2050 Predator Free uncluttered and all campaign has targeted three rubbish in robust bins species for eradication in with tightly fitting lids New Zealand – possums, • If rodents are known in stoats, and rats, and the the area, do not use bird Presence Absence Monitoring reason is simple. Thisorteam is baths and doTool not add decimating our environment foodstuffs to compost For Rats, Mice, Possums, Hedgehogs, – birds and fauna. Left heaps Stoats and • Cats uncontrolled, the picture Keep vegetation to a is bleak for our children. minimum and store pet Do nothing – it’s barren, foods indoors, and do something – we have • Repair holes in roofs a chance to leave a better and trim overhanging place. branches. Prevention? Who’s there? Prevention is an obvious So we have done our best to
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prevent an infestation but let’s just check who is there. Chew Cards are an inexpensive but extremely accurate way to find out who is in your back yard. They won’t tell you how many, but there will tell you who is there – think rats, mice, or possums. Chew Cards are also a great educational tool for children. Control! We have a problem. Decision time. Do we use rat traps or a rodent toxin. Both are effective – some people prefer the traps, others the convenience of toxins. Traps – you will need a bait station and a trap(s) that goes into it. The bait station protects the trap from the weather and inquisitive children and pets. We suggest using our long life rat baits because they will stay effective for longer periods than commonly used baits, such as peanut butter. Toxins – again, use a bait station. Toxins generally are carried in paste or solid forms – both are acceptable but remember, if using solid forms, make sure they can be fixed to the bait station to prevent the rodents caching the baits. Final Thought The vision of 2050 Predator Free is admirable. Many, many, small contributions to controlling these pests will make a significant contribution to this goal.
Issue 144 11
STICK YOUR OAR IN
CRIMPTOON
FREEMAN GROUP
HAVE YOUR SAY… Mail your letters to Stick Your Oar In The Fishing Paper, PO Box 9001 - Annesbrook, 7044, NELSON email: editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz Get your fish right, Crimpy Dear Ed, I have to comment on the turbot recipe in issue 143. While the dish looks absolutely fabulous, the turbot pictured next to the recipe photo are Northern Hemisphere turbot. They are not caught anywhere around New Zealand. We do have turbot here, but they look totally different to the pictured ones, being mainly caught as by-catch trawling close to shore on the West Coast of both islands. They would very seldom be caught by recreational fishermen as they don’t often take a bait, and set netting is banned in close along the
majority of the West Coast of both islands. With the way MPI bureaucrats are treating small commercial fisherman at the moment, over the hugely expensive cameras on small vessels, sadly it would mean that people wanting to eat NZ turbot will have to substitute flounder or sole, or import turbot from the Northern Hemisphere.
I used to make chips at Tony’s Fish Shop in Westport back in the early 80s and handled plenty of turbot. It was a common catch back then and we used to go to Tony’s most Friday nights and have a feed of turbot and chips. Anybody else remember that? Guytons in Nelson still sell turbot from time to time.
Matt Hardyment Charleston
OVER 45 YEARS OF ROOFING EXPERIENCE
Ed replies:
We use genuine NZ Steel products backed by a full warranty
Arrghh - good spotting! I didn’t even notice them, so you caught me napping. In my defence, the lay up guy was Canadian!
Okay, this is the correct rascal ... NZ turbot
Reminder scallops off limits The Southern Scallop Fishery (SCA 7) including Golden Bay, Tasman Bay, the Marlborough Sounds and Port Underwood is closed for the 2017- 2018 scallop season to both recreational and commercial fishing due to sustainability concerns.
8 convenient locations. visit www.roofing.co.nz for our full range & services
Reader caught crabs in Niue
Parts of the fishery were closed last season after surveys showed a substantial decline in scallop numbers. This has allowed the fishery to be rested. However, a survey this year shows the stocks have not yet recovered significantly. A further closure is needed to give more time for recovery and to carry out important research to better understand what has caused the fishery to decline and options to help it recover.
Scottish billionaire and amateur crab hunter Murray McGarner said a highlight of a recent visit to Niue Island was catching crabs, some of the nastiest he’s ever encountered. He told The Fishing Paper & Hunting News that he was lucky to get away without losing an appendage.
For more information please follow this link: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-andresources/consultations/temporary-closure-ofthe-southern-scallop-sca-7-fishery/
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McGarner, a self-taught engineer, made his first million after inventing the electric bagpipes back in the sixties and compounded his fortunes later with the edible bagpipes and the eco-friendly bagpipes, which could be played for hours without making a sound. However, McGarner’s real passion is catching crabs, which sparked him to embark on a world crusade in search of crabs, resulting in the nomadic Scotsman being away
265 Te Rapa Road
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As an amateur crabologist, McGarner has discovered a number of new species, including the rare lesser spotted Peruvian pygmy crab of Machu Picchu, the Cuban tobacco crab and, most recently, the Niuean cocktail crab. He argues that most crabs are placid and will only attack if backed into a corner or threatened. “However, the Niuean cocktail crab is something else again, a vicious little
devil that sneaks up on you and leaves one hell of a bite!” He said there are a number of sub-species, the most vicious of which is the Niuean Noni cocktail crab. “That little bastard is pure poison!” he says. Murray McGarner travels everywhere with a copy of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News because it is perfect bait for crabs. “Nailed to a tree, they can’t resist it and poke out for a look at all the big fish pictures.”
WorldTravellers Motueka • www.worldtravellers.co.nz/motueka Call: 03 528 1550 - Visit 183, High Street, Motueka Contributors Daryl Crimp Ron Prestage Sean Ryan
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THE
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Scallop closure areas
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The Fishing Paper & Hunting News is published by Coastal Media Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Coastal Media Ltd. Unsolicited editorial, letters, photographs will only be returned if you include a stamped self addressed envelope.
12 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Above: First moult juvenile lobsters recovered from CRA 2 deepwater collector. Top right: Juvenile spanish lobsters. Btm right: Juvenile red rock lobster recovered from CRA 2 deepwater collector.
The best fisheries management decisions invariably turn out to be those made on the basis of good science and research. New Zealand rock lobster fisheries have a strong foundation of both. Daryl Sykes explains:
Settling the score Signs of things to come The red rock lobster Jasus edwardsii supports the most valuable inshore fishery in New Zealand, with current total TACCs of 2,686 tonne. Rock lobsters also support recreational fisheries and are extremely important for traditional and customary users.
Tagging programmes are routinely completed in the major stocks to determine recent growth rates of the lobsters. Monitoring of rock lobster stocks is based principally on catches and catch rates in the commercial fisheries. Sampling at sea, using logbooks completed by commercial fishermen and/or observers, is also used to determine the size and sex distribution of lobsters, maturity, and general condition. Tagging programmes are routinely completed in the major stocks to determine recent growth rates of the lobsters.
JUVENILE LOBSTER SETTLEMENT A FUTURE INDICATOR A reliable predictor of recruitment and future stock abundance to the fisheries would aid in management planning. A puerulus settlement programme was established in 1974 and spread to most areas over the years.
From 2007 the long-term key sites to be monitored have been at Gisborne, Napier, Castlepoint, Kaikoura, and Moeraki. Collectors are checked monthly, at least during the main settlement season, leading to an annual index of settlement. The puerulus settlement index dataset is a valuable resource of long-term fisheryindependent information. The collection of the settlement data is rigorous; the settlement trends show consistency, and puerulus settlement index is being used in the base case stock assessment models. The settlement data show internal consistency along the east coast North Island (ECNI) and in southern areas, suggesting that they are measuring real changes in settlement indices and that the relationship between settlement and subsequent recruitment to the stocks is significant in some QMAs. Ideally, the puerulus settlement programme would provide a predictive index of recruitment and allow for more accurate stock projections to be made for each stock. The benefits of prediction of recruitment trends in a rock lobster fishery have been well demonstrated in Western Australia, where more than 30 years of settlement data allow improved financial planning and investment by fishers and processors, and proactive rather than just reactive fisheries management.
The main value of the puerulus data to stock assessment and fishery management in New Zealand lies in the relationship between any trends in settlement levels and trends in stock abundance, rather than definitive measures of annual recruitment. This is because there are many years (about 5-8 for males and 6-11 for females) between settlement and recruitment to the fishery, likely leading to blurring of annual signals.
A reliable predictor of recruitment and future stock abundance to the fisheries would aid in management planning. The programme uses sampling devices called crevice collectors that are placed at locations around New Zealand. The collectors are sampled monthly and the number of puerulus in the collectors recorded. There has not been a standard set of locations, and sites within locations have not been constant over time because of local conditions and difficulties of access. Furthermore, due to the weather and logistical constraints, the collectors cannot always be sampled each month. Fishery-independent diver-based puerulus settlement monitoring has
been conducted in sheltered inshore shallow sites on the coast and has been utilized in the development of a predictive capacity for the lobster fisheries. However, the majority of catches in this fishery are sourced from deep (>10 m), remote, and highly exposed areas where it is impractical and expensive to conduct fishery-independent routine settlement monitoring.
DEEP DIVE FOR LOBSTER INFO To determine if puerulus settle in deeper waters, Tasmanian researchers adapted a crevice puerulus collector to fit within a lobster trap frame specifically designed to be deployed and serviced by commercial vessels typical of the lobster fleet. A five-month trial including recording puerulus from waters more than 100 m depth yielded puerulus catches similar to those from inshore shallow sites. The Tasmanian collectors have been picked up for use in the Bay of Plenty by the CRA 2 Rock Lobster Management Company (CRAMAC 2). In a new industry-funded initiative, CRAMAC 2 has deployed deep-water collectors at sites from Tairua north to Coromandel. The collectors are serviced monthly and are proving to be capable of catching and holding juvenile lobsters. Settlement numbers have been relatively high in comparison to the conventional shore-based
CRAMAC 2 fishermen are expanding both sites and the numbers of collectors being deployed with the intention of compiling a long time series of data collectors in Gisborne and the Wairarapa. Previous efforts to establish conventional collector arrays in the Bay of Plenty were thwarted by storms that smashed the crevice
collectors deployed at Bowentown. A more recent initiative by CRAMAC 2 was beaten back by the bureaucracy of the RMA – with the conventional collectors deemed to be ‘structures’ in the coastal marine area and necessitating a resource consent. CRAMAC 2 fishermen are expanding both sites and the numbers of collectors being deployed with the intention of compiling a long time series of data, which it is hoped will confirm ‘pulses’ of recruitment to the fishery and guide management decisions based on anticipated recruitment strengths.
is underpinned by a comprehensive electronic monitoring programme implemented in 1997. That programme includes an extensive tag, release, and recaptures project providing growth and movement data and the ERNIE system (another CRA 2 industry-funded initiative), which has created a database of more than two million individual records of size, sex, and maturity observations from rock lobster catches.
The CRAMAC 2 puerulus collector programme
Above: Deepwater puerulus collectors. Below: Juvenile lobster or puerulus.
Issue 144 13
14 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
New level of comfort and safety in Fox Glacier.
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A wholly owned company of
Issue 144 15
INNOVATIVE WAYS TO TURN YOUR UTE INTO A MOTEL Have you thought about using your ute for more than just hauling gear around? How about using it as a motel? Sound crazy? Absolutely not!
T
hanks to an innovative idea from Hamilton-based Work & Play Ltd, you too can use your vehicle for so much more than carting gear. The company’s Kiwi-designed and manufactured 350 Cabover allows you to use your ute for both travelling and camping. And it has more advantages than just cost and convenience. Here’s why. The Cabover fits snugly onto the deck of your ute with the sleeping compartment sited over the cab. This puts the double bed over the roof, leaving the ute deck free for a sink, portaloo and a comfortable seating area. The unit comes equipped with solar panels, LED lights, a 12v fridge and a portaloo. Fresh and grey water are held in separate tanks, making the Cabover selfcontained and legal for camping wherever takes your fancy, not just designated camping areas. If you need to be away from home but don’t want the expense of a hotel, motel or camp ground cabin, the Work & Play Cabover is the answer.
Another option is to buy the Cabover empty, with only the bed and mattress over the cab, and use it as accommodation when working out in the field, on the farm or anywhere where a bed for the night is needed. The ute deck can then be used for transporting all the gear or equipment you need – all under cover, enclosed and lockable. Need to use your ute for work and want to remove the Cabover? No problem, Work & Play will supply wind-up jacks allowing you to take the Cabover off the ute any time you need to. But designer of the unit, Work & Play’s owner Rob McLean, says around half his customers don’t want or need jacks. If they want to move the Cabover they use block and tackle, a forklift, a tractor bucket or anything else to hand. The Cabover is nothing if not flexible, with units for both flat-deck and well-side utes. Rob’s background is in boat building and his main company BlackPearl Fibreglass Ltd has turned out approximately 650 boats in 18 years. He has been
“I have the coolest of jobs, getting to make all the stuff during the week that New Zealanders like to play with at the weekends.” Rob McLean
Rob initially came up with idea for his Cabovers when he realised that many Kiwis wanted to tow their boat, jetski or horse float but also needed accommodation. building boats since the 1980s and his expertise with fibreglass has seen him branch out into work and leisure products that are ideal for hunters and fishers. Rob initially came up with idea for his Cabovers when he realised that many Kiwis wanted to tow their boat, jetski or horse float but also needed accommodation. They couldn’t, of course, tow two trailers, making Work & Play’s premier product – the camper tailer – impracticable. The solution was to put the accommodation on the back of the ute instead. As well, Rob says some people aren’t keen on towing but still want everything the Work & Play trailer camper offers. The Cabover solves this problem simply and easily. Also, travelling across Cook Strait costs more for a vehicle plus a trailer than just the vehicle, making the Cabover a money-saver, too. Work & Play Cabovers are made to order so if you need something specific, the company will happily incorporate it into the finished unit.
Optional extras include roof-racks, side-awnings and rear tents. Utility Boxes for Everyday Use. Another very popular product in the Work & Play range is the utility box which also sits on the back of your ute. These are made to order and come in all shapes and sizes. One popular type incorporates a dog box with storage units left and right. The utility boxes have multiple uses and come in a variety of configurations. Rifle racks, separation of wet and dry gear, or boxes for tradies’ tools are all common uses. All utility boxes are built to fit comfortably on the back of your ute and have side- and/or rear-opening doors. There are four sizes to choose from and optional extras include a CD radio player and high quality speakers, USB and memory card inputs, and a pull-out BB drawer. Work & Play’s utility box customers range from builders looking for extra, secure storage through to pet owners looking for a stylish yet sturdy animal cage.
The company offers a range of additional products, from outdoor furniture and bar leaners, to fish filleting benches. Sometimes his customers come up with ideas of their own which Rob is more than happy to turn into reality. He says, “I have the coolest of jobs, getting to make all the stuff during the week that New Zealanders like to play with at the weekends.” To find out more about Work & Play’s vast range of unique innovative products, visit www.workandplaytrailers.co.nz or call 07 849 7296.
16 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Photo courtesy of The Blenheim Sun
Henderson’s puts ‘family’ into business
Keeping it in the family, Tamzin Henderson and Lana Wilson.
Family owned fishing and chandlery business and pride of Blenheim’s local retail sector, Hendersons, is undergoing some changes, but it’s more a ‘booster shot’ rather than a complete makeover. The iconic business started by John Henderson in 1998 quickly became a Marlborough favourite and a bit of an institution amongst fishers from the Top of the South and Canterbury, but it’s now time for John to relinquish his position at the helm. Fortuitously, daughters Tamzin Henderson and Lana Wilson thought it was a nobrainer to combine talents and take over where dad left off.
“Core to Henderson’s success is that it is a family business and we are so proud of what Dad has achieved, so it makes sense to keep it in the family,” says Tamzin. Tamzin returned from Auckland and Lana from Dubai in February to take on the permanent running of Henderson’s on Grove Road, but it is not a baptism of fire; both girls worked after school in the business and still recognise many of the familiar faces of customers from their teenage years. “It’s really encouraging to see the ‘regulars’, which speaks to the fact that Dad built Henderson’s into a ‘family’ business in the widest
Henderson’s Open Day
sense,” Tamzin says, “and we aim to expand on that.” With approximately six thousand items in stock, the girls slipped into the role of new owners quietly and spent the winter ‘learning the ropes’ again and getting a feel for where they wanted to take the business. They have been encouraged by the help and support of loyal customers and the guiding hand of main man JB - John Baker - a Henderson’s veteran of 11 years. With the birth of a new fishing season in October, Tamzin and Lana feel that it is a fitting time to celebrate the relaunch of the new look Henderson’s with an open day on 7 October for regular and
7
Saturday th
Oct 2017 9am – 4pm
new customers. While people will get to meet the dynamic duo in person, there is much more to capture the attention of fishos, families, and the wider public, including: a sausage sizzle fundraiser for Coastguard, colouring competition for local schools, a big prize draw for purchases made on the day, fly casting demonstrations and tuition, and the amazing Icey-Tek Challenge. “We are very conscious of the rapid advancement of technology and fishing techniques in recent years and we are committed to keeping locals up to speed with current innovations,” says Lana, “so we have invited a number of suppliers along to showcase new and existing products and answer any product related queries or advise on new trends and techniques.”
Marlborough Sounds Area closed for blue cod fishing from 1 September 2017 until 20 December 2017 A reminder that the Marlborough Sounds is closed for blue cod fishing from tomorrow, September 1 2017 until 20 December 2017. This is to support the reproduction of blue cod by reducing disruption to spawning behaviour and reducing catch numbers. No person may take blue cod from the area marked in red on the map below. During this closed season, you may transport blue cod from the Challenger East Area into the Marlborough Sounds Area as long as you can prove where the fish were taken from.
She says that it is a great opportunity for locals to meet with professionals in the trade and get fresh insight into current fishing trends. It will also be an opportunity for the public to view products that Henderson’s are unable to hold as regular stock. It is sure to be a fun and informative day and an opportunity to see how Tamzin and Lana plan to put their stamp on the family business, so put a ring around the calendar now.
Hunting Tin Signs – The Perfect Gift For the hunting fanatic in your life We have just received our latest shipment of signs and to kick it off we have a brand new range of hunting signs. The perfect gift for the outdoors enthusiast. There are heaps to pick from. You can also choose from cars to fishing, to vintage garage signs. There is a theme to suit any ‘Man Cave’, shed, bach or bar. The range is huge and there are heaps of themes. Come on in and check them out. From only $30, these signs make amazing gifts, but hurry, they are going fast.
See and play with a great range of new products Go in the draw to win an Icey-Tek chilly bin full of goodies
Available from Ellis Street Auto, 104a Ellis Street, Brightwater, Nelson Ph. 03 542 4035
Colouring in competition for the kids – Collect yours in store today Meet our suppliers Sausage sizzle
For more information see Facebook/hendersonsltd SERVICE GROUP
Specialists in all types of marine repairs, sales and service
Henderson’s
38 Grove Road, Blenheim T. 03 578 9960
AIMEX LTD
137 Vickerman St, Port Nelson 03 548 1439 nick@aimex.co.nz
Issue 144 17
NELSON TASMAN GOLDEN BAY FISHING GUIDE 2017 NEW Mobile Edition Smartphone & Tablet Go Anywhere Read Anytime Watch Everything
go to www.thefishingpaper.co.nz for the mobile experience
Do you know your petrol:oil mixing ratios?
Mixing ratio of Add this much oil to one litre of petrol petrol:oil 32:1
31.25ml
40:1
25ml
50:1
20ml
Refuelling made easy at NPD Marinestops Get an NPD card and save big on fuel with our extensive marine and land network throughout the South Island. Marine site locations: Waikawa, Havelock, Okiwi Bay, Elaine Bay, Port Nelson, Tarakohe, French Pass. www.npd.co.nz
Call us to find out more:
0800 544 6162
18 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
PORT NELSON “Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved.”
Legend
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Fishing Spot
Kayak Spot
18 17 Dive Spot
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Boat Launch
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Landbased
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Fuel stop
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1 & 2 Akersten Street
Snapper, trevally, kahawai and yellow-eyed mullet in spring and summer.
3 Wharf – Tee Jetty
5 Inside Boulder Bank Channels
Incoming tide tends to bring snapper, trevally, kahawai and kingfish.
An easily accessible family fishing spot all year round, with good results in summer. Kahawai, yellow-eyed mullet, mackerel, school snapper. Cast a lure and try your luck for a kingfish that like to hang around the wharf structures.
6 Boulder Bank Back Eddy
4 Haven Channels
From late spring for trevally, snapper with kingfish making an appearance in summer through to late autumn.
Fish the incoming and outgoing tides for kahawai, snapper, yellow-eyed mullet. A good set net spot for flounder.
Kingfish lurk in here on the turning tide. Cast poppers, stick baits or livebaits under balloon.
7 & 9 Northern and Southern Cut
8 Haulashore Hole
Good sized snapper have been landed here along with the usual suspects of yelloweyed mullet, mackerel and trevally.
10 Southern Edge of Shipping Lane
Popular kayak fishing spot for snapper and kahawai.
11 End of Richardson Street
Cast toward hole which lies about 50 metres from shore to target snapper, yellow-eyed mullet and kahawai.
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12 Connolly’s Quay Fishing Platform
Cast toward deeper water slightly to the north west of the platform for snapper, trevally, yellow-eyed mullet and kahawai.
13 & 14 Fifeshire Rock Channels
Cruising kingfish are known to frequent these channels on the incoming and outgoing tide.
15 Bolton Hole
A very popular spot from early spring to late autumn for snapper and kahawai. Flasher rigs and strayline: use a variety of baits.
16 Back of Haulashore Island
Snapper, trevally, kahawai and yellow-eyed mullet. Anchor, berley, strayline and flasher rigs.
17 The G Spot
19 Off the Lighthouse
From half way either side of high tide fish the change of light for snapper, trevally, kahawai, yellow-eyed mullet, mackerel and cruising kingfish.
This is where the Port Nelson’s dredge dumps its tailings. A good spot for snapper and kahawai. Run setline through it also.
18 Seaward Boulder Bank
From late spring this is a good night fishing spot for snapper. Best fished between 11.00pm and 2.00am on a half tide, use a variety of baits.
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www.okiwi.co.nz - 03 576 5006
Issue 144 19 snapper are also found in summer.
1 Fisherman Island
Off the green navigation symbol to the south east of the island there is excellent snapper fishing during summer. Snorkelling around the rocks is very scenic. This area offers good spear fishing opportunities with the occasional crayfish.
3 Six Foot Rock
This rock just north of Adele Island, fishes well year round for tarakihi and the occasional blue cod. Fish late summer for snapper and good results for gurnard have been had further out from the rock over the sand from February onwards.
2 Adele Island
A good free diving spot for crayfish all round the coastline and reefs offshore. It’s worth targeting tarakihi off the north of the island where
4 Hapuku Reef
Situated at the start of what the locals call the Mad Mile, and for very good reason. The currents through here can be
ABEL TASMAN 16
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5 Pitt Head
Moderate fishing from the beach late in the evening, but good light tackle fishing from around the rocks. On the main coastline, small blue cod are occasionally caught. Late summer target cruising kingfish. Free diving for crayfish around coastal margin.
Coastal Waters Between 5 and 6
This stretch of coast is good for kahawai in late summer and early autumn. It’s also proven setline territory for snapper. This area is also well worth checking out for free diving for crayfish and moki. Any of the headlands or dropoffs with currents are known to hold populations of cruising kingfish from spring through to mid autumn. The area also provides great opportunities for the thrill of spear fishing kingfish.
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quite strong and when the nor’wester comes in it cuts up. The reef drops quickly onto a muddy bottom and fishing close in will produce snapper and a variety of other species.
6 Bark Bay
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Access for land based again via the coastal track. Limited rock fishing, so mainly suited to boat access. Borders the marine reserve and produces snapper, kahawai, tarakihi
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and a few blue moki. Kingfish patrol these waters from midsummer and are best taken on heavy tackle with medium to large live baits or troliing lures. Paddle crabs are plentiful at low tide. TONGA ISLAND MARINE RESERVE – No fishing zone. Ensure you make yourself aware of the exact boundaries of the marine reserve, which stretches from Bark Bay in the south to Awaroa Head in the north. This is one of the country’s most spectacular dive sites, both snorkelling and scuba diving. Try scuba diving the rock that lies just north of Tonga Island where you’re likely to see masses of crayfish in excess of 10lb. Note: If you are intending to dive in the marine reserve, ensure you have no fish, including shellfish or crayfish, aboard your boat. Fishery officers regularly patrol this area.
7 Awaroa Bay
Access is boat only and this shallow sandy bottom coast is dotted with small reefs worthy of a cast or two. In the estuary you’ll find flounder and paddle crabs. In summer surfcast from the beach for kahawai.
8 Ratakura Point
Snapper and the occasional tarakihi are found around areas of foul. A good spot for free diving for moki and crayfish.
7
FISHING PROHIBITED
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9 Rocks Offshore From Goat Bay A good site for summer snapper.
10 Totaranui
Tinnies can be launched from the beach and there is access to some reasonable land based fishing. Change of light, berley and a light tackle approach are what is required here. Paddle crabs are also plentiful. Set lining over the sandy bottom during late spring then again in early autumn has provided good results for snapper and gurnard. These fish are also known to inhabit the drop-off areas.
11 Outer Rock South off Totaranui Reef
A good summer through to mid autumn snapper, tarakihi and kahawai spot. Flasher rigs have been successful in targeting trevally around rocks with kingfish also known to lurk in areas of current. This is also a popular free dive spot for crayfish and moki.
12 The Brick
Search for the two pinnacles where you’ll find snapper during summer and blue cod year round. Drift with slow jigs, softbaits or flasher rigs.
13 South Anatakapua Bay
Fish early spring and later in summer for snapper. Target gurnard over the sandy bottom areas in late summer and autumn. Kahawai and kingfish are common around rocky
areas in late summer.
14 Separation Point A very popular fishing spot that experiences moderate to heavy pressure through the summer months. Some blue moki can be taken in close, but the area is popular for its blue cod fishery. Target snapper late in the spring and again mid-autumn. A standard ledger rig with heavy sinker is the most commonly used terminal tackle for this area. Mechanical slow jigging for kingfish late in the summer. Trevally are also caught here in late spring and again in late autumn: flasher rigs with mix of bait or slow jigs.
15 Separation Point Offshore Blue cod are common here year round but a better winter fishing area. Troll for albacore tuna in mid to late summer.
16 Separation Point West Spring snapper and again in autumn. Kingfish are found around rocky outcrops and areas of current. Live baiting or trolling surface lures is effective. Kahawai, sea perch and trevally are caught in late spring and again in early autumn. Use slow jigs, softbait or flasher rigs. It’s also a good free diving spear fishing site. Make sure you check out the shallower margins before heading into the deeper water.
Need Bait? We have Berley bombs Kahawai Trevally Mackerel Squid
If the fish aren’t biting come and get your fresh fish from us..
5
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..we won’t tell
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Nelson - Richmond - Blenheim
20 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
TASMAN BAY
1 Sandy Bay Beach
This is a very tidal area with good flounder fishing on the incoming evening tide. Paddle crabs are also plentiful with snapper cruising the area at the top of the tide.
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2 Split Apple Rock
Land based access from the Kaiteriteri road via Stephens Bay. Beach and rock fishing onto a sandy bottom. Snapper and kahawai are the main species taken. Use ledger and flasher rigs with a variety of bait.
Spring and again late summer through to autumn for snapper, kahawai, spiny dogfish and greyboys. Look for gutters where shellfish exist and fish incoming tide. Good electric kontiki spot. Large rays are also common off the beach.
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Some land based fishing is possible but it is largely boat access. Fish in close, with light tackle for tarakihi, kahawai and snapper. Berley essential.
3 Anawera Point
17 Rabbit Island – surfcasting
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18 Rabbit Island – boat fishing
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A popular snapper spot from spring until mid December. Fish the change of light in the morning in 6-8m at anchor, with good berley trail and strayline and variety of baits. Gurnard and kahawai are also common along here – take slow jigs or flasher rigs while drifting. December can bring plagues of juvenile school sharks, so don’t berley if they are present.
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4 Kaka Island
At the mouth of Kaiteriteri Bay is a set of rocks and the small island. Fishing these areas early in the spring and again later in autumn can produce snapper of reasonable size.
19 Oyster Island
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All the back channels offer school snapper in late spring then again from
7 Riwaka River Outflow and Estuary The estuary is ideal for flounder set netting and evening spear fishing. Paddle crabs are abundant and
This is one of Nelson’s surfcasting spots fishing kahawai and yellow-eye incoming tide produces however the back tide i trying. This is a highly p morning fishing spot, ho tide at the change of lig also a good time.
20 Monaco Tidal Flats
A good set net area for flounder late autumn – mid winter. Pannie snapper spring through to late autumn.
21 Tasman Bay
24 Outflow Pipe
Large area of foul where dredge dumps waste is for good spring and summer school snapper, kahawai, yellow-eyed mullet, and greyboy, plus occasional rig. Gurnard are caught here year round.
Snapper, kahawai, treva mullet and mackerel.
25 Atawhai Drive a Drive Intersection.
Cast to the channel. Go school snapper in sprin late summer to mid autu and small trevally are al Best time is the incomin through top and on bac
22 Mussel Beds Off Airport
A good snapper spot from early spring through to early summer. Historically some large fish have been landed here.
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MAIN SPRING/AUTUMN SNAPPER TERRITORY 12a
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6 Spat Farm
A prime kingfish spot through spring and again from late summer into autumn. Snapper are also caught at these times. Year round species include kahawai, mackerel, mullet and gurnard. Kingfish Hint – cruise outside of the farm and cast a subsurface lure or stick baits, then make a quick retrieve. Will also take Jitterbugs cast and retrieved. After a while the fish may become lure shy so use the lure to tease them toward the boat, then switch to speed jigging. Kingfish are very curious and an old paint tin with a few nuts and bolts, shaken beneath the water surface may also bring them over for a look.
23 Back Beach
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5 Stephens Bay
Surfcasting for kahawai, yelloweyed mullet, mackerel and in spring and late summer snapper. Good spot for dinghy fishing – strayline evening & early morning. Flasher rigs good with shellfish bait.
midsummer through until autumn. Kahawai, yellow-eyed mullet and mackerel are also often caught here. Strayline on shallow banks on incoming tide - sunrise.
29 28 26 26c
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18 16
8 Oyster Beds
Use short tows when dredging because in close there are a lot of stones that can foul your dredge. Good snapper area.
26a
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19 plenty of cockles can be found around here too. It’s no deeper than a metre at low tide.
26b
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9 The Kumeras
Surfcasting for snapper late summer to autumn. Year round for kahawai and flounder.
10 The 20 Metre Line
This is good in early to late spring where large snapper are often caught on setlines. Gurnard, greyboy, rig and kahawai in d is a e late spring and early h t v n ei t rec ntio summer. A lot of spiny Me ore & r nex t ou in-s off y vice dogfish and carpet r % e s 10 ull f sharks so avoid berley, but drift using Your friendly local for ALL your vehicle servicing needs straylines and slow jigs. Pink and white • WOF • Service • Steering & Suspension • Clutch & Brake Service Jitterbugs a good • Air Conditioning Service ...and MUCH more! spring choice. At times, red cod are abundant Official Kia Service Centre late winter through spring. Albacore 36 McGlashen Ave, Richmond | 035439233 | www.richmondservicelane.co.nz tuna over summer and autumn when water temperature high – troll albacore lures 6-8kts. Will take Rapalas and long jigs. Black Magic albie lures hot choice.
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An ideal picnic area, Kina Beach provides easy surfcasting conditions. Fish through the top of the tide for kahawai, snapper and rig. Fishes best on a mid-tide approaching dusk.
14 Moutere Bluffs - offshore
11 Port Motueka
Great spot for catching baitfish like yellow-eyed mullet before moving down the coast to target snapper. Pacific oysters are also plentiful along this coast.
12 Moutere Bluff – inshore
Snapper in shallow water from September then again from mid summer and on to autumn. A lot of pannies but big snapper also.
12a. Moutere Inlet
Spearing flounder in channels low tide through winter.
13 Kina Beach
This beautiful stretch of beach is quite secluded and easy access is offered from the Coastal Highway.
On the 10 metre line. Fishes well in spring then again in early autumn for snapper. During October and November expect rig and year round for gurnard.
15 Ruby Bay Early spring through summer for snapper fishing the change of light in the morning. In close, they go off the bite at daybreak. Mainly school snapper.
16 Mapua Channel The old wharf offers safe fishing for youngsters, but currents can be strong so heavy running rigs are advised. Boat fishing for kahawai, and in spring and again from late summer this is a good snapper spot. Big snapper in shallow!
Issue 144 21 ALBACORE TUNA Albacore tuna often come into Tasman Bay over summer and early autumn when water temperatures are high and food is abundant. Look for current lines around 20m – 30m and troll albie lures at 6-8 knots. Look for areas of baitfish, fish activity, birds working and blue water. Tuna tend to rise to surface feed with the sun, so mid-morning onwards can be productive.
premier g for snapper, ed mullet. The s the best results, is also worth popular early owever a half ght in the evening
retrieve of soft bait or lure from the bottom. Rig caught in spring.
35 East Delaware Bay
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ally, yellow-eyed
Late spring for large snapper by fishing the change of light at dusk – then again mid to late autumn. Fish the edge of the foul using stray lines, slow jigs or flasher rigs. This is good kingfish country in late spring then again in mid to late summer.
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36 & 37 Whangamoa Head to Grahams Point
and QE II .
ood site for ng then again in umn. Kahawai lso caught here. ng tide, fishing ck of tide.
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setline spot in early spring for large snapper. Rig are also common here. Good kayak fishing 300m from shore for gurnard and school snapper. 26C – Landbased from the Boulder Bank. Access from Boulder Bank Drive. This is an extremely rocky bottom so be prepared to lose some gear. Try using spoon shaped sinkers that are easier to jiggle free from between rocks. Big eagle rays are often caught here. It’s also worth spinning for kahawai and kingfish.
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27 Marybank
Flounder on edges of main channel. Use either set nets or spearfishing with light at night.
26A – Closer in to the Boulder Bank in shallow water use plenty of berley and try straylining and flasher rigs on incoming and outgoing tide. Best fishing time tends to be at mid tide at the change of light at dawn or dusk. Use a variety of baits for snapper and try drop-shotting soft baits. Expect snapper, kahawai, trevally, blue cod, kingfish, barracouta, spiny dogfish, thresher sharks and carpet
sharks. Troll for kingies mid to late spring and early autumn. Popular spearfishing and kayak destination. 26B – Offshore from the Boulder Bank in deeper water around the 20 metre mark. Anchor up and use plenty of berley. Use stray lines, ledgers and soft baits targeting snapper and trevally. If spiny dogs become a problem move into shallower water or drift fish using Jitterbugs or other slow jigs. This is also a prime
Deeper water creates different current patterns meaning this area fishes best on an incoming tide and has excellent results at the change of light. Fish the edge of the dropoff for snapper, trevally, blue cod, yellow-eyed mullet, mackerel and kingfish. Kingfish are often taken from here on live bait and lures. Drift fish or kayak up to 300m offshore for snapper, kahawai and gurnard.
30 Cable Bay
Surfcasting for snapper and kahawai, if you can get access to the shore.
Start Kayaking Today Get Ready for Summer!
Popular kayak spot – fish around Pepin Island or paddle out near Marine Reserve for snapper, kahawai and gurnard. Good setlining area. A number of large snapper taken by kayakers here.
31 Pepin Island
A popular kayak fishing area where in late summer through to autumn you can expect snapper and the occasional tarakihi. Boat fishing good with anchor and berley, strayline, flashers, softbaits and slow jigs cast close to rocks. Troll close for kingfish.
32 Pier Cove
28 & 29 Radio Mast to The Glen 26 Boulder Bank
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35 32
G D IN ITE SH B FI HI O PR
Blue cod, tarakihi off reefs and foul areas year round. Snapper and gurnard in spring to autumn in more open water. Fish the 30-metre mark in spring for large snapper and gurnard. This is also a popular set line area. Drift using straylines and slow jigs.
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Situated at the back of Pepin Island, this spot provides sheltered fishing during sou’westerlies. An area of shallow reef runs onto a sandy bottom. Fish in close for snapper and kingfish, or over the sand for gurnard.
33 West Delaware Bay
Late summer for snapper, gurnard, kahawai, mullet and mackerel. A good spot for set lining for gurnard particularly in late winter.
34 Delaware Bay
38 Cape Soucis
Blue cod all year round with snapper from spring through to late autumn. Kahawai and kingfish can also be found in spring and autumn. Good kayak fishing. Trolling from here to 30m mark in summer may pick up albacore tuna.
39 Croisilles Harbour Banks
Any of the banks sloping into the main channel produce great gurnard fishing in autumn and winter. Good kayak fishing.
40 Squally Cove
From spring until late autumn all bays and coves around mussel farms produce snapper, kahawai and trevally. North of the cable is a limited oyster bed. Good kayak fishing.
41 Moncrieff Reserve
Both land based and boat fishing for spring and autumn snapper, with kahawai in late autumn.
42 Old Wharf
Land based summer fishing for snapper and kahawai.
43 Main Beach Okiwi Bay
Drift fishing for gurnard, particularly good in winter, but you’ll also pick up the occasional large snapper in summer. Try ledger rig or slow
A tidal area where land based fishing during summer can result in catches of snapper, mullet and kahawai.
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38 Oxford Street, Richmond (Entrance to Warring car park)
Daryl Smith Owner/Operator
22 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
GOLDEN BAY 11
one
ts
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11 Wharariki Beach
A spectacularly scenic surfcasting beach for big snapper and rig. Free diving for paua when conditions allow.
gZ
Fla
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12 Fossil Point
Fly
Kin
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PROHIB
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SUMMER ALBACORE TUNA. Troll albie lures along current lines: huge masses of big kahawai and rat kingies between 20m and 40m.
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14 Anatoki Salmon 230 McCallum Rd. Turn off state highway 60 onto Long Plain Rd,
1 Wainui Bay
Good sized snapper and trevally in spring and again in late summer through until mid summer are regularly caught around the mussel farms. Paddle crabs and flounder are prolific in the estuary. Ledger rigs, flasher rigs, softbaits and slow jigs.
2 Port Tarakohe
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for snapper along with yellow-eyed mullet, black rays, dogfish, gurnard and kahawai. It is best to fish the change of light either in the early morning or late evening. On the mussel farms west of Tarakohe you’ll find snapper. From spring through to mid summer kingfish like to play around the mussel farms with live bait, trolling and surface lures all proving successful.
Wacka Murphy
netting from boats.
3 Pohara Beach
At low tide it’s possible to walk out and survey the channels and pools for the small fish that get caught on the out going tide and toward high tide. The bay is deep enough for the snapper to come in and feed, making it a reasonable surfcasting spot.
4 Golden Bay Scallop Beds CLOSED for 2017
5 Patons Rock
Good fishing from boats, or fish off the rocks at both low and high tides. Fishing the change of light and
By Daryl Crimp
even after dark will reward you. Check out the rocks at low tide so you know where you can cast your lines without losing gear on rocks. Good snapper fishing.
6 Onekaka (including near the old wharf) Snapper and other fish can be caught along this stretch. A small boat ramp is available. Fish can be caught quite close in, particularly in the late evening. Along the reef slightly offshore from here is a proven school snapper spot in early spring and fishes particularly well in early
morning. Further out on the 20 to 30 metre line setlining has been highly successful during early to late spring for large snapper. Check out this area for summer albacore.
7 Collingwood, Aorere River Mouth Always a good spot to catch kahawai or sea-run trout. Use a lure or bait and fish the incoming tide at the back of the Collingwood Motor Camp. Snapper can also be caught off this spot. This is also a good winter flounder spearing area.
8 Aorere River - for the trout fishing enthusiast This has good quantities of brown trout. There are several places you can access the river by bridges, but don’t be afraid to ask a farmer. Most will let you cross their land.
Early spring target snapper, trevally, gurnard and rig. Further offshore beyond the 40 metre mark fish for albacore tuna and mako sharks.
14 Anatoki Salmon
A unique freshwater fishing activity in Golden Bay. Situated on the banks of the Anatoki River between Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Park, you can relax and catch your very own premium Chinook salmon. Have it hot smoked ready to eat in the cafe, or take away fresh.
NEW Mobile Edition Smartphone & Tablet
9 Mussel Farms
Particularly good snapper fishing from December to March early morning and again in the evening. Launch your boat at the Collingwood boat ramp. Remember to pay your boat ramp fee. Tie up to the mussel farms, but keep out of the mussel
Scallopers: NOTE ALL AREAS CLOSED 2017-2018
Go Anywhere
This is a popular area for setlining, evening drift fishing and flounder
2
“Sourced from Land Information New Zealand data. Crown Copyright Reserved.”
13 Outside Farewell Spit
Read Anytime
2 – 3 Between Tarakohe and Pohara
1
A 20 minute walk from the base of Farewell Spit car park. Surfcast off the beach or rocky outcrops. Kahawai, sharks and other fish can be caught. Change of light and after dark is best. Beware of the large waves and dangerous undertow of the sea. A lovely place to watch the sunset.
Watch Everything
The breakwater for the marina allows you to cast into the bay. There are one or two places on the rocks that allow you to get down to the water’s edge without too much difficulty, but most people go off the point. Fish summer through to early autumn
10 Pakawau Beach
A good place for surfcasting. Fishing during the day can bring results, but it is better fishing on dark or after dark. Remember the paddle crabs take your bait during daylight hours. After dark they leave your bait alone. You can also set a crab pot here for a feed of paddle crabs.
12
FISHING
farmers’ way when they are working. Collingwood boat ramp is very tidal, launching access is only for two and a half hours either side of high tide.
Visit thefishingpaper.co.nz
for the mobile experience
Issue 144 23 Westhaven Inlet
GOLDEN BAY WEST COAST
5 Western Coastline
All beaches along this coast from the Patarau River south are good for snorkelling, with 2 Find the hole which drops plenty of paua. to about 13 metres where 6 Patarau Shoals snapper tend to lurk early This is a very exposed coastline summer through to late and is often subject to some autumn. heavy weather from the north 1 Snapper are prolific from early summer through until autumn.
9 See enlargement
8 6 5
3 Flounder throughout the tidal sandflats but spear fishing only.
and west. These shoals produce good catches of snapper and blue cod and are a popular dive site for crayfish. Big tarakihi 4 All bridges on the Westhaven Road are good have been taken from here spots for surfcasting from for along with the occasional trumpeter and trevally. snapper.
7 Kahurangi Shoals
7
Westhaven Inlet 1 2 4 3
A diverse range of species Note: Be aware of the is caught here including Westhaven Te Tai Tapu groper, blue cod, snapper Marine Reserve. and trumpeter with kingfish in The reserve covers 536 hectares and includes all the summer. tidal sandflats and channels Crayfish are plentiful for scuba divers. south of a straight line between Melbourne Point (Pah Point) and the closest 8 Patarau Banks Albacore tuna in autumn and headland of Westhaven early spring. Shoaling trevally Scenic Reserve. It also includes all the tidal areas and kahawai are also known to inhabit these waters. Blue upstream of causeways along Dry Road, southwest cod can be found here year of and including the Wairoa round with perch, snapper and a few groper. River. An area around the Mangarakau wharf is not 9 The 102 Metre Line included in either reserve. A consistent groper spot when fishing the deeper margins.
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24 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Ray riders of the Golden Bay salt flats
Ben Booth
The Colonel’s secret recipe Patrick Noone
The newly discovered kingfish fishery is one of the jewels in the crown of the Golden Bay area. In recent times anglers from all over the world have travelled to this world class location to sample the fantastic salt flats fly fishing and have been totally blown away by the ferocity of the takes and fights that the kingfish put up. The kingfish you are targeting are following the big black stingrays as they cruise in over the shallows and are most commonly known as ‘ray riders’ by the local fly fishermen. These fish are generally very aggressive so they will take a well presented baitfish pattern stripped as fast as you can, because kingfish really love a lure that is travelling at speed. The best time to target these kingfish is from December to April, the reason being is that the water temperature will be close to or above 15 degrees Celsius. This is the
temperature that kingfish start to feel comfortable in and will come onto the flats to feed. You will need to get a quality fast action #8 or #9 fly rod and reel setup that is capable of standing up to prolonged fights where the
fish will be making multiple 100m runs. Your reel will need to have a fully enclosed drag system otherwise the salt water will destroy the inside very quickly. You must also have a spool of 20lb and 30lb leader so that you have all your bases covered, as is possible to come across some really large kingfish. A
While the bitter cold can be hell on the extremities, winter is a magic time to fish the Mackenzie Country. One trip in late May is memorable, not just because of the big fish but the drama as well.
minutes of setting up, I was hooked into a fish that was definitely in the high twenties. I knew I was in trouble after only a few seconds of hooking it, as it screamed away, emptying the entire spool and then broke me off.
I returned to Spot X at 2.00am and fished through till four and my luck changed. Again I got into some blistering action but this time the fish stuck and I landed a 24lb, 21lb, 18lb, 15lb and a few smaller fish.
I arrived from Christchurch at around 11.00pm but undeterred at the lateness of the hour because this was a night mission. When fishing this particular spot, a remote lake, I find the later the hour the better and no moon a massive help. I was targeting big fish and within ten
Not long after that I had another huge fish straighten my hook, so I wasn’t happy at all.
With confidence restored, I returned to Spot X the following night at 1.00am and had another amazing night, landing five more fish from 8lb up to 17lb, and all on the fly.
I fished on for another 45 minutes with no luck, so headed away to the canals for a fish to try and forget my bad luck.
selection of bait fish patterns and popper flies is a must, as sometimes the kingfish can be a bit picky and may require a different pattern to get them to take.
The GPS coordinates will remain as top secret as the Colonel’s 11 different herbs and spices.
Pat with a monster from the dark
It is also very important that you are protected from the sun by using quality clothing designed for fishing in a harsh salt flats situation. Sunscreen is also a must. A good quality pair of polarised sunglasses is very important, as well as a good hat to help shade the sun. Make sure you have sturdy footwear and ideally a pair of boots designed for fishing on coral as this will help protect you from the small eagle rays that hide in the sand and will try to sting you if they are stood on. The best place to base yourself when staying in the Golden Bay area is Collingwood as there are a number of different hotels and cafe’s/restaurants that can cater for all your needs.
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Issue 144 25
Winter freezer filler
Death in the Dark Continent
Bryn Williams
Gary Fissenden
Still dark as I arrived at the start of the walk, my main aim was to get through the beech forest and reach the clearing on first light. Throwing my pack on my back and tucking the rifle under my shoulder, something just felt right. The creek crossing was slippery and the grass was crisp from the morning frost. The forest was dead quiet, which just added to the anticipation and, as dawn fast approached, I made it to the edge of the clearing. Wind on my nose, I immediately smelt animals nearby. On high alert, I thoroughly scanned the opening and made the decision to walk slowly to open up more country to glass. Just as the first corner approached, I locked eyes with a spiker less than 100 yards away. A perfect animal to take for some spring time barbecues. Closing the bolt with a round in the chamber, I put the deer in the cross hairs and, with both of us aware of each other’s presence, I wasted no time in pulling the trigger. As the sound of the rifle rang out, an eight-point stag, which was out of view to begin with, ran straight past where the spiker had stood and off into the beech forest. Due to the deer being aware
The spiker dropped at the shot... and then all hell broke loose!
of my presence I didn’t have the luxury of glassing and watching the animals before the shot. The hunt was fast paced and required quick decision making. Adrenaline still pumping, I made the rifle safe and headed over to inspect the animal. A beautiful conditioned spiker lay on the deck amongst some ferns. The clean neck shot had virtually saved every ounce of meat, aside from the destroyed neck roast. I snapped a quick couple of pictures and then began gutting it out. Being only an hour from the truck, the decision was made to make it into a back pack and carry it out whole. I can tell you quite
honestly that the walk back took far longer than an hour! Taking the weight of the deer off my back by leaning on a bank, I realised how alive the forest had become. The bellbirds and silvereyes were engaged in a vocal war and the fantails were as curious as ever. Of course the last stretch was uphill and with my legs shaking with every step, it made it all the more rewarding to reach the truck. Hanging for a week in a fridge helped set the meat and the skinning, butchering, mincing, vacuum packing and, of course, eating was a huge family effort. Absolutely outstanding!
It’s every hunter’s dream to hunt Africa, to see the animals, and experience the magic of the Dark Continent. For me, the spark to hunt Africa was ignited years ago through reading such classics as Peter Hathaway Capstick’s Death in a Dark Continent and Robert Ruark’s Use Enough Gun. The opportunity to go on Crimpy’s African Safari this year was perfect timing, bloody awesome, and a trip of a lifetime. While I didn’t really have any expectations before setting foot on African soil, the hunting exceeded my wildest dreams: the sheer number of animals and array of species was breathtaking, but what surprised me was how naturally wary all the animals were. Crimpy insists on experiencing Africa the way it’s meant to be so all hunts are fair chase walk up hunts and, because of the canny nature of the animals, challenging and rewarding. To get in close to genuinely wild, premium trophy animals such as the cunning gemsbok, sly and secretive nyala, and shy ghost-like kudu requires patience, persistence, and finely honed hunting skills, which greatly adds to the value of trophies won.
There were many highlights, like stalking to within 40m of a male and female rhino, the ‘Initiation Ceremony’ after shooting my first animal, the skill of the PHs and trackers in reading sign and getting us in close for the shot, the baboon hunt, taking the beautifully ugly warthog in the dying moments of the last hunt, and to top it off, the quality of the trophies was first class. Then there is the camaraderie of the South African people,
unquestionably heart-felt and touching. The hospitality of our South African hosts was exceptional, second to none, and resulted in us cementing many new and true friendships under the African sun. I have absolutely no hesitation is recommending Crimpy’s African Safaris to anyone wishing to experience a genuine fair chase safari on the Dark Continent. Value for money, it’s unbelievable.
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26 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Wired Kim Swan Ahead and uphill of me was a family of grunters: sister sows accompanied by babes and boars. Beside me, the faithful canine duo of Pearl and Chop. As large droplets began to splat the side of my face, I held Pearl and told her to look. Her body tensed and eyes widened; she stared into the distance till she saw movement and recognised pig shapes. “Psst, catch’em.” Mamas, poppas, and weeney weaners, the mob fled as one. Then, as the dogs closed in, it was every pig for him or herself.
One boar did a u-turn and came my way. As I slipped and slid north towards the dogs, he ducked and dived south. Eventually we crossed paths. A rude example of a wild boar, he was thin and poorly. He was an abscess-ridden, hairytailed, old-timer, who was not worth a second glance.
the direction that Pearl kept going and going and going. Then we looked north to the Hilux. The window was down, the driver’s seat was soaked, but being behind the wheel would enable us to go far and fast. Driving would beat walking, no contest.
The downpour continued unabated as dogs and I trudged back from our endeavours. As I crested the ridge into the full force of the gale, my attention was on the cold rivulets channelling down bum crack and cleavage, so I missed Pearl’s rapid departure. How she could scent-trail in these conditions was beyond me but I was in no doubt it was ‘game on’ once again.
Unbeknown to me, there was a group of stags on the open face Pearl and her quarry crossed. As the skinny boar cantered past them, his hackles raised and tail high, they noted his rapid gait. They sensed trouble was afoot. Heads high and heart rates elevated, they watched and waited. Minutes later Pearl came into view, her speed, colour, and smell was cause for panic. The stags bolted.
Chop and I faced-up to the frigid wind, looking glumly in
Four adult red deer in full flight. Down the face they
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careened, making a beeline for the riverbed and the native bush on the far side. Cloven hooves splayed, they lunged and slid till the farm track far below. Then all four bounded across the narrow
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There was a stag stuck in the fence. I eased up to him on foot; his eyes bulged and nostrils flared as I approached. I wanted to help him. He wanted to scream and run. Try as I might, I couldn’t help him. Try as he might, he couldn’t scream nor run. The tangle of wire was stronger than us separately or together.
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Red didn’t understand me, of course he didn’t, he was a terrified wild deer and I was the dreaded species he avoided at all costs. I talked to him anyway. I explained myself as he fought me, I proposed a plan. Then, right up tight against his swelling black hooves, I cut the wire. Tension off, I pried him free.
I was going flat-out when suddenly, hey, what was that up ahead? Off to the side I was sure I’d seen movement. Something brown, what was it?
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The tail-ender misjudged his leap, his front feet failed to clear the top strand, and the wire stopped him dead, midflight. He somersaulted, hind quarters slamming into the dirt, antlers almost breaking his neck. He lay winded and stunned.
Back at the truck, my seat was wet, squelching wet, but I had a heater, windscreen wipers, acceleration, and speed. Just a small matter of several kilometres 4x4 drive and then tracking Pearl. There was mud, lotsa, mud, huge puddles, tight corners and nobody else out here. Barry Crump would’ve been proud of the Hilux and me.
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shed. A tool, not pliers, but it would do. Doors and gates left ajar. Wheels spun then I drove like the wind.
The pain was severe. His shoulder muscles were torn. His hip was bruised. Worst of all, both forefeet were twisted between wire so tight, the circulation was cut off to his hooves. He struggled but there was no escape.
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flat to the fence line. In turn, they stalled momentarily then leapt, a graceful arc over the man-made impediment.
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There was an old shed on the farm. Perhaps there were a pair of pliers tucked away there. I had to hurry; the stag was extremely stressed and his hooves were dying without a blood supply. Crump was too slow, now I was Paddon.
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“C’mon,” I willed him up onto his feet. “C’mon, don’t quit.” Slowly he dragged himself up onto his haunches. Then he staggered onto all four feet. He wobbled, fell. “C’mon, you can do it, I don’t want to have to put you down.” Slowly Red’s circulation resumed a steady pulse from head to toe, delivering blood and adrenalin. Recharged, the big fella got brain and body co-ordinated and walked a couple of steps. Then, without looking back, he broke into a wobbly trot, before finding a game trail near the flooded river and disappearing into the matagouri. As I scooped up the lifesaving wire-cutting tool, I noticed for the first time in 15 minutes it was still teeming with rain, there was still a raging southerly, I was still saturated, and I had left my bloody truck window open again. My tracker told me Pearl had caught up with the skinny old boar, which I didn’t want, and they were ‘treed’ a kilometre away. Yet, despite all that, I felt a little wired - I had saved a stag from a lingering death. Today was a good day.
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At first he lay still, panting and grunting with pain. Then he struggled and kicked but couldn’t rise. Dammit, I was too late, he was buggered.
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Issue 144 27
The three-second buck Dave McDonald
It was windy as hell with light persistent rain but I knew the distraction would allow a careful hunter to get close to a trophy stag. I crossed the swamp and headed left with the wind behind me, following the track, knowing I wouldn’t see anything cross my path on the way down. It was still early and I got to where the track meets the pines, then I turned into the wind. That’s when I saw huge footprints, along with those of smaller deer. Following the trail left by the big prints, I circled into the wind, which took me into heavy bush. I caught up with the buck in a small clearing, up high
near the ridge top. He was feeding but didn’t take long to sense my presence. As I brought the scope up, the buck turned and looked straight at me. He jumped immediately, bounding towards the ridge.
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I’d set the crosshairs on three-power and jumped on him as he came through the cross. I touched off the fatal shot and the 130 grain projectile did the deed; the big buck crumpled and somersaulted over and over into the thick pepperwoods. It was all over in less than three seconds but the satisfaction of a plan coming together lasted much longer.
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28 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Hennie goes nose to snout
Daryl Crimp for example, and I mean BIG kudu, vanish like the ephemeral wisp of smoke before you even realise you need to go quiet: the ratchet of a handbrake being pulled on, the clink of a car door, a conversation above a microwhisper, and heavy footfalls telegraph your intentions and leave you convinced these monsters simply don’t exist. Hennie and I don’t talk on the hunt; sign language with minimal movement is our currency of choice:
slight nod of the head, raise of the eyebrow, roll of the eye, and ever-so-slight hand movements. On the stalk, I tuck right in behind him, Indian file, because this minimises movement, but when scouting I often hang back ten metres. Being tailend-Charlie occasionally allows me to pick up animals that have moved after Hennie has gone through, but he doesn’t miss much. And most importantly, when my PH calls the animal as a taker, I don’t ‘worry’ the shot but
From atop Pride Rock we spotted animals on the bushveld below
As the sun set over the bushveld, the magnificent old warthog revealed himself
The sun flared and sunk from the African sky like a spitfire coming into land and the soft charcoal of twilight bled out to a darker ink. A spotted eagle owl gave its first cry of the night and I turned away from Pride Rock and winked at Hennie, my PH. The young professional hunter grinned and said, “Yes sir, a beauty… maybe tomorrow!” I was a week into ten days hunting the bushveld of the Limpopo District
while hosting two groups on Crimpy’s African Safaris and everyone was enthralled with the experience. Of the trophies that had fallen so far, all were excellent and some were exceptional, with a number of gold medal animals accounted for. All were contested fairly; wild animals hunted fair chase on foot, in their domain. The odds were stacked clearly in the animals’ favour and all trophies were hard earned proper hunting.
All were contested fairly; wild animals hunted fair chase on foot, in their domain. The odds were stacked clearly in the animals’ favour and all trophies were hard earned proper hunting.
The bushveld is challenging habitat to hunt, with plenty of cover to swallow your quarry and a multitude of factors to give the game away: shifting wind, a thousand eyes watching, satellite dish ears tuned to the slightest foreign sound, and pure dumb luck. The really exceptional trophies are generally only seen by exceptional hunters; they don’t get big by being dumb and you have to utilise every skill just to get the chance to see them. Big kudu
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Call Crimpy NOW 021 472 517 - editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz
Issue 144 29
A warthog on the move
take it quickly and crisply, the moment it is on; canny old animals generally give you a three second window and they are gone. The young and curious stand and give you all the time in the world to polish the shot and manicure your nails. Hennie and I were now in tight Indian file and quartering the wind like a yacht as we tacked in amongst the thorns and isolated clearings below Pride Rock. We’d spotted the old warthog the night before and finally got the lay of its territory. He was a dominant boar and had given us the slip on a couple of occasions but we now knew where his digs were, so we were on full alert. Most hunters have warthog on their wish list because they are iconic, novel creatures and so ugly they are beautiful. Typically, they can be challenging to hunt, and this guy was commanding our full attention. Sometimes luck is on your table and flicker of brown through the thorns ahead rolled the dice in our favour. The sounder of warthogs were oblivious of our presence
but were scuffling quite quickly through the maze of thorns, so we had to rely on a combination of skill and intuition to keep up with them. Hennie loves his job and is an absolute pleasure to hunt with - more buddy than professional guide, and he is damn good on the trail. Like ghosts of the veld, we closed to with in 25m of the hogs, but no opportunity for a shot presented itself so we kept closing the gap. The atmosphere was tense: anticipation and anxiety fortified with a good slug of adrenaline made for a potent cocktail.
Then Hennie went right and I grabbed him and pulled him left. The warthogs had cut back and I’d just caught a glimpse of one as I turned to follow my PH. A kaleidoscope of events unravelled in the chaos of a moment. Masked by a wall of scrub, the warthogs were on line to cut our wind and moving quickly. Flashes of brown and grey amidst the dust and thorns were the only indicators Phacochoerus africanus was there, so picking out the boar and making an accurate
The sounder of warthogs were oblivious of our presence but were scuffling quite quickly through the maze of thorns, so we had to rely on a combination of skill and intuition to keep up with them.
shot seemed impossible but, paradoxically, clarity comes in moments of confusion. I became so acutely aware of everything within the bubble of my focus and, in that split second, registered Hennie’s nod, the rust colour of the boar, the slight gap in the vegetation, and the brief opportunity as it presented itself.
bit and autopsied the stalk. Hennie was shaking so bad he couldn’t light a smoke. We both laughed to ease the tension and I shot a friendly barb at my PH, “Why the hell have you got buck-fever? I was the one doing the shooting!”
Pigs exploded into a gallop at the shot and the boar raced off at a ridiculously fast clip, but we were not to worry - a ruby blood trail tethered us to the trophy so we stood a
It had been a great stalk alright, culminating in me pulling the trigger five metres from the pig, and I was rewarded with a trophy that ticked all the boxes.
This magnificent warthog ticked all the boxes
Hennie and I don’t talk on the hunt; sign language with minimal movement is our currency of choice: slight nod of the head, raise of the eyebrow, roll of the eye, and ever-soslight hand movements.
BOOK REVIEWS NOTHING SHORT OF DYING By Erik Storey Simon & Schuster RRP $35
Reviewed by Lynnaire Johnston
It says something about a book when its cover is adorned with not one but two glowing endorsements from best-selling heavyweights Lee Child and Jeffery Dreaver. A cynic might say they will have been compensated handsomely for their praise. Someone more charitable
NIGHTHAWK By Clive Cussler
Penguin Random House RRP $37 Reviewed by Lynnaire Johnston
I’m a sucker for a good thriller. I don’t wait for a wet weekend. Instead, when one shows up I put other activities on hold and dive in. Given the choice, I’d rather be reading than almost any other activity. Note the ‘almost’.
might say they truly believe in the book and are merely being philanthropic. Let’s go with the theory that all three authors are published by the same company and so the big guns have been called into help out a newbie. Because this is a debut novel. And a good one, at that. Storey is a true outdoorsman; a hunter, wilderness guide, dogsled musher, and former ranch hand. He’s therefore a man well qualified to write about backwoods USA. And this is largely where Nothing Short of Dying (a Kris Kristoffersen
When a book grabs me, I’ll ignore everything (and everyone) that isn’t essential and read for hours. All of which is a prelude to saying that with Nighthawk I was in a state of ‘grippedness’ (which is a real word to Red Dwarf fans) from start to finish. This is Cussler’s 25th international bestseller and another in the series of the NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) files. He spits out books faster than a speeding bullet although many of them are double-acts with other writers. In this book, that other writer is Graham Brown.
Hennie grinned, “Eish - I have never stalked so close to a warthog before, Crimpy!”
lyric, if I recall correctly) is set. Clyde Barr receives a frantic phone call for help from his sister. The call is cut off before he can ascertain her whereabouts or the nature of her dilemma. But he takes it sufficiently seriously to set off in pursuit and in so doing sets in motion a trail of death, destruction, and gory mayhem. This is a bloke’s book. It’s full of guns, shooting, and chases. The good guys don’t always survive and the bad guys don’t always lose. It’s a rollercoaster of a ride.
The plot thickens around the reentry to Earth’s atmosphere of an American spacecraft carrying secret and deadly cargo. Both the Russians and the Chinese (it’s never the North Koreans, oddly!) want said cargo and will go to any lengths to get their hands on it. The Americans, unsurprisingly, want to keep it. What follows is a cat and mouse game between the superpowers that will keep you riveted. Of course, there’s plenty of murder and mayhem, but there’s also a sub-story about the demise of ancient South American civilisations (thanks, smallpox.)
The pace is frenetic, making it ideal for a wet weekend or a fishing trip when the fish refuse to bite. I’m not usually a fan of bloodand-guts type books but this had me hooked from the beginning. So, it’s not a stretch after all to believe that Dreaver’s comment of ‘nothing short of brilliant’ might just be genuine (although given the title, he might have been a bit more creative). All in all, I still believe there’s money in having your name on the cover of someone else’s book. Call me a cynic!
which sent me to Google to find out more. I figure hours spent reading are entirely justified if I’m learning something in the process – or at least, that’s how I rationalise it. Aviation fans won’t be disappointed, either. Both Cussler and Brown have strong flying backgrounds and this is used to good effect. There’s enough technical detail to make it interesting, but not so much that non-flyboys’ eyes will glaze over. Nighthawk is thoroughly worth the read.
30 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
SIKA NEWS
SEPTEMBER 30 & OCTOBER 1, 2017 GREAT LAKE CENTRE, TAUPO
Happy Birthday Nikon Nikon is a brand that has pursued, advanced, and explored the possibilities of light for a century. You will undoubtedly know them for their Monarch and Prostaff series Sport Optics (If not you will at least have a Nikon camera tucked away for the next vacation – half buried in the closet) but that’s not where they got their start. Widely acknowledged as the global leader in precision optics, Nikon’s roots go back to the development of its optical glass manufacturing 1917 First Nikon Factory
plant 1917, with its headquarters in Tokyo. Since then, Nikon has continued to be on the frontier of generations of optical and precision technology experts with an enduring passion for quality and innovation.
For the second year running, Nikon will have its own stand, to showcase the latest range finders, binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes, and action cameras. The ongoing collaboration with the SIKA SHOW 2017
so please come down and meet the Nikon Sport Optics team.
Not long after they found their roots, they developed the MIKRON ultra-small-prism binoculars in 1921. The MIKRON binoculars were one of the first binocular models developed, designed, and manufactured by Nikon. They were acclaimed for their compactness and high functionality, and are still a popular model after having been reproduced for sale since 1997. 1921 First Sport Optics
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Issue 144 31
Success Through Experience The Mauser M12 blends highest functionality with modern Mauser design: Solid steel construction featuring the distinctive wide Mauser loading breech, extremely smooth bolt movement and classic, straight stock shape with “Prince of Wales” pistol grip. A crisp, direct trigger and 3-position SRS safety for highest safety demands along with target-driven design and perfect balance are what make this rifle an international success. Stäger Sport is offering fantastic Mauser M12 rifle
packages in time for your Spring hunting.
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The M12 is an excellent quality conventional turn bolt rifle. The fit, finish and ergonomics are second to none.You could consider the excellent Mauser Hexalock scope mounting system that allows quick on and off of the optic with very good repeatability. Add to your package a Javelin Carbon Fibre bipod, the ultimate lightweight hunting aiming support and you are ready for Spring. You can make up your own rifle package with the bare
and optics from our range of Swarovski, Kahles or Minox optics. Visit our website to see our full range at stagersport.co.nz, phone us on 03 544 88844 or email direct info@stagersport.co.nz Come and see them at the Sika Show 2017 and they will get you sorted with the right package for you. You’ll find Stäger Sport in the main pavilion.
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• Creates an optimal shooting position • Made of rigid steel and aluminium components • Easy to pack and transport Lyman’s new Bag Jack, as well as other Lyman Brand products are available nationally through firearms and sporting goods dealers. Trade enquires only to: C R Pain Ltd. Albany, Auckland
Lyman – an innovator in the field of case preparation and reloading – has introduced their new Cyclone™ Rotary Tumbler. This tumbler is designed to polish brass better than vibratory tumbler designs and restore even the most tarnished cases to a mirror-like shine inside and out. This comprehensive kit contains the following features and accessories: • Unique Dual Sifting System individually separates cases and pins AT THE SAME TIME. (Sifter System included) • 5 pounds of stainless steel media pins and sample packet of cleaning solution included. • Fast, efficient case cleaning; inside, outside and primer pockets
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Alpine Sports new stockist of Roedale precision suppressors
Owner of Alpine Sports, Jason, personally put Roedale Precision Suppressors to the test, to ensure they would be ideal for our conditions. He has this to say:
Noticeable was a huge difference in sound and comfort; a pop instead of the resonating bang of the 300, and recoil was reduced by, I would say, over half...no bull. This greatly improved my confidence in firing my Strasser.
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Lyman – an innovator in the field of shooting accessories – has introduced the Bag Jack. Lyman’s Bag Jack is designed to make it easy to adjust the elevation of your rifle and bring it into line with your target, while also allowing you to maintain a comfortable shooting position. Compact, stable, and infinitely adjustable, the Bag Jack is the perfect platform to set up your shooting rest at the range. Create the optimal shooting position under any shooting conditions. The Bag Jack corrects the height with a simple turn of the adjustment knob. The lift is made from sturdy aluminium and steel components and has a non-slip textured platform. The lift is 10” x 10” so it can accommodate the largest size rests, and collapses for unmatched portability. • Ten inches of elevation adjustments from 2 3/4” to 12 3/4” • Accommodates the vast majority of range bags
German arms manufacturing has a reputation for accuracy, which was soon borne out upon fitting the suppressor to my Strasser 300win mag. The first shot was as accurate as it was before and required no re-sighting in, as is the case with most other suppressors. The point of impact remained unchanged.
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A client recently used my rifle to shoot a tahr at 150m and I discovered I could actually hear the round hitting the target more clearly, instead of ringing in my ears normally associated with large calibres.
In short, the Roedale Precision Suppressors live up to German accuracy, with immediate benefits being: no change in aim, less recoil, and less noise, making it more enjoyable and safer hunting. The following is a txt from a customer who has a Roedale Suppressor fitted to his Strasser 7mm Rem Mag: ‘All finished: she is now officially awesome. I’m pretty certain she could put 5 rounds through one hole. Only limited by my poor shooting and eye sight. Only rifle that’s shot more accurately at 100m at the NZDA range is the 6mm PPC bench rest rifle a bloke was testing out. The suppressor by the way is phenomenal. Have had quite a few comments about how effective it is. And had zero effect on point of aim when fitted - shows the level of precision in its bore. So putting it on and removing it requires no re-sighting.’
32 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
From Sinker to Smoker By Ron Prestage
Surfcasting in South Africa Rory Coltman, now a Nelson resident, recently shared some more of his wide South African surfcasting experiences and photographs with me.
Arno de Bruin
Mussel cracker or black steenbras. Arno de Bruin caught this fine mussel cracker in July, which is winter in South Africa. It was taken at Cebe on the Wild Coast when Arno was targeting the smaller blue fish. Hence he was using lightish gear, a Penn 6000 fixed spool reel, 30lb braid, a 1/0 hook and a pink prawn for bait tied on with bait elastic. After about 6 or 7 runs on the light tackle the 8.6kg fish was finally landed.
Wetsuits are the dress of choice as sometimes outer rocks are swum to, to fish from. Kob like to frequent the deeper holes off the rocky reefs so reading the area is important for success.
Willie Sage
Spring is coming, the weather is warming up, and the grass will start to grow in the high country. As the deer numbers are a lot higher than they were a few years ago, they will have had a lean winter and will be keen on any good tucker coming their way. They will start feeding lower down and work their way up high as the grass starts growing at the higher altitude. As I have been flying into the Marlborough High Country for a few years now I am beginning to get a good picture of what happens at particular times of the year and where the good spots will be, which means hunters can be assured of the best chances of success.
Kob Denvor Tesseme and friend caught these kob in a fishing competition at Hamburg in the Eastern Cape area. Their gear was 12 foot 6 inch rods, 20lb braid, fluorocarbon leaders and 3oz jigheads laced with a soft plastic paddle tails. These are cast out 100m or so and retrieved in a jerky fashion.
Sage hunting advice
Denvor Tessemer and a friend
We have such a great resource on public land but, like anything good, we must look after it. I have been impressed with the guys I fly only taking what they need and making sure there are plenty left for others and to grow to reach their full potential. The younger hunters seem to realise if we don’t look after it now it won’t be there tomorrow. We have some great chamois hunting here but hunters taking too many really affect the numbers. We must look after them and let the herds build up, which
Willie Sage aims to put you amongst the animals
means only taking the good bucks. This is what most people do but I have had a few reports of bomb ups on nannies and kids; probably the same guys that shoot the DOC signs and leave rants in the hut books. At least they don’t walk too far from the four wheel drive! The numbers have been building nicely in many spots, thanks guys, whether you fly in or walk it’s great to see.
Even though my job is the chopper pilot, the biggest challenge is ensuring everyone has a successful trip, which is my primary goal for every hunter who flies with me. I do feel the pressure sometimes when I arrive at the pick up point, I take it as a personal insult if it doesn’t go well! Lucky most of the time it’s okay but if you hunt with the wind on your back, sleep in, or don’t cover the ground, don’t blame me!
Garrick Rory caught and released five of these fish when fishing in September in front of the island at Mazeppa on the Wild Coast. This is a very popular fishing site and to get there at high tide, a swing bridge is used. Tuna and other game fish are often caught there. Rory was using his light tackle set-up with a pink paddle tail at the business end. There is a lot of catch and release in South African surfcasting so fish are often not gaffed or netted but tailed for de-hooking before release.
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Issue 144 33
Improving recreational fisheries Clear the ground for future generations I love it when I have a ‘spot and wait’ hunt for an animal or even just staking out a likely spot for a few hours. That build up of tension as you wait for something to appear or an animal to present a shot is brilliant. Hours can slip by easily. It makes sense to use the time to improve your chances of a successful shot. If you find yourself waiting for a shot opportunity, take some time to prepare the areas around you. Make sure you have as many clear shooting lanes as possible. Trim any vegetation you need to.
The New Zealand Initiative The New Zealand Initiative recently completed a round of public meetings in the South Island to discuss its draft policy recommendations of how to improve recreational fishing for all New Zealanders. The meetings follow on from the Initiative’s most recent fisheries report, The Future Catch: Preserving recreational fisheries for the next generation.
The report’s first recommendation is for the government and all fishing sectors to improve the management of shared fisheries. These are the inshore fisheries that all sectors have a shared interest in. Each wants to take more, but often there is not enough to go around. One way to show this commitment is to reach set targets for higher abundance (biomass). Reaching these targets would benefit all fishing sectors.
The report’s second recommendation is to integrate recreational fisheries into management policies and processes. This starts with developing a policy for recreational fisheries. Integration includes improving the information available on recreational fishing. It also includes a professional national-level institution to represent all recreational fishing interests. Dr Bess says this institution would be like Recfishwest in Western Australia, which provides the government with peak body advice. It also acts as the central point of contact for recreational fishing sector issues. (http://recfishwest.org. au) Recfishwest supports fishing clubs, associations, and organisations. The issues raised then have a stronger, unified voice to the government and the commercial fishing sector’s representative. The government pays both representative institutions to undertake their agreed roles.
The recommendations also include improving the way a fishery’s total allowable catch (TAC) is allocated. Dr Bess says the
At the same time check you are able to bring your bow up (with an arrow on) unimpeded. I hold up my
Most importantly though is to clear the ground beneath your feet of all twigs and sticks. This usually means clearing the leaf litter away. The size of the area you clear must be large enough for you to move about to fire down your shooting lane(s). If I can, I’ll have a dry run at moving from kneeling, or sitting to standing to make sure I can do it quietly. The sound of a stick breaking underfoot is usually a deal breaker when in bow range. It only takes a few seconds to clear an area underfoot but by doing so you can be rewarded with a lifetime memory.
If I need to, I range some ‘landmarks’ in the shooting lanes so I’ll know the distance as an animal comes into range. Hunting with a bow means less shot opportunities, that’s a fact. But it’s also part of the attraction. My most memorable hunts have been the ones with the longest ‘build up’: forty-five minutes watching a fallow stag from 25yds, waiting for a shot opportunity and eight hours staking out a spot for my first tahr. On both these occasions I was feeling confident that I had done everything I could to make a successful shot.
The recommendations conclude with funding options. Funding is essential for a new recreational representative institution to succeed. The first option is for the government to hand over some of the petrol excise duties that recreational boat users already pay. Each year they pay tens of millions of dollars in excise duties but receive no benefit. The excise duties go into the roading fund. The alternative is for recreational fishers to open their wallets. They could make nominal contributions as responsible resource users. Or, a new boat registration system or the existing trailer registration system could provide funding. “Based on the South Island feedback, there is strong support for a well-funded, single representative voice for all recreational fishers,” said Dr Bess. The New Zealand Initiative’s website lists the upcoming North Island meetings, starting 5 September. There is also an online survey for the public to record their views on the draft recommendations. (https://nzinitiative.org.nz/ research/fisheries-project/) After the North Island meetings finish in late September, the public feedback will be incorporated into a final report and presented to the new government in November. It is important that the final report is met with political will. Some tough decisions are needed to preserve recreational fisheries for the next generation.
Clear ground can be the difference between success and failure
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“We must find ways to improve recreational fisheries within our current situation. That is, by law the government must uphold commercial quota rights and Treaty obligations. This means the recreational, commercial, and customary fishing sectors must work together better,” said Dr Bess.
aim is to avoid the fishing sectors lobbying and counter lobbying the Minister for more favourable allocations. A workable solution is to establish a set TAC proportion for each fishing sector. But, it is crucial to also have a process to reallocate portions of a TAC between sectors. This process should benefit recreational fishers. It should also compensate commercial fishers for any unjustified losses.
bow to make sure there are no branches in the way when I’m going to draw.
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For the past year, the report’s author, Dr Randall Bess, has been researching ways to improve New Zealand’s recreational fisheries. The research included travels to North America and Western Australia. The focus was to find what was working well and what could be adaptable to New Zealand’s conditions.
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34 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Optically Speaking – with Ant Corke THE AMAZING PULSAR HELION XQ19F
As I write this article, the sun is bright and warm, the air still, and fruit trees are in blossom; it is indeed spring again! Nights are still relatively long, and food will become more abundant, ensuring that animals feed tirelessly after the hardship of winter. Though game animals will not be in peak condition, there is still plenty of shooting to be done keeping down pests, especially rabbits.
INTERESTING FEEDBACK INCLUDED THAT THE PULSAR HELION STOOD UP WELL AGAINST A NZ ARMY THERMAL IMAGER COSTING OVER $35,000! I would like to discuss the new Pulsar Helion XQ19F Thermal Imager, and whilst
it’s the lowest priced Pulsar Helion, it is the one that I tend to grab most frequently when going for a quick walk or hunt, especially at night. The Pulsar Helion range has replaced the very successful Pulsar Quantum range of thermal imagers, with the exception of the new lower specification Pulsar Quantum Lites. The Pulsar Helion XQ19F has a wide field-of-view, that is ideal for rapidly scanning for game and pests at close quarters, such as spotting rabbits on farmland and orchards, and for spotting pigs and deer that may be lurking behind foliage in bush, forestry, and long grass. The fast refresh rate and wide field-of-view enables a single sweep to be sufficient for revealing hidden animals. The wide field-of-view enables the Helion XQ19F to be used for walking in total darkness whilst looking through the viewfinder.
Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch, so the cost of a wide field-of-view is low magnification, same as a variable zoom riflescope. The base optical magnification of the Pulsar Helion XQ19F is 1.6x, with digital zooming to 6.4x. This low magnification is still capable of detecting deer at 1000 metres, and identification at around 350 metres. An interactive stadiametric rangefinder can be used to determine the distance if animals prior to shooting. The Pulsar Helion has many new features including a fully waterproof IPx7 housing, in-built video recording and streaming to a cellphone or pad, and to the Internet. New imaging software provides a class-leading image, and useful features such as picture-in-picture, and smooth zooming. The advantages of the first two are self explanatory, but the image quality now produced by the new software is noteworthy. The image quality is amazing, even when zoomed in. Though the Pulsar Helion XQ19F has only been available since April 2017, it has become a firmly established product for hunters and pest controllers nationwide. Other notable sales include Coastguard
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New Zealand, and the Philips Helicopter Rescue Trust, both of whom have purchased multiple quantities after careful examination and testing. Interesting feedback included that the Pulsar Helion stood up well against a NZ Army thermal imager costing over $35,000! Finally, check out this video of Jayden King spotting goats with a Pulsar Helion XQ19F during a helicopter cull. For more information about products, visit www.yukonoptics.co.na to find your local dealer, or phone Jayden King 03 9700 570.
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Issue 144 35
Bucket full of cray
Aaron Fleming
That’s one serious cray Mr Bucket
Revamp for spearfishing champs Yikes – September, we always took pride in the fact that we dived all through the winter. Hmm the only consolation is that no one else has been getting in the water much over the last few months. I can’t even blame old age for the lack of diving, the weather has not co-operated and while that’s not unusual at this time of the year, we aren’t getting enough settled weather for the water to clear up enough to justify venturing out.
Seventeen-years-ago, Big Boy suggested we have a fishing competition between a few of us local Motueka lads. This completion was to be held on the anniversary of the first Bledisloe Cup test match, tradition that has continued annually… no matter what the weather. This year’s event was held at French Pass and once again the weather forecast was traditionally average. However, this did not stop the lads and, with excited kids and apprehensive wives aboard, everyone was hoping the weatherman had got the forecast wrong. Greg Bucket came up with a cunning plan to mountain bike in from the Rai turnoff in preparation for the weekend. This, he reasoned, would get his lungs working to full capacity, which would help with the free diving. Secondly, due to the his later arrival on Friday night, he would be limited to the amount of rehydrating he could do around the camp fire. This strategy would supposedly leave the mind sharp and the body in peak fitness for the fishing and diving the following day. I passed Greg halfway in and I must say it did not look like it was a strategy I would have used. Feeling sorry for him, we left him a couple of cold ones at the cattle stop at the top of the hill, to help him on the downhill run into French Pass. He finally arrived in camp around 8.30pm. Not a bad effort. He then proceeded to rehydrate till 2.30am. With a 5.30am start and a good three hours sleep under our belts, the lads set off for an early morning attempt at a kingfish or two. After returning mid-morning without success, the day was spent taking the kids out for a fish and searching for the big one that would win bragging rights to the 2017 Bledisloe Cup Fishing Competition. The weather man had the forecast wrong, with just the odd shower, so everyone had a great day. Only one boat was swamped loading onto the trailer, the skipper being awarded the yellow jersey to wear during the game. Around low tide Greg, Chris, and I set off to a secret spot for a look for crays and
paua on snorkel. With the sea temp at a pleasant 12.3 deg C and good visibility, it did not take the guys long to land a couple of two pound crays. We decided to move up the coast to look for some paua and Greg said he would have one last look at a spot we had not dived. Within minutes, Greg was back on the surface wrestling
with a very impressive cray, weighing in at just over 10.9 pounds. Back at camp, the kids all took selfies with the cray and it was fitting that Greg took home the 2017 bragging rights to the fishing comp. His strategy of mountain biking in and an early night paid off. You are a true legend…
That is one seriously big bug
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On a ‘newsy’ note, I have passed the organising of the South Island Spearfishing Champs over to Sam Murray, Sam has competed in the comp for a number of years and was really keen to get involved in actually running the event ( I know). The SI Champs is in good hands and by all accounts the 2018 event is going to be the biggest ever. It’s amazing what a bit of enthusiasm can do.
Mark Roden
Have a look at the Nelson Spearfishing Club Facebook page and see what’s happening, get involved, it’s a good way of hooking up with other spearos. One thing that Sam has been involved in is training, I’ve done my fair share of pool training over the years and there is no doubt that this is beneficial. Guys have been turning up with the average one minute breath hold and with some practice have been pushing that right out to four minutes and even more. One thing to be stressed is that while it’s okay to hold your breath while you are watching TV, never push a breath hold while you are by yourself in the water – people have drowned in the bath doing this – don’t do it. The days are getting longer and we will get some settled weather – so check through your gear, and get ready.
Flashback 10 years – Gary, Stu and Andrew on a winter’s day in Stephen’s Passage – was the weather better? Or were we keener?
36 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
Better information to protect our fisheries Martin Cryer – Fisheries Science, MPI
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is conducting a nation-wide survey to get the best information possible on recreational fishing activity in New Zealand. Using the most accurate and up to date catch figures for recreational fishing helps our fisheries to be managed sustainably. The National Panel Survey of Marine Recreational Fishers was last carried out in 2011-12. It’s time for our figures to be updated so we know that we are utilising New Zealand’s fisheries sustainably. Starting in October, thousands of fishers from around the country will be surveyed on a regular basis. They will be asked about what fish they caught over the previous week. Fishers are chosen randomly and surveyed over 12 months. The results will then be extrapolated out to give an estimate of recreational harvest at a national level. Boat ramp surveys will also continue running in selected areas around the country and MPI asks you to help out by answering questions on how your fishing went for the day if you are asked.
This research is part of an ongoing research programme on recreational fishing. To get a better idea of how New Zealanders are fishing, MPI commissions a considerable amount of research on recreational fisheries each year. Most of this work is done by organisations such as NIWA, the National Research Bureau (NRB), and Bluewater Marine Research (BMR).
7,000 marine recreational fishers onto a ‘panel’. The activities of the 7,000 fishers were checked periodically (up to weekly) using text prompts, phone calls, and sophisticated computerassisted telephone interviews. Results from the national
of the kahawai and 74% of the kingfish over the period sampled. At the same time as the NRB national panel survey was taking place, NIWA carried out aerial surveys of recreational fishing activity and conducted intensive
remarkably close which indicates the reliability of these methods for estimating recreational harvest. All results have been reviewed by MPI’s standing technical working group, which includes New Zealand recreational fishing advocates, as well
The results of the national panel survey have also been used in subsequent research. The New Zealand Marine Research Foundation used data from the survey to estimate the amount recreational fishers spend in a year.
Fisheries research can be challenging. New Zealand has a long coastline, with multiple access points and there is a large number of species taken and different fishing methods used. Coupled with changing weather conditions this makes determining the harvest of recreational fishers particularly difficult. The National Panel Survey of Marine Fishers was developed by NRB with these challenges in mind. It uses the two main ways of estimating recreational fisheries harvest, onsite methods like boat ramp and aerial surveys, and offsite methods where fishers are contacted regularly to share data on their activities. The 2011/12 survey started with personal visits to over 30,000 dwellings spread at random across the country and the recruitment of over
of different management purposes, with the most important one being the sustainability measures which are consulted on twice every year. We use the results from these surveys every time there is a recreational component to a fishery and more recent information isn’t available.
MPI needs to know what we are catching. Rec fishers Lindsay Stuart and Kerry Carmine after a successful outing in Tasman Bay.
panel survey showed that about 600,000 New Zealanders go fishing each year and that recreational harvest can be considerable for some species. When the recreational harvest figures are combined with the commercial catch for the same period, it shows that recreational fishers harvested 42% of the snapper, 43%
interview sessions at key boat ramps between North Cape and East Cape. A third survey was conducted by BMR using a standardised survey of boat ramp interviews in the western Bay of Plenty. These three parallel surveys were a huge undertaking, costing over $4 million.
as being subject to detailed international scientific peer review.
The results from the three 2011/12 surveys were all
Information on recreational fishing harvest is used for lots
MPI is confident that it has available to it the most effective and reliable methods of gathering information on recreational fishing harvest in New Zealand.
MPI also has a number of projects underway investigating how they can make better use of the information that is already being collected by individual fishers and clubs. MPI recognises there is a wealth of knowledge held by recreational fishers that can be better utilised to inform on fisheries management. To keep up to date with fishing related issues in your area, sign up to the MPI recreational fishing mailing list by emailing us at recfishingteam@mpi.govt. nz or through the NZ Fishing Rules app.
WE WANT EVERYONE’S OPINION ON BLUE COD MPI are developing a National Blue Cod Strategy Shared sustainable fisheries for the future.
MPI0029
Go to www.mpi.govt.nz/bluecod to complete the survey, or attend a drop-in session near you. Share the message around your networks and you have your say.
Issue 144 37
COOKING with CRIMPY
4 – 8 snapper fillets 100g butter 2tbsp cooking oil ½ red capsicum, finely diced ½ yellow capsicum, finely diced Lime juice Salt & pepper Heat oil and 25g butter in saucepan over a medium to high heat, until butter is foaming. Panfry fillets in batches for two to three minutes per side, until lightly cooked. Remove to warmer. When fish is cooked, add remaining butter to pan until it foams and then toss in capsicum, cooking quickly until soft. Season with a pinch of salt and a good dose of white pepper. Squeeze over a squirt of lime juice and spoon a dollop of sauce on each fillet. Enjoy.
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I think I hooked a whale
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It was a cold day at the Tekapo canal and I was struggling to feel my hands. I kept complaining how cold it was but, little did I know, the complaining would stop in a matter of minutes. I was drifting a small globug along the side of The Fishbowl and I managed to hook something very large on light gear. I didn’t know at first what I’d hooked. I thought it might have been the grate by the dam but suddenly it started to move and start doing huge head-shakes! “Bro’ I’m in,” I yelled to my friend Matt. The next 20 minutes were the longest 20 minutes of my life. I kept thinking what if my knot isn’t the best? What if my line is frayed, what if it breaks the line? Luckily none of that happened! I got the fish out of the current and finally got to see the biggest fish I’d ever clamped eyes on.
Dylan with a magnificent rainbow whale
I’d hooked a 33lb MONSTER rainbow trout! I had no idea then what to even do, so I calmed myself and played the beast. I finally got it to the edge and my mate tailed it. I yelled from the top
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my lungs with joy. Lots of pictures and video clips later, we released the big beast. I don’t think I’ll ever have another fight like that again!
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38 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
TIDES OF CHANGE By Poppa Mike
Pyschic, coincidence, or strategic editing? My August column featured the sinking of USS Indianapolis in the last days of WW11, 30 July 1945, while returning home across the Pacific after secretly delivering the uranium and other bomb components soon to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then, just a couple of weeks later, word came through the ether that the wreck had been located on the sea floor, 5.6kms deep in the midst of the world’s largest and deepest ocean. Pete McGrath at Bays Brewery calls me psychic, I call it a sheer fluke of coincidence, Crimpy calls it strategic editing. The 1956 book ‘Abandon Ship’ was thrust into my hands by a woman I hardly know at the market one day (I paid her a few weeks later). From the very first page I sensed a ‘must read’ account unfolding. It was so gripping that I read it in one go, then sat down to tell TFP readers about it. The discovery announcement was made by Paul G Allen, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist who led the team of civilian researchers that made the discovery. The team included historians and architects from the
Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington DC. In 2016 one of the researchers , Richard Hulver, found new information giving the last sighting of the Indianapolis before she was sunk. This narrowed the search area.
alive today. Harry received a Purple Heart for his service but he always said, “I’m not the hero. The heroes are those guys that didn’t come back and the families that lost their shipmates”. If you get the chance to read Abandon Ship you will soon come to realise that there were 1,196 very brave heroes and a cluster of cowards; naval top brass that ducked, dodged, and deflected the blame onto others.
Daughter Maria Bullard’s father Harold was just 18-years-old when he served on the Indianapolis. He was one of the 316 survivors from the original crew complement of 1,196. About 800 survived the official blasts but many of these drowned, died from their injuries, dehydration, or shark attacks. They drifted in the water for 4 nights/5 days. Harold Bullard died about 18 months ago but Maria keeps his memories alive in her role as Chairperson of the USS Indianapolis Second Watch, an organization representing the second generation of survivors, as well as those lost at sea. Nineteen of the survivors are still
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My reel was screaming, I was screaming, and Colin was screaming.
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Colin was not quite ready. He dropped his bait in the water and then went forward to find a steel jig. Suddenly, his rod bent double and then jumped out of the rod holder.
“My rod… my rod!”
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Kingie’s believe it or not We shot out early to The Noises, with high tide around midday. A large flock of birds was working just off the most northerly rock, so we glided in quietly and dropped our lines through the kahawai in the hope of hooking into snapper. As I watched my bait go down into the clear water, I saw dozens of kingies under the boat. One followed my bait down and hooked up. The fight was on.
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started to retrieve line, when Colin hooked into a kahawai, which zoomed back and forth and all over the place. In doing so it caught my line that was attached to the kingfish and for a second we didn’t know who had what. Colin landed the kahawai, a good six-pounder, then untangled my line. I applied pressure but felt the kingfish had gone, but
there still appeared to be a fish on. Upon retrieving it, I discovered a snapper on the top hook. On the bottom hook, where the kingie had been, was a swivel. “That’s my swivel,” Colin spluttered, “ and the line is still attached.” He pulled it all in by hand until his line covered the floor of the boat, and at the very end was his rod!
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40 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2017
The CRA8 Story
Malcolm Lawson
A glimmer
“The CRA8 industry continues to be a national leader in sustainable rock lobster fisheries management. Advancing the interface between commercial fisheries and marine environmental integrity is critical in maximising the economic return for members and the nation from a limited natural resource.”
OF SPRING SPEIGHT'S, LION RED OR WAIKATO CRATES
That is the vision statement of the CRA8 Rock Lobster Industry Association Inc, which represents participants in all parts of the commercial CRA8 industry. The CRA8 quota management area, which includes South Westland, Fiordland, Foveaux Strait, Stewart Island, and the lower Catlins, has always been a very productive area and this continues today with it producing a Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) of 962 tonnes, or approximately 35% of the national commercial catch. Rock lobster is regularly the highest export earner of all seafood species produced in New Zealand, so it’s no surprise that CRA8, with the highest rock lobster TACC, is the most valuable in export terms of all inshore quota management areas, across all species.
Decision rule strategy a first Like many fisheries, the CRA8 story has been one of boom and bust, with the last decade booming again. During the 1970s and 80s CRA8 was overfished. In spite of its introduction into the quota management system in 1990, the fishery continued to decline. In 1997 the industry recognised that without a fishery you simply have no industry, so it promoted a new style of management where the TACC was determined by a decision rule whereby the TACC is determined by the annual Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPUE) result. CPUE is measured as the weight of legal lobsters per pot-lift and is considered to be a relative index of abundance: if CPUE goes down it is deemed that the population of the fishery has gone down; and if CPUE increases then it is deemed the population has increased. This was the first time such a strategy had been used in New Zealand. In 2000, the TACC was
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cut by 20% and the same happened again in 2002. For men who had fished all of their lives, this was a very tough time because some no longer held economically viable quantities of quota and were forced out. After 2002 a rapid rebuild occurred and by 2007 the fishery was deemed to be sustainable.
More profit less take Today the CRA8 industry has another defined management philosophy, and that is to achieve Maximum Economic Yield (MEY) from the fishery. In practice this means that the Association promotes a management strategy that provides for high abundance of lobsters across all sizes through a conservative TACC. In turn, this means the fishermen have the opportunity to go fishing at the times of year of high market demand and to land the sizes of lobsters that meet that demand and therefore produce the best economic return from the available TACC. The CRA8 industry is making more by taking less, so MEY benefits all stakeholders, including customary, recreational fishers, and members of the public who just want to see the lobster population is in good heart. The best news for noncommercial fishers is that, with this approach, less than 5% of the lobsters weighing more than 1.5kgs caught commercially in CRA8 are retained, with most returned to the sea. Large lobsters are not sought after by the market and return a lower
price per kg, but are desired by non-commercial fishers. So we have something of a symbiotic relationship between the sectors.
So in recent years the CRA8 Association has invested heavily in research to better understand the physiology of the animal and to develop best handling practices from the point of capture right through the handling chain to the point of export.
The Fiordland coast is where most of the activity is focused in CRA8 and due to its isolation, a number of practices have evolved that are unique to the CRA8 fishery, like the use of helicopters to fly the catch from the coast to the processors/exporters. Economically it makes far more sense for boats to stay on the coast close to their fishing grounds than having to steam long distances to unload their catch.
The return on this investment has been an improved product being presented in the market, which in turn has resulted in more demand and better prices. In one way CRA8 is no different to any other part of the country. Anyone venturing into the area to fish must know the local rules. In the case of Fiordland a specific set of recreational fishing rules apply to the Fiordland Marine Area. These rules provide for visitors to the area to “fish for a feed, not for the freezer”. In other words, fishing should be part of the experience of visiting the Fiordland Marine Area, not the sole purpose. The inner fiords are not hugely productive areas and can be easily overfished so the rules are tailored to allow for reasonable bag limits without putting undue pressure on the resource. One rule in particular that fishers need to be aware of is the accumulation limit of 15 rock lobsters. Daily limits also apply but once a fisher reaches a total of 15 that is their allowable limit for their trip.
So how tough are southern rock lobsters? Think about this for a moment: you have a lobster sitting in a pot on the bottom in depths that can range from 5 to 100 metres. They are pulled to the surface and then flown over the Fiordland mountains to the processors. Then after a few days they are packed into polystyrene boxes without water and again flown - this time for up to 30 hours - to the Chinese buyers. And this is done successfully day after day. The lack of a swim bladder means they are able to withstand the change in pressures from the sea floor to altitudes and their ability to shut down to an almost comatose state allows them to survive out of water. But we as an industry also know that lobsters are very susceptible to stress due to less than optimal handling practices and once it is stressed it is unlikely to survive the trip to market.
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