April 2021 - Issue 187 - The Fishing Paper and Hunting News

Snapper and sails

Tom McCowan

As the mathematics of the America’s Cup racing played out, we made a snap the night before what would of racing. It was a unique opportunity and special to be up there with family supporting our cousin Guy Endean, a grinder for Team New Zealand.

We got out on the water the following day on the old man’s boat, allowing plenty of time to see the AC75s en a spot to view the action amongst the thousands of other spectator boats. Packed in bow to stern, we claimed a spot down near the bottom mark to settle in. With a couple of hours to

burn before the race, we saw Dad had loaded up the bait bin and thrown in a

Before the racing, we ended up having a steady stream of snapper, including a few nice pannies. Georgie steadily much to the entertainment of neighbouring boats, who clearly started their

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Pāua pride of the south

Last month we published a pic of Frank Davey’s monster pāua caught south of Ward prior to the earthquake. It weighed 820gms and measured 176mm.

Maybe it’s a case of mine’s

bigger than yours but it sparked a bit of competitive spirit from some readers. Here is a contender to rival any, sent in by Michael Dense. It shows his mate Crispy holding a 198mm pāua caught in southern waters. That’s some chewing.

If you have a pic of a monster pāua, send it to editor@thefishingpaper. co.nz with a description of where caught and the size dimensions.

celebrations for the day much earlier.

We had dinner sorted just in time before the race started, and soon after were able to celebrate watching Team New Zealand seal the deal. Not often you can watch a world-class event sitting on top of a productive

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Tom's partner Georgie doing her bit for Cup victory

Crispy compares his monster to an average sized one

Powerful surges over muddy bo om

Joe Moreton

The alarm went off at 5.00am and I was trolling

Two lures swimming alluringly in the water before sunrise but still nothing. I know kingies have been sighted out deeper and over at the Motueka spat farms, they just always seem to be

around the Boulder Bank when the day warmed up but a distinct lack of kahawai or kingies. Oh well, plan B. Set line at 16m over a muddy bottom. Bait a selection of salted blue mackerel, squid and kahawai. Pop that down, then its off with the

rods to Spot X. The orange kabura accounted for a pannie

all the others—four snapper and three chunky gurnard in the action slowed as the sun rose, I had a moment to drink my coffee and look around at the perfect morning—my favourite time of day.

Back to collect the longline after an hour soaking. I around the end buoy and,

cast a Rapala sub-walk at him. He chased it back to the boat where I saw it was a

mako, and was very grateful that he didn’t get hooked. I wouldn’t want a two metre

He continued to circle the boat for a few minutes, eyeing me up aggressively, so I quickly got moving before he decided to take a snap at my propellor.

As I pulled tension on the backbone of the setline, I immediately felt solid knocks and determined runs.

down with powerful surges and shook his head with thumping jolts—determined.

Eventually it succumbed to fatigue and surfaced. I was gobsmacked at the size— enormous.

I lip gaffed it, thinking I might return it, but then I thought of friends and neighbours all waiting expectantly for a feed of headed for home.

The snapper went exactly 9kg, my personal best to date, and the neighbours are still licking their lips in

The mako had evil intent

Joe felt a powerful surge

Daryl Sykes reviews the recent sustainability decisions for rock lobster stocks and highlights the shortcomings in available data and management responses. In the struggle to realise the full potential of rock lobster fisheries science, he highlights the lack of recreational reporting—coupled with poaching pressure—and asks…

Are we cooking our goose?

sustainability decision announcements, the new Minister for Fisheries and highlighted the current and intended status of four of

The Minister acknowledged the National Rock Lobster Management Group

him on management matters. The group comprises Ministry personnel from management, science, and compliance units; sector representatives from customary, recreational, and commercial backgrounds, with additional expertise commissioned as required.

The NRLMG has been the primary source of rock advice to all Ministers since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as a useful model for multi-sector stakeholder engagements.

Importantly, the Minister his decisions was based on full quantitative stock assessments, or updates to those stock assessments.

Considerable effort is expended in every year to audit and monitor commercial catch and effort and to compile information

about the composition of catches observed in commercial rock lobster pots. Unfortunately, those data are not all that are required in stock assessment models—and the Minister seems not to understand the situation or the consequences.

Low octane gas in a muscle car

Timely and reliable recreational catch and poaching estimates are essential to the assessment models and to effective management interventions.

When the current Minister announced his rock lobster decisions he noted, “It is important to me that regular monitoring … is undertaken”.

But he was silent on any auditing and monitoring improvements to enable more timely and accurate recreational catch data for use in assessment models.

A good analogy for what is happening here—you have a science team using the very best modelling techniques available but being forced to use low grade data—it is

Summary of decisions

• Maintain the TAC at 203 tonnes.

• Maintain the TACC at 110 tonnes

CRA 1 (Northland)

CRA 3 (Gisborne/ Tairawhiti)

CRA 4 (Wellington/ Hawke’s Bay)

CRA 5 (Canterbury/ Marlborough)

Packhorse rock lobster PHC 1 (New Zealand wide)

like putting 90 octane into a Bathurst race car—it will never get up to full speed no matter how hard you press your foot on the pedal.

Rubbish in— rubbish out!

Rock lobster stocks are assessed using size structured models tested

internationally recognized science personnel. However, they can only work with what they are given. And the independent

more than a decade through to 2015, demonstrated the adage ‘rubbish in - rubbish

the very poor estimates of recreational and poaching removals incorporated to models led to very incorrect assumptions about the productivity of the stock and the size of the available biomass. CRA 2 catch limits were set way too high over a long period.

The CRA 2 industry

observations of stock decline by voluntarily reducing the commercial catch limit by 50 tonnes in each of two years. But the damage was

already done and in the third year, and following an updated assessment, the former Minister, Stuart Nash, reduced the commercial catch limit from 200 tonnes down to 80 tonnes—a massive response to observed stock decline— and, in the circumstances, the correct response for as long as the new TAC was not exceeded.

So, how’s that going you ask? It is certain that the 80 tonnes commercial catch limit is not being exceeded. BUT… current recreational and illegal removals are still unknown.

Another misstep changes in commercial data collection

In 2020, it was agreed by the Ministry Rock Lobster the catch per unit of effort electronic reporting system was not comparable to CPUE based on the previous paper form system. This was derived from mandatory commercial catch and effort reports has previously been regarded as a reliable index of abundance in lobster

• Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 20 and 32 tonnes, respectively.

• Maintain the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 41 tonnes.

• Decrease the TAC from 351.9 to 302 tonnes.

• Decrease the TACC from 222.9 to 195 tonnes.

• Maintain the allowance for customary Māori fishing at 20 tonnes.

• Decrease the allowance for recreational fishing from 20 to 12 tonnes.

• Decrease the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing from 89 to 75 tonnes.

Decrease the TAC from 513.8 to 388 tonnes.

Decrease the TACC from 318.8 to 280 tonnes.

Maintain the allowance for customary Māori fishing at 35 tonnes.

Decrease the allowance for recreational fishing from 85 to 40 tonnes.

Decrease the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing from 75 to 33 tonnes.

• Maintain the TAC at 514 tonnes.

• Maintain the TACC at 350 tonnes.

• Maintain allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 40 and 87 tonnes, respectively.

• Maintain the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 37 tonnes.

• Set the TAC at 79.3 tonnes.

• Increase the TACC from 40.3 to 49.3 tonnes.

• Set allowances for customary Māori fishing and recreational fishing at 10 and 15 tonnes, respectively.

• Set the allowance for all other sources of mortality caused by fishing at 5 tonnes.

Until 2019, the management of the CRA 4, CRA 5, CRA 7, and CRA 8 management procedures based on ‘harvest control rules’ driven by CPUE for the

These procedures could no longer be used in 2020 due to the impact of the electronic reporting on rock lobster CPUE indices.

An alternative approach to setting catch limits for which no reliable CPUE is available was then agreed by the RLWG. This approach requires running annual rapid stock assessment updates for those stocks that are not subjected to a full stock assessment in any given year. The rapid assessment method was operationalised in 2021 to help ensure management objectives are met for CRA 1 and CRA 3 and will be operated in 2022 for all stocks other than CRA 7 and

been placed into assessment size, modest TAC, and large

Recreational catches tipping the balance?

Despite quality science, consistent availability of reliable commercial catch and effort data, and stock monitoring data collected by onboard technicians and from vessel logbooks, the inherent value and sustainability of shared rock lobster stocks remains at risk

cannot provide scientists

with timely and reliable information on recreational catches—or poaching. Additionally, managers and stakeholders cannot be catches are managed within the allowances made when setting TACs—both factors mean that the TACs for still lack integrity and the effectiveness of sustainability measures is put at risk.

Advice given to the Minister in

2021.

NRLMG tangata whenua, recreational and commercial sector members are concerned about the availability and reliability of recreational harvest estimates from rock

decisions. They consider that the need for reliable and credible recreational harvest data is particularly important in areas where the level diving activity are higher. Commercial sector members further note it has been demonstrated that poor information poses risks to stocks. They consider that there is an urgent need to consider other assessment approaches, and delays in adjustment to recreational management controls need to be addressed.

Fisheries New Zealand notes that estimating illegal removals is inherently hard to detect.

Fisheries New Zealand considers that information on the level of recreational harvest of rock lobsters has improved in recent years

National Panel surveys.

RED rock lobster

there has been a lot to celebrate on the West Coast this past year or two as good catches of prime species have become increasingly page: Westcoast Southisland Landbased Fishing, started by Sam Ngabro, has much evidence of this surfcasting success.

Vicky Wall, a keen surfcaster, tells me she and her friends and family are enjoying great success

around the Hokitika area. She lists rig, kahawai, as the commonly caught species. Her preferred the night on an incoming tide using various fresh baits to target different species.

Hokitika has an annual kahawai competition and Sam Ngabro. has kicked off a surfcasting competition called The Big Three, featuring snapper, rig and

Photo One: Vicky Wall with a solid West Coast rig

Photo Two: A night time snapper for Rodney Archer

Photo Three: Rodney Archer with one of his many elephant catches

Photo Four: Christian Douglas lands a good elly

Photo Five: Snapper time for Christian Douglas

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Pat the missus and kiss the dog

and received a ‘hurry up with your article’ message from Annette. At this moment I’m sitting in a

from the east and will be for

not wear the wrath of the editor’s boss. I now have a bit of sympathy for those husbands who spent two room with their wives. I’ll

By the time you read this, it’s only around three weeks to opening morning. For those shooting in parts of the South Island, you’ll get to shoot most of the day with your high duck numbers and the limits that go with them. In the Eastern Region, where I reside, I believe the limit will be set at six mallards with the same number of parries. I’ve drawn a good ballot this

year so it’s probably lucky I can’t shoot straight. If I pick out the drakes, even taking my fading eye sight into account, I might get a couple of hours.

Even though I’ve only been hunting birds for a relatively short time of 30 years, the numbers don’t bother me.

To me, duck or pheasant hunting is not about the number of birds I manage to hit. Yeah, I like to get a few because I like eating them. I know a lot will disagree but I don’t and never have seen hunting as a sport.

One of the reasons I shoot ducks and pheasants is it’s a way I can get food I like and can’t buy in a shop. The other reason, and to me it’s the one that’s way out in front, is I’m out with my dog. I suppose it goes back to when I was a police dog handler. I often

technology we had at the time, one of, if not the oldest hunting methods was used

to apprehend offenders and that was a dog’s nose. Being a police handler was the ultimate form of hunting. The only difference being we were not allowed to kill what we caught. A great pity and disservice to the community

I consider myself lucky as a bird hunter as I’m now onto my second dog, both labs that hardly lost a bird. Both have also been excellent important, have been great pets around the house during the eight months of closed seasons. My current girl is now eight but will I take the risk of third time again lucky and getting close to 80 by the end of hypothetical lab number three’s life? I dunno.

‘Lynne the Ruthless’ would probably prefer I didn’t get another dog, as especially from May till the end of August she gets a bit pissed off with me kissing the dog and patting her on the head before I go to bed.

Big gurnard autumn shi inshore

For me it’s always good to and familiar. Gurnard

behind the camera.

With some serious berley on board I paddled out off

just pick a depth and go for it. I decided 12 metres was far enough out for this kayak trip.

With around 3kg of tuna berley wafting out in a light north to south current, I chunked pilchard to lure found gurnard simply smell the scent and won’t feed on the tiny particles in the

water. They need something larger, visibly resting on the bottom to attract them right to the kayak. A big chunk of pilchard sitting in the sand is too good to resist. When the gurnard arrive it’s in small of activity.

I like red and orange

which is quite ironic as it is Every time I’ve used them the in shallow water. Quite amusing really, maybe blue

The rod began to tap lightly the bullet tuna I have sitting the rod is bent right into

The everywhere man

at 90.

It was an unexpected delight to meet a man who has spent a career as a successful taxidermist, and hunter. Matey and I had High Country opening in dubious weather and, on the second day, it was tipping down, windy and miserable.

“We’ll do a tiki tour and I’ll take you to meet a man

the water and a powerful tail is beating its way out to sea. This is surely a trevally, not the target species, but metres below the kayak, I was scrambling to grab the net. It’s a monster carrot.

planed the gurnard up into my net. This was not what like that. This carrot had one of the largest tail’s I have seen on the species, more resembling the size of a snapper. Its bulky head and enormous wings were used to give me an unprecedented scrap. Great effort on this big female’s part. It wasn’t long before a

was marginally different and felt much more like a typical gurnard. None of the enormous tail beats and ripping line off the reel this 100 grams smaller popped up and that was me all but

totalling over two kilograms is about as good as you get.

With the pressure off I pumped out the rest of the trail and attracted many more gurnard in a wide range of sizes. Some were tiny, winged pencils and some fat red bullets.

To me there’s nothing quite the like paddling out and having a good gurnard session.

Nothing like a good gurnard session

you’ll really like,” said Matey.

Getting there was a bit tricky as we came across a lot of road works, meaning detours onto gravel for lengthy sections on unknown roads but we didn’t get lost. Finally made it to his house and thankfully he was home when we knocked. We were warmly greeted by both him and his wonderful canine pal, who soon made friends with both of us, going from one to the other for a fuss and a good old pat. So how successful has this man been? It would appear—very successful. You’d be stunned by the many examples of his work. The lounge is ‘wall-papered’ shapes, sizes and species. From an 80lb salmon out of Alaska, down to a wee in-between. Plus there’s the odd nice head and when I admired the colours on one of his specimens, he asked if I knew what it was. I said fontinalis and he said

correct. It is a beautiful

He’s known far and wide or six months working on specimens for clients, then take people away for hunting

Wherever there was exciting game to be stalked or was there. Europe, America, Alaska, Australia, he’s been everywhere man.

It must’ve been a good way of life because at 90 he still likes to get out there and chase the salmon in his local river. He has friends all over the world from his many expeditions, who keep in touch, adding richness to his colourful life.

Not only that, his craftsmanship extends to distilling a rather good drop of malt which, when I asked, he agreed it was in a Spey Valley style. No kitsets for this man though, he makes it from scratch, starting with a visit to his favourite local farm supplier for the grain,

then developing it from go to whoa. A craftsman in this and animals, he generously offered a measure for each to try. We happily imbibed

by and too soon our visit had to end, so, with regret we couldn’t hear more of his

tales, we made our farewells. PJ is an inspiration to all— keeping the mind, body and imagination involved is vital for wellbeing. It also goes takes you to very nice places and gets you in touch with wonderful people—the revolving kaleidoscope of our recreation.

When size ma ers

Tim Clark

If you’re a freshwater angler, there’s no doubt about it, New Zealand is a great place to be. Our not to mention the canal system around Twizel, as good as anywhere in the world.

It’s no surprise then that there are plenty of effective lure options designed to

target our trout and salmon, whether you’re trolling in a lake or casting from the lake shores and riverbanks. One lure that came out a couple of seasons back is Black Magic’s Spinmax. It’s a good looking lure

the tail. At the head end, it has a spinning blade providing plenty of action

RAwE

and vibration to help entice used the Spinmax will know colours. With the success of that early range, the options were expanded to include four new colours. These proved a hit, particularly the the Baby Brown. Anglers had three weights to choose from: 13g and 9.3g with the smallest option being 6.5g. But by popular demand from customers around New Zealand and southern parts of Australia, Black Magic has introduced an even smaller option, a 4.6g weight. Although the 6.5g lure is an effective light weight option, those

shallower waterways found it would often snag on the bottom or catch on weed. Now with a 4.6g lure, fans of the Spinmax will have they can use this lure. It’s available in the full range of 9 colours.

On the subject of new

Magic tell us they have some great freshwater products on the way, so watch out for those in the coming months

Recreational Access with Education NEEDS YOUR HELP!

RAwE are a group of passionate beach goers pushing back at attempts by some stakeholders to limit recreational access to the Beach Area Awatere River South to the Waima Ure River.

WIN WIN SOLUTIONS!

RAwE promotes sustainable, low impact recreational access and enjoyment of Marlborough’s East Coast Beaches & Coastline.

RAwE proactively created a VOLUNTARY CODE OF CONDUCT and ERECTED SIGNS that have already been adopted by the majority of beach goers

Meanwhile the Marlborough District Council drafts a BYLAW that threatens to ban even quadbike access to the most prime seafood gathering locations on this long stretch of coastline.

YOUR FAVOURITE SPOT COULD BE NEXT!

Recreational beach access is under threat all over NZ, including continued boat access in some areas.

YOU CAN HELP! Only everyone’s sustained action will get results!

• Find resources & information on our website, share & share!

• Join our group, join our mailing list - we promise no spam.

• Print our downloadable poster then put them everywhere.

• Print sheets of bumperstickers and share about.

• Download draft submissions to get you started, tell your mates!

• Get informed on the issues and our proposed win win solutions.

Now available in a lighter weight 4.6g lure, ideal for spinning in shallower pools and rivers.

spoon style lure with an enticing and lifelike appearance. Available in 7g and 12g

Blair Whiting @blairwhitingfishing

Aztec

Gold Rush

Blair Whiting - Rainbow Trout Spinmax Aztec 13g

Fish Mainland Inc has made some impressive year, including gaining the support of a growing segment of the South Island

representative organisations has the support of all nine South Island Mandated Iwi Organisations (MIOs).

Furthermore, like those noted above, the Ministry is realising the value in Fish Mainland’s ‘sit around the workable solutions that provide the best outcomes for New Zealand.

“The launch of the National Blue Cod Strategy presented an ideal opportunity for Fish Mainland and MPI to collaborate in improving the management of this says Jim Crossland, Chair of Fish Mainland’s Board of Directors.

Jim says, “Now that commercial electronic reporting is in place, the missing link to improved management. Recreational involved in the commercial

MIOs, to have a better economic, social and cultural contribution and the trade-offs that could be made between the sectors.”

“Furthermore, the collection of recreational to address the problems that have arisen from the Blue Cod Strategy, namely having to land blue cod in a measurable state and the inability to transit through an area with a larger bag limit taken in another area,” says Jim.

For this purpose, Fish Mainland applied to MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to provide and implement a system for report their data on targeted blue cod and bycatch in South Island waters. MPI recently approved the application.

“We are also very fortunate to have the of the Myers Foundation Trust for developing and implementing the selfreporting system. Later this year, we will trial the system with some of our supportive organisations, such as the Fiordland Marine Guardians

Rebecca McLeod, Chair of the FMG, says, “Blue cod is prone to serial depletion, particularly in parts of Fiordland where the productive. That said, there are productive areas where pressure may be able to be accommodated. The focused and timely data that this self-reporting system will produce will enable be managed adaptively.

indicated widespread support for self-reporting, and we look forward to working with Fish Mainland to ensure this one is up to the job.”

Jim says, “Some of our detractors claim that Fish Mainland received a ‘handout’ from Government. Nothing could be further from the truth. We’re providing a much-needed contracted service that will help legitimise the recreational voice in management decision making and provide data that will form the basis for ongoing improvements in the

“What we are after is improving our ability to share data and insights into

sectors to work together. Collaboration, including collective Ministerial recommendations, in the critical step to expanding the self-reporting system into Jim.

“If the longstanding practice of rivalry between sectors had proved effective, then we wouldn’t be facing so many daunting problems words, there is no alternative to working collaboratively with others and with our sights on the future of the

Better rec info required for blue cod

BLOOD, SWEAT and GEARS

The Earthwalk range of wet weather gear is all designed in New Zealand for our conditions and lifestyles and made of a layered material that can weather any storm.

The jacket has a practical, no nonsense design giving you just what you need and no more.

Breathable outer layer,draw string hood with visor, high fleece wind block collar, zip up with studded double storm flaps, adjustable cu s, draw string hem and big front pockets.

The bib overalls and leggings are 100% waterproof like the jacket and made of thicker, stronger acid resistant material.

The material stretches naturally with your movements so hauling up craypots and whitebait nets and any monsters from the deep is a breeze.

Steve/recreational fisherman

“When it cuts up rough out on the water and rain is coming at you sideways this gear keeps you dry and comfortable…not to mention the fish guts just wash straight o !”

Dave/home kill and processing

“We run a busy on farm home kill business and my worker and me have used the Flexiskin Max overalls for the last few years. We wear them in the paddock almost daily and they have proven to be hard wearing yet comfortable and lightweight. With the job we do we get quite messy and these overalls are great for keeping us clean.They seem to last a lot longer than others we have tried so will definitely continue to purchase them”

Osborne’s/livestock transport

We have used Earthwalk wet weather gear for some time now and have found it to be durable, breathable and long lasting.”

See our ad on page 12 or visit www.earthwalk.co.nz

Bloody mindedness putting lives at risk

A recent incident where a Cable Bay Nelson and had their small vessel swamped while trying to return has highlighted the need to all weather launch site at Delaware Bay Estuary and called into question Nelson City Council’s apparent ‘bloody-minded’ attitude in redirecting boaties to Cable Bay.

Group Manager of Environmental Management for the Council, Clare Barton, advised the Delaware Bay Access Group in early December 2020 that Council would be “undertaking lighthanded enforcement over the Summer period at Delaware Bay,” which involved informing boaties that, under current bylaws, launching at the iconic site was not permitted and re-

directing boaties to launch at Cable Bay. This despite continued warnings from the Delaware Bay Access Group to Council that Cable Bay was unsafe for inexperienced boaties in prevailing weather conditions and that lives would be put at risk if Council stopped access to Delaware Bay.

A letter from Mandy Bishop, Manager of Consents and Compliance, was placed on the windshields of cars launching boats at the Bishop's Peninsula site, advising that driving on the estuary to launch boats was not permitted. It was accompanied by a brochure, which listed the nearest ‘authorised boat ramp’ as being Cable Bay. Over summer, the number of rescues of inexperienced boaties getting into trouble run to two or three per

The Bishop's Peninsula launch site has been used by the public for over a hundred years and was recognised on the Council’s Coastal Plan as ‘an authorised launch site’ until it was removed by a Council Staff member in 2004 without consultation or involvement of any elected councillors— arguably unlawful.

Council set a precedent over the intervening years of allowing continued launching but changed tack four years ago.

The Delaware Bay Access Group has made submissions for Council to correct their error and reinstate the launch site on the coastal plan and local businessman Glenn Harvey the Ombudsman over Council’s removal of the launch site.

SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION

Are lives being put unnecessarily at risk?

Randall Bess

Delaware Bay Access Group

Big Otago red

Elliot Hendry

afterthought as I headed south for the Christmas holidays. My plan was just food/alcohol consumed over some new country.

Scanning my binoculars over the thick patches of matagouri clogging the lower part of the gully I’d walked into, I locked eyes on a mob of stags emerging to feed for the evening. Although their antlers appeared fully formed, I knew they wouldn’t be hard underneath the velvet so they were safe from me. I hadn’t gone far when an unseen hind and yearling jumped out of the tussock. I’m not one to turn down an easy bit of prime venison so I took the yearling, vouching to return as soon as the stag’s antlers had hardened.

One month later I was sitting in exactly the same

spot again. I had barely begun glassing, when I spied the stags below, not far from where they had been previously. One was clearly a more mature animal, chasing the other stags away from a muddy pool and thrashing the lush tussocks growing close by the creek. It was fascinating observing their behaviour but it was time to act. I slid down the hill towards them.

When I poked my head over into the creek, one of the younger stags began to look uneasy and staring intently in my direction. They all began to mingle, unsure what was going on. I held tight and sure enough the big stag was following behind as the younger stags began to trot uphill. They were facing directly away from me not offering a good angle but after what seemed like an eternity, the big stag turned broadside and I stopped it with a clean shoulder shot.

I made my way over and

13 strong tines. I refuse to waste good venison, so I boned out the back legs,

putting it all in two 30 litre dry bags. I stashed it in the overgrown creek, a trick I’ve learnt to keep meat chilled in hot summer conditions. Climbing back out, I got back to camp just on dark and stripped the velvet to reveal the hard-tipped antler beneath.

Early next morning I retrieved my perfectly-chilled 30kg of venison from the creek. After making it back to camp and adding the rest of my gear and the antlers on top, I could barely stand up and get my pack on. I’ve done some tough walk outs and this one was right up there. I was pushed to the absolute limit, however the kilometres ticked by slowly and the truck was a welcome sight at the end of the day.

Hunters miss Roar due to police delays

The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association says the backlog in police’s processing of new and renewing firearms licences will mean that many New Zealanders will, again, miss out on hunting during the deer Roar this year.

NZDA Chief Executive, Gwyn Thurlow, says, “After missing out on the 2020 roar due to Covid-19 lockdown, hunters are looking forward to the 2021 Roar. However, many

hunters will be forced to sit on the side-lines because of police administrative delays in renewing their firearm licences.”

“The timing is particularly unfair on hunters who rely on securing meat for their families at this time of year”, says Gwyn Thurlow. “Sadly, a good number will miss out through no fault of their own, simply because of the administrative backlog at police.”

According to their own processing guidelines, Police are meant to process 80% of licence applications, both renewals and new applications, within 30 days. However, NZDA is fielding calls and letters from members saying they have been waiting for over six months.

Given the direct connection with hunting and the use of firearms, and the necessity of having a current firearms licence to use a firearm, the police delays are of deep concern to NZDA.

“Hunting centres around the possession and safe use of firearms and so any ‘process’ related delays are disappointing”, says Gwyn Thurlow.

“Honourable Police Minister, Poto Williams, can use her powers under the Arms Act to provide for an extension of existing firearm licence holders caught up in the administrative process. The minister has the ability to do the right thing by New Zealanders and extend the expiry date of their licences until after the Roar, or, if not, until after duckshooting season.”

The triple seven buck

Sitting in my sleeping bag, I glassed the open valley above the hut. I struggled to see much in the dawn gloom

thermal imager revealed two

ranged the largest, a ginger one. There, displayed in red, were three digits 777. I thought, ‘There’s a sign.’

I watched them feed before they disappeared into a narrow gut.

It was approaching 8.00am and the valley was still untouched by the harsh February sun. It’s a tricky area to bowhunt, as the

wind oozes down the valley until the sun heats the faces.

This morning was different though, as the wind was blowing from the east. I decided to wait a few hours to see if the wind would settle, before deciding on the best way to hunt them.

My son Conor and I had some preparations to make for our rut trip in April and we decided to do these while we waited for the wind to settle. As it happened we ended up opposite where the bucks had bedded. Watching them from the safe distance of 644 yards, we saw a set of antlers thrash around above the tall swamp

Kevin Watson

grass, the teasel sedge. I think the buck was getting as he still had much of his velvet on.

As it approached 11.00am, the wind appeared settled. My path to the bucks would be from underneath, as the easterly wind would allow this. I would have to detour through the bottom of the valley then sidle halfway up the side they were on.

Crossing the bottom end of the valley the wind was blowing to me. Venturing upwards the plan changed. In disbelief, I watched

opposite way. The easterly had given way to a westerly. As I climbed, the wind remained constant, blowing between the bucks and me— now I would have to get into bow range from above. Even though I had a reasonable idea where they had bedded, I had been unsighted from them for the last 45 minutes. Fortunately, Conor was parked up 550 yards away watching the bucks and was able to let me know, via a pair of walkie-talkies, they hadn’t moved.

Now the nerve-wracking

some air to calm down, I used the contours of the land to stay hidden. The wind blew at a steady 5-8kph from my left. A small rise on my right drew me up from the through the ear-piece as I reached the top.

“They’re up feeding.”

Using the rise for cover, I slipped forward 50 yards to where it began to drop off, exposing me to the patch of teasel sedge the deer were in. Peering through the tall dry stalks of grass covering the rise, I spotted them. A small-antlered black buck

and a thumper of a ginger one. They were 59 yards below. The ginger buck appeared relaxed and was feeding hard-out, while the black one was on edge, looking around between mouthfuls of grass. They were in a small basin with the teasel sedge at one end and a small pond at the other with ample grass in between. The basin was at the top of a small gut and any breeze would funnel up to the bucks. As the sun warmed the area, the bucks fed towards me and to the pond.

My shooting position would be on a slight slope, sitting on my left leg and straightening out my right. Not exactly textbook but you have to take what you’re given when hunting. Ten minutes from getting into position, the ginger buck was at 41 yards, completely side-on.

As I contemplated a shot 20kph. The buck decided the shot for me, turning and coming closer. An agonising

the chance to draw my bow and then it happened. The black buck was facing away

and the ginger buck was now 36 yards away, facing to my left. Planting my right

I eased back the 60lbs on my Bowtech Revolt X and rose up onto my knees. The Garmin Xero sight placed a bright green pin on the buck’s chest as I slowly went through my shot sequence. I felt the weight increase

release hand and then the shot broke. I didn’t see where the shot hit and I instinctively dropped back down. The bucks had run out to the edge of the teasel sedge.

I contemplated a second shot when I heard Conor say, “He’s wobbling, he’s sat

Seconds later, what every bowhunter wants to hear, “He’s tumbling down the

Breaking cover, I dropped into the basin and peered over the edge where I had last seen the buck. Twenty yards below lay the ginger buck, quite dead. His summer coat glowed, highlighting his dark rack. It was an exciting time when Conor turned up, as it had been a team effort. My arrow had taken out both lungs and the buck never once knew I was there.

I couldn’t believe his size; he sported 30 points and is my largest fallow to date.

Kevin savours the results of a perfect stalk

PISTOL SHOOTING

Brian Bishop

A number of different styles shot under the Pistol New Zealand umbrella require you to draw from the holster. Most require this to be done at speed and do fast, safety can be an

Quick draw McGraw

we do, both starting out and up.

In New Zealand we have a holster course and badge that is required before the competitors can shoot a match. Pistol New Zealand and its member clubs are fortunate to have a highlyskilled team of trainers, They do a very good job at maintaining members' skills at a level that produces an outstanding safety record—a standard we are proud of—making pistol shooting one of the safest sports in New Zealand. For my own

international rules, which is the same as the others yet at a match a safety violation from the whole match. So,

it is all over. The same if it is done on the last stage, then all points are gone and your score is DQ = 0. For my own club the training never stops, as we have a good base of both who keep the pressure on. This training isn’t just about the draw but covers movement around the range and, in some cases, when going prone and

Buy once, buy the best!

In these days of sustainability it is worthwhile investing a little bit more in products that o er a longlife because that reduces the volume of stu going to undesirable landfills.

Peter Munro o er the ARB Skydome swag partly for that very reason.

“It’s just made strong and durable…it’ll see you right for years and years!” claims Munro.

He rattles o some of the swags enduring features… ”heavy duty 450gsm water and rot proofed canvas. It’s got those bloody good

Skydome its shape can be recycled.”

The ARB Skydome comes in single or double…either way they’re quick to put up and just as quick to roll up, tie down with its heavy duty buckles and chuck in the back of the ute.

They’re freestanding so if you’re in a sheltered spot or not expecting much in the way of wind you can get away with not putting pegs in and guy ropes on.

And for a bit of comfort it comes with a 75mm antimicrobial corrugated foam

there’s storage pockets, hooks and velcro grips for hanging torches/lanterns and keys. The large mesh door is great for ventilation and taking in the day or night time view. At just under 2.2 metres in length and just under a metre high there’s plenty of space to stretch out in. The one person is just under a metre wide while the two person is a cosy 1.4 metres wide.

Peter Munro also carry the ARB Compact sleeping bag… lightweight and warm with a special liner for heat retention and breathability. It has also got a removable hood with an

getting back up. This must always be done without the barrel pointing in an unsafe direction. This is all done for the obvious reasons that the pistol use is dangerous when someone who is not properly trained tries to handle one in stressful conditions.

Pistol shooting is such a great sport for people thinking and looking for a different challenge or recreational pursuit. The overall welcome given to new shooters at a match is a mark of the quality of our membership. We are all there for a common goal, to have fun in a safe environment.

are more important than for others but that’s the same in all sports. Women are turning to shooting in big numbers, which is adding more skills and I have shot with some awesome ladies and they can match the best scores easily. There are more new female licence holders than male from the latest that continue.

If you are interested in joining pistol shooting, contact me: bish.co@xtra. co.nz

The gas operation has proven extremely reliable across a wide range of ammo including clay target loads, and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute and naturally it’s steel proof, getting a pass from the CIP

YOUR OAR IN

HAVE YOUR SAY…

email all your letters to

Dear Ed,

Mr Stanley, your article about the proposed Cape Campbell vehicle ban, in Feb issue page 24, probably has some truth in it but, in reality, it’s not as you describe the area.

If you turn the clock back you will know that commercial divers used the area with quads and 4x4 vehicles way before it was the report from Dr Shane Orchard it was suggested that a track was a possible perhaps you could generate some of your energy to the council on this.

You also mentioned about vehicles driving through rock pools. That is not done by responsible rec responsible person for what some uneducated people do. Next Mr Stanley, are you an expert on marine biology or are you another person just giving your opinion? When you look back over the history of the pāua industry it almost collapsed through management—perhaps you should direct your time into that rather than think you are

Next time you use a photo from Forest & Bird make sure its an up to date one; you should go and have a look at the area now before you passed judgment and don’t rely on other people

who only want a closure rather than a resolution. The beach has changed through educating people and also through natural accretion. It is my belief people should be educated rather than kicked out of an area for others to control.

Mark

Wills Blenheim

Ed’s note: The permanent loss of access to our gatherers is a very real threat—take Delaware Bay boat launch site and Cape Campbell— and requires that those affected stand up and take action to hang on to our rights. There is always a way forward without denying legitimate rights to any user and it may well involve compromise. In the interests of generating debate and awareness of this confronting issue, I have allowed Storm an immediate right of reply to Mark’s letter:

article again more carefully. I have been and had a look at the area. I stayed at Cape Campbell a few months ago, walked the coastline from Marfells Beach around to south of Canterbury Gully. I also went diving.

The reason I went was, having read the Marlborough District Council “East Coast Issues and Options Paper”, I wanted to see for myself what was happening.

What I saw is accurately

CRIMPTOON

was sorry to see widespread fresh vehicle wheel tracking from the old dunes down to the tide line. This is stunning piece of New Zealand coastline. For some, even an “uneducated” minority, to use it as their personal off-

My article does not promote a permanent ban on vehicle access. In fact, if you read it properly, you will see I have suggested a compromise that allows continued vehicle access, using an agreed designated vehicle track to address the MDCs concerns. This would actually protect your ability to drive to your favourite

road race track is just plain wrong.

Public consultation on the ban recommended in the options paper by MDC you should get a submission in when it does.

Storm Stanley

Twice C ked Hare

TIDES OF CHANGE

Two cases of bad luck

Built in Scotland and SS Mapourika was soon in New Zealand waters and in service covering the Picton, Nelson, Westport and into Greymouth on the high

The local newspaper, Grey River Argus, described the situation, “the night was clear, and the sea was apparently smooth, but at times heavy swells rolled in; but they were nothing to speak of.”

At the subsequent inquiry, Captain McLean explained everything was going well when entering the river mouth but a ‘blind roller’ slammed into the vessel amidships. As the wave

rolled under the vessel the stern hung in the air then slammed down hard, hitting the seabed. Then a second blind roller hit her and swept her towards the northern tiphead and onto the beach there. Luckily passengers were able to disembark straight onto the beach. Over the next six months, efforts were made to save her and have her returned into service. Unloading everything possible to lighten her overall weight and with much timber support so she could be jacked up and seeds put underneath. Bit by bit, she was slowly inched off the beach and pointed towards the Grey River and moved across the tiphead. Once the bow was close to the water, the stern was jacked up three metres and held there with timber blocks. Now facing steeply towards the water she into the Grey River on 10 March 1899.

She was quickly made shipshape and put back into service but in August the following year she ran aground on Mabel Island in Picton Harbour. There were other incidents and near misses during the following years, including another close call at Greymouth in 1907. In 1921 she was sold to Nelson-based Anchor Shipping Company and renamed Ngaio. She was decommissioned in 1930 then broken up for scrap. Interestingly the company, which managed the safe salvage of Mapourika was involved in a similar salvage of SS Taviuni, another USSCo vessel, just a couple of years later. Washed up on Carters Beach near Westport, she was gradually moved across land in the same manner then relaunched into the Buller River. Steam power, brute strength and ingenuity the only skills required.

Poppa Mike

Path to a pure meat sausage

T.P. McPhee

A pure meat sausage is the essence of simplicity, goodness and flavour. Containing no fillers, stabilisers, preservatives or enhancers, it is healthy and nutritious—consisting of meat, fat, salt, pepper (spices) and a tiny amount of sugar. Basically a steak in case!

The secret to creating a good meat sausage is understanding the ratios of ingredients and sticking to them, using only quality meat and fat, and following the processing steps meticulously (refer March issue for my column on ratios, ingredients and equipment needed).

Hog or sheep casings:

Either or but my preference is for natural hog—stronger and good texture. Rinse salt from casings and then soak in ambient water for minimum three hours or overnight. Soak in tepid water half an hour before using.

The process:

Lean meat 70%—pork back fat 30%

Grind the meat and fat together at a coarse setting; we use the #8 plate and put it through twice to help start the process of breaking down the meat protein into myosin—a binding protein that creates texture and

Add meat to the mixer and process - the meat will bind with the fat releasing myosin and become elastic and sticky.

You can mix by hand but because the meat is so cold it is hard to mix it enough to get the myosin to release and

Your hands will freeze, even with gloves on.

Throughout the mixing

process, sprinkle in salt and spices, and chilled water

preserves your sausage but also creates osmosis, which and myosin into the meat cells, creating a matrix structure that holds the sausage together and gives it that unique texture. The fat is important for in the cooking phase: it

as it renders. Moisture is retained in the meat cell and the result is a juicy sausage. DO NOT prick your hog casings before cooking because we DON”T WANT the fat to drain from the sausage, leaving it dry and tough.

If you like a coarse meat sausage, you can go straight from mixing to the sausage press.

textured sausage we grind the mixed meat again at

NB: at this stage we like to taste-test; we fry a sample of the mix as small burgers to check we are happy with

IMPORTANT TIP:

process must be done

If the meat warms up it will not bind properly and the fat separates, so we chill our meat to just above freezing before production. We also chill our mixer and sausage press.

Everyone has a go at turning the handle, 15kg of meat can get quite heavy. Make sure you mix clockwise and anti clockwise for consistency

Basic meat sausage recipe

8kg lean meat

2.4kg pork back fat

500ml chilled water

10 tbsp salt

10-15 tsp ground pepper

8-10 tsp sugar

HOT TIP:

I mix salt, sugar and spice together in a bowl then blend in Nutra Bullet to more uniform and well

Once you have mastered a basic recipe that suits your taste and is consistent every time, then it’s fun to experiment by adding ingredients from the base up: chilli, cheese and onion, mushroom, curry and so on.

Snapshot of early silver

Ken Lloyd

The Rangitata South Side remains a popular destination for salmon stalwarts, but times have changed. You don’t have reminded of some halcyon moments, such

This old snapshot really is a snapshot of what turned out to be a peak day for surf 47 came from the surf, with eleven limit bags.

From left to right: Jim Munroe,?, Bill Whip, Colly King , myself, and Snow Cattermole. With the passing of time only Bill, 83, and me are still chucking the silver gear.

It’s now or never

It’s not often you associate the canals. The wind was howling across the water’s

I’d be lying if, at one point,

“What the hell am I even doing here?”

The usual spots were bend provided enough light gear and wind are never a good combination. Every cast was met with a wide bow of slack line that was hard to recover. It was tough to detect the subtle take of a trout or the knock of a bouncing sinker. There was temptation to put on some heavier lead but it would have been counter intuitive

By sheer luck more than

anything, I hooked a small brown trout close to the bank. For such a windy day it came as quite a morale booster. A promising sign that unfortunately didn’t eventuate into more success.

The rest of the afternoon was fruitless and, you guessed it, windy. It was on the journey home an opportunity arose. A row of pine trees on the opposite bank acted as a natural windbreak for a small stretch of water. Being late in the came to mind. It was now or never.

and with, wind out of the equation, it was back to bump, then the line went heavy. No big take or screaming run—just a lump of weight holding in the

The Constant Angle Knife Sharpening System

PRECISION SERIES

The indexed rotating clamping system 3 angle adjustments 12˚, 20˚, 25˚ Your knife is always in the same place.

current. I whistled a mate over as the head knocks

Obviously this was no small brown so I was careful not to apply too much pressure and pull the hook.

When playing big canal reel with smooth drag is so important. Any little bite or grip in the drag can cause sudden resistance and result in break offs or pulled hooks.

shallows to reveal a good looking rainbow. After a few up and another friendly angler netted it for me. On a day dominated by factors beyond an angler’s control, it sure felt like a hard-earned

memorable catches. The ones that change a day.

Bryn Williams

Bryn and 'Elvis', Tekapo rainbow

Braces of silver

Snapper of mixed emotions

Sam Boothroyd

Waking up for a 4.00am event of mixed emotions.

The apprehension of what the feeling of complete exhaustion, and the almost comical hatred for the incessant ringing of the alarm clock. Groggily I climbed aboard my mate Jaxon’s boat and we headed conditions were looking unpleasant and it was a long and gnarly ride to the 30-metre mark, where we found ourselves amidst several boats who had also made the early start.

After three hours with little to show for our efforts and persistence but two gurnard and a few well-fed spiny dogs, it was time for plan B. The water had glassed out

pancake, which made for a pleasant ride over to the Kaiteriteri spat farms. We dropped the anchor and, after only a few minutes, Jaxon’s dad Jimmy pulled in a 5lb snapper. It seemed our luck was about to change. What followed was the best snapper session I have ever encountered and probably will be hard to beat. We all pulled in several decent snapper and I even landed one around the 10lb mark.

One of Jimmy’s mates, Terik, gave me some advice that would change the events of the day, “Use as big a

Taking this advice, I threw on two massive squid on my

Minutes later my reel started

to tick away line, slowly but surely. I tightened the drag and put some pressure on, only to feel the real weight of it come on my line.

screaming runs, we peered over the side as a huge slab the dark blue water beneath

surface behind the boat and only now did we realise the

to get it on board and to say we were excited, would be a huge understatement.

The magic 20 lber

conversation as we admired this monster red. After a quick examination, we

Minimising the risk

industry is part of a group Department of Conservation and local Mana whenua to discuss ways to minimise

petrels near Sealers Bay at Light attraction is one factor

that can apply to all vessels Island. The commercial the opportunity to develop

Hou, which supports the overarching Operational Guidelines and Protected Species Management Plans that vessels operate under already.

contact Carol Scott at email cscott@southerninshore. co.nz”

Help Prevent a

going to survive release, as it had swallowed the hook all the way down and was

We quickly ikied it. At 75cm and with a huge humpy head, this snapper had potential to be huge.

An hour later and I could still be heard screaming with stoke for miles around as we headed in. We had one

20lber—so we hit the scales with anticipation. To my utter disappointment, it was

Divorce—who gets the farm?

Untangling relationship property at the end of a relationship can be tricky. This is especially the case when family farms are involved –with their unique structures of companies, partnerships and trusts and the reality that family life is often centred around the farm.

There are many aspects of relationship property legislation that are not very well understood by the public. It is not uncommon for separated partners to be surprised that property that they considered to be their separate property is in fact relationship property.

For example, even if the farm was owned pre-relationship and only the farmer works it, their spouse may still have a claim to the increase in the value of the farm. The crucial question is whether a part of that increase was due to the non-farmer spouse. As many farms in our region have seen significant growth in value in the last few decades, this is an important risk to consider.

A 2009 decision called Rose v Rose remains the leading case in answering this question. The facts are relatively common. The farmer in question farmed in partnership with his father

Sarah Thompson

and brother – a structure established well before his marriage to Mrs Rose. Mrs Rose worked o the farm, earning a wage which allowed Mr Rose to keep the farm afloat, as it was heavily mortgaged. She also looked after the home.

The dispute went all the way to the Supreme Court and ultimately Mrs Rose was awarded 40% of the increase in the value of the farm – a substantial amount as the farm’s value had increased from $300,000 at the start of the relationship to $1.5 million at the end. The Court agreed with the wife’s argument that without her income, the farm would have been in jeopardy, so the Court was satisfied that at least some of the increase in the value of the farm was due to her actions. The Court also recognised that as the homemaker, Mrs Rose had freed up her husband to spend long hours on the farm.

The best advice we can give to a farming client considering separation is to engage a specialist relationship property lawyer to give you advice on your own situation. Depending on the facts, the farm could be subject to a relationship property claim – even if

a long way off. However, nothing could ruin such an amazing experience and somewhere out there, I know that big snapper is waiting for me.

Follow my adventures on Instagram @sam_boothroyd

structures designed to avoid such claims are used.

Similarly, if your farming family is getting larger with a new relationship – the best way to protect the farm’s legacy is through an agreement contracting out of the default provisions of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976. It is an excellent insurance policy against a complicated, expensive and time-consuming process should things not work out.

Sarah Thompson is a friend of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News and a specialist relationship property lawyer at Pitt & Moore.

You can contact her on 03 928 0723 or sarah.thompson@ pittandmoore.co.nz to discuss how she can help you resolve your relationship property issues, farm related or otherwise.

Carol Scott

With many people taking holidays around New Zealand, a trip across the Cook Strait is fast becoming our new ‘overseas’. So, here are some things to think about if you’re a North Islander planning on heading ‘overseas’ to the South Island, especially if fishing features on your itinerary.

Equally, if you’re a South Islander planning on heading up to the top of the Island for some fishing, it’s always a good idea to know the fishing rules when you’re in another region as there might be some local di erences and you don’t want to get caught out. A simple way to do this is to download the NZ Fishing Rules App. It’ll give you the latest rules for catch limits and restrictions for the area you choose so you don’t get caught out.

Another way you can check on the rules is by contacting the local MPI Fisheries O ce—you can find details online at https://www.mpi. govt.nz/contact-us/mpifisheries-o ces/

Blue cod

Blue cod is the third most popular recreational fish in New Zealand and is an iconic

South Island species. New blue cod fishing rules were introduced in July last year to help ensure this iconic fish remains sustainable so it can be enjoyed by future generations of New Zealanders.

Kaikōura is a popular destination and is a known hotspot for blue cod.

There are three distinctive areas within the Kaikōura Blue Cod Management Area: The local taiāpure are areas of cultural significance to tangata whenua that are managed by local communities. These areas have a limit of 2 blue cod per fisher per day.

The Kaikoura Marine Area, which runs from the Clarence River to the Conway River. This has a limit of 6 blue cod per fisher per day.

• Outside areas from the Conway River to Hurunui River. This has a limit of 10 blue cod per fisher per day.

It’s important to note that these limits are not cumulative.

In other words, you can’t fish in one area,

catch your limit, then move on to another area and catch another limit there.

If you plan on travelling from one fishing area to another area where the daily limit is lower, you’ll have to make sure you fish at the lower limit. The only exception to this is if you are travelling with 6 blue cod (or less) from the Kaikōura Marine Area through the Te Taumanu o Te Waka a Maui Taiāpure (surrounding the Peninsula) to the boat ramps to return to shore.

In this situation, the onus is on you to prove your fish were taken outside the taiāpure. A plotter or GPS track is perfect for this.

Always remember, fish for a feed—bag limits are not a target.

To find out how to follow the rules and do your part for your local fishery, download the NZ Fishing Rules app wherever you get your apps from.

Further information about fishing rules and how to download the app is available online at https://www. fisheries.govt.nz/rules

Delaware Bay Access Group

SIGN

AND SHARE THE PETITION

Peter Ru ell, Shakana Brooks, Nick Smith and James Brooks launch the petition at Bishop's Peninsula launch site-the only safe all weather site in the area

National's Nick Smith leads the Delaware petition with his signature

Solo fisher Je Holden returns from a successful early morning fish in Delaware, dependant on the safe estuary launch site