July 2018 Issue 154 The Fishing Paper & Hunting News by The Fishing Paper

THE

FISHING & HUNTING FREE

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July 2018 Issue 154

DREAM COMES TRUE

NEWS

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Eeny meeny miny moki

BE SMART, BE SAFE.

Swimming over the shallows gave my exposed face time to adjust to the cold water. It’s worth having the speargun loaded as, although shallow, I have seen plenty of big fish in close. Not this time.

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I reached deeper water and swam from rock to rock, searching for overhangs and ledges. The majority of the structure was unexciting. Pyramid like, with no caves or defined weed edges. Then my luck changed. I

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swam over the top of a rock to see a sheer drop on the seaward side. Descending down I was stoked to see it cut back in at the bottom. I dropped my speargun as a marker, confident there would be crayfish close by. A quick glance confirmed my hunch, as crayfish were aplenty. Knowing the female crayfish were in berry and at a vulnerable stage of their reproductive cycle, my focus was catching a male buck. As a general rule, the males will be larger in size and are never far away from a cave full of egged up females! I scanned the ledge for my target. Not on this breath. I turned around to head back up for air, only to be swarmed by a massive school of blue moki. I kicked myself for not being more aware as a monster swam past, my gun still lying on the bottom. Moki are fairly inquisitive, so I dropped again with crayfish still on the brain. Staunch in stature

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and overlooking his harem

line, I picked the speargun

the decision for me. Forcing

shore, adding a butterfish to

of females, I’d found one.

up off the bottom. Moki still

it into the catch bag head

the bounty as I did.

My Wettie kevlar gloves

everywhere. It was a case

first, the tail poked out of the

locked onto the base of its

of eeny meeny miny mo,

top, as it was too big to fit.

horns and into the catch bag

up the Traeger and smoked

until one decided to swim

Satisfied with the catch and

it went.

the moki, which had been

only centimetres from the

listening to my frozen toes,

marinating in the fridge

tip of the shaft and made

it was time to head back to

overnight. Absolutely magic!

Swimming down my float

MARINTEC Dave James

The following day we fired

YOUR MARINE ELECTRONIC SPECIALIST

The proof is in the pudding It’s great to be back involved with Crimpy and The Fishing Paper… and bloody good to be back living in the Mainland! It’s been three years since I joined Callum and his team at MARINTEC, and I am loving working for this passionate family company. MARINTEC is a company that supports a diverse range of clients, from leisure through to commercial, and in our column going ahead, I will look to share with you content that I hope you’ll find interesting. This month we start the ball rolling with ‘deep water sounders’. It is not uncommon for us to be approached by a client unhappy with the performance of their sounder (fish finder) in deeper water (300+ metres). They say they sometimes catch fish but rarely ‘see’ fish on their echo sounder. This leads them to believe i) they are brilliant because they can find/catch fish where electronics cannot “see” them and ii) really peeved that they spent a good sum on equipment that “does not work”. The truth is rather much simpler than that. The technology they have installed is not fit for purpose. Much as you would not use a Formula1 vehicle to explore the mountainous McKenzie country, you should not use a leisure sounder to find fish in deeper water… well not if you want to be sure of the results! In a world where we are bombarded with technical terms, acronyms, and general

hyperbole… the only thing that rings true for me — results. The proof is in the pudding. There is a reason why commercial fishermen install the gear they do — it works! When it comes to this specialist deep water sounders, you cannot go past FURUNO’s 1-3kW commercial range, like the FCV295 or FCV1150, with hulking big 38kHz FURUNO 2 or 3kW Transducers. They are big in terms of price ($8k+), and size, and not the easiest to install, but they get the job done. If you want to see bluenose, bluefin, groper, and other wonderful species that reside in that 300-500m depth range, there’s no way around it, you need a genuine commercial grade fish finder. Or luck and a magic wand! In the articles ahead, I will explain in more detail why these deepwater sounders are effective to targeting fish at depth. Before you jump on the web and hunt down the best deal, also remember that there is more to the installation than you may think. Getting a transducer tank manufactured to the correct shape and installed in the right location is the difference between success and failure. Think of it like an unbalanced wheel on a race car; despite a good car with good tyres, you get a lousy result with an unbalanced wheel. It’s the same for transducers and aeration, but more on that another time. Tight lines

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Issue 154 3

Soft hands and light tackle for kings

Ben Booth

The tide had turned and the current was really starting to pump so Andrew and I quickly made the decision to shift the boat over to a better location, closer to the rocks. As soon as the lures were in the water all hell broke loose and we were rewarded with a solid double hook up. We had been staying at French Pass for a week-long fishing trip and were rewarded with some good weather, so we decided to head up to the top of d’Urville Island and have a go at some kingfish. As most salt water anglers know, you are always at the mercy of the weather and in recent trips we had not been able to get out very far because of the strong winds. As we headed in the chosen direction the excitement levels grew, as it had been a long time since we had been up this far, so the boat was certainly fizzing along a bit faster than usual. Before too long the top of the Island came into sight and gear was hastily put together. After a good battle, Andrew had the first kingfish to the boat. As I was on the light gear, once again using PE 1.5, the battle with the fish I had on lasted a while longer. The fish continued to battle away behind the back of the boat and eventually colour was spotted. A few minutes later the fish was on the boat, I was stoked. The kingfish was quickly weighed, photographed, and released. It had pulled the scales down to 17kg and while it’s not a massive fish, it sure was a big buzz to land it on light gear. Throughout the day we were rewarded with a number of kingfish between the 10kg and 15kg mark.

Ben Booth goes soft for big kings

One thing I have found when fishing for 10kg-20kg kingfish with lighter gear, is the harder you pull, the harder they pull, so if you treat them nicely with soft hands you can often get them to the boat with a lot less effort than on heavy gear.

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Field test: IMX & Stradic spin combination

Charles Smith

My fishing is forever evolving. Techniques are improving because of technological improvements in tackle and application. We upgrade our cellphones often because of new technology we can benefit from to make tasks more simplified and I believe the same for my fishing gear. Utilizing the best technology available to improve my bite detection or achieve additional distance and accuracy — I could go on.

in 8lb, that’s PE 0.8. The performance of two together is fantastic and is achieved with the spool in the Stradic laying braid exactly right every time, giving me confidence I’ll have no issues in the field. The Stradic is topped off with 9kg drag (19.8lb), which some might say is overkill but, for my type of fishing, certainly not when fishing down the Mackenzie Country, where trout and salmon

Charles requires quality tackle to consistently nail these lunkers The rod I’m using is the G Loomis IMX 8’8” 1/16-1/2oz, 6-12lb, fast action spin rod. What does all the jargon mean? Let’s break it down. Firstly, the 1/16-1/2oz (1.7g-14g) means its recommended lure weight. You could go slightly heavier to 17g max but you are pushing the blank during the casting stroke, so be careful.

The proof is in the pudding

Firstly, let’s talk about the reel. The Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 2500HG. Fantastic reel built for freshwater spin fishing, packed to the brim with high-end features: - Hagane gears - AR-C spool - X-ship - 6+1 S AR-B Bearings A pleasure to use. For the 2500 size I currently use, it weighs around 210g, spooled with Shimano Kairiki SX8 braid

can exceed 20lb and, in such huge water volume, move like the ‘clappers.’ It’s not the ‘maximum’ drag capabilities that impress me but the smoothness of the drag. What I like about the Stradic is, it doesn’t have any notching or pressure wobble when I have a fish pulling string, especially at the start of a fight after a hook set. These features are needed when fishing light Ocea Fluorocarbon Leaders and very light gauge #14 and smaller hooks.

Secondly, 6-12lb is the recommended line weight you should be using on this rod.The last and very important part is the rod action. This rod has a ‘FAST’ action. Fast like a bullet? Nope. This describes how much of the rod bends when you put pressure on the tip. A fast-action rod will bend in only the top third or less of the blank, a medium or moderate action will bend in the top half or so, and a slow action will bend starting in the lower third of the rod. This is something I believe is misunderstood and something we can benefit from. This rod to me, for fishing down at the canals is the ultimate rod.

Putting all your eggs on one rod This IMX model is the ‘Side Drift.’ Side-drifting is a very effective method for fishing eggs; normally artificial eggs or worms. The technique is simple enough, just position yourself at the top of a good looking run, allow it to drift slowly downstream and the baits drift enticingly alongside. It creates a very natural drift that can be extended as long as the holding water

allows. When the fish takes the bait, they will usually drift slightly down current with the offering as they mouth it. Good anglers feel this ‘difference’ in the drift and set the hook but, just as often, you see the strike as the fish grabs the bait and returns to the holding spot a few feet upstream. When this happens, they all but jerk the rod out of your hands. It’s a fun, exciting way to fish, requiring a rod that is sensitive, light-weight and powerful. The IMX rod has

the perfect blend of line/ lure control, power and sensitivity. It is soft enough so the fish will hang on to the lure and sensitive enough to allow you to react before they spit it but not just for drifting eggs. This combination is a fantastic freshwater soft plastics setup with all the features — it is a winner. One of the keys to successfully fishing the Mackenzie Country is having feel and this gear definitely achieves this.

Are you keen to hit the canals or improve your freshwater spin and softbait skills? Join us for an evening of information from Kilwell, Okuma/CD and Amazing Baits Dean from Sinka Beer will be there with a free tasting

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Issue 154 5

A fine tradition Ivan Wilson

Brothers-in-law are often the butt of jokes, so let’s not break a fine tradition. Hang on, I’m one myself! Oh well, on with the story. A certain bro-in-law who lives just east of Darfield, after many years slaving within the confines of computer filled offices, has re-discovered his passion for fishing. I had the bright idea of getting him fully immersed in fly-fishing and with his first attempts standing in the boat, he nearly had me fully immersed. However, by hugging one of the many trees standing in the water nearby, I prevented myself from dropping into the water. Another skill we refined was the art of quiet rowing so we could sneak into likely spots without disturbing fish – naturally it was a bit random for a start with

really is. After a bit of practice on his lawn and some time on the lake, both the casting and rowing came along nicely. The first fish was taken, then another and another, with doubtless more to come. Now we can take turn about to row and fish – rule being each time you get a fish we swap over. Bro-in-law will cruise through the mountains on a Friday, stay the night at mine, then on the Saturday we take the Osprey trout fishing platform out to a certain lake just west of Darfield. We launch at a sheltered bay where there’s a two dollar fee for upkeep of the ramp and it’s irritating to know there’re very few boaties who do the right thing and contribute. They arrive in their 80 thousand dollar truck, back in an 80

practice, and the odd fish taken either by design or accident. On a couple of occasions bro-in-law took a trout without meaning to, which had to be a bonus for the day. He just left his line out the back as we rowed around a corner to the next spot when, ‘bang’ he was in! He said he was harling, which gave it a nice legitimacy. Another instance he had his fly dangling in the water while he got ready to cast, when ‘splash, thud, tug,’ he was in again. Seems he’s one of those lucky fishermen! We prefer to look for trout on the move but can’t resist looking at nooks and crannies as we slowly move around the edges and sedges. At some point hunger makes itself felt, so lunch will be enjoyed in a sunny little bay. Normally

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plenty of crabs caught. Odd in a freshwater lake – oh yeah freshwater crabs! When you coach anyone in a skill, remember you’ve been doing it for years and have it off pat, whoever Pat got it off is anyone’s guess, so what seems straightforward is quite tricky for someone new. And NEVER say, “it’s dead easy” or “its’ sooo simple.” It’s a BIG turn-off, it

thousand plus boat, ignoring the yellow box on the post with the notice requesting a measly two bucks – sickening. Spend the day investigating regular spots and exploring other places we’ve not been to before, or at least for a long time. We can waste a whole day doing this. There’s humour, ideas are exchanged, lots of casting

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trout appear just as you have started in on your sandwich, Murphy’s Law again. The day drifts by until it’s time to turn the Osprey’s beak toward the ramp and on the way home we review the day and make plans for our next foray. A brother in law who comes to the Coast and fishes – it’s a tradition we’ll continue.

The Shimano Stradic Ci4+ FB features a Magnumlite rotor which gives the feeling of lightness in-hand when retrieving lures all day - yet strong on performance. Shimano have also adopted CI4+ in the body construction which is a lightweight carbon material that reduces overall weight but still maintains rigidity. To further refine angler experience, the Stradic CI4+ FB also has G-Free Body; this feature balances the entire reel by centering the internal components. HAGANE gear produced by cold forging process enhances durability and strength of the reels main gear. Coreprotect prevents water ingress into the body cavities. From the lakes, rivers and canals to the inshore saltwater environments the new Shimano Stradic Ci4+ FB series has it covered.

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Tench moments at the snake pits Two and a half hours were all I had before the sun sunk behind the trees. Eager to fish an area of the lake I had recently cleared for fishing, I hastily gathered my coarse fishing gear and bait. For this session, I had dug some worms from the garden, to enhance my chances of catching a perch. I also brought ground-bait, which consisted of layers of mash, with breadcrumb as well. Bread and a couple of

oily processed cheese slices were also intended for my hook, hoping a tench was in the mood for feeding. The sky was overcast when I arrived at the lake and the air smelt of sodden willow leaves that reminded me it was autumn. Light sounds such as a susurration of the evergreen bushes to my left, as well as my footfall being muffled by the damp moss between short blades of grass as I was walking, were

broken with passing cars whooshing past on the main road behind. My destination was a small wooden platform on the north-west corner of the small lake. The pussy willow trees enclosed this area, which protected you from all winds except southerlies. The platform is always damp in the colder month and drops off suddenly to seven foot deep at the end. I placed all my gear on

the ground and quietly dampened the ground-bait with water from the lake. The water had cold teeth that chilled to the bone, which dulled my confidence of catching a tench. I dropped a couple of small ping-pong sized balls of ground-bait roughly three feet from the platform. I hadn’t even assembled my fishing rod before I saw the tell-tale signs of a tench feeding on my bait. Compact lines of tiny bubbles rose from the

Tyler McBeth

lake bed exactly where I had placed the ground-bait. My heart rate accelerated but I didn’t rush, hopeful the longer they fed, the more confident they would be when I lowered in my bait, which was a small ball of smelly processed cheese.

my left. The powerful fish managed to get halfway to sanctuary before I started to win the game of tug of war. Turning the fish, it darted under the bank in amongst some willow roots, only to be pulled out by the angle of my 12ft rod. Eventually, the fish was exhausted and came to the surface, gulping a mouthful of air and revealing its dark, olive green flanks glistening in the light, grey glare of the surface of the water. Within moments, the 3lb tench was retained in the net, recovering in the water. The noise of vehicles driving past was completely ignored, because I was lost in a world of my own.

With my sliding stop-knot adjusted to be fishing at dead depth in conjunction with a drift beater float, I gently dropped my bait in the middle of the surface oil, rising from the disturbed chicken food ground-bait. The surface of the water was black and grey. The bright orange tip of my float stuck out like a sore thumb and it was hard to take my eyes off it, especially when the water was alive with bubbles and leaves rising off the bottom as the fish dug around on the dark leaf litter and silt to find any crumb of food. Without hesitation, my float darted underwater. In a flash, I lift my rod up to feel a fish on the end digging around the swim, desperately trying to get to safety in the tangle of broken branches that litter the lake bed. My rod bent double but the fish didn’t yield. The 6lb line sang as it cut through the water towards some lily pads growing from the bottom of the marginal drop off to

Waiting in ambush

I dropped in another small ball of ground-bait and lowered in my float. Within seconds of the bait touching the bottom, a fish lifted my bait and raised most of my float out of the water. Like an electric shock, I lifted into the fish, only to experience a similar hairy fight to the previous one. By the time the light faded, I had landed 11 tench, most in very good condition but none surpassed 3.5lb. Size is not an issue, though, when I am fishing a waterway as marvellous as the Kaiapoi lakes and home of the official New Zealand record tench just shy of 9lb.

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Issue 154 7

It’s in the bag

Overhanging trees and lily pads, coupled with bubbles bursting on the surface all over the lakes, make them a tench fisherman’s dream. As light from the sun was slowly extinguished, the mosquitos tried to tell me time was up, but I ignored them and carried on. Using the flashlight on my phone, I watched my float intensely until it turned to full darkness. Suddenly, all bubbles ceased and the line bites stopped. A few minutes later, my float

slowly dragged under the water. I knew exactly what it was before I struck and gave a sigh of despair. Most eels are large in the Kaiapoi lakes, averaging around 5-6lb but have been caught to over 20lb. One could only imagine the struggle of trying to pull one of these away from snag city on 6lb line and a rod with little backbone, let alone getting it in the net. I tightened my drag slightly, wound down to the fish and bent the rod double trying to lift it from the bottom. THUMP!

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THUMP! THUMP! The head-shakes were savage. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! My line swayed side to side in the water as I tried desperately to win ground against the master of tug of war. Swimming backwards, the eel was taking line slowly but it was constant and deliberate. My foe headed directly under the bank. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Shaking its head again, desperately trying to find anything to wrap my line around. My drag finally stopped ticking away on the reel, the thin mainline stopped swaying in the water, and I couldn’t make any ground on the fish. It had found the roots. THUMP! THUMP! Then all went slack, as the hook parted from my line. If it’s not the mosquitos that make you leave, it will be the eels. I often refer to ‘the Kaiapoi Lakes’ as ‘the snake pits,’ due to the large number of long-finned and short-finned eels that inhabit these old gravel pits. I didn’t mind too much I lost the eel. It wasn’t my target species after all. I threw in my remaining ground-bait and small pieces of bread. I kept the worms I hardly used, having in mind I might use them for the next time I go to the lakes fishing for some perch. Just as I was leaving, a tench surfaced a few feet in front of me, making a large swirl on the surface. ‘Maybe I will take some ground-bait and cheese with me next time as well,’ I thought.

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

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CHATHAM ISLAND

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GISBORNE

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NELSON

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OTAGO

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WAIKATO

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WESTLAND Westland Engineering Supplies Westland Engineering Supplies Karamea Farm Baches Reefton Sports Seddonville Hotel & Motel Units Wild Outdoorsman Charles Bruning Knudsen Sports & Toyworld

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Issue 154 9 FRONT COVER STORY

Dreaming kingies

PISTOL SHOOTING

Ashley Ruth

Brian Bishop

Aaron Manson - one heck of a shooter Aaron Manson is one of our top International Practical Shooting Confederation shooters (IPSC) and has won the North and South Island Championships several times, plus other matches throughout New Zealand. Although he hasn’t won the National title yet, I wouldn’t bet against him in the near future! He puts in more hours than anyone else I know and to say he is extremely keen would be an understatement.

Mark with a nice trevally

It was a week long trip to fish around d’Urville island. We based ourselves at French Pass, five boats and eighteen guys. On the first day I caught two kingies on a Williamson jig. The larger of the two refused to come up so we pulled it away from the reef into deeper water using the boat. Slowly it tired and I was able to gain some line back on it and land them on the boat.They were both in brilliant winter condition looking like fat tuna. Mark (skipper on the boat I was on) caught a nice trev. I also

caught another kingfish by pure fluke on a ledger rig. Somehow it didn’t bend the hooks straight and we returned that one to the sea after photo session. The last two days saw the sea flatten off and we got some really good fishing in. Slow jigged for snapper using Bottomship jigs and lucked on to 18-20lb snapper. With the weather so fine and seas flat we steamed out to a groper hole and wound in two from 180m. They were big days on

the water and after a few beers and dinner I couldn’t do anything but sleep. The other lads carried on to the small hours laughing at me falling asleep in front of the fire or tv with a beer still propped up in my hand, or I’d sneak off to read my book. A few snoring videos were recorded. Somehow luck was on my side and I landed most of the big fish on our boat. Fish Whisperer was thrown about by Mark but I put it down to quality time sleeping and dreaming about the next day.

The first time I met Aaron was when he was selected for the New Zealand Open Team going to Greece. I was part of that team and the team manager. I had not shot against Aaron so had to do some research to check out who this guy was. He was a C Grade shooter and as it turned out, one heck of a shooter. After being selected, he spent most of his spare time working hard to improve his shooting and it certainly paid off, as he placed top Kiwi. Aaron became instrumental in supporting me during this trip and we seemed to have a direct line with emails and phone calls before the trip. From that trip, a great friendship has grown and I have been lucky to have made several international shoots alongside Aaron, who has become the strongest team member each time. As a left hander, this sometimes works in his favour, although at other times not so much. His skills and enthusiasm has driven him to the top, to the point he is the one to beat at competitions. We continue to work as if we are still in a ‘team,’ which is odd since we are trying to best each other, but the love of the sport means you coach and support each other and other competitors around you. This is what makes this sport so great, whilst we are trying to beat each other, the

sportsmanship is such we also try and help each other be the best shooter we can be. Aaron also has several speed steel records. It was Aaron’s pistol I borrowed for Wanganui, where I finished second, which convinced me to order a new pistol. I have ordered a new 9mm pistol and Aaron is in the process of upgrading his pistol and has chosen a .38 Super. I look forward to continuing to shoot alongside Aaron and seeing where these new pistols lead us.

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10 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Marty Bowers —Senior Fisheries Analyst, Inshore Fisheries Management, Fisheries New Zealand

Southern bluefin tuna Background

Southern bluefin tuna (thunnus maccoyii) is a highly migratory species, moving through New Zealand waters, other countries’ waters and the high seas, across the southern hemisphere. They are apex predators and can live for up to 40 years, weighing over 200 kilograms and reaching over 2 metres in length. Adults are found in the South Atlantic, Indian and western South Pacific Oceans, especially in temperate waters and are only known to breed in one area south of Java, Indonesia. Juveniles can be found along the continental shelf of Western and South Australia and in high seas areas of the Indian Ocean. New Zealand waters appear to represent the eastern most extent of this stock. Although the stock is currently rebuilding, the population remains below desired levels. The most recent stock assessment for southern bluefin tuna in 2017 suggests that the stock remains in a low state, estimated to be at 13% of the original biomass. They are listed as critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.

How are southern bluefin tuna managed internationally? Southern bluefin tuna are managed internationally through a regional fisheries management organisation called the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (the Commission), of which New Zealand is a founding member.

The New Zealand Sports Fishing Council is promoting catch and release of southern bluefin tuna and voluntary limits for the 2018 season which will be implemented by fishing clubs – check in with your local fishing club to find out the voluntary limits for your area!

Consultation

The Commission sets the global total allowable catch using a science-based management procedure with the current target to rebuild the stock to 20% original biomass by 2035. The global total allowable catch is currently at 17,647 tonnes, of which New Zealand’s share is 1,088 tonnes.

As part of the upcoming sustainability round, Fisheries New Zealand will be consulting on the total allowable catch, total allowable commercial catch and allowances for southern bluefin tuna as well as proposals for recreational management measures (e.g. bag limits), that will be implemented in 2019. Make sure you have your say!

In New Zealand, southern bluefin tuna has been managed within the Quota Management System since 2004.

Update on review of the CRA 2 crayfish/rock lobster fishery

Recreational Fishery

There has been a significant increase in recreational catch of southern bluefin tuna in the last year, with an estimated 24.3 tonnes taken during the 2017 season. There are currently no constraints on recreationally caught southern bluefin tuna (e.g. bag limits), but management measures for the recreational fishery will be proposed for the 2019 season.

The CRA 2 crayfish/ rock lobster fishery, which extends from North of Auckland to the East Cape Lighthouse, is currently experiencing critically low levels of abundance. In March the Minister of Fisheries decided to significantly reduce the catch allowances to stimulate a rebuild of this important shared fishery. From the fishing year beginning on 1 April 2018 the new catch settings are:

• a total allowable catch (TAC) of 173 tonnes (down from 416.5 tonnes) • a recreational allowance of 34 tonnes (down from 140 tonnes) • an allowance of 42.5 tonnes for other sources of fishing-related mortality (including illegal take) (down from 60 tonnes) •a customary allowance of 16.5 tonnes (no change since customary take is considered to be conservative) •a total allowable commercial catch (TACC) of 80 tonnes (down from 200 tonnes). This action is expected to double current rock lobster abundance in CRA 2 in about four years based on average levels of new lobsters entering the fishery (recruitment) from 2005 to 2014. Recruitment has declined and reasons why are uncertain, but it is likely to be a combination of causes that could include direct or indirect effects of climate change or changes in the near shore habitat (e.g. increased siltation). The Minister’s decision to reduce the catch allowances for CRA 2 was the first step in rebuilding the fishery. A suite of additional management and monitoring measures are currently being

developed by Fisheries New Zealand and your feedback will be sought on these measures in the coming months. Looking at the recreational fishery, the Minister is obliged to manage recreational catch (on average) to the new allowance of 34 tonnes. It is acknowledged that recreational harvest has been significantly affected by the decline the CRA 2 fishery and with current levels of catch estimated at 34 tonnes. A recreational daily bag limit is one of the main tools that we use to help manage recreational catch to the allowance. The legal limit for recreationally caught crayfish in CRA 2 is currently six per person per day. We are looking to change this and will be seeking your feedback on a new and reduced daily bag limit shortly. In the meantime, we encourage you to fish sustainably and to look at ways you could support the rebuild of the fishery, be it through taking less crayfish or targeting other species. For up to date information on your local fisheries sign up to the recreational fisheries mailing list by emailing us at recreationalfisheries@mpi.govt.nz or by visiting www.fisheries.govt.nz

PROPOSED SCALLOP SEASON CLOSURE The Southern Scallop Fishery (Marlborough Sounds, Tasman Bay, Golden Bay) and Port Underwood is currently closed. A recent survey indicates the biomass in scallops in the Marlborough Sounds may be starting to increase, but is still low and has not significantly changed from last year. Fisheries New Zealand consulted on a proposed further closure in June 2018. The Minister of Fisheries will review the feedback and recommendations in the decision document, and make a decision prior to the season opening. Any further closure would come into force before the season is due to open on 15 July 2018. Email recreationalfisheries@mpi.govt.nz, visit www.fisheries. govt.nz/scallopclosure or follow MPI Fisheries – Nelson/ Marlborough/Kaikoura on Facebook to keep updated on the outcome. Areas marked in red are proposed to be closed to scallop fishing.

Nelson Office 03 548 1069

Blenheim Office 03 579 1088

Issue 154 11

HUNTING INSIGHT

JP Klaus

Where to put your cash The National Blue Cod Strategy Blue cod is a taonga species. On a national basis, it’s the third most harvested fish by recreational fishers, behind only kahawai and snapper. It’s the top recreational target fish in the South Island. We’re working on a National Blue Cod Strategy (NBCS) to ensure there are still plenty of blue cod in the future. The second round of consultation for the NBCS wrapped up in April 2018. We had eight drop-in sessions around the South Island and one in Mana, Wellington. In general, the feedback was similar to the first round of engagement, with many people wanting us to go ahead and make changes to the way blue cod is managed. We had 1182 responses to Online Survey 2 with an 83% completion rate. • More than 85% of respondents to the online survey were recreational fishers • Respondents were very experienced, with 64% of fishers fishing for blue cod in their chosen area for eleven or more years and 45% for 21 or more years • Most proposals were widely supported, with some geographical differences (e.g Otago and

Southland fishers preferred a higher bag limit) • Banning filleting at sea and seasonal and area closures were more controversial than most proposals, with a wider range of opinions. Fifty-five percent of respondents supported or strongly supported banning filleting at sea and 59% of respondents supported or strongly supported seasonal and area closures. You can read the full summary of feedback at fisheries.govt.nz/ bluecod So what’s next? The National Blue Cod Strategy has been drafted by Fisheries New Zealand, utilising feedback from the two rounds of public engagement and with the assistance of the Expert Working Group which contains advisors from tangata whenua, recreational and commercial fishing backgrounds. This strategy will then be submitted to the Minister of Fisheries for his consideration. Expect to see some changes on the ground starting to happen at the end of 2018. This will be a phased approach, with another raft of changes coming in 2019 and beyond. We will then start looking at expanding the plan to the North Island.

While a lot of us are dreaming of the perfect rifle and calibre, often the optic to be mounted on top is overlooked and the decision takes a back seat over the choice of the rifle. With the long list of brands and models of firearms on the market right now, we have never had it so good and this has never been so applicable as it is now.

TC Venture with a Swarovski Z8i 2.3-18x56 with BTF

One of the main factors has always been what will the accuracy of the rifle be like? With the choices available now, many rifles offer outstanding hunting accuracy for a low-price tag. When I started out hunting I had an old Swedish Mauser 96 which needed many upgrades such as a sporting stock, new trigger, scope bases and rings. Funds had to be saved up, which seemed to take ages as a school boy. Nowadays, entry level rifles are available ready to go straight out of the box, often with bases and rings included, and all that is needed is the rifle scope. This is the item that needs careful consideration because this is what you will be using to see your target. You may have heard this statement before, “Spend more on your optics than your rifle”. I couldn’t agree more and, in fact, have a few examples myself. My current favourite rifle is a sub

$999 shooter with a SWAROVSKI Z5 3.5-18x44 P BT L rifle scope mounted on top. The sad part is that this rifle has a plastic stock, no glass bedding and is pretty much untouched except for a trigger adjustment and the addition of a suppressor but it can out shoot some of my high end custom built rifles. This may be an exception to the rule, however, most modern rifles will deliver more than acceptable hunting accuracy. The scope on top sells for double the rifle but I am certain the optics is what helps me shoot it so well. Another example is my longrange competition rifle, which is

another sub $999 rifle but with the addition of a Boyd’s thumbhole stock, glass bedding, trigger adjustment, and Talley rings — it sports a SWAROVSKI X5i 3.518x50 ¼ MOA target scope. The ratio on this rig is more like 3 to 1. This set up has provided me with great results in gong shooting competitions and, again, the rifle scope’s robustness, reliability, and crystal-clear optics required in this discipline has been a major factor. Your rifle scope is the link to your target and whether it be a game animal, steel gong, or paper target, make sure you put your cash in the right place to get the best results.

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12 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Optically Speaking

Ant Corke

INVESTING IN THE RIGHT THERMAL IMAGER Thermal imagers are available in all shapes, sizes, and prices, which often leads to confusion and disappointment when a manufacturer’s claimed performance falls short of expectations. Whilst manning our stand at the SHOT EXPO in February, I spoke with hunters who had bought a low price thermal and wish that they hadn’t. One thermal from a well-known riflescope manufacture claimed to have a detection range of 600 yards, yet the owner could not spot a possum beyond 30 yards. In comparison, our lowest price thermal imager, the Pulsar Quantum Lite XQ23V, is able to spot possums at over 200 metres. The following components are critical for thermal imager performance: Objective lens: The best are made from fully focusable precision ground Germanium. Poorer quality lenses are made from silicon and often cannot be focussed. Thermal sensor: This is the heart of the thermal, but in itself does not guarantee high performance. A high resolution, such as 384x288 or more, provides a good fieldof-view and the ability to zoom, whilst a 50Hz PAL refresh delivers a smooth image. 17 micron is the optimum pixel pitch size, any larger reduces resolution, and smaller reduces thermal sensitivity. I’ve seen some good thermal sensors wasted in low performance Chinese bodies. Electronics: This controls image quality, presentation, and features, such as video

recording, stadiametric rangefinding, and zooming. Good electronics are highly important. Viewing screen: Ideally the viewing screen will be the same as, or close to the resolution of the thermal sensor. The thermal sensor determines resolution, if the viewfinder is too large, it simply uses more power and slows processing speed for no extra gain. Pulsar use the French manufactured 640x480 Microdisplay, which costs more though produces an outstanding image. The body: The body needs to be durable and easy to use. Easily accessible brightness and contrast controls are critical for getting the best out of a thermal imager, as are all other functions. An easily replaceable battery is also a huge advantage. Ultimately, it is ‘Buyer Beware’. If you have been sucked-in by false claims, seek a refund under the Consumer Guarantees Act. I recommend looking and comparing different thermals before spending your hard earned money. For more information visit: www.yukonoptics.co.nz

Pulsar Quantum. 1 Objective lens. 2 Settings controller. 3 Function buttons. 4 Eyepiece. 5 Battery compartment.

Not gold but a wee gem Kim Swan

There are some misconceptions about the Marlborough High Country. Viewed from afar, the vast hills resemble grasslands bare of obstacle and hazard. Some who hunt the exotic forests, circling compartments like rally drivers and competing for first dibs on weekend mornings, reckon I saunter about in skirt and sandals back on Mount Marmalade or The Pinnarkle. However, what they conceive as grassland is riddled with blackberry and bracken, shaded grey with thickets of matagouri woven together with lawyer vines. It’s an untracked fortress of bluffs and rock outcrops, so there’s no easy ride here, no ride at all.

know with great certainty that this is going to hurt. Time goes slowly. In the part-second I have, I dismiss the idea of shooting from the hip; dogs too close, consequences too dire. In the next part-second I see Pearl realising I’m going to cop a hiding and responding with a loyalty that is tear-jerking in its purity. Intentions clear, she hurls herself at Boar’s head, grabs his ear, and diverts him off target. Boar then drives her bodily into the vegetation, hooking his snout under her and flinging her skywards. Chop responds, darting in behind, fangs savaging Boar’s scrotum till he has diverted attention off Pearl.

Not that I’m complaining, nor jealous. I love the back country and the hard work I put in to find a lonesome grunter. Today that is my target, a large pig of the solo variety so I lace my sandals extra tight, hitch my skirt, blow my hair back, and begin the hour long ascent of Katts Spray, together with my pooches Pearl and Chop. Altitude is an asset in this country, and stealth is wealth. So we are eventually rewarded with the sighting of a far-distant black creature. There is a way about pigs that draws this grunter hunter’s eye and confirms that they are the target species. Then there’s a double-check with the vari-power rifle scope cranked to the max. And then there’s an elevation of heart rate and quickening of pace that the faithful pets detect. Its a quarter-hour between distant sighting and stealthy approach. The lone pig, undoubtedly a boar, was feeding in an acreage of bracken fern and boulders on first sight but I’ve not seen him since. Is he still here? Has he moved off; eaten his fill and wandered off to bed? Will the swish of my skirt or scent of my hairspray give me away? Pearl, the wee gem, detects movement in the fern and streaks away. There’s a loud exhalation of boar’s breath and waist-high vegetation begins parting like the Red Sea. She gives a single ‘yip’ that sets Chop alight. He is momentarily left in their wake, doing big stag-like leaps in the air to see over the obstacles in his way. Boar knows gravity and momentum are his friends — he needs all the friends he has. Both dogs, dwarfed by their quarry, join forces and literally haul the runaway pig to a halt. Bail up. Time now to catch their breath and assess their options. Before them is a boar of sixty kilos; his body language indicates he’s a fighter not a runner. With rear end tucked into a tangle of blackberry vines, his head and shoulders present a formidable front. They’re content to bark, they know I’ll soon come. Initially, I cannot get a killing shot into Boar’s forehead as I am thwarted by blackberry. With no obvious vantage point I must get amongst it, tangled and wrangled into a corral of clear space just metres big. Even then I cannot shoot as the two dogs do their work with great fervour. Too much fervour. Boar’s body language suggests that defence is about to seesaw into attack. I am the weakest link. I can read Boar’s face as his eyes focus on me. He vocalises and charges forward and I

Boar is swiftly back on defence and the stand-off resumes till an opportunity presents itself and he dies a swift and humane death. The summer sun beats mercilessly down on this harsh country of extremes; the air is thin and perspiration trickles freely as the gunshot rings in my ears. Drained and emotional, I feel grateful to have my skin and my skirt intact and to be a part of this effective little team that supposedly has it so easy back here in the clover and honey.

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Issue 154 13

plus Lifestyle lift out feature INSIDE • Boat Servicing • Boat Refinishing • Boat Accessories • Marine Courses • Trailer Re-galvanising

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Marahau Marine quality servicing and sales

One of the advantages of using a smaller company for your boat servicing work is that you’ll be dealing directly with the head mechanic and the owner of the business throughout the entire process. This removes any chance of your requirements being ‘lost in translation’ when

they are communicated from a sales person you might be dealing with in the first instance, through to the mechanic who is actually doing the work on your boat. Marahau Marine owner and head mechanic, Ross Dixon is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable Honda

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Ross Dixon

customer. As well being an authorised Honda Marine distributor, Marahau Marine repairs and services all other makes and models of outboards. Ross has a fully equipped, purposebuilt workshop and full diagnostics capabilities for most of the outboard brands on the market today. Marahau Marine has a heap of experience with perhaps the toughest application for boats there is; water taxis running all-day every-day up and down the Abel Tasman Coastline. They service all of the main commercial companies operating in

The sales and serving of private vessels has become an increasingly significant part of the business with customers either repowering their existing boats or purchasing brand new Osprey boats powered by Honda outboards directly

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Search and Rescue … or, how about, just Rescue! Search and Rescue … or, how about, just Rescue!

Survival in the water following a Marine Incident will depend upon a number of factors, the most important of which are:

The wearing of an appropriate and properly fitted lifejacket

The ability to inform someone of your distress incident, and The ability to communicate

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VHF radio.

We want to take the “Search” part out of Search and Rescue.

Factors Two and Three in the above are the source of much frustration in Search and Rescue Organisations. In many cases the first information the Police or

That’s where two vital pieces of equipment come into play; the EPIRB and the

Coastguard will receive of an incident is a telephone call from a relative reporting that someone is overdue, and quite often the person or persons may have been missing for many hours. The person reporting the overdue vessel invariably does not have knowledge of the vessel’s destination, nor the equipment carried on board. The starting point for such a search may often be the boat ramp from which they have launched … which is not the best when hoping for a non-tragic outcome.

The VHF radio, especially one with DSC capability, is an extremely valuable piece of kit in an emergency with the biggest advantage of a VHF radio being that anyone with a switched on VHF radio can hear you if they are tuned to the same channel. That may be the vessel next to you or Maritime Radio themselves and is the reason Channel 16 is internationally the Distress and Calling channel. The more people who are tuned to channel 16 the more people you have listening out for you in an emergency. The biggest limitation with a cell phone

is the fact the only people who can hear you is the person you are calling. A good GPS equipped EPIRB can be obtained from most NZ chandleries at prices ranging from $400 -$600 and is a must for the vessel while a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) attached to your Life Jacket will allow them to find YOU and can be used on land as well as sea. Don’t buy a foreign beacon! They are programmed with a different code and if you set them off there may be a considerable delay before local rescue services are advised of your distress, if at all! An EPIRB with GPS capability will considerably reduce the time for your alert to be recognised and will also narrow down the search area from around 5 kilometres to less than 100 metres. Learn all about the safety features you need on your boat and how to use them to your best advantage by completing a Day Skipper course Online or in a Classroom. For more information go to www. boatingeducation.org.nz or call 0800 40 80 90

Daryl Crimp’s

ADVENTURE

AFRICA Safari 2019

This safari covers it all – wildlife history & culture! SOUTH AFRICA, ZIMBABWE & BOTSWANA

s ’ p m i r C l y Dar Footprints on AFRIC A & s o t o h p y l n o e k a t e W s t in r p t o o f y l n o e v lea

Game Drives and National Parks Some of the truly great highlights of our safari will come from visiting some of Africa’s best National Parks and game areas: Kruger, Matobos, Hawange, Chobe, Moremi, and the world famous Okovango Delta. This necklace of game reserves is the jewel in Africa’s wildlife crown where you will get to experience life changing experiences and interactions with amazing birds and animals. Coupled with this, we stay in beautiful lodges, hotels, and authentic safari camps along the way, where the sights, the smells, and the sounds of Africa soothe you as you watch the blazing orb of the African sun dip below the horizon on yet another unforgettable experience, and enjoy the ubiquitous ‘sundowner’ before dinner.

“If you do not have patience you cannot make beer.” — African proverb.

RESERVE YOUR TRIP OF A LIFETIME Crimpy has travelled to South Africa several times over the past few years and when asked what it was he loved the most he said, “All of it. Every day there is something different to look at, new people to meet, a new food and a different animal to see. It never gets boring.” It is exciting to see and take endless photos of all the animals that previously I’d only ever seen on TV or in books. We cannot wait to share this adventure with you, so call or email for a copy of the full itinerary, or book and reserve your place today. Crimpy & Annette

“To be treated well in places where you don’t expect to be treated well, to ﬁnd things in common with people you thought previously you had very, very little in common with, well that can’t be a bad thing.” — The late Anthony Bourdain

s ’ p m i r C l y Dar Footprints on AFRIC A & s o t o h p y l n o We take s t n i r p t o o f y l n l e a ve o

Daryl Crimp’s

ADVENTURE

AFRICA Safari 2019

email: darylcrimp@gmail.com or ph 021 472 517 for the full itinerary & dates

Issue 154 19

Talking gumboots and fishy spasms Barrie Clark

We all talk fishing. In tackle shops, at fishing club meetings, on boats, and beside the lake or river, we engage in debates about fish, tackle, techniques and the prevailing conditions. It’s almost as much fun as the fishing itself. A conversation I once had with my namesake, a neighbour, remains the most unlikely setting for a serious discussion between fishos. The long driveway down to our rear section was bordered by a narrow strip of soil, which featured a number of tomato plants.

become worried when he noticed I hadn’t moved after, “Twenty minutes lying in a strange position.”

sinker ‘cause there’s a lotta drift. Early and late are the best times.”

When I explained what had happened, he quickly fetched my wife. I was still unable to turn and look up but the intonation of their voices, as they enquired after my wellbeing, betrayed their amusement at my predicament. Failing to help me move, let alone get to my feet, my wife rang the doctor.

“Saw a bloke fishing for kahawai get a salmon once,” he continued.

“You a fisherman?” enquired Barry and without waiting for a response, he continued.

My wife returned to say the doctor would call after his surgery finished. Barry told

I groaned.

That was interesting, I thought and lifted my head to comment but “Aaaaahh” was the only sound I made. I resigned myself to listening, while Barry reminisced about nor’westerly days and east coast beaches.

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Note: This is not actually Barrie under the tarp but this is how he felt

I was busy moving along the row with secateurs, removing sufficient leaves to enable each plant to feed their fruit rather than more foliage. Having got down on my haunches to trim some low growth, a sudden and very painful spasm in the lower back rendered me so immobile, all I could do was roll on my side — cast. With my wife inside, out of earshot and no-one else around, there was nothing else to be done other than lie there, hoping my back would eventually relax. Quarter of an hour later, I became aware of someone’s approach and soon heard the greeting, “Are you okay?” Unable to lift my head, I lay still and confirmed I was feeling rather helpless. The voice, who introduced himself as Barry, had

“I’ve seen ya heading out with your gear. I’m a surfcaster. I go out to Birdlings Flat every spring with my thirteen-footer and go after rig and the elephant fish. Have ya ever got an elephant fish?” As always, fishing conversation got me animated and for a moment I forgot my discomfort. I tried to roll over to tell him I hadn’t but was quickly reminded of my injury and could only groan. “Bait’s important,” Barry said. Lying there on the drive, it was like listening to a pair of talking boots. “Ya gotta be careful though. If ya get too close to the waves and a big one comes in, you’ll be a goner real quick. You’ll need a big

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us both about line weights, hook shapes and sizes, and the eating qualities of the fish he caught. With the passage of time, he disappeared back over the road. Helen soon got bored and, as it had started to rain, covered me with a large blue garden tarpaulin and retired inside. I had visions of the doctor roaring up the drive and running me over, so I made Helen park a wheelbarrow between me and the entrance to the driveway. In due course, the doctor arrived and injected the appropriate part of my anatomy and my back somewhat relaxed. The doctor and Barry, who had returned promptly at Helen’s request, managed to roll me over and raise me off the ground sufficiently for Helen to manoeuvre the wheelbarrow underneath. I was wheeled down the drive, through the cottage garden, and directly through the ranch-sliders into the bedroom, where I resumed the prone position on the bed, but on a more comfortable base than the concrete drive. “Sing out if I can do anything to help,” said Barry before departing. “I might pop over to see ya. We could go fishing.” Moving house not long after, I never did get to go fishing with my namesake. Given the bizarre circumstances, it’s one fishing conversation I’ve never forgotten.

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20 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

TRAVEL @HOME

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WE TRAVEL NOT TO ESCAPE LIFE BUT FOR LIFE NOT TO ESCAPE US With our busy lives we are always looking for the exotic overseas holiday, sometimes taking for granted what we have on our backdoor. Over the last few issues we have featured plenty of things to do away from home but really we have heaps of things to tempt us right here at home. From fishing packages, cycle tours, walking tours, and 4 x 4 tours. Have a read and see if there is something to tempt you to travel at home

Takapu Charters – The ultimate experience Hunting and fishing in one of the world’s most pristine places Jeremy Viall

Happy crew after a great day Photo credit Jeremy Viall WETTIE spearfishing

NZ Adventures 4x4 Tours It’s a well kept secret but New Zealand is one of the best off road driving destinations in the world and certainly one of the most easily accessible. If you prefer four wheel driving and the back country, New Zealand has a range of off road driving opportunities which will amaze you.

Imagine the clear fresh mountain air of the South Island high country, ever changing and stunning views, crystal clear mountain streams and off road tracks you don’t have to share with anyone else except possibly some livestock and the occasional stockman.

Takapu Charters is a fantastic operation, running in the pristine waters of Chalky Sound and Preservation Inlet. Mark, Keegan and Robyn look after you like family and are happy to cater to what ever the group wants to do on the day (as long as the conditions favour the prescribed activity) whether you want to go ashore for a walk in the beautiful Fiordland rain forest, chase

red deer, fish for the mighty blue cod and hapuka, dive for giant crayfish or go spearfishing for blue cod, trumpeter, tarakihi and blue moki, Takapu Charters and their dedicated crew will help make your trip a once in a lifetime experience. At WETTIE spearfishing we organize three weeks a year on board Takapu and every year is an amazing adventure, every year we get multiple re bookings as

soon as we reach home, from guys that have had such a great time they don’t want to miss out! Once Fiordland has you under its spell, it never lets go. And I haven’t even mentioned the amazing food Robyn prepares for you, incredible! Relaxation, adventure, beauty, tranquility, hunting, fishing, diving, spearfishing if you want to escape the world for 7 days, Takapu Charters is the way to do it.

Here at NZ Adventures you will experience first hand what New Zealand has to offer well off the well worn tourist routes. The azure blue water of the alpine lakes, the hardy fine wooled Merino sheep flocks, countless ranges of hills, some as emerald green as Ireland and other by way of contrast covered in waving tussock grasslands. On our West Coast trips experience the dense rain forests lining the river valleys and surrounding the beautiful lakes. NZ Adventures offering self- drive 4X4 Tours throughout the South

Island. Robbie and Connie Crickett, owner operators, say these tours are the ideal way to enjoy the spectacular scenery and hospitality of landowners in the high country.

is the most popular tour and is run in December, February and April as a six day and in March as a seven day.

For any NZ Adventures 4x4 trip the only stipulation is that it is mandatory for vehicles to have decent all - terrain - type tyres in good condition and a low range transmission fitted.

The Eastern Explorer takes place in the later part of January travelling from Geraldine to Alexandra in five days.

Robbie and Connie offer five different tours of five, six and seven days during the season which runs from November until the end of April. Accommodation is in motels, dining at restaurants, some lunches with run holders and the balance are picnic lunches. Each vehicle is equipped with a quality radio so Robbie can provide a knowledgeable commentary as the trips proceed. The High Country Heritage

The West Coast Explorer is run in .November and April and are five day trips.

46 South starting in Lawrence and finishing in Cromwell, a very popular trip travelling roughly along the 46th parallel, a five day tour.

Big Sky which is a six day tour exploring mostly Central Otago. Big Sky Country. If you would like an information pack please phone or email or you may like to visit our website. Visit our website - www. nzadventures.co.nz Email connie@nzadventures Phone - 03 2188569 0275506727, 027 435 4267

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Issue 154 21

Fiordland –

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The Bucket-List Destination

Obviously, there’s the fishing and the scuba diving; or snorkelling if you prefer. Then there’s hunting for the illusive big red (deer); or you can go for a paddle in one of the ship’s kayaks for an up-close personal experience. Getting close to the shore away from man made noises can be quite exhilarating, and the things you see… Wekas fossicking on the rocks whilst the seals laze around. There are penguins too and the dolphins are always ready to play. The scenery is second to none, all our visitors attest to that. Your cruise is fully catered, and our chefs prepare tantalisingly tasty seafood delights fresh from the sea; it’s so superb when it’s so fresh.

Superb seafood fresh from the sea

There’s a lot of early history here in Fiordland too!

Richard Henry was instrumental in establishing the first bird sanctuary and repatriating our endangered kakapo from the mainland, getting them away from the l introduced predators; as early as the late 1800’s. The fishing, the diving, the wildlife, the scenery and the isolation are without doubt all worth the effort in coming to tick off this bucket list experience. And if you check us out on the Net you’ll see we can offer an experience that you will be happy you’ve invested in. Our five-night trip from Doubtful to Dusky starts at $2495pp. So, check us out and give us a call.

Poppa Mike

FRANCIS BIRTLES ADVENTURER OF HIGHEST ORDER Readers who have travelled the outback of Australia are amazed at the huge distances of apparent ‘emptiness,’ particularly when crossing the Nullarbor Plain or the 2834km Stuart Highway from Adelaide to Darwin with just a few small settlements along the way. Today many of these have roadhouses offering accommodation and refreshments for the tired traveller.

We at Fiordland Expeditions have been putting trips together for folks for nearly 15 years. And we’ve been managing to satisfy our clients’ specific needs for the whole time. We can tailor a charter for as many days as you like and include almost any activity you may desire.

Capt. Cook spent 32 days on the HMS Resolution during his second voyage based in Dusky Sound. He achieved the transit of Venus which completed the task of accurately placing NZ’s position on the world map. He explored and named many areas during his 32 days.

TIDES OF CHANGE

From the “Visitors Book” “Fabulous!! Great company, great food, outstanding scenery. Keep up the great service. Was one to repeat.” – Vaughan & Steph Whitelock – Dunedin “Great trip thanks. Have to have ribs attended to from laughing!” – Mark Dowling – Te Anau “The best Fiordland experience possible. Lookout when the world hears about it!!” – Dawn Dowling – Te Anau It is our challenge at Fiordland Expeditions to make sure you come away with ‘memories that last a lifetime!’ www.FiordlandExpeditions.co.nz Charters@FiordlandExpeditions.co.nz 0508 888 656

Fiordland Adventure Packages Book NOW Scenic - Hunting - Fishing - Diving

If we look back to 1900, there were no roads in the outback other than a few dirt horse and cart tracks near the main towns like Adelaide. The recent completion of a north to south telegraph line from Adelaide to Port Darwin built five small transmission stations, each with a telegraph stationmaster, the central one being at Alice Springs. Each was serviced with supplies by camel and donkey trains, many who had assisted with transporting the many steel telegraph poles and rolls of wire. A huge undertaking.

Francis Birtles. Photo: Peter Wherrett archive collection.

The remoteness and challenges of the outback stirred up the adventurous spirit in some, none more so than Francis Birtles. In his early 20s he hopped on his bicycle in Fremantle heading for Sydney. Not content with this, he then headed for Brisbane. Once he ticked off that goal, he then headed for Normanton before making it to Darwin. His plan being to cycle the full length of the telegraph route, from north to south then back to Sydney. No such thing as three speed gears, nor fancy carrier bags. All he took were a few bare essentials tied to the bike, same shirt, shoes, and shorts every day on a bike stripped of mudguards and brakes. A lean, keen machine in all respects. The thoughts of crossing crocodile infested rivers in the northern territory, the huge sand hills to be scaled, the stoney gibber plains to tear bike tyres to shreds, the heat, the wildlife, the wet season, the isolation and the indigenous aborigine, whose tribal territories he would be passing through. In the middle of the telegraph route, south of Tenant Creek, he noticed dust ahead, then heard a motor. Here in the middle of the desert, he met up with Henry Dutton and Murray Aunger, driving an English Clement-Talbot car fitted with double wheels all round, stripped of mudguards and windscreen hood, along with any other non-essentials. The two lots of adventurers obviously had much in common but shared only a quick chat and a cup of tea, before

carrying on in separate directions, having shared information about the routes ahead each faced. Birtles made it safely to Adelaide and then cycled off to reach Sydney once more, while the Clement-Talbot had serious mechanical problems and had to be abandoned, just a day or two after meeting Birtles. By tapping into the telegraph line, they were able to call for help from the Tenant Creek telegraph office and eventually retreated their journey until they reached the railhead at Oodnadatta. The following year they restarted with a new Talbot and finally found their original vehicle, safely covered with a tarpaulin but surrounded by signs of aboriginal activity all around, fascinated as they inspected the weird object. With repairs made, both vehicles carried on and eventually made it to Port Darwin. While all this was going on, Birtles was cycling on, completing an around Australia trip 1910/11, another Sydney to Broome, then to Perth. By 1912 he had cycled around Australia twice and had crossed the continent coast to coast seven times. As my wife and I drove up the Stuart Highway in an air-conditioned campervan recently, we were amazed at the two cyclists we passed struggling north in 40+ degree heat; flash new bikes with 24 gears, bulging carrier bags, map spread out on the handlebar frame, full lycra suits — the works! Birtles was made of tough stuff, an adventurer of the highest order.

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22 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Pan-fried snapper with risotto 4 serves snapper fillets lightly seasoned both sides with sea salt

COOKING with CRIMPY

2-3tbsp olive oil 2 medium onions finely diced 2 cloves garlic chopped 1 tsp turmeric Half a cup chardonnay wine 2l fish stock 2.5 cups Arborio or Vialone Nano rice (Italian short-grain) Heat oil in a large heavy-base saucepan and sweat onions until translucent. Add garlic and rice, stirring continuously until the rice starts to turn clear. Add wine that you have warmed (cold wine shocks the rice and may cause it to flake) and once it has evaporated, add a ladleful of stock. Keep stirring until the stock has almost been absorbed and repeat the process. Keep doing this until the rice is nice and creamy and still slightly firm to the bite. Pan-fry the snapper fillets and serve atop a good measure of risotto and fresh veggies on the side.

Glasseye Creek, Beer & Deer Pie INGREDIENTS • 1kg/2lb 2oz venison, off the bone, cut into large chunks • 40g dripping • 2 large onions, finely chopped • 1 tbsp plain flour • 1 tsp English mustard powder • 4 medium carrots, finely chopped • 1 cup Glasseye Creek Wild Meat Sauce • 500ml Speights Old Dark • 1 tbsp soft brown sugar • 3 tbsp malt vinegar • Pinch freshly ground black pepper • Sea salt FOR THE TOPPING • 1 pack of Maxwells Ready Rolled Puff Pastry • Plain flour, for dusting • 1 medium egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 180C 2. Heat the dripping in a large,

lidded, non-reactive flameproof casserole, then add the onions. Fry until the onions are soft and golden-brown. 3. Turn off the heat and sift the flour and mustard powder into the pot. Stir until you have a thickened onion mixture. 4. Add the meat and carrots and stir into the onion mixture. (You are not browning the venison, as this will toughen the meat.) 5. Add the Speights, Glasssye Creek Sauce, sugar, vinegar, freshly ground black pepper. Stir once more. Cover the contents of the pot with a circle of greaseproof paper and put the lid on the casserole. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1½ hours. 6. Remove from the oven and season, to taste, with sea salt. Stir in more Glasseye Creek if you feel the need. 7. Transfer the contents of the casserole to a pie dish. Use a smaller-diameter, deep dish, as a wide shallow one will make the pie crust droop in the middle and become soggy. 8. Increase the temperature of the oven to 200?C 9. Roll the puff pastry out on a floured work surface to be big

enough to cover the dish with a slight overhang. Lay the pastry over the venison filling. 10. Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork and brush the top of the pie evenly with the beaten egg and milk mixture. 11. You can fashion any pastry motif appropriate to your mood from any leftover pastry and place it on top. Brush this with egg and milk mixture as well. 12. Pierce a small hole into the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape, then place into the oven to bake for 40–45 minutes, until the pastry is a rich brown. 13. Remove from the oven and serve at the table in the dish with whatever ripples your undies. Goes well with classic mashed spud or veg. Serve with Glasseye Creek Sauce on the side.

Issue 154 23

What you might want to know about rock lobsters but didn’t know who to ask There is a perception that rock lobsters are a luxury food item, priced well out of range of the New Zealand domestic consumer. But lobsters are not out of range when a person can pot or dive for six premium quality lobsters each day with reasonable chance of success – at no cost other than the gear and bait required. The amateur bag limits are generous, given the intrinsic and economic value of rock lobsters and access to fishing grounds is relatively easy on a year around basis. All it takes is an understanding of lobster biology and behaviour, good gear and good reflexes, and you can be eating like royalty. NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council Chief Operating Officer, Daryl Sykes, answers some often-asked questions about the NEW Zealand rock lobster fisheries. Why is lobster so expensive to buy in a fish market or restaurant? New Zealand lobsters are harvested within a fisheries management framework in which the costs associated with commercial fishing are recovered from the industry. Those management costs include research and stock monitoring, and the regulatory framework in support of the sustainable catch limits – which are expressed as Total Allowable Catches (TACs) set for each of the nine rock lobster stocks around the New Zealand coastline. Lobsters are fished on rocky reef systems around the coast, many of them in isolated areas that necessitate the use of specialized vessels and gear; long steaming distances; and quality control systems on board the fishing vessels to ensure catch is landed in export quality condition.

lobster fishermen (other than a small number with historical exemptions) must own a minimum of three tonne of ACE for the management area in which they operate before fishing commences. ACE prices vary from season to season and across the nine management areas, but could comprise almost 50% of the landed price received by fishermen. What makes rock lobster so sought after for eating? New Zealand rock lobsters are prized in domestic and international markets for their consistent high quality as a ‘beyond premium’, seafood. NZ lobsters are harvested sustainability under the Quota Management System and the supply of product is consistent from year to year and within season. The colder waters around our coastline invoke a lobster meat that is firm, white, and of a superior

An estimated 250 – 300 tonnes of NZ lobsters find their way to our domestic markets through the retail and hospitality trade, fish merchants, and supermarkets. Domestic demand is strongly seasonal, although supply is consistent throughout the year to meet the demands of the hospitality industry servicing the tourism market. Commercial fishermen can sell their catch from the vessel direct to the public, so long as proper record keeping and reporting protocols are observed. Domestic sales comprise mainly whole live rock lobsters, or whole cooked and frozen, sometimes in portions. Inevitably, the domestic price is strongly correlated to the export market. How big is the commercial industry in New Zealand? What about noncommercial fishing? For seven of the nine management areas, a Total Allowable Catch (TACs) is set by the Minister of Fisheries within which there is an allowance made for customary fishing, for amateur fishing, and for what is euphemistically termed “other sources of fishing related mortalities” but which is illegal unreported removals – fish thieving.

The Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) is the last allowance to be made.

revenue but the earnings can be highly dependent on foreign exchange rates.

The industry comprises approximately 400 vessels spread across nine management areas (including the Chatham Islands), with direct and indirect employment in the order of 2400 persons nationally. Much of the activity is focused in isolated coastal areas and the lobster industry is a significant contributor to local and regional economies, as well as to the national economy in terms of export value.

Since rock lobsters were introduced to the Quota Management System in April 1990, there has never been any evidence of systematic overfishing by any commercial operators. The TACC is well accepted as a catch limit intended to ensure sustainable utilisation and the rock lobster industry demonstrates a commitment to ensuring productive and profitable commercial fisheries and a quality fishing opportunity for non-commercial users.

There are no major clashes between commercial and amateur fishermen although, from time to time, some spatial issues do arise where amateurs allege localized depletion by commercial operators within season. These are generally dealt with by negotiation between the relevant parties and it is unusual for a Minister or the Ministry of Fisheries to become involved. What sort of money does the industry make each year? Are there pressures with quotas, the risk of overfishing etc. The industry earns approximately $320 million per annum in export

Where is the best rock lobster catching in New Zealand? Why? The ‘best’ catching depends on your definition of best. The largest quantities of lobsters are landed from the Southland (CRA 8) fishery, in part because of a large geographical boundary within which there are very productive reef systems. Smaller management areas sustain lower catches but often have good catch rates (for example, CRA 5 and CRA 9). In some management areas (Auckland/Northland – CRA 1; and Bay of Plenty – CRA 2) there are large non-commercial catch components, which are allowed for in TAC setting. Commercial catches are probably being matched by the combined noncommercial removals (including illegal) in those areas. How do the seasons affect the catching of lobsters?

Capital investment in vessels and gear, and their maintenance also contributes to operating costs. Fuel costs are a major component of most fishing operations and to them add a range of business compliance costs including crew payments, ACC levies, wharf fees, etc. Finally, but a most important and significant cost component, is the cost of obtaining seasonal commercial catching rights. Fishermen are obligated to balancing their landings with the equivalent amount of annual catch entitlement (ACE) to ensure the integrity of the TAC-setting process. ACE is a more sophisticated method of quota ‘lease’ and, in each season, all commercial rock

The autumn-winter season extends from May to September inclusive in most areas and is a fishery for male lobsters only because of the prohibition on taking and possessing egg-bearing female lobsters. Female lobsters spawn their eggs in September and re-join the fishery from October through to February, a period when catch rates improve (because both males and females are available to capture).

taste and texture compared to warm water lobsters, with which we compete in international markets. The relatively low level of annual production (approximately 2650 tonnes, most of which is destined for live export) in combination with the acknowledged quality of cold water lobsters, have enabled the New Zealand industry to sustain their reputation for premium product. Where does the catch go (exports/nz market/ restaurants)? Commercial landings are primarily destined for the live lobster export markets in Asia. China is the major market; but Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan also buy New Zealand lobsters.

The Rock Lobster (CRA) Management Areas. Separate TACs and allowances are set for each on a seasonal basis. There is no lobster fishing in CRA 10.

Because of the price differential paid to fishermen, industry preference is to land as much as possible during periods of peak market demand to maximise the value of a quota-limited fishing opportunity. Early winter, spring and late summer have been peak commercial landing periods in recent seasons.

24 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

SUDUKO

Answer on The Directory Page

Return your duck bands

WIN BIG

Game bird hunters – return your duck band details and you could win a terrific “double prize” of a top quality duck hunting jacket plus a six-pack of state of the art decoys!

Each prize pack is worth nearly $600 in total – containing a Banded White River duck hunting jacket, plus a six-pack of the latest Avery GHG Fully Flocked Floating Mallard Decoys. Hunting & Fishing has generously offered the prizes in conjunction with the U.S. waterfowling company Banded Holdings, distributors of Banded and Avery hunting gear. Hunting & Fishing New Zealand’s Marketing Manager, Chris Cameron, says the company is a long term supporter of Fish & Game’s game bird banding programme, which gathers crucial information on how many game birds are being harvested each year. Chris Cameron says Hunting & Fishing is delighted to be able to once again support the banding programme, which he says is vital for waterfowl hunting in New Zealand.

How do you get in the draw? Simple.

If you want to keep your duck bands as a momento, you don’t need to send them in. You can simply phone in, or lodge the details online. Visit our website.

Five winners will be drawn randomly from the list of hunters who send in their band details. Let’s band together on duck bands. The details are a crucial part of Fish & Game’s research into mallard ducks – the banding information helps them better manage the birds – and benefits you, the hunter.

Eastern Region Senior Fish & Game Oﬃcer Matthew McDougall says that Fish & Game is very grateful to see Hunting & Fishing get behind the initiative – and providing even bigger incentives for hunters to send in their band details. The banding helps Fish & Game determine productivity, population sizes, movement, and not least, survival rates for both adults and juveniles of both sexes. Remember – Fish & Game doesn’t need the band itself, just the number on it and one or two other details like where and when you shot the bird. Ring the free phone number 0800 BIRD BAND (0800-247322). Or you’ll find a readymade form to fill out on the Fish & Game website. Banding Together details are on the Fish & Game website: https://fishandgame.org.nz/gamebird-hunting-in-new-zealand/bandingtogether-2018/

Each of the five winners will get a Banded White River hunting jacket (RRP $399.99) Plus six Avery GHG 6-Pack of fully flocked Mallard floater FFD decoys (RRP $199.99). Hunters may send in multiple entries, but only one entry is permitted per duck band. The jacket is waterproof, breathable and includes heaps of features and pockets expressly for hunting. The Avery Fully Flocked Floating Mallard decoys are regarded as the most realistic out there this season. The winners are going to be rapt!

Issue 154 25

Captain’s Log: Beam me up spotty

CRIMPTOON

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Join me on an African adventure

As you read this I will be hunting in South Africa - a dream for many. The hunts we do are 100% ethical, fair chase hunts on wild animals - not game park bred. All animals hunted and taken are old animals that have served the

gene pool, therefore crop animals that are destined to leave the population soon anyway. Every part of the animal is utilised and the meat provides valuable protein that would otherwise have to be farmed at the cost of losing habitat for wild animals. Our money provides jobs for locals, funds for rhino breeding, and helps fund anti poaching personnel.

to hunt but would still love to experience the beauty and magic that is the Dark Continent. This adventure has it all: culture, animals, history, and a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

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Next year I have put together an Adventure Safari for those who don’t wish

In 19 days we explore the best of three African countries and take in a great slice of the Dark Continent. Africa is a destination like no other and deserves a visit at least once in your lifetime.

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STICK YOUR OAR IN 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

Govt sleeps while country snorts poison Dear Ed, I was reading the article in a magazine by Tony Orman, on urgent action needed on pesticides wrecking fresh water ecosystems. He says Fish & Game and DoC should be alert to and active on the issue, as DOC has responsibility for trout fisheries in the Taupo region and countrywide for native fish. Ironically, DoC is using an ecosystem poison in the widespread use of 1080 to not only poison our large game animals but to also poison our trout and native fish. When will our government wake up and do the right thing and ban the use of 1080 poison before there are no animals or birds left in our national parks and no fish in our rivers? Concerned fisher. Jamie Telford

Dear Editor, The recent walkout from a public meeting in Wanaka by OSPRI staff and contractors because they felt “unsafe” is nothing more than another propaganda stunt by the Government’s poison industry agencies to try and make those opposed to 1080 use look bad. Just how “precious” are these Government controlled poison agencies? Who organises “blitzkrieg” aerial 1080 drops that cause the people who live around them to feel “unsafe”? OSPRI, DoC and their contractors of course. Who organises the same operations where 1080 poisons our native birdlife, pets and livestock while also putting our primary food chains and exports at risk? OSPRI, DoC and their contractors of course. Between 1960 and 1976 Government provided information tells us 2,525 domestic animals, including

livestock died of 1080 poisoning. How many thousands have died since? That we will never know. Where did the 2014 1080 blackmailer the Government dubbed the “Eco-Terrorist” work? Within the Government’s poison industry of course. That incident reportedly cost our country in excess of $40 million ... has any incident involving anyone opposed to 1080 use ever cost that amount of money? OSPRI, DoC and their contractors had better throw away their imaginary halos, shape up, and answer truthfully questions their employers (the public) ask of them. Factoid information (def; “an item of unreliable information that is reported and repeated so often that it is accepted as fact”) has been part of the defence for 1080 poison use for 60 years now. It is now time for the truth to be told. Ron Eddy Nelson.

The pāua of the paper The Ama Divers in Japan are a hearty bunch and traditionally all women, ranging in age from 23 to 84 years old. They harvest paua, seaweed, sea cucumbers, lobster, and other shellfish from the coastline in Japan. Here they are harvesting seaweed and drying it in the sun. Aiko, the youngest of the Ama divers, can read and speak English so likes to spend her seaweed breaks reading The Fishing Paper & Hunting News. Aiko discovered the paper when giving directions to two confused tourists, who was reading the paper instead of a map. It turned out that

Jeremy and Stanley were nomads from the Wakachangi Tribe and their panic over being lost in a foreign country ended up being a storm in a tea cup. She introduced them to the local brew, Cooper’s Lite, and pinched the paper while the two were talking gibberish! Aiko is now a fan of the paper and when she first read it she said, “That’s a lot abalone!” Whenever Jeremy and Stanley travel, they forget to book with World Travellers… that’s why they are always getting lost!

At WorldTravellers Motueka we’re passionate about travel and are avid travellers ourselves. If there’s somewhere in the world you’d like to go, chances are one of our team has been there and can share their knowledge and personal experience with you – making the world of difference when it comes to booking your next holiday.

WorldTravellers Motueka • www.worldtravellers.co.nz/motueka Call: 03 528 1550 – Visit 183, High Street, Motueka

26 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

Some good size bounty for the week

The First Day

Reece Moon

Five days in some of the

Starting off this yarn, I

obscured from the range

most beautiful high country

realise I won’t be able to

opposite for most of the

New Zealand has to offer

do this story justice with

climb the spots that called

saw a mix of blokes from

the small space Crimpy has

for further exploring started

Ruepahu to Nelson converge

given me to cover the highs,

to appear. As we glassed,

on the Wairau valley 100

trials, and tribulations of this

ate, and yarned it became

kilometres or so out of

trip. But I can cover our first

apparent that our young

Blenheim, aiming for the

two days.

fella hunter Cripps, with a

tops above the branch river, with the intent of rolling a couple of trophy Chamois, bagging a couple of meat animals, and really just

round scribed for a 10 inch

Work wrapped up, ferry trip dusted, and the struggle to find the driveway to the chopper over. The hopes

getting away from it all for

of the crew was set by the

a while.

people before us with a monstrous 14 point stag that

chamois in his mag, had carried on the pursuit along the ridgeline looking for a slip face or two too set up on. Which he found without us!

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Mark and Jane - Cambridge

Cripps with a story for another day

had just been pulled out. We saddled up and split off into two team’s, one with a full load in the R44, and one in the ute pushing in as far as possible to rendezvous with the chopper later. After getting the ute stuck in a river, and the chopper running out of daylight, it was a rippa of a first night. The first day of hunting saw us pushing up onto the tops. We climbed 900m from beach forest to scree, then rock to the ridge tops for lunch. With the sun

As were flying down the scree slopes the time hit 2.55pm, check in time, so we sent out the call. We go an immediate response and you could hear the excitement in our young hunters voice. He’d bowled something, but had a task and a half to retrieve it. Back at the hut right on dusk, Cripps rocks up. He was beaten and broken from his walk back, with a massive grin, a 9.75 inch Chamios, and only four days hunting to go! But thats when Crimpy gives me more space

Issue 154 27

28 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018 CRIMPY’S PEOPLE:

Dave James’s interesting lineage has contributed deeply to his paradoxical character of today; he’s pragmatic, passionate, caring, and intriguing. His grandfather worked during World War II for Rolls Royce, which developed the now iconic Merlin engine for the Spitfire fighter plane that went on to win the Battle of Britain. Spitfire fighter ace Sir Douglas Bader became famous as the first pilot to fly ‘legless’ in the war. The doubleamputee, credited with 22 kills, was also used on morale-boosting tours and one day visited the Rolls Royce testing area. Dave’s grandfather was about to start a Spitfire, when he shouted a warning to Bader to, “Stand back from the prop wash.”

Dave James From tin legs to technology

homeschooled, so Dave quit hospitality and went to sea for nine months, sailing East Africa with the family; Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zanzibar. “Madagascar had a huge impact me — it was the best fishing ever.” He and his brother would row around the yachts at anchor, taking orders for dinner. Then they’d rig a simple ‘bungy line’ to the back of the dinghy and row around, hooking fish after fish.

As a child growing up in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, the progeny of a Kenyan mother and a Welsh father, Dave learned to sail almost before he could walk. Every Saturday he’d sail Optimist yachts and various racing dinghies, and on Sundays the family would drive to Durban and sail keel yachts in the harbour. When Dave was 14, his father bought a 38ft catamaran hull and, over two years, fitted it out at the family home. Thereafter, weekends were spent living aboard the yacht and sailing the harbour and local coastline.

A very sober James realised then and there, ‘he was on the wrong side of the bar!’ His parents and younger brother had previously embarked on a trip, ‘sailing the world’ — with the younger Doug being

“Mainly trevally but others too… we’d fill our orders in ten minutes, the fishing was that good.” He said Hellville Bay was the place: “You’d just lie back and watch the sailfish tail walking past your boat!” Later on, Dave’s dad

secured him a job in Durban working in a chandlery. He loved it and it was his introduction to marine electronics, which he has been selling and installing ever since. Then his best mate threw a spanner in the works: bursting into the store, he announced he was taking off on the great O.E and Dave was so excited, he begged his mate to delay the trip so he could go too. “If I wait for you, I’ll never do it — meet me in London.” Ultimately Dave did just that and it was fortuitous. “My mate had this girlfriend, Cate, whom, through circumstance, I never met. They were on again — off again, and he told her that if she ever got stuck, to call me and I’d put her up for a bit.”

Despite the deception, the connection became romantic and Dave ultimately found himself ‘visiting’ New Zealand to meet ‘the in-laws’ and here the relationship seed fully germinated, with the couple putting down roots. Now a family man, with four young daughters, living in Dunedin and working remotely for Marintec in Timaru, Dave couldn’t be happier. “Cate is a stay at home mum so money is tight,” he says of their decision to put family ahead of material gain. “We do old fashioned family fun — fish ’n’ chips at the beach… sport.” Sport is something he is still passionate about, even though a busted neck sixyears-ago ended his rugby playing days he’s still heavily involved with the local Green Island RFC. And he still plays summer cricket. “I’m old, fat, and slow but I love it,” he says. Dave is also passionate about community and involves himself locally.

It was during holidays the family ventured

“I worked out years

further afield to

ago that you need

“Just start the bloody thing up,” retorted Bader.

Mozambique but it

And so he did, blowing the hero ‘arse over tit’ and off his tin legs!

tinged with

something I’ll give

discomfort.

120%”

The same grandfather also went on to become the first white Kenyan to capture a live Mau Mau guerrilla during the 1950s uprising. His grandmother was an amazing hunter, pursuing game for sport. Dave’s great uncle had his time in the limelight as well: drafted for war, the family threw a huge party prior to his ship leaving. There were tearful farewells as he tore himself away and made for the docks, but imagine the surprise when he turned up at the door a couple of hours later, soaking wet. His departing ship had struck a sandbar and sunk, so he swam ashore and returned to the party.

passion, so if I like

was an adventure

He carries this “The south-east coastline of South Africa is very rugged, with massive ocean swells and rough seas, and I quickly discovered I was prone to sea sickness,” Dave says. “It would take me two days at sea to come right — I’m still the same today.”

enthusiasm over to his work. “I work for a small company where I believe I can make a difference.”

Having played every sport imaginable at school, the fit and ambitious Dave James entered the hospitality trade at age 18, training to be a hotel manager. It was short lived.

He’s very much solutions based and loves proving people wrong.

“During the 1995 World Cup where South Africa was playing France, I was serving people who were absolutely relishing the moment.” Unbeknown to Dave, he had given Cate his number and, out of the blue one day, she called him. He agreed to meet but she called back later, a little nervous, and his friend answered the phone. “What does this Dave fella look like?” she asked. “Six-foot-five, blond, incredibly athletic — the usual South African,” he answered.

“If somebody says something can’t be done, I relish the challenge of finding a way to make it happen. To that end, he is very ‘hands on’ within Marintec, from selling electronics to installing, and everything in between; training, trouble shooting, one-on-one tuition, and systems advice. What he does bring to the table in a full measure is experience and a determination to provide extra value. And he loves fishing but is a little time poor… wonder why?

Issue 154 29

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30 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

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Issue 154 31

Quality Service at Richmond Service Lane Richmond Service Lane (RSL) is located on McGlashen Ave directly opposite Westmeats. You may not have even noticed the large grey building with flags out the front while driving past - and that could be your biggest automotive mistake to date! Richmond Service Lane is your one-stop-shop for all your vehicle servicing needs. “We’re different to most mechanic workshops because we want to work for YOU, and make the whole experience of having your vehicle in the workshop as stress-free as possible.” Michael Bastian - Manger

myself on the high quality service my exceptional team and I provide, but it’s the going above and beyond that makes RSL so much more than your average mechanic’s garage.” Customer satisfaction and safety are clearly of paramount importance at RSL “We love our customers and therefore we do our best to maintain our competitive pricing to ensure that quality vehicle servicing doesn’t have to cost the world” RSL’s Marketing Co-Ordinator, Jade Gosling explains. “I believe it’s this along with our friendly customer service that keeps our customers

From Sinker to Smoker Ron Prestage Surfcasting spot: Gentle Annie Beach

Michael Bastian Richmond Service Lane Manager welcome new customers, so if your existing mechanic just simply isn’t living up to your expectations then Michael and the team would love for you to give RSL a try- They guarantee you’ll be pleased you did. With over 30 years automotive experience Michael knows a thing or

Richmond Service Lane - Entrance via Doran Street, Richmond

Amongst the many places on the northern West Coast I have fished, the Gentle Annie Beach stands out as being the most productive and surprising. To get there, take the main road north from Westport as far as the one-way bridge over the Mokihinui River, just past the turnoff to Seddonville. This narrow gravel road, one way in lots of sections, takes you alongside the river and out to the sea. Access to the beach from the road is by way of spaced out short roads until you hit a dead end, where there is also good beach access near a rocky point. The Gentle Annie Beach is subject to constant change; with large areas of stones

exposed, interspersed with sandy sections, all of which changes regularly with big tides and a battering from a Tasman Sea storm. Surfcasting on the West Coast is a challenge, with rips and weather to contend with. If you can catch snapper there you will be able to catch them anywhere in New Zealand! Visitors to the area are well served with a variety of accommodation options. Several holiday houses are available and excellent camping grounds are situated at Mokihinui, Seddonville, and at the Cowshed Café, open seasonally, at the start of Gentle Annie Beach.

beach! When fishing there, I like to find a section of the surf that appears more settled than the rest, indicating a deepening of the gutter at that point. This reading of the beach is time well spent and helpful in creating a sense of confidence that can sustain a long period of surfcasting. I have had the most success fishing the second half of an incoming tide, especially if this period coincides with dawn or dusk. From November to April, expect to catch snapper. Other desirable species include rig and kahawai. Rays, sharks, and conger eels will test your gear and poorly conditioned red cod will test your patience!

Gentle Annie looking south

of Richmond Service Lane explains. The RSL team thoroughly enjoy getting to know their customers which allows them to better provide you with prioritized vehicle repair recommendations to suit your needs and budget, while ensuring your vehicle is safe for both you and your family. Michael expresses “I pride

loyal.” Michael adds. You may be interested to know that Richmond Service Lane is also the Nelson/Tasman region’s authorized agent for both Ford & Kia. So for warranty work, servicing or anything in-between they’ve got you covered! Although RSL already have an amazingly loyal customer base they’re always happy to

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Successful surfcasting at Gentle Annie Beach requires long rods to lift lines above the surf break, robust reels to deal to the big fish that are there, wire grip 5-6oz sinkers, and at least 20lb mono or braid main line. Steel rod holders are the best for hammering into the often stony shore. Never let your lines sag, as the rolling surf and stones will soon pulp them. Drop-off from the shore is very marked and dangerous, with vicious undertows. Take extreme care! There is nothing gentle about this

Your selection of bait should include tough baits like squid, octopus, fresh kahawai and yellow eyed mullet, paddle crabs, and prawns. Pilchards only last a few minutes in this turbulent environment. A two-hook ledger rig will enable you to test out more bait options, whereas the single bait pulley rig gives you a longer cast. If planning a trip to the West Coast, pack your wet weather gear as rain is not uncommon there! Good luck and I might see you there one day.

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32 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - JULY2018

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