March 2019 The Fishing Paper & Hunting News Issue 162

Roar FISHING & HUNTING THE

20 19

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PAPER

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March 2019 Issue 162

NEWS

Tuna twins Story Pg 6

 Wairau Salmon

 Jigging

 The Vanguard Stag

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2

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

MARINTEC Dave James Bathurst beasts and SuperWASSP Ever noticed how the Bathurst Supercars bear a resemblance to the model of car you can purchase at your local car dealership?

Does that mean you believe the vehicle in your local store is a Supercar? Of course not! The only similarity is the shell on the outside. One is a great vehicle and the other is a BEAST. Keep that in mind while we talk about Multibeam Sonar. Do we mean sonar, like a scanning fishing sonar? No. Do we mean sonar, like a fish finder? No. Do we mean sonar like a navy sonar? No. You see the word sonar is so generic.

SONAR is originally an acronym for SOund NAvigation Ranging. There are literally hundreds of different types of sonar device.

I have explained why beam angle is so critical (September 2018) and why narrower sounder/ sonar beams are better than wider beams (better for target/seabed discrimination).

Multibeams boost returns

High resolution bathymetric 3D image, captured using WASSP

Multibeam turns traditional fish finder technology on its head.

The problem with having narrow beams is, while they are very accurate, they only give you a very small sliver of a view below your

224-beam Wideband Fully-Digital CHIRP Sounder

vessel, on your sounder. Multibeam systems use hundreds of narrow beams, so you get detail but also coverage.

New Zealand manufacturer WASSP have been hugely successful in pioneering this technology for leisure and fishing activities.

Until they launched WASSP in 2006, there was no cost effective multibeam solution.

Hydrographic multibeam systems were upwards of two hundred thousand US dollars and you required a degree to operate them! Certainly not something suitable for a fisherman.

WASSP have released three generations since, 14 models, and sold almost 2000 systems globally. A New Zealand success story if ever there was one. A small Kiwi company found a niche and ended up selling sonar systems to the global powerhouse FURUNO (Japan). The fact FURUNO now owns half of WASSP tells you this is a special product.

WASSP puts sting in your ping Generate your own detailed seabed mapping with WASSP

So, what’s all the fuss about? Let’s just say WASSP is just about the easiest marine acoustic product you ever could use and it automatically generates high resolution two dimensional and three dimensional images of what’s below your vessel: the water column, fish, the seabed, the lot!

There are other 2D/3D seabed mapping systems but are they not like WASSP? Absolutely not!

Those other systems utilize your existing echo sounder to map the seabed, which is not a reliable source of information, for a couple of major reasons. Firstly, you are relying on information from a relatively wide sounder beam—poor discrimination.

Secondly, that beam is not stabilized and, as your vessel rocks around, the sounder beam is moving around in all manner of directions below you. In summary, poor information in, equals poor information out.

WASSP is supplied with advanced GPS positioning, heading, and precision motion sensors—allowing the system to

120° Coverage (Port to Starboard)

Quint-beam: Five-sounders-in-one

electronically compensate for your vessels movement. This means, while your vessel is bouncing around, WASSP maintains stable visibility locked on the water column and seabed below your vessel.

Another problem with your traditional echo sounder is, while it has a relatively wide beam (say 5°), it only really monitors a sliver of what is happening below your boat - poor coverage. Think of a torch beam. In 100m depth, a 5° beam only sees a ‘footprint’ on the seabed of only ~8.73m. That’s not a very big area.

WASSP however, has 224 beams. Each beam is ~0.53° and as there are 224 of them—aligned from port to starboard—they make up a combined swath of 120°. A swath is combination of beams.

WASSP effectively maps at a ratio of ~3:1.

In other words, in 100m depth WASSP maps ~300m of seabed below you in one pass!

The mapping wizard Let’s assume we we want to hunt out a new area in 100m, a 1km² grid of seabed. With a 5° beam on a good traditional sounder, it would take you eight hours. WASSP would take you 13 minutes. Also, your accuracy with the 5° would be no better than 8.73m, whereas WASSP accuracy would be less than one metre, making the WASSP detail far superior. More than 8x more accurate in this instance.

This is the secret to WASSP. It MAPS MUCH FASTER and MAPS MUCH MORE ACCURATELY. Plus, you don’t have to interpret a complicated sonar/sounder image.

You can see the results in high definition 2D or 3D! WASSP does cost upwards of 28k, plus install costs. There is a LOT going on ‘below the hood’. You only live once, so if you have the funds and you are mad keen or fishing or diving, nothing can add more value to hunting out your next adventure than WASSP. Contact us at Marintec now if you are interested to learn more about WASSP or receive a demo. Happy safe boating.

Issue 162 3

Cheviot champs change hardware After three days fishing relentlessly for salmon, but unsuccessfully, a change of plan, tactics, or underwear was called for. The Waiau River was just not in a playful mood. In a complete switch of directions, we booked a charter with Steve Battersby on the Rodfather fishing charter out of Kaikoura.

Phil—Cheviot Hardware

The raggedy band of Cheviot’s most unsuccessful salmon anglers were on the road by 3.45am, eager and full of anticipation. You just can’t keep good men down.

Grant, Murray, Tim and I were joined by 12-year-old Brodie Cowan, who was visiting from Australia.

It was a splendid day off Kaikoura, the huge mountain

Cheviot's most unsuccessful salmon anglers hit blue instead of silver

Phil was quick to rob the little Aussie of his catch

range framing a deep blue sea that held much in store for us. After a great effort, Skipper Steve put us over good fish sign, battling a fresh nor’west and strong tide. But, as you might

of guessed, the band of Cheviot’s most unsuccessful salmon anglers don’t roll over easily. With great skill and aplomb—okay, we did as we were told—we had the rods bending and the bodies

heaving. The Godfather was our Godfather this day, as four bluenose and a groper ultimately came to the boat.

The biggest bluenose was estimated 60 pound— a thumper— and was caught

by a very delighted little Aussie. It was too big for him to hold, so that job was snapped up by his uncle.

It’s good to know we can still catch fish—now, for those bloody salmon.

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Wairau’s silver surfer

Nelson

Barney Hodges

I’m a huge fan of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News and with reports of Marlborough salmon playing on the mind, Andrew Claridge and I departed Nelson in the wee small hours and hit the Wairau River Mouth just shy of 5:30am at the crack of dawn.

Despite the scorcher of a summer, the weather was absolutely horrible; gale force winds and we got soaking wet.

The elements didn’t deter me as I leaned into the wind and flicked lures into the current. About 20 minutes into the morning my line got smacked—a train hitting the tracks. I immediately thought kahawai… until it catapulted out of the water.

“SALMON!” I yelled. “It’s a salmon.”

The silver surfer continued to do a somewhat acrobatic display for the next 10 minutes or so and really tested my mettle. I was using my light trout set up so it was a epic battle from the start to finish; line peeling, rod loading under the strain, and the juggernaut using the current and every dirty trick in the book to outwit me.

After a good 20 minute scrap I was able to land the salmon with my $2 net from the local Op Shop—ha ha.

I took it home gutted and baked steaks in the oven. They were so juicy. I’m a big fan of only eating fish that I catch, because, that way, you know where your food comes from!

Check out Barney’s Adventures on Instagram @staggandfinn.

Barney battled the elements for his feast of silver. photo Andrew Claridge

Fish with a death wish Dry fly fishing, to me, is without a doubt the best way to catch fish and this time of year is by far my favourite, with trout more than willing to take a fly off the surface.

As a kid growing up in Ireland, that’s all I ever did.

The Liffey was one of our larger rivers and Dad always said, “Son, if you can catch trout in the Liffey, you will catch them anywhere.”

He taught me everything I know about dry fly fishing but not everything he knows—out-fishing men every time. You just can’t beat experience.

Dad made his second trip to New Zealand this Christmas and probably his last; he has emphysema.

Dad struggles with his breathing and is unable to walk for too long, so getting good dry fly fishing without having to walk would have

been challenging, had it not been for the Twizel canals.

I spent a lot of time there in November and December, trying to find double figure fish along the edges that he could have a crack at. It was time well spent. Upon his arrival, I had four fish I knew were over 10lb that I could get him onto and a number of other fish around the 6 to 8lb mark.

Before Christmas the

Barney and the silver surfer. photo Andrew Claridge

Patrick Noone weather promised to be good — no wind or clouds, only sunshine, so ideal for spotting fish —and I couldn’t wait to get him behind some cracking fish. It didn’t take long to spot the first fish and we were on it like a light.

A nice cast saw the fish take the dry but someone was so excited and pulled the fly from the fish’s mouth before it had closed it— lesson learned.

The leviathan goes back into the deep

The next fish was better, probably 8lb, and Dad was in again. In no time the fish stripped the entire spool of line and I was horrified to watch Dad clamp a firm grip on the reel. The fish exploited the situation and won its bid for freedom.

“What the food did you do that for?” I shouted.

“I forgot to put backing on,” he laughed sheepishly.

“Why would you come to New Zealand, of all places, without backing?”

He switched to a 5 weight rod and, within minutes, was back in the action. This time it was one of the big ones I’d

had my eye on. A perfectly placed fly had seen the fish gently rise to the surface where it sipped the fly in.

“Just lift,” I coached.

At the prick of the hook, the fish was galvanised into action and what a fish it gave Dad; 25 minutes of constantly chasing it up and down the canal before I finally netted a stunning fish of 12 pound.

“That’s it,” Dad said. “I can die a happy man now I’ve caught one over 10—a dream come true!”

We went on to catch two more over ten and another six up to 8lb.

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Issue 162 5

One breath— one hell of a bug

Ben Palmer

AMAZING HAS A NEW LOOK.

Ben with a new PB monster bug

I was facing lockdown and, with hindsight, only just managed my escape with one week to spare. What transpired was a dream come true on two levels, and I’m still smiling about it today.

My wife and I were expecting our first child and, with the due date approaching, she was about to shackle the ball and chain, so a group of mates and I saw a bolthole and headed to d’Urville Island for an overnight freedive excursion. I’d gravitated to the sport from tank diving several years a ago and almost do it exclusively now; I find it more challenging and rewarding than tanks. While I mainly target crayfish, I like to mix it up with a bit of spearfishing as well.

The thrill of diving for crays really kicks in when you go after the big boys, because they can put up a hell of a scrap and you only have the one gulp of air to deal to them with. I’ve done okay and, up to this point, my PB was a crayfish of 9.5lb. The aim of this trip was to crack the 10lb mark with a cray that’s fully intact; no broken feelers or lost limbs. More challenging than it even sounds.

A stiff westerly was building on the second morning so we only had a two hour window to fulfil my dream. While I snagged a few good crays the day before—8 to 9 pounders— the biggie had eluded me.

We’d selected February to target d’Urville for my new personal best because the crayfish are in shallower water at this time of year, but it’s still luck of the draw; come back a week later and they could all be gone.

On my third dive of the morning I spotted it in a

Good gear is important and the big freedive fins got me back in front of the cray in no time. I had my torch in one hand but had to be careful not to shine it directly in its eyes—the crayfish was being a bit standoffish.

I edged closer and the moment I judged to be the optimum distance, I shot my hand forward, low, under the feelers, and clamped on. I had only the one breath, so had to extricate it quickly but carefully, so as not to break

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Kurt, Ben, and Tim caught the bug(s) large crevice in 10m of water. The crayfish was far enough forward to grab but I knew instantly I’d get only one grab; one flick of the tail and it would vanish into the dark recesses of the crevice.

I returned to the surface and went through the drill of calming down and getting the heart rate lower.

any parts, and get it to the surface before it ripped me to shreds. It proved easier than I’d imagined.

The crayfish went 10.5lb— my new personal best and a dream come true. And the other dream come true? See if you can find it elsewhere in this paper.

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6

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019 Front cover story: Daniel Crimp and his Aussie Uncle Peter Bormolini

School of tuna The sunlight beamed onto the deck, giving us a moment of warmth before us being sucked down into the shadow of a massive wave. Towering over our boat, it showed no mercy as it came crashing over the cabin, temporarily obstructing our view.

I had been granted the one wish any kid like me always makes, a day off school to go fishing. Albacore tuna were being caught out from Kaiteriteri, so we set out early the next day. Even though the sea was as rough as guts and the crashing waves were making me rethink my breakfast choice, nothing was going to stand in my way of catching a tuna.

We dropped off Anna, Mum, and Aunty Leanne for a walk in Abel Tasman Park while we shot out to the 40 metre mark and ran the tuna lures, wondering which one would be lucky today.

Apart from the sound of crashing waves smashing over our boat, it was unusually quiet; there were no birds flying, no fish sign on the sounder, and, with the sea this choppy, we weren't sure if we had made the right choice—though dad assured us it was going to drop away and flatten off. We kept at it,

Daniel Crimp tuna teenager

Daniel Crimp hoping something would excite us. family friendly.

As the boat rose on a wave I spotted something in the distance; two commercial tuna boats. With nothing happening where we were, we decided to check them out.

Upon closer inspection we saw a bird flying and another. Then, out of nowhere, hundreds appeared like a magic trick. Dad revved the new Suzuki and braced for a hook up…

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZZZ! Two rods doubled over, screaming.

Uncle Peter almost fell over as a wave hit but grabbed a rod each, while Dad did his best to keep the boat straight in the intimidating seas.

The battle had begun—we frantically ran around the deck trying to prevent a massive tangle, while also playing two big tuna and attempting to stay upright in the terrible swell.

After a few minutes of blistering runs and avoiding tangles, and the propeller, we had two very good conditioned tuna on one side of the boat, They must have been dancing, spinning around each other, because they were embraced in a lovely tangle. This elicited a few words from our ‘skipper’, which I won't put in this story, to keep it

Gaff not an option, we traced the beasts into the boat, where they frantically vibrated on the deck as if they were playing the drums. They were quickly bled and iced to keep them fresh.

The lure hit the water with a splash and in 20 seconds the line took off, another tuna and huge! It was unstoppable, stripping the reel down to the last 40 metres but, with me on the rod and Dad driving, we got him under control. Peter cleared the other rods, making it a lot easier, but that didn't stop the fish taking off in every direction: under the boat, out the back, near the motor— an exhilarating fight.

Thinking the tuna had tired, Dad grabbed the trace but it took off, peeling 50m in seconds and cutting Dad’s hand in the process. He did get his revenge with some fresh sashimi later that night.

The rods continued to buzz for the next 30 minutes, till we had enough for a good feed. The swell had calmed, so we picked up the girls and dipped in for a swim.

With fresh tuna for dinner, what better way to end a great day out fishing? Much, much better than school!

Honeypot of butters and blues Bryn Williams

I kept an eye on the anchor during its descent, judging the water clarity by how far down the rope I could see. The visibility was outstanding. In places you could make out the bottom in 15 metres of water, which, for the Canterbury coast, meant it was just ‘one of those days’.

a honeypot. Ridiculous amounts of baitfish, a crazy amount of moki, and a stupid supply of butterfish.

Spoilt for choice, I grabbed the underwater camera first and took a few snaps.

With the sea being so clear it really highlighted how productive the Canterbury coastline is.

I entered the water and adjusted my mask. I was totally surrounded by blue.

Swimming towards the edge of the reef, I unexpectedly drifted over the top of a patch of rock that rose to five metres below the surface.

Being deeper on either side, these rocks were their own mini ecosystem absolutely loaded with fish. I’d found

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conditions. I shot a few butterfish and a moki before trying something different.

Resting on the surface for longer, I anticipated a deeper dive. Descending down the steep edge, I hit the gravel bottom at 15 metres and it looked to be prime cod country. I scanned around, waiting for my opportunity to strike. No cod came to check me out but as I was about to ascend, movement caught my eye. Slowly coming into range was a donkey sized moki that dwarfed anything else I’d seen or shot prior that day.

I calmly extended the gun, aiming just behind the head before pulling the trigger.

The fish opened its big juju

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lips and froze as the spear hit its mark. Dead on the spot.

The moki was in awesome condition and I definitely had enough fish now to give

the filleting knife a good work out.

Making the call to get out of the water was a difficult decision. When you come

across a productive reef on a clear day, it is truly mesmerising. Those are the days that make up for all the southerly storms we have to endure through winter.

Issue 162 7

Jigging a little Black Magic Kingfish on 300g deepwater slim jig angler Lucy Campbell

JIGGING R U O S ’ T A

Mechanical jigging.

The good old kingi provides, without doubt, one of the toughest fights you’ll get, which influences jig selection. Choose a recognised brand. Good components are critical.

- strong high carbon steel hooks - quality Kevlar thread - high tensile wire split rings so that they close properly after changing jigs - strong solid rings that won’t bend under pressure

These jigs feature lumo coatings, along the belly or as stripes across the jig. When fishing 50 metres plus, the luminous finish really helps as an added attractant. Some colours also have a UV content in the finish.

60g - 200g 4 colours

Black Magic jigs: • designed to suit a wide range of jigging styles

The other popular type of jig fishing is bottom bouncing. Here you cast the jig up ahead of your drift and slowly retrieve it, bouncing it along the bottom as you drift towards it. This method has accounted for a range of species: snapper, cod, gurnard, and kahawai, and is a good technique around work ups.

• high quality hooks, split rings and Kevlar thread for maximum strength

The Black Magic Flipper jig is particularly effective here, more often the 80g or 100g (full range 60g to 200g). They do a great ‘wounded fish’ impersonation as you retrieve them.

If you want a slightly more conventional shape, the Black Magic Flutter jig fits the bill. Ranging from 40g to 100g, this jig has a scoop out of one side that provides the right type of action as you bring it back down the drift.

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Whatever jig you choose, be sure to go for quality first and be prepared to experiment.

• variable body shapes with different swimming actions

4 igs rJ tte Flu

Black Magic’s Knife jig is a good choice

Flipper Jigs

s 15 Jig ife Kn

Black Magic’s range is well proven on XL sized kingies. Apart from quality components, the wire that forms the loop you attach the assist hooks to passes right through the body–not always the case with cheaper jigs.

When choosing what weight to use, consider the depth you are fishing in and the speed of the drift. If you’re not getting the jig down easily and it’s trolling out the back, change to a heavier model.

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col ou rs

Jigs range from micro styles (under 10g) to large knife jigs, well north of 500g. What you choose depends on where you are fishing and what you are targeting.

If you want real movement from your jig on both the drop and the retrieve, the Flipper jig in either the 150g or 200g version is ideal. It has a big scoop out of one side and a heavier tail end. Unlike the other Black Magic jigs, it has a twin hook set up.

Mark Coppard, Deep Water Slim Jig , 38kg kingfish, North Cape.

30 0g ,4

The jig wall at your local retailer has a plethora of sizes, shapes, and colours to choose from, which can be confusing, especially If you’re new to the game. Shop staff will be able to advise you, but here are a few things to consider:

If you’d prefer a jig that is easier to retrieve, go for the Black Magic Deepwater Slim range. Like the name suggests, they have a slimmer profile that is easier to retrieve and come in 200g and 300g.

00 g&

H W

here. It’s tail-weighted so it drops fast, which is great in deeper water, and comes in 150g to 400g.. There are scoops on both sides that create a sharp sideways scything action each time you pull on it, with a normal mechanical jigging action.

De ep wa ter Slim Jig s2

Jigging offers a lot in terms of the species you catch and the pure adrenaline rush of getting your jig smashed. Some think of it as being mainly about dropping knife jigs down for kingies but, while that’s often the ultimate thrill, there’s a lot to be said for casting smaller jigs ahead of the drift and bottom bouncing your way to a good feed of whatever lurks below.

the best by test...

@blackmagictackle

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8

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Tussles, tactics and triumph@Twizel

Elliot Hendry

Poppy and I arrived at the salmon farm just as dawn was breaking. In summer, with elevated water temperatures, fishing early morning and evening can significantly increase your chances.

There's a popular canal saying, ''find the flow, find the fish'' and while there is certainly an element of truth to that, due to the nation’s fluctuating requirements for electricity, there isn't always a steady flow and adapting to the conditions is the difference between those who are regularly successful and those who go home with an empty chillybin.

On this day the canals were dead still. In these conditions I like to either cast and retrieve lures or drift a very lightly weighted bait. My favourite baits are shrimp, huhu grubs, and the humble garden worm. Any lure or softbait can work on its day and it’s worth trying a wide range.

Whichever lure you use, letting it sink deep enough is key. Although sink rates will vary depending on the shape and weight of a lure, counting to 10 before slowly retrieving is a good place to start. Leader diameter is very important; too heavy and the fish will shy away. With clear water and no flow, I decided to use 6lb leader with a couple of large split shot, giving me just enough weight to flick my bait near the salmon pens.

Luckily there was a spare rod at the bach, so we headed back down in the evening.

There was some flow now but a gusty wind made it tough to keep in contact with my bait, so I was taken by surprise when my line pulled tight and I was connected to a heavy fish. It was quite a sluggish fighter, which is typical of a brown and, after a few minutes of short but powerful runs, my suspicions were confirmed as a stunningly coloured brown rose to the surface. I guided it into the shallows where I took a couple of quick photos before carefully releasing it.

Poppy still hadn't caught a fish. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the wind died down and her patience paid off. Her reel screamed to my right as the fish made some blistering runs and she did very well to stop it from tangling on the cages. Eventually, topping off a day off ups and downs, she subdued it and I slid the net under a lovely fat 8lb rainbow, her biggest trout to date.

It wasn't long before I had a take and, after a short tussle, I had a fat 6lb rainbow trout on the bank.

Another similar sized followed, which I returned.

Elliot says a tactical approach is key to success

Then things went quiet. I had my dog tied to the truck and she'd got herself tangled. Putting my rod down with my bait still in the water, I walked up the bank to untangle her. As I returned, unbelievably, a fish grabbed my bait and took off with my rod in tow, never to be seen again! This put an end to the morning fishing.

The salmon farms can pop at change of light, as Poppy discovered

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Issue 162 9

Proposal to review minimum legal sizes for commercial fishers Marty Bowers - Senior Fisheries Analyst Inshore Fisheries Management Fisheries New Zealand

improve their fishing practices; to catch only what they want and leave the rest untouched,” says Mr Halley.

“We know that some fishers already use innovative techniques to reduce the number of small or unwanted fish they catch, and we want to see this approach embraced by the entire industry.”

Fisheries New Zealand is considering proposals to reshape, improve, and modernise fisheries management to encourage good commercial fishing practices.

A key focus is the rules around what fish can be landed or returned to the sea, including one option to remove commercial minimum legal sizes for all finfish, meaning commercial fishers would have to keep and report all finfish they catch, regardless of size.

“The intention of this option is simplify the rules and reduce the number of small fish being caught by encouraging commercial fishers to use better, more selective, fishing gear and practices,” says Steve Halley, Inshore Fisheries Manager for Fisheries New Zealand.

Where a minimum legal size has been set, commercial fishers must return fish to the sea that are undersized, whether they are alive

or dead. The intention of this rule is to allow these small fish, when in good health, to continue to grow and breed. In reality, most fish bought to the surface in trawl or set nets are dead or dying.

This consultation proposes three options for what commercially caught fish must be brought back to port, and what fish can be returned to the sea: 1. Removing minimum legal sizes for finfish to restrict how many fish can legally be returned to the sea by commercial fishers 2. Increasing the number of fish with minimum legal size limits to give commercial fishers more flexibility to return fish to the sea 3. Retaining the status quo, with minimum legal sizes for 11 finfish.

“While removing minimum legal sizes for commercial fishers might appear counterintuitive, we believe it would incentivise the industry to

The first step is making sure all commercial catch, including undersize fish, is accurately reported. The new electronic catch and position reporting rules will see commercial fishers required to report all fish they return to the sea (barring a few exceptions) but they will not be counted against quota.

Better information will help us understand how many small fish are being caught, but on its own may not provide an incentive to avoid catching them. Some of the options in this consultation are intended to increase the incentive for fishers to avoid catching these undersize fish.

Under option one, commercial fishers would potentially have to keep all fish they catch and they would be counted against quota; meaning the fisher would bear the full cost of their fishing practices.

The second option would provide more flexibility for commercial fishers to return small and unwanted fish by potentially increasing the use of minimum legal sizes across other finfish. This would allow the industry to maximise the value from their catch. It also would provide an incentive for better reporting, as fish below minimum legal size could be reported and returned, but not counted against quota.

The third option would see no

change.

This consultation does not look at minimum legal sizes for recreational fishers; its focus is the commercial fishing sector.

It also proposes a review of offences and penalties, a proposal to streamline the process for setting catch-limits and some other fisheries management changes,” says Mr Halley.

Consultation is open until 17 March 2019. Find out more, attend a public meeting, and make a submission at www.fisheries.govt.nz/haveyoursay

Consultation starts on blue cod fishing regulations Fisheries New Zealand is consulting on several proposed changes to the blue cod fishing regulations to reduce the impacts of localised overfishing on blue cod populations. These changes mark the first step in implementing the National Blue Cod Strategy, which was endorsed by the Minister of Fisheries, Hon Stuart Nash, in December last year.

Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback on proposed changes to a number of recreational fishing regulations including; daily bag limits, a two-day accumulation limit, requiring blue cod to be landed in a measurable state (no filleting at sea), and increasing the Minimum Legal Size (MLS) to 33cm nationwide.

We are also seeking feedback on requiring commercial and recreational fishers to have a

minimum cod pot mesh size of 54mm nationwide. Commercial fishers in BCO5 (Southland) are already required to use 54mm mesh, and applying this nationwide standardises this rule, making it easier to enforce and comply with, as well as giving undersize fish a better chance of escape.

Blue cod are vulnerable to overfishing because they are a relatively slow-growing and longlived fish species; generally tend to live within a 1km home range; form isolated populations; take bait easily and females can change sex (which affects recruitment). We are proposing these changes to address localised overfishing and the decline we have seen in some blue cod stocks at a relatively small spatial scale.

We appreciate that many of you have contributed to the development of the National Blue Cod Strategy, and we hope to hear from you during this formal consultation process. Your views are important to us, and we welcome your feedback as we work together to shape the future of blue cod fisheries management in New Zealand.

Consultation closes on 26 March 2019, with the final decision on regulatory changes being publicised through a number of media channels later this year. We look forward to continuing to work together for the benefit of our blue cod fisheries.

To find out more about how you can have your say head to: www. fisheries.govt.nz/bluecod

Rob was gutted when he was caught.

Download the free NZ Fishing Rules App to get the rules.

If you go over the bag limit or take undersize fish, it could really spoil your day when you receive a fine. Make sure you check the rules every time before you fish because they change regularly and are different for each area. These help protect our precious marine resources – for you, other fishers, and future generations. Download the free App now.

MFI0018

www.fisheries.govt.nz/rules

Don’t be like Rob.

10 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Introducing

“The weekend before I started at Marine & Outdoors, my partner Grace and I were fishing for the elusive Kenepuru snapper.

Long story short, I ended up catching a trophy 28lb snapper, my personal best, and Grace muscled a 25lb snapper, her first ever! It was one of the best and most memorable weekends of my life.”

Adam

&

Travels

Marshall New General Manager of Marine & Outdoors in Blenheim, Adam Marshall lives and breathes the fishing and adventure lifestyle.

Fire child preordained

Ben Palmer’s motto is, ‘Start as you mean to go on,’ and he is seen here at Nelson Public Hospital reading that vital ‘first story’ to his newborn son Cooper, just minutes old. The wee fella clearly showed avid interest, loved the blurry pictures of big fish, and even said his first word,”Fiiiiissssh!”— although it came out the wrong end.

Ben is a keen diver, spearo, and hunter, and is itching to get Cooper into the outdoors. He sees his recent catch, a 10.5kg crayfish, as an omen.

“It was almost twice the size of Cooper, who weighed in at 5.5lb, so I guess it is preordained

that he is going to follow in my footsteps.”

Ben is besotted with young Cooper and is loving being a dad, so we should cut him a bit of slack for failing to mention the mum in all of this.

Stacey is actually the real hero. The family were evacuated during the Wakefield fires and her waters broke early, resulting in the premature arrival of Cooper. Whether it was stress of the fire or Cooper was just keen to get cracking with Dad, Stacey took it in her stride and delivered the bright-eyed bairn on 11 February.

Ben says he loves The Fishing Paper & Hunting News and has read it every month for yonks. He just has to have the last word!

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.

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Having worked in service, sales, and, more recently, business development for Stabicraft Marine in Southland and Christchurch for the past eight years, Adam has fished his way around much of the South Island, and parts of the North Island too. He joins the Marine and Outdoors team with a wealth of boating knowledge and passion.

“I’ve had an incredible time with Stabicraft, now it’s time for a new challenge,” he says.

“In my previous role, I worked with marine dealerships all over the world and I always admired Marine & Outdoors for their connection with their local customers and their forwardthinking approach to the rapidly growing interest in recreational boating. We have chosen to partner with some of New Zealand’s most trusted marine brands like Yamaha, Southern, Lazercraft, Haines Hunter, and, of course, Stabicraft.

The big fish were caught in Adam’s Stabicraft 1850 Supercab, which he describes as “a boat that punches well above its weight class.”

With great brands and expert knowledge, we’re strongly focussed on our customers, our product, and providing ongoing support.”

With family ties in Marlborough, Adam knows how to take advantage of all the region has to offer.

“My perfect day consists of an early morning water ski followed by fishing, a good filleting session, and topped off with a couple of beers and some fresh seafood on the BBQ.” Asked for some of his best boating experiences, Adam says there’s been a few but one particularly sensational weekend in the Sounds stands out.

PISTOL SHOOTING

“It can fish four people comfortably, can handle any conditions, is super stable and safe, and it’s easy to tow and manoeuvre. Most importantly, it attracts big fish,” he laughs.

Adam encourages anyone looking to get into fishing and boating to pop in and see him and the team at Marine & Outdoors to share stories and photos of their best boating and fishing adventures.

“I’m excited to introduce people to the boating lifestyle that’s right on our doorstep. There’s nothing I dislike more than a pushy salesman who doesn’t know about what they’re selling.

For me, it’s learning about my customer so I can match their lifestyle to the right type of boat, that will suit them for years to come.”

Brian Bishop

Putting the right foot forward Footwear, what do you buy and is it important?

Absolutely, it is vital for the type of shooting I do and as important as a good pair of boots when going bush.

I have learnt the importance of going into a shoe store and turning over many pairs of shoes until I find the correct type of tread that suits my needs— the correct shoes make a huge difference to performance and results. For many years I shopped cheap at The Warehouse but found ones with the traction I was after.

When I could afford a better grade of shoe, I switched to a Salomon, which is an awesome shoe that gives comfort together with a great hold. This is essential for fast movement over all types of ground surfaces.

I even have a spiked pair that I purchased in the USA for the World IPSC champs and the hold when running over wooden decks and steps is amazing. With this added traction, I am able to concentrate more on shooting without having to worry about slipping. To be fair though, it is a bit rough

on the woodwork but that’s a small price to pay, in my opinion.

There are a couple of other new brands being used but it is up to personal preference. Those who do not carefully consider what footwear best suits them may come to regret it, as one of my friends found out.

I won’t say his name, but Dion has big feet and, at the Nationals last year, took a couple of spectacular falls— the best bits were actually caught on camera. This resulted in a little ribbing and a suggestion of better footwear, all of which he took well. A hard lesson learnt.

We give a lot of thought to our guns, ammo, and kit so the same

should apply when choosing footwear, otherwise things can and do go bad fast, just ask Dion!

We have had word that I’ve made the NZ Open Team for the Philippines in November.

Time to step up the practice and spend even more time at the range.

Issue 162 11

Roar

&

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12 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Beam me up spotty

“The one thing we can’t buy back is time” - Tony Glentworth, Chief Thinking Guy for TrackMe NZL.

Why I shot my mate

Official autopsies of past incidents reveal that at least one of the cardinal seven firearms safety rules was broken, which, ironically, often reinforces the ‘it’ll never happen to me’ belief.

This is because almost all hunters believe they are safe and always identify their target 100%. The exception is beginner hunters and there is a reason for this, which also exposes why the majority of hunting incidents are caused by experienced hunters, not novices.

Young hunters have yet to build a proficient skill set and large knowledge base so tend to be over cautious and very deliberate in assessing a situation. That doesn’t mean ‘old hands’ are incautious or negligent but, in some cases,

k-2

another phenomenon is coming into play—one that can ‘trick’ the mind.

When we learn to read, spelling or sounding out words is just ONE tool we use early on to help us identify patterns of letters that make words. The brain builds a base of clues and cues, such as letters, phonic blends, letter shape, syllables, and suffixes and prefixes, to help identify words and phrases. It also learns to use context—where have I seen this before and what is it similar to. It then prints a picture in your mind’s eye of the word that it has ‘guessed’ or assumed.

As the reader becomes more experienced and confident, the brain requires fewer clues to make a judgement call on what it is seeing, which is essential to becoming a fluent reader.

The same principle applies in hunting: an experienced hunter has, over time, built up a huge bank of knowledge, sights, smells, sounds, mental images, and context around different situations, so the brain automatically makes a call based on fewer clues.

Most of the time this works well but in rare instances

In preparing for an adventure anywhere in the world, we often don’t give enough thought to the time when it all goes sideways.

Perhaps there’s an element of ‘it can’t happen to me’, but

the hunter can come unstuck; a trick of light, a familiar movement or sound, confusing background noise, or a momentary distraction can fool the brain, which ‘identifies the target’ using too few a number of clues.

But the hunter has NOT identified the target beyond any doubt, I hear you say.

Herein lies the problem. The hunter has. At least, in his or her mind’s eye. Based on the cues, the brain creates an image of what it assumes it is seeing, not necessarily what is actually there. The hunter believes the brain and SEES a deer, not his mate’s shoulder. That’s why, afterwards, they cannot fathom how they could have made such a egregious mistake. Young hunters who lack the knowledge and experience bank are not as easily tricked.

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GARMIN inReach in Kiwi hands

Captain’s Log: With the Roar looming, the hills will again swell with hunters chasing bellowing stags, which increases the potential for hunting related accidents and fatalities. Safety messages will precede the event and debate around campfires and dinner tables will likely focus on two common threads: incredulousness that ‘shooting a mate’ can actually happen and the ‘it could never happen to me’ train of thought.

Roar

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it can! We have gear, warm clothes, First Aid kit, food, fitness (maybe), intended destination, and trip travel all sorted out well in advance of when we leave, but when do we seriously think about communications with family or rescue services? Just after we realise our cellphone doesn’t work, and in New Zealand that may be minutes from home.

If you do get into a situation that requires professional help, we talk of the Golden Hour; you want to receive medical attention within this timeframe to give your self or your mate the best chance of survival, so it is critical you are located quickly. That aside, your family and friends want to know you are OK during the trip and even have a way

is now saving lives in the New Zealand bush at speeds previously thought impossible.

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Why connect to TrackMe New Zealand? Simply because we connect directly to the New Zealand Emergency services and not through an American third party, saving valuable time in that Golden Hour.

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Roar

Issue 162 13

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14 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

20 19

The vanguard stag Daryl Crimp

The moment I saw his erection I knew it was a game changer. He was unsheathed and, even from 700 yards, you could see him glistening in the sun. The mighty warrior’s blood was up and he was amping for battle. A switch had finally been flicked and the stuttering lights of the Roar suddenly burst into incandescent fury, and it just so happened that the vanguard of the charge was the best stag we’d seen to date.

We’d first spotted him across the river over a kilometre away and I worried about the long stalk required and if he’d still be there by the time we’d closed the distance. This was Fizz’s playground and he assured me there was no need to bust a gut.

“These Marlborough stags cover a hell of a circuit during the Roar,” he said.

“It’s nothing for them to run several K’s in a night and be back where they started in the morning.”

They did this day after day and seldom ate during this phase, resulting in huge weight loss.

“Some stags can lose up to 30% of their bodyweight,” he said. “That stag will eventually work his way over here—we just have to wait him out.”

We were hidden amongst an eagle’s nest of rocks just below the ridge and I’d given a few roars, exciting several stags. One was in a scrubby gutter to our right, while others were dotted about the compass. A big wide 12 marshalled three hinds up a ridge directly below us, but sidled off before coming within range.

Then Fizz’s prophecy came true. The vanguard stag burst out of a clump of manuka and beelined for the river, disappearing out of sight behind a spur way down in front of us.

Effort is a key element of hunting. photo Jonathan Young

The morning sun glinted off his antlers and burnished his coat with the lacquer of arrogance. I roared and he roared back, throwing a malevolent stare in our direction. Each subsequent roar inched him closer until we hit stalemate at 700 yards. Then I hit a note that flicked the switch.

the better of him and he poked his nose out, gave a growl, and listened.

and tacked straight into my comfort zone.

I gave a rasping ‘hurring’ roar and he came again.

Determinedly.

Broadside at 270 yards.

“He’s pissing all over himself,” Jono whispered.

“He’s got the jitters,” Jono said.

The vanguard stag arrived just below and stalled again.

His confidence wilted. We all sensed the change in the stag.

And stopped.

“I’m going to take him.”

Boom.

“Holy shit what the F …!”

The eagle’s nest erupted into a squawking gaggle of confusion. It transpired that Fizz and Jono had slipped into deep assessment mode and were debating whether

kicked at the shot, ran twenty metres, and got the staggers, so further debate was redundant.

The vanguard stag proved to be a tremendous trophy.

Not because of its beauty, weight, and symmetry, nor for any academic number you could attach to it. It’s magnificence lay in the fact the hunt had all three elements required to authenticate it: uncertainty,

“If he heads upstream we’ll never see him again,” Jono said. The words hung in the still air.

Then.

“There he is,” I whispered excitedly, “at the base of the spur.”

And now the work begins. photo Gary Fissenden

Crimpy roared this impressive Marlborough red in from over a K away. photo Jonathan Young The stag went nuts, fully unsheathed and delirious.

He thrashed bushes with his antlers, scarfed soil with his hooves, and trot-bawled his way in. At 400 yards he stalled again and went doggo in a gutter of scrub.

I stopped calling for twenty minutes.

He moaned occasionally but got no response. It got

“The bastard’s going to do a runner,” Fizz muttered.

And he did.

He turned and started a fast walk out of there.

Breeee-OARRR! Full volume.

Loud and long.

Something snapped and he turned back. This time he quartered against the wind

the stag would go better than Fizz’s previous best. Fizz was on the brink of deciding to take the stag himself and neither had heard me claim the shot. I wasn’t tuned into their musings either, so it really was a case of three old monkeys ‘hearing no evil, hearing no evil, and hearing no evil!’

Regardless, the stag had

difficulty, and effort.

It was never certain the stag would come in from so far and the shot was difficult.

As for effort: my mates sweated truckloads lugging all the meat out of that steep inhospitable country. They formed the vanguard while I trundled behind with a nice rack of antlers over my shoulders.

Roar

20 19

Issue 162 15

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Roar

16 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

20 19

Powerful ports with you in mind

I

t is something special to be a hunter. There is a relationship with nature—in a sense spiritual—that connects us with our ancestors. It fires our souls and tempers our identity. We are not merely observers but participants in the life—death—life cycle that is the natural order. With it comes responsibility, a sense of tradition, respect for guardianship, a love of the fine things… and the purity of being able to harvest directly from nature.

Ruahine Ports exemplifies this relationship because it is steeped in tradition and reflects the same values and ethos we as hunters aspire to. The small bespoke company, a joint venture by partners Damon Pratt and Alisha Phelps has been gently nurtured and is an evolving family legacy that has gained huge appreciation from the hunting and outdoor fraternity, partly due to old fashioned values but more so for the purity of the product and the story behind it.

Ruahine ports are well worth the carry The aim is to create to toast your triumphant hunt, or to delicious ports that will be drown your sorrows savoured and appreciated by the discerning Kiwi hunter and outdoorsman, so they ferment the story along with the fruit. Only high grade fruit is sourced from the oldest family orchards— those with a trusted connection and affinity with the land—and processed using natural and traditional methods. Natural spring water percolating from the Puketoi Ranges provides the purity while Damon and Alisha make their own spirit from the fruit wine to fortify the port, using a handmade Portuguese Alquitar Copper still. The essence of artisan craftsmanship.

The unique range of ports are fermented on the whole fruit, which captures a subtlety of flavour not possible in industrialised processes, quietly connecting us with the wild outdoors. To cement this bond, Ruahine Ports are then aged with native mountain totara and red beech wood. No other winery does this.

also connects at deeper levels; it is the essence of who we are as hunters and it is the ‘handshake' of that lasting relationship between you, Alisha, and Damon. That is the cornerstone of a good toast—and a great business.

The result is a port that stands out, full of body and intense in favour—one that

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Roar

Issue 162 17

20 19

Optically Speaking This time of year always holds the promise of something special, whether it's a trophy stag, a magnificent opening day, or one of the many other hunting pleasures that my be found within our shores. I sometimes have to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming; where I hail from, ordinary folk have to grovel around 'doffing their caps' just to get permission to shoot rabbits. My plan over the next two months is to shoot a few pigs, go to Tekapo to evaluate our new equipment on rabbits and wallabies, and go after a deer or two, especially fallow. Whether this will happen or not will be determined by my old enemy, lack of time.

To overcome the hurdle of time, I have used our Yukon and Pulsar night vision and thermal imaging systems over the past nine years.

Due to time constraints, I found that I could go for a quick shot in the evening and be back before midnight so as not to be too tired for

Ant Corke

work next day. I introduced myself to the sport of night hunting, finding it highly productive and interesting. I have always enjoyed searun trout fishing at night and night hunting is very similar.

Roar… into the night

Animals are easier to spot and identify at night with the right equipment. Thermal is very good as is night vision. Both of these systems allow a closer approach and more time to consider the implications of taking the shot and of producing a clean kill. As well as being productive it is also very exciting because, regardless of whether I get a shot or not, I am as likely to see something of interest.

We have a new range of night vision and thermal imaging systems that I intend to put through their paces.

These include the new Pulsar Trail LRF thermal rifle-sight and the Pulsar Accolade LRF thermal biocular, both of which incorporate an inbuilt laser rangefinder.

These systems are ideal at night when accurate distance information is vital due to

Deer on the forest edge

the challenges of estimating distance in darkness. These systems are equally useful during daylight especially for hunting in scrubby terrain.

The new Pulsar Digisight N455 is another eagerly awaited product. This night vision rifle-sight has many of the features of the Pulsar

Ladies, time to ROAR Exclusive to the Wild Outdoorsman is the exciting new label and apparel made exclusively for women, GWG Girls with Guns.

Numbers of women fishers and hunters are swelling and, with our women staff into both pursuits, the Wild Outdoorsman quickly identified the need for a wider range of specialist clothing—let’s face it, ladies deserve more choice because they have curves in different places than men.

The gear has to perform though, because ladies are every bit as skilled, committed, and enthusiastic as their male counterparts, so the Wild Outdoorsman is committed to delivering top quality performance hunting apparel and active wear at great prices.

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18 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Roar

20 19

Issue 162 19

Away from the spotlight of regular negative media coverage and controversy promoted by self-serving anti commercial lobbyists, there is real business being done by the commercial sector to ensure our fish stocks are utilised in a sustainable manner – to the benefit of ALL users. It is a story not often told or understood. Daryl Sykes investigates how the fishing industry has become streamlined to meet its responsibilities in the intriguing world of…

Boardrooms, bureaucracy and the business of fishing Stronger identity and focus Within the wider fishing industry and some government agencies there was a perception that the commercial fisheries needed a better national identity and focal point, so a single over-arching Commercial Fisheries Forum (CFF) was formed. Within this, the inshore SREs work alongside Aquaculture NZ, the DWG, Te Ohu Kai Moana, and representatives from Seafood New Zealand and the Federation of Commercial Fishermen.

Affiliated to the CFF but still successfully operating in their own representation and advocacy, are the Bluff Oyster Company and the Specialty and Emerging Fisheries Group.

The role and function of most inshore fisheries commercial stakeholders often extends further than to the beach or the wharf. To maintain administrative and financial efficiencies and to enable investment in post-harvest activities or promotion, the fishing industry routinely refines its organizational design.

Fishing industry organisations are structured around stocks, Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs) and/or fishing methods, and operate primarily as fisheries research and management agencies, whilst also providing technical support, coordination and advocacy for individual industry participants.

Commercial stakeholder organisations (CSOs) can be loosely grouped into three sectors: aquaculture, deepwater, and inshore. They form the foundation of the seafood industry organisation and share issues of common interest and concern.

Some inshore commercial stakeholder organisations are reliant on voluntary funding, so are constrained in their ability to implement medium to long term initiatives, whilst others such as paua and lobster are more effectively using the Commodity Levy Act to secure a funding base. Financial administration and management across CSOs and SREs is streamlined to retain the support of corporate and private quota share owners—who are the CSO/SRE levy payers.

The inshore sector encompasses great diversity of stocks, areas, and methods, and have significantly more individual participants than the Deep Water Group for example.

Commercial Fisheries Forum grassroots driven The CSOs continue to hold the doors open to enable the inshore fishing industry to prosper, despite often intense pressure on politicians and bureaucrats to constrain and penalise commercial fishing in favour of other extractive or non-extractive use.

Times have changed, will continue to change, and the CFF provides CSOs the opportunity to work more efficiently and effectively for their respective fisheries and for their members. The business of fishing can be a difficult one without effective organization, secure funding, and professional support and representation.

The particular features of industry organisation that enable successful cooperative initiatives are inclusiveness, ‘localness’ – the grass roots, bottom up membership structures – and effective communication and coordination, with skilled professional oversight and management.

For the Inshore CSO membership—

The various factions within deepwater fisheries and aquaculture have consolidated into more formal alliances called Sector Representative Entities or SREs. Over recent years, four principal SREs have emerged – Aquaculture NZ, Fisheries Inshore New Zealand, the Paua Industry Council (incorporating the Kina Industry Council) and the NZ Rock Lobster industry Council.

Regional stakeholder organisations still have strong identity within these groupings— the CRAMACs and PauaMACs are good examples.

The successes of Aquaculture NZ in brokering economic growth opportunities, with support from Government, and the formation of a research plan for deepwater fisheries involving a partnership between the Deep Water Group (DWG) and Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ), illustrate the benefits derived from refining old organisational formats.

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when they are required to sign-off on an annual business plan and budget, or when they need occasional advice and assistance in dealing with ‘the system’.

encompassing the men in suits who manage quota share and ACE portfolios, fishermen and women on the water, and the Licensed Fish Receivers (processors and exporters) — the role and function of their CSOs may only have relevance or become ‘high on mind’

Some corporate quota share owners and research service providers envision great economic growth opportunities for inshore fisheries by way of certification, branding, traceability, or market promotions, and have identified Government funding opportunities that the inshore fishing sector was not pursuing because of their fragmentation.

The CFF is enabling those aspirations whilst guiding the implementation of operational policies consistent with the intended roles and functions of industry participants anticipated by the New Zealand QMS.

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20 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

From Sinker to Smoker

Sinker with built in bait clip.

Ron Prestage

I spent a week recently having a stocktake of the DIY rigs I have constructed over the years for surfcasting and boat fishing applications. I then refurbished where necessary and as usual made a few more new ones. The knots I use for making rigs are the uni knot, the longline knot and Lefty’s loop. Crimping pliers and aluminium crimps are used in some of the rig making.

Surfcasting rigs Pulley rig: A simply great rig for a long cast. I often terminate with a keeper hook. Sinkers with a built-in clip further streamline it for extra casting metres.

Single hook clipped down ledger rig: A recent development of mine thanks to Greg Gilbert of Canterbury Surfcasting Club who gave me the idea. Love this concept to stop the bait helicoptering in flight and shortening the cast. Again uses the sinker with built-in clip.

Double hook clipped down ledger rig: This rig relies on plastic clips threaded onto the backbone to keep the two baits clipped down in flight. Always a good option when fishing two rods or two different baits.

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Boat rigs Two hook Sounds rig: Regulations state that two hooks is the maximum allowed for Sounds’ fishing, so two flasher type 5/0 circle hooks are a good option. I make the trace to backbone connection by using two uni knots, which pull together in a secure linkage point.

Four hook Tasman Bay ledger rig: This rig has a soft bait hook at the top attached with a Lefty’s loop knot to allow free movement in the

water. Next is a 3/0 circle hook targeting tarakihi followed by two 5/0 circle hooks for snapper, gurnard and blue cod.

Lenny’s rig: Lenny Smith of Nelson developed this strayline set up by attaching two traces to a three-way swivel, one shorter than the other. That way two baits can be drifted out the back of the boat using a small ball sinker above the swivel to assist sinking the baits to the target area.

Surfcasting from a boat rig: This rig is the same as the surfcasting two hook ledger rig, without the clips. A 4oz sinker is used and it is cast out the side of the boat away from the dropper and strayline lines.

I find corrugated cardboard and plastic bags helpful in storing the rigs and avoiding tangles. Contact me if you require any further details of these rigs.

E: rgprestage@xtra.co.nz

Surfcasting rigs: pulley, single hook, double hook.

Boat rigs: Sounds, Tasman Bay, Lenny’s and surfcasting from a boat.

Issue 162 21

STICK YOUR OAR IN

CRIMPTOON

FREEMAN GROUP

HAVE YOUR SAY… email all your letters to editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz

Beware the peak body Dear Ed, I noted your article (page 24) in which a Randall Bess is promoting a “peak body.”

Bess is a former commercial fisherman and Ministry of Fisheries officer. He has popped out of the woodwork a year or so ago backed by the NZ Business Initiative, which is the born-again Business Roundtable. The Business Roundtable backing would make me suspicious.

Remember them from the Rogernomics and Ruthenasia eras?

Randall Bess, in company with former NZ Recreational fishing president Geoff Rowling, gave talks in which he said his plans were based on Western Australia.

Mr Rowling said Western Australia’s recreational fishing was nowhere as good as New Zealand’s. So why adopt a West Australia model? Other Australian states have different systems.

Why not look at them? I suspect the WA model suits the agenda.

From what I heard, the Bess plan’s agenda is a saltwater licence and absorbing the recreational catch into the tradeable quota management system (QMS). Once in the QMS, the recreational catch would be at the mercy of the powerful fishing companies. The companies would love that. In your article (page 24 last issue) it was mentioned the depleted scallops. Scallops were ruined by the companies and

driven to near-collapse in Marlborough by companybacked commercial greed.

Unfortunately the companies hold power.

The Ministry and ministers of fisheries are putty in the hands of the companies.

Just beware.

L Collins West Coast Ed’s note: in the interests of debate, I offered a right of reply to Laurie’s letter: When reading Mr Collins’ letter, it seemed appropriate to talk with him directly about his concerns with a peak body and any solutions he may have to the challenges facing recreational fishers. The more we talked, the more we realised we have few, if any, differences of opinion.

We agreed the current management situation will likely worsen if recreational fishing interests are not well represented.

Laurie’s main concern is the potential influence the commercial fishing sector could have on a recreational peak body. The main solution we discussed is strength in numbers, or designing the peak body to have a strong mandate from the broad recreational sector, along with an intent to work constructively with Government and other sectors.

We discussed how commercial fishers are often vilified when there is

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a fisheries problem. The scallop fishery at the Top of the South is a case in point. The rapid demise of this fishery suggests other factors were at play besides commercial harvest levels.

This should incline the fishing sectors to work collectively with others to find solutions that rebuild this fishery.

We also discussed Western Australia in relation to good sector representation and effective inter-sectoral relationships. Western Australians are making the most of their low levels of fish stock productivity that are due to the absence of major river systems and upwelling currents.

Let’s keep discussions going about the overseas experiences that will help us achieve our shared goals of greater fish stock abundance, fair and equitable allocations, and a better recreational fishing experience.

Randall Bess Good but not good enough Dear Ed, There were two really good letters in your February issue.

Firstly, the tahr issue and in particular the fear of too many of being “political.”

As Tony Orman pointed out, politics is democracy in action. Too many are scared of being “political”, which is stupid, naive, and gutless.

Greek philosopher Plato (born 427 BC) observed, “The price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men.” Think “evil” in the wider context

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Many organisations loathe to be political. Forest and Bird do not baulk at it yet a lot of their anti-introduced species (forgetting their members, too, are introduced) policies are like a flat earth philosophy.

Outdoor organisations, instead of being silent, should take a leaf out of Forest and Bird’s book and find a voice, albeit a strong, loud one too. So should

every individual fisher and hunter.

The second letter of Ron Eddy’s exposed the propaganda put out by DoC and Ospri and the failure of the media to hold them to account. Instead, the media print opinion pieces that are faceless and just rants. I refer to Fairfax media Charlie Mitchell and Forest and Bird tweet Dave Hansford.

Investigative journalism is non-existent.

I think it behoves your paper to take a strong stand editorially on behalf of the fishing and hunting public.

Thanks for your efforts so far.

But step it up: next year is election year.

R McMillan Paraparaumu (Ed replies: thanks for the advice but there are plenty of other vehicles for political lobbying and I’m happy to allow space for people to air their views through Stick Your Oar In. The editorial policy of this paper has always been to reflect what is happening at grass-roots and to accentuate and celebrate the positive… in all areas of fishing and hunting.)

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22 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Coutta’s Cut

Sunrise tamure

Coutta

Not many readers of this fine publication will have heard of me. Not surprising—I don’t come from the South Island. That shouldn’t, however, be held against me.

You may be thinking ‘what the hell is this wanker from the North Island doing in our paper?’ Well, I hate to have to tell you bloody South Islanders that it's not your paper any more.

It’s gone national (if not global), which is a good thing because now us northerners have discovered there are not only blue cod and cray fish down there, but apparently literate life south of Wellington, which even I was totally unaware of until I met Crimpy years ago. Probably not the best example but never mind.

So, now we’ve established its OUR paper, I thought I might throw in a few of my ideas and opinions, most of which I openly admit may upset, offend, and straight out piss more than a few people off. I also admit many of my ideas come with the assistance of Lion Red, which, like Speights, is brewed in the North Island.

I’m going to start with a subject that I imagine a few will agree with me on. DoC is running rough shod over many New Zealanders who treasure the outdoors. They have become worse since the election that created a coalition government, which includes the Greens who have the marriage from hell with Twig and Tweet, aka Forest and Bird.

A classic example that springs to mind is the tahr

Pauline from Dawnbreakers Who can forget their childhood snapper fishing adventures.

issue, even for a person like me who doesn’t and probably never will hunt them. However, I can see their value far above the flowers and plants they are accused of feeding on. I think I can safely say that I’m far from the only one who is never going to climb bloody mountains to view the odd piece of flora.

Closer to my heart is that insipid paper called the Indigenous Freshwater Fisheries Amendment Bill.

This is bloody dangerous and even got my normally mild mannered wife ‘Lynne the Ruthless’ going. Do we want legislation that will give power to an out of control government department to remove trout and salmon from “sensitive” waterways?

No we bloody don’t. Forest and Bird have wanted this for years. We cannot let them have it.

Another matter that has been flogged to death is 1080. Here is probably where I’m going to upset a few. I don’t like it either but the way the anti 1080 group is behaving, is doing buggar all good. In fact, its putting a lot of potential sympathisers off side.

Dropping dead birds on the steps of parliament and driving around with “F##k 1080” plastered all over their vehicles is plain dumb.

Damaging DoC vehicles also lacks the smarts—and is downright criminal.

Mine began with wonderful long summer days spent in Golden Bay looking wide eyed at the large wondrous golden-pink fish my father brought back to camp. He’d have caught them off a rock on the northern wild west coast or out of our family’s first little boat, aptly named Happy. Fish don't care if you're tall or short, big or small, old or young. If the bait is presented correctly, a fish will bite no matter who is holding the other end of the line. Even youngsters of three can begin fishing with the assistance and guidance of adults and, thus, my introduction began.

With that in mind, Dad was keen to instruct me and my brother in the art of catching a snapper, a process that takes time. Simply enjoying a walk to a local beach, wharf, estuary or bobbing about in a tinny spotting fish

from

90

$

Well, depending on the esteemed editor, you may hear from me again. Until then be safe and keep your powder dry.

We learnt quickly that snapper were a prized fish, the fish fisher’s love-to-love and they grow to a decent size: up to 105 cm in length.

With big snappy molars— Dad’s little gem was to remind us not to put your fingers inside a big snapper’s mouth, as it literally would crush them!

It’s a good idea to have a selection of coloured rigs in your tackle box, some days the brightest colour will do the trick. By far my most favourite rig is a bright pink/ silver Shimano flasher that I refer to as my lucky Friday night party hook. It is my go-to rig but, on this early morning jaunt, I discovered it wasn’t in our trusty tackle box. A rummage around

Wind forward forty years and I can confidently tell my

father he trained me well. I continue to share new fishy tales and yummy snapper fillets with him. Those early fishing trips and boat safety lessons have taught me to enjoy and respect the ocean under and above the waves.

Occasionally the ocean rewards me with a beautiful tamure, and this fishy story.

Another stunning day break at Port Nelson and a friendly invitation to share a morning out on the water with good mates. Pack some gear, rods etcetera—motor out and all set to get the lines in by

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Pauline with her tamure at sunrise

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1080 belongs in the past but until we come up with an alternative, the Greens and Twig and Tweet will keep winning.

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Pauline learned the art of snapper catching from her dad

PR

resulted in selecting a plain un-festooned hook with no fancy bits, aside from some tasty squid bait. Generally, I use bright coloured baits early in the day and swap to darker baits if it clouds over. Use just enough sinker weight to get your line down, also don’t strike when you get bites. Pull back slowly and firmly in response until the rod loads up….. hopefully.

My line went in, the sun came up, and the snapper were more than happy with what I had on offer.

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Issue 162 23

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24 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

,

Jak Reader with Nemesis, which he bought from neighbours about four years ago.

–meet Jak Reader

Nicola Coburn

Jak Reader never had time for career days at school. From the time he left home on the Kaikoura coast for school in Christchurch, aged 12, he wanted to be a crayfisher.

Dad had John started in the business in his late teens, and Jak, the middle child of three, was keen to do the same. But he’s gone one step further. Instead of taking the reins of the family business, as often happens, Jak’s gone out on his own.

The 25-year-old runs the smallest boat and operation on the coast—that’s how he has been able to get into the industry. Most of his quota is leased but he is the proud owner of half a tonne. Yes, Jak Reader is a happy man.

“As a young fella all I wanted to do was go fishing—I’d always go out with Dad. We had a good system going, but you’ve got to get off the tit really and give it a go on your own.”

So, what do you need to succeed in the crayfishing business? Mettle? Guts?

Determination? Stickability?

“Yeah, all of those I guess,” says Jak, “but mostly you just need a fair chance.”

What he means is a fair chance to buy quota.

Jak is the first to admit he was lucky to have the support and contacts he had to get into the industry. But even then it was hard—he’d had his boat 18 months before he was able to secure quota. One thing that could help, he reckons, is if those exiting the industry gave the next generation more of a chance.

“Imagine what a difference it would make if all independent fishermen [looking to get out] approached younger people and gave them a chance to buy, as opposed to selling it to the corporates.

“Yes, they (the corporates) could pay a lot more, but if it got offered to someone else in the first place and they are willing to pay the same amount of money, wouldn’t you try and give that someone a chance, give a young fella a chance, you know? Everyone only wants a chance.”

For a 25-year-old Jak is surprisingly political, so does he think, from a younger person’s perspective, that a change in rules around selling quota could help ensure the survival of the next generation of independent commercial fishermen?

“I personally believe it’s too far gone.”

But to say Jak isn’t an optimist would be wrong.

He’s worked hard to get to where he is now. He’s kept the faith. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong in the first six months of fishing.

The boat - aptly already named Nemesis - caused most of the trouble. Bought off neighbours, it was never designed to be a commercial cray boat. First it was the steering, then broken morse cables… the list goes on.

“It was a bit different coming off Liquidator, which I grew up on; that was

just a well-oiled machine.

Everything went smoothly.

And then going to a boat that wasn’t designed for commercial fishing… .

“In the end, I just had to work out how to fix it and get back out. I had to grow up.”

But what about John, surely he helped in those early days?

“He’s hard, but he’s fair.

He’s been supportive, but I had to find my own way. I could ask for advice but in the end I just had to grow up really. He was only 18 years old and driving a boat, so I had three years on him I guess.”

What Jak gained most being a second-generation fisherman was knowledge.

“Gary (Horton, skipper of Liquidator) and John were meticulous when I was growing up and first started on the boat. They taught me to do the job once instead of taking shortcuts—do it properly from the start. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

A few years back, Jak’s spot on the coast was picturesque, relatively quiet, bounded on one side by the blue Pacific and steep bush-clad hills on the other.

Today, it’s a major roadworks site, with the massive highway rebuild following the 2016 Kaikoura quake ongoing.

In front of his shed, alongside State Highway 1, there has been massive uplift, but remarkably the cray population has come through OK and the previous seasons have been favourable.

“We really won’t know [how the quake has impacted the population], till I guess five years down the track when the juveniles come through—we’ve got that on the horizon to look forward to. But because it’s so well managed we should be alright - there’s heaps of the buggars out here.

when Jak’s out fishing or hunting recreationally.

The best thing about crayfish is you can manage it, you know, you can farm it.”

April and May are Jak’s busiest months. He uses the off-season to travel, and also occasionally crews on other fishing boats: trawling, albacore tuna, and sharking.

And he’s just joined a new oyster farming venture in the Sounds—a steep learning curve. It’s their first year, so the operation is “just a baby, really”.

He’s conscious of his responsibilities when it comes to sustainability, almost zen-like. Why wouldn’t he be? It’s his livelihood, too.

“Less is more. You want to catch it at the best price too, so that means you don't just go for it.”

And it’s the same story

“The best freezer is the ocean. You don't always have to go out and get something - it’s just a bonus if you do. I don't understand how some people have this need to load their freezers with fish. My theory is less is more.”

known for thriving nightlife, if that’s even how young people pick-up anymore. So what does one do? What any millennial does - turn to Tinder and Bumble (he sets it to Wellington). But he’s still keen for any help in this department.

“You can chuck in I’m single if you like. Put something witty.”

Checking himself to see if this is actually a good idea, a smile breaks.

“Yes, do it, if it’s a woman who reads The Fishing Paper, she’d have to be a keeper.”

But he works everything around the cray—that’s his first love, which is ironic because the only thing that’s been hard to work around his isolated lifestyle is matters of the heart.

It is miles to anywhere and, on either side, Blenheim and Kaikoura are not exactly

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Their philosophy is to manage the resource from the bottom up: those on the water see and understand what is happening and collect that data so good informed management decisions can be made that everyone benefits from. It is a journey of discovery from which knowledge is happily shared.

Issue 162 25

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26 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

The ‘Yak Files: weird catches

Blair Whiting

it under control and brought the fish to the surface. It had electric red flanks, a dark spot on the dorsal fin, and long tips to the tail fin.

Caught on a skipjack bait destined for a snapper, this unusual catch was a big male red pigfish weighing 2.8 kilos.

Scorpion fish

A wide variety of species show up around the inshore reefs, sand, and mud. On a typical day, I will catch up to 10 different species of fish. I had already caught some kahawai and moved out deeper to find some broken rock where a blue cod might be hiding out.

Pigfish

From a 100kg mako shark circling the kayak, a pod of orca hunting stingrays in the shallows, or hundreds of dolphins racing past, you can never predict what will happen on the water. One of the things I enjoy most about fishing is I never know what I’m going to catch.

I marked a few fish on the top of a small patch of foul and dropped a bait, which was taken with a huge gulp and my rod tip pulled into the water; there was some serious weight on. The fight was very like a blue cod; head-shakes and heavy weight, but as the fish broke the surface, I saw the sheer size of its stomach. This fish turned out to be a southern bastard cod. At almost 3kg and 60cm it was comfortably the biggest I had ever seen.

Bastard cod

A kayak can access parts of the coast big boats can’t, which lets you fish shallow water and drop baits onto structure seldom fished.

On later inspection of the gut contents, I found four whole spotties plus a range of small reef species. It’s amazing how effective a predator bastard cod is because they are by no means speedsters, yet still manage to catch many fast reef fish. It was obviously the big

Fishing from Matauri Bay in Northland, I set up on the edge of a large rock and dropped baits down on a pink Snapper Snatcher flasher rig. Bang! An enormous hit and the solid fish tore off for the rocks.

After some drag was applied, I got

resident of the reef.

Later in the day I hooked up on more weird and wonderful species including the common scorpion fish, colourful characters covered in venomous spines. They also are another species with a massive mouth, enabling them to eat much bigger prey. Along with scorpion fish, I often find many juvenile species. Fishing in four metres once, I pulled up several small tarakihi, which was a complete surprise for that depth.

Fishing never gets boring because, amazing things happen to me all the time, making me wonder if anyone else saw that? How many more surprises are just around the corner for my fishing career I wonder?

The science behind advertising in print media Now that you understand just how effective print advertising can be, here are some tips to make your ads as effective as possible:

Simple layouts work best. Busy or cluttered ads turn readers off are read easily.

Forgo large blocks of copy for smaller ones, and consider using bullet points to clearly define benefits.

The human eye naturally wants to start at the top left of a page or ad and move down toward the bottom right. You can help this visual journey by laying out text along the eye’s natural ‘route’ across the page.

Too many marketers make the mistake of pointing out features in their ad instead of benefits. Here’s an example: “We use only locally-sourced meats and produce.” Okay, that makes you sound lovely, but does your customer really care? No, not really. They care more about the fact that, thanks to your meal delivery service, they don’t have to cook after a long day at work and they can afford this convenience. That’s how your service benefits them.

While your website can list product or service features, your ad should only focus on the biggest benefits to your prospective customers. This is how you hook them and get them to find out more.

It’s not that digital ads should have no place in your marketing arsenal.

It’s just, if you want your audience to really connect with your ads,science says your best chances are through print publications.

Will print advertising still work?

Advertise in The Fishing Paper & Hunting News today CALL US 03 544 7020

For many years now, marketers have wondered if print is dead. And, with each passing year, those of us who make a living through print advertising continue to sing its praises. But sometimes, in order to convince people of something, you need more than sung praises – you need science.

Well consider this: neuroscience has now proven that print ads make a better impression than digital ones. Numerous studies have indicated that on a brainchemistry level, people process print content with greater engagement and focus, not to mention a deeper emotional response, than they do content viewed on a screen.

While digital content is scanned quickly, paper-based reading is slower and more deliberate, leading to greater rates of comprehension and recall. For advertisers, this means that traditional print media ads are more likely to make a lasting impression and, thus, lead to more sales.

Why Print Will Always Remain Relevant - Now and beyond Print will always have many advantages over digital mediums, namely: Respectability Perhaps the fact that print has been around so long gives it prestige. Thanks to its rich history, ads that appear in print tend to be taken much more seriously.

Trust

Studies suggest that readers trust print more than any other medium. In fact, according to an October 2016 survey by MarketingSherpa, 82% of U.S. internet users trust print ads when making a purchase decision, more than any other medium.

Clearly Defined Target Audiences Healthy ROIs require the ability to target readers effectively. Print ads allow positioning in the most relevant editorial sections of publications. Conversely, when buying ads from digital networks, you can never be quite sure your message will reach the right audience at the right time.

High Engagement Rates Humans have become modern multitaskers. We check email while texting our friends while binge-watching our favourite TV shows. In other words, we rarely give digital content our full attention.

Print content, on the other hand, allows us to really focus and engage. Imagine this, you make a coffee, you have your paper and you settle in for a read, no distractions.

You have made time in your brain to read uninterrupted, you are relaxed. So when it comes to getting your message across, there is full engagement.

Print Drives Online Search According to the surveys, customers are most likely to start an online search after viewing a magazine/newspaper ad because print media accesses deep thinking in your brain and drives question asking.

Issue 162 27

Jig’s up for beginners Doug Clifton

Kingfish can be found throughout Tasman Bay and the Marlborough Sounds, from the shallow estuaries to deep offshore reefs.

There are plenty of different methods for targeting these awesome sport fish but probably the most common in our area is mechanical jigging.

This method has been around for some time and has proven itself as a highly effective way to target these fish. If you’re interested in giving mechanical jigging a go, here are a few basics to really help your success rate.

First and foremost is having the correct tackle. The preferred rod is a powerful short but parabolic rod designed to help put action in the jig, but also have enough power to turn the fish. Two types of reels can be used: either overhead style reels or spin reels. They ,both need a strong gear system in them, as well as a powerful drag. Although retrieve speed helps a lot when jigging, technique will catch you more fish at the end of the day. A longer

handle on a reel will help with getting the rhythm and technique required. A good quality jigging set can be used for a variety of tasks, from deep-water fishing to trolling and everything in between. For around the $399.99 price point you can pick up a great quality rod and reel set such as the Shimano Torium combo’s or Daiwa’s BG series of spin reels with an appropriate rod.

Generally the technique consists of lifting the tip of the rod up and down in sweeping motion. Try to lift the handle of the reel up as you lift the rod up and down as the rod tip comes back down, using half a wind for each motion - half a wind when the rod is lifted and half a wind when its dropped. Start off slow with this technique and you will quickly become comfortable with the rhythm.

When it comes to choosing a jig colour there are plenty of options available, pink/ lumo and blue/silver are consistent performers in the Tasman region. When

Greg Gardiner saddled with a horse!

fishing in shallower waters with less current, such as the spat farms in Tasman Bay, a jig weight of around 200 grams will suffice. In deeper waters with more current, like those surrounding d’Urville Island, a 300gram jig or more will be needed to reach the bottom.

When rigging your jig up, make sure to use strong

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hooks with a Kevlar cord, I like to use a double ring and grommet to connect my jig to my leader; ask at your local tackle shop about the best way to rig up your jig. I recommend fishing a leader weight between 80lb to 120lb. If you go much heavier you will start to lose action in your jig. Also adding a squid shaped skirt

to your hook can add more action to the jig and help on slow fishing days.

The final bit of advice I have is to spend the time searching for the fish before trying to catch them.

Learning the areas they live in will double your catch rate. Look for areas with strong current and structure like reefs, banks, and

features like the spat farms in the bay. Spend time with your boat’s sounder looking for baitfish or drop offs on reefs — these are key areas to target. If you’re seeking any more advice or are new to the area, make sure you head in to your local tackle shop for a further run down on this exciting form of fishing!

PERSON WANTED

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We are looking for a confident, outgoing, independent person with previous experience in advertising sales and/or customer service.

The successful candidate will be dynamic, enjoy dealing with people, love generating new business and closing sales in this performance-based position.

If you have experience in print media sales If you have energy and self motivation If you love fishing and hunting

If you love The Fishing Paper & Hunting News - call us 021 028 73393

28 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2019

Expect the unexpected

TIDES OF CHANGE

Which Towai’n did that?

Malcolm Halstead - Top Catch Charters (see our directory ad pg 25) The day was going well, with our first charter onboard Top Catch Charters in Kaikoura well underway.

A steady flow of sea perch and blue cod had my four customers well and truly satisfied, and lots of laughs were being had by all. The dense fog and calm seas just added to the atmosphere, with the sun a dull form through the fog. The gulls and other sea birds were somehow able to find us and were soon camped up behind the boat feeding on titbits as I went about filleting the catch.

One of my customers soon had a solid hook up, which was looking good, so all other rods were cleared as the battle raged on. I had visions of either a groper or a large tope and was soon proved right as a large tope of about 1.5m broke the surface. I spent the next ten minutes dealing with our prize, when another customer, Al, got a solid hook up. Thinking this was another tope, I carried on filleting the catch while Al battled the beast. After about ten minutes, the rest of the crew could see a white belly coming up, so I downed tools and made ready to deal with another tope. Things then got real as a large groper broke the surface

If you happen to be over in Golden Bay take a few minutes to visit the marina at Tarakohe. The picturesque scenery of the sea and boats moored there is quite captivating. Then take a look inland to take in the maze of cliffs, the remains of the Golden Bay Cement Works, the nooks and crannies where the korora/little blue penguin rest and nest, the many caves and if you look more closely you should see the large red painted letters T, O, W, A, I high up on a cliff face.

In 1954 the Anchor Shipping & Foundry Co of Nelson purchased a boat

from London named Purple Emperor. Shortly after arriving in Wellington she was renamed mv (motor vessel) Towai for the specific purpose of trading between Wellington, Nelson and West Coast ports as required.

She became well known in these ports as well as the smaller ports of Mapua, Motueka and Tarakohe as cargoes of fruit, tobacco and cement powder were in high demand elsewhere.

One one occasion when in Tarakohe tied up at the cement works wharf some of the crew went ashore and climbed the cliffs where on a prominent flat cliff face they

set to with a large brush and a tin of dark red paint. Each of the five letters is about 5’ high, quite evenly and tidily done. We will probably never know which crewman or crewmen carried out this clever task but we do know that it has stood the test of time and weather for at least 50 years. We know this as mv Towai was sold to a tug and barge company in Papua New Guinea in April 1969 and left these waters under the new name of Akana.

She changed owners several times until she was eventually scuttled in the Maldive Islands in 1983.

Al with his surprise groper

beside the boat. The gaff was dropped onto the deck as I reached over the side and secured our prize by the jaw. With a mammoth effort, it was heaved on board and admired by all. I had never seen such a large groper and to catch him in 90 metres of water on a cod rig was just about unbelievable. He was

s Daryl Crimp’

estimated to weigh 35kg.

Back at the wharf I filleted the beast and divided it up amongst all onboard, which went down a treat.

Al even gave me a piece of his prize, which was much appreciated. It just goes to show, when fishing off Kaikoura you have to expect the unexpected.

mv Towai

Simply breathtaking

Daryl Crimp’s Flavours of Vietnam & Cambodia

FLAVOURS OF

VIETNAM & CAMBODIA

14 Sept to 3 Oct 2019

Arresting destinations reawakens I love the excitement and adventure of travel, the thrill of exploring somewhere new and distant, and having the senses awakened by a kaleidoscope of fresh sights, smells, sounds, encounters, and escapades. I feel alive when I experience the vibrancy of different cultures and engage with people far removed from my own comfortable realm. I love the bustle of busy places.

I’m always keen to taste exotic cuisine.

And I enjoy sharing the magic with others.

OUP R G L L SMA D 20 E T R ESCO OUR T DAY AM & N T E I OF V ODIA B M CA

Poppa Mike

Nothing quite heightens the experience as much as contrast: to step out of the comfort bubble into a new and vastly different situation — it piques the senses and enriches the soul much more than

a ‘holiday’ somewhere ‘safe’(Read that as comfort zone)!

I have designed my next adventure with contrast in mind: a dazzling 20 day adventure tour of Vietnam and Cambodia. The culture, the people, the cuisine, and the country couldn’t be more removed from New Zealand. But within the tour is contrast again — Vietnam is chalk to Cambodia’s cheese — and I believe this comparison of neighbouring cultures and people will add a new dimension to the experience. Come with me and experience the relaxed, stressfree nature of a well organised hosted tour, while you explore the many facets of these arresting destinations.

is truly a comprehensive, insightful, and inspirational experience. Join Annette and me on this amazing 20 day adventure — you simply will not be disappointed!

Join me on this personally crafted amazing adventure, CRIMPY email: darylcrimp@gmail.com or ph 021 472 517 for the full itinerary & dates