THE RAY RIDERS OF TAURANGA

YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH CRUISING THE FLATS BEHIND STINGRAYS, SMASHING BAITFISH AND GENERALLY PRETENDING TO BE GTS? THIS IS NOT A FEVER DREAM OR A PISCATORIAL ACID TRIP, BUT A COMMON DAY’S FLY FISHING IN TAURANGA ON NEW ZEALAND’S NORTH ISLAND. WE CHAT TO LOCAL FLY-FISHING GUIDE AND TRAINED MARINE BIOLOGIST, GIAN BOOYSEN OF KINGS TO BE FOUND (KINGSTOBEFOUND.COM), ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS SPECIAL FISHERY.

If you saw the name Gian Booysen and surmised that A) not only is he probably not of Māori or any other Pacific Islander origin, and B) he is most likely to have come from South Africa originally, you, Sherlock, would be right. Gian’s family emigrated to New Zealand when he was 11. There are hints of an accent there (especially when talking about fishing) and he still says, “braai” instead of “BBQ”, but we imagine he passes for a Kiwi in most instances.

Gian lives and guides fly anglers on the flats of Tauranga in the appropriately named Bay of Plenty region. There are many reasons it sounds like a special fishery, but the biggest one has to be the way yellowtail (“kingies” in New Zealand) behave there. Whereas we’re used to targeting this pelagic fish on fly off pitching boats at Cape Point, Robben Island or 12 Mile Bank, catching them from the shore in South Africa is nigh on impossible. In fact, it’s one of our Holy Grail fly-fishing challenges, because we have very few places along our coastline where you can realistically get a decent cast out and have the fish close enough to the shore.

In Tauranga, the kingies behave very differently, coming in to extremely shallow water and riding on the back of rays looking for food. Gian breaks down this fishery for us.

The Mission (TM): Describe the area that you operate in.

Gian: Tauranga is a harbour system with two entrances. We’ve got a few deep channels, but the majority of it is just flats. On the southern side there’s a big port. It’s actually one of the busiest ports in New Zealand, so not something you’d expect alongside world-class flats. All of our estuarine and harbour systems on the east coast of

New Zealand are flats systems. Lined by mangroves and sea-grass dominant, they are proper flats systems. It’s only on the western side that they are really deep and channel dominant, and we don’t really have shallows there. Where we are, you can walk four or five kilometres on a flat no problem. Water temperatures normally range from about 16 to 23. It’s definitely not tropical, probably somewhere in that semi-zone.

TM: Is there one specific season for the kings or is it kind of year-round?

Gian: For the kings it’s pretty much October to May. You can find them all year round, though. There are some larger models that stick around through winter but they are not really on the flats and it’s not something one can guide for because you have to be really crazy if you want to put in those hours and try track them down. However, in winter we have silver trevally and snapper and their numbers are quite good. We find the trevally riding on the stingrays as well, like the kingfish and the snapper. There’s probably about a month-and-a-half window where we can find them on the flats, but they are so flighty and the person on the bow has to be prepared for that.

TM: Is there a very specific tide, between October and May, when you know that the fish will be moving? Or is it a little hit and miss?

Gian: Water temperature is probably more important than the tide. Regardless of the tide, because of how strong the kings’ relationship is here with the southern stingray, you can find them generally riding the stingrays even if the moons are at a quarter. So you don’t need a super-push. The exceptions are the big free swimmers. These guys travel alone or in small packs, and these bigger kings like bigger tides when the baitfish are uncomfortable.

TM: Tell us a bit about the relationship between the southern stingrays and the kings?

Gian: The rays belong to a class of animals called the Chondrichthyes, and this is the same class that sharks fall into. What the sharks and rays have in common is that they have these small pores around their mouths called the ampullae of Lorenzini. This is pretty much just a pore filled with a conductive gel. Anything that scutters, breathes or gives off a heartbeat or pulse releases a small voltage. The rays and the sharks pick up on this. For example, we’ve got flounders buried under the sand. Rays pick up on the pulse, track the flounders down and head on over to them. The kings don’t have these receptors so they sit on the back of the rays because the rays take them to the food. We also see them on the backs of bronze whalers, big sharks, any of the ray species. There are even cool ones that we see shag, you know, the diving birds? They swim with the stingrays as well, dive down and feed, then come up and just keep following the ray in the shallows. It’s incredible.

TM: It’s interesting about the electric pulse that the baitfish give off and that the rays get attracted to. When we fish for sand sharks on fly in the Western Cape, guys work copper wire into their flies.

Gian: That’s really interesting. If you could sample sand shark prey and have a look at the exact average voltage that they emit and then emulate that, you guys will be on the money. I’ve been trying to catch a bronze whaler on the flats, but have been refused. These are like 2.5-3 metre sharks and they will come up to these big articulated bucktail flies and open their mouths. At the last minute, they seem to sense that there’s something not quite right about them and just turn away.

TM: You just casually dropped “ampullae of Lorenzini” in conversation. We understand you’ve got a background in marine biology?

Gian: I’ve been ocean-besotted since I can remember. As a little kid we would travel around South Africa to wherever the marine biologists were speaking. My grandparents would come with us… everyone. I have the most supportive family. I studied marine biology at Victoria University, which is in Wellington at the bottom of the North Island. The aim was always to guide people onto fish, but also to have a solid understanding of the ecosystem and being able to explain it to people, talk about the food sources, what we look for in the flats from the bait to the health of the grasses. I really enjoy that and I think people enjoy that too.

TM: Interesting that you studied marine biology not to be a marine biologist, but knowing that you wanted to be a fly-fishing guide.

Gian: Absolutely. It was really quite funny because, while I was studying, I had this inordinate passion for marine biology but not always in the same way as my peers. When they taught us about eelgrass and the mangroves, you can just imagine how many questions I asked, because I was thinking, “This is my fishing life that they’re teaching me.” I knew where I wanted to go. That’s why my parents and my partner moved with me to Tauranga from Wellington. They are the most supportive people I’ve ever come across. If we hadn’t made that move, the whole guiding operation would not have taken off as smoothly as it did. It’s really not just me, this story. There are so many people around me that made it happen. I would still like to go and study further, maybe on the relationship between the rays and the kings.

TM: Where did wanting to be a guide come from?

Gian: I was an avid trout angler growing up but, as soon as I touched the salt, there was no going back for me. But why the guiding? I don’t know. I love being outside. I love being on the water. And the big thing is, I love meeting people. I love hearing the stories that different people bring on the boat, their experiences and when they cast and experience the kingfish, I can relive it through them. It’s almost like I can see their emotions and feel what I felt the first time as they see the tail break the surface, or see the fish come up to attack a popper. We can experience that together as a team working towards a common goal.

TM: Obviously kingfish or yellowtail are pelagic, but are the ones that you get in Tauranga known to come back to the same areas, year-on-year? Are they tagged and tracked?

Gian: I tag every fish. I love tagging. They aren’t GPS tags, just T-bar tags, so the data relies solely on recaptures. As a species, recapture rates with kingfish are pretty good so normally we do get some data back. The population boundaries are smaller than you’d think. From memory, they will stay within about a hundred-mile range. When we tag fish on the flats and revisit these flats, we see what we think are the same tagged individuals cruising the same lines sitting on the same marker poles or on the same rays. They definitely do return. Obviously, there’s that period through winter when I think a large portion of the juveniles leave the harbour and we don’t see them. But then the coming year they will return. I don’t know if this is up until a certain age or sexual maturity when they may be gone on a longer journey, but this is how it seems.

TM: What sort of pressure does this fishery get and how much does good environmental management contribute to the longevity of the fishery?

Gian: I think the regulation is poor. I would love to see something like the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and what they’ve done for conservation in New Zealand. These harbour systems and estuaries are nursery environments, especially for snapper and trevally, so I would love to see more of a push to look after them. New Zealand still has some very old-school methods going on. People will stake nets in the ground, or they’re Kontiki fishing [Ed: Kontiki fishing is beach longlining using a small raft or float that sets 20 hooks out in the ocean]. Hopefully the mindset will begin to change a little bit and they’ll become more selective. Regarding the pressure on the system, with the recaptures, these fish seem willing to eat a fly a few times, provided there’s proper handling and catch and release. That’s a great plus for the species. Fly fishers are getting more and more interested in it. Fish are seeing more flies. Both anglers and the fish are having to adapt. As a guide, it’s just another challenge. You have to outthink the fish and the other anglers.

TM: Is it the kind of fishery where people actually have to have a boat or some kind of flotation, or can they DIY it on foot?

Gian: You can DIY it on foot, it’s just much harder. If I were to travel here, I’d definitely try and get a guide for a day.

TM: Tell us about the extra-size bucktail flies you mentioned. Are these Beast flies?

Gian: Yeah, it’s a Beast. Even though it’s really sparse bucktail, it’s still not the easiest fly for all clients to cast. And it’s not the most effective thing but, for the larger freeswimmer kings, it can be pretty good.

TM: What’s the rest of your setup?

Gian: It depends what we’re doing. We fish 7- to 12-weights. On the flats, we’re mostly with a seven, eight, or nine if we’re throwing little crabs or if we’re throwing small baitfish. We use nines or 10s for the structure, the marker poles, and then 12s if it’s the big sharks or the big free-swimming kingies.

TM: They go for crabs as well?!

Gian: The kings range from 60 to 130 centimetres, which is a big range, and they display a range of feeding behaviours. The tailing fish would be closest to say a bonefish mixed with a permit. They can be equally as fussy as a permit, but also tail happily like bonefish at times. Those free swimmers are just like GTs. Same family, same behaviour, same aggression.

TM: How strong are these kingies compared to the trevally?

Gian: Well, I’ve caught GTs and it’s a big call, but I would say they’d pull a GT backward. It’d be an interesting experiment. The kings are sleek and submarine-like. The whole thing is muscle and a big tail. They’re pretty powerful. The silver trevally are also just balls of muscle. They fight like crazy, but the cool thing about them is they have really soft lips. So even though they fight so hard, you have got to be really careful with the fight as well.

TM: Is it all sight fishing or do you have to blind cast at times?

Gian: It’s up to the angler. I always prefer people to cast, even if they are unsure of things. But really, it can be all sight fishing if you want it to be.

TM: Do the kings go for poppers?

Gian: Absolutely. They love a bubble trail, they love noise, and they love poppers.

TM: Have you ever seen or caught sea-run brown trout or salmon while hunting kings and snapper?

Gian: I took someone out on a little flat system in Wellington and we were fishing the edge of the flat when he hooked something that we assumed was a kahawai. Sure enough, it was a salmon just cruising the edge of a flat. But up here in these northern waters, we don’t see them much. I think it might be a bit warm.

TM: Can you describe a day out with you from start to finish?

Gian: I’ve got a few different launching facilities but, for my favourite one, I like to be there as the light dawns and the doves, tui, starlings and fantails are all waking up. The volume is deafening and I think it’s quite nice for clients to be greeted by that. I always start the day asking the client if they have certain goals. That determines the day’s direction. If it’s an angler wanting to chase kingfish, we get the boat in the water as the sun is coming up and we head for some structure that we hit in the low light just as we start to see into the water column. Then we go onto the flats to look for kings. The mornings can be really good for tailing fish. As the light comes in, we start seeing the rays. Not all the rays carry kingfish, so we have to check all the rays out until we find them. We might see kahawai schools pop up and straighten our lines out there and just get people used to casting to moving targets. Then, when the clients’ nerves have settled, we can do the kingfish thing properly. You never quite know if you’re going to find a ray rider or a free swimmer. We have coffee around 10am at a picturesque spot, but always keep looking. We also break for a nice lunch that I make for everyone but, of course, that’s always when the fish show up. The day is pretty relaxed. I obviously love fishing, so I don’t say we have to get off the water at a specific time. We just go by the day. If they catch that amazing fish at eight in the morning, then we are pretty chilled. We just relax and normally head back whenever people have had enough and we’ve lost the light.

Recommended Gear

SMITH: LOW LIGHT IGNITORS

With my Smith Low Light Ignitors, I can see on the flat at 6am which is amazing. They are unbelievable sunglasses. They have a yellow shade, but it’s almost like the contrast toggle is extreme. As soon as there’s a sliver of light in the morning, you can see and identify shapes. It’s really given me another hour to an hour-and-a-half of fishing. smithoptics.com

FLY LINES: SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS

For me there are a few considerations with line selection like the flat and its average depth, how we are going to approach the fish and the client’s casting ability. When it comes to lines, it’s Scientific Anglers all the way! I have tried most manufacturers but these guys are just the GOATs. I favour both their full floaters (like the Redfish) and their intermediate lines (like the Grand Slam). They are durable, have good textures and good tapers. I’m a big fan boy. scientificanglers.com

TOP TIP: Test your knots. Test your knots. Test your knots. It’s amazing how many people don’t know what knot they like, don’t understand the strength behind the knot they use or what its proper purpose is. You can ruin a whole leader system just by using shit knots. It’s the main thing so go grab a scale and test them. Test the breaking points, write them down and find something good that works. For my leader system, my tops are normally Blood knots, then it’s back-to-back Uni knots and then for the loop it’s always a Lefty. The top loop might be a Perfection Loop, but the bottom one is always a Lefty. On the 8-weights, we taper the leader down to 16lb. On the 10-weights, it’s just to 30lb. We’re not going for strict IGFA rules, we’re just having fun.

Visit Tauranga

GETTING THERE: Fly in to Auckland and get a hire car. Tauranga is just two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Auckland. Your other option is to take a half-hour flight from Auckland to Tauranga.

STAY: There are heaps of AirBnB options, but if you want a nice hotel on the beach, check out the Trinity Wharf and The Clarence Boutique hotels.

EAT & DRINK: There’s a big waterfront with heaps of different places from luxury seafood places to your American-style big portion of ribs type places like Lonestar Café & Bar, which is a nice place to go and just chill.

ORVIS - PRO WATERPROOF RANGE

This lust-worthy new range from Orvis made us think of Oblivion, the Tom Cruise flick circa 2013 where he buzzes around an inhospitable Earth in 2077. Not that we want to imagine Earth becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but because the styling and functionality of these new packs make them not only look like they came from the movie, but that they could handle those conditions too. Literally seamlessly designed in 840-denier ballistic nylon, they put the “fort” in comfort, but still keep the ergonomics of a fly anglers as their priority. First up, the 30L (regular) backpack, for on-the-go hoarders. What if it rains? What if I’m hungry? What if I need to attend a virtual meeting mid-beat? This cavernous beast has you covered. Breathable foam shoulder straps and back-padding assist with hauling the kitchen sink, while lumbar straps keep your vertebrae in place during all of that extreme boulder hopping. Equipped with rod tube straps, a net scabbard with enough space left over for your vodka-soda canteen on the side, this monstrous submersible has a blow-out free, #10 TIZIP® MasterSeal zipper that opens up a huge main compartment with internal hanging baskets for your tippet and biltong. Although largely for the same application, the 20L roll-top backpack might offer some peace of mind to those more reliant on the added security of a roll-top – if not for function over form, it might just boil down to preference.

Lightweight marauders might enjoy the sleeker, more accessible design of the 14L sling. The strap holds your nippers and haemostat for on the go rigging modifications and with an elegant dorso-ventral fling, you can access the in-built Tippet-Whippet, fly patch and main compartment. This has enough space for your basic fishing trinkets and potentially a smaller camera. In almost the same size category, the 10L hip pack is another more compact solution for those with blown-out spines. It sports the Tippet Whippet, a fly patch, and a nifty hipped netscabbard along with a generous main section with internal pockets. Those with no butt/small glutes can make use of an optional shoulder strap. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za

SAGE - ENFORCER FLY REELS

Saltwater fly fishing has a new heavyweight contender. Sage’s ENFORCER has been KLAPPING gym in the off-season boet, possibly even indulging in a little Vitamin S, because with 50% higher drag than its predecessor (the Spectrum Max), the Enforcer is not stuffing around. Bonefish wants to run? The 8-weight Enforcer says no. Tarpon wants to free-spool you? The 12-weight Enforcer tightens the drag and shakes its head first before the poon can shake its own. With improved O-rings and drag plates for added indestructability, if saltwater fly fishing is a giant nightclub, then this might just be the tough as nails bouncer blocking the door. farbank.com, frontierflyfishing.com

C&F DESIGN - 12-TROUT GUIDE BOAT BOX

Finally, a revolution to the tedious process of switching fly boxes, and replacing flies one by one. C&F Design introduces the 12-Trout Guide Boat Box. “But I don’t own a boat..” you might say. Well, this is not just a boat box. Think of it as the ultimate on-the-fly switcheroo system. It can live on your boat, in your car or in your cave at home. Depending on what fishing is imminent – simply swap out your selection to either the System Case, System Chest Storage or System Fly Patch. The Boat Box comes with large size system foams for trout – 3 x streamer inserts, 3 x attractor inserts, 3 x standard inserts, 3 x midge inserts. c-and-f.co.jp, frontierflyfishing.com

RIO - ELITE PERMIT FLY LINE

A large part of the appeal of permit is how bloody hard they can be to catch. Apart from the usual litany of things that can go wrong while fly fishing for any species, with permit you have to deal with their high-admin personalities too. RIO’s Elite Permit line is specifically designed for this picky bastards, so at least you have one less thing to worry about. Its low-stretch, ultra-slick performance means it loads at close range with an easy casting taper. The weight distribution is designed to give soft presentations to spooky fish, but it handles weight well so your crab patterns go where you intend. Got a second shot at a disappearing permit? The long back taper allows you re-load fast for another cast. Built on RIO’s low-memory DirectCore, the Elite Permit fly line stays stiff in extremely hot conditions yet is easy to stretch and lies straight on the water. The SureFire colouring system lets you track line length, and maintain distance and accuracy control. farbank.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za