Issue 82 - The Fishing Paper & New Zealand Hunting News

Titanic Twizel Troutpg 25

Slaying Sounds

Snapperpg 19

Ted’sWildcat Winter Bluespg 8

110,000

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THE

NEWS

FISHING

July 2012 Issue 82

Tahr Show Featurepgs 16,17

PAPERNEW ZEALAND

HUNTINGFREE &

www.thefishingpaper.co.nzThE fishiNg PAPEr2

By Ali KennardMy wife and I are mad, keen fishers and have always rod fished.

One weekend, a friend of ours from Golden Bay invited us to see his new fishing machine at work - a kontiki with an electric winch. It was a day you wouldn’t normally go out in a boat: rough, windy, raining.

As fishers, you know how frustrating it is when you can’t get out for a fish. We could see how practical this machine was, so decided to purchase one for use on the days we couldn’t get out in our boat.

On our second outing with the mighty machine, we set it for a 15-minute run-time, with a 30-minute set; then started winching it in.

I could see my wife down at the water’s edge, waving madly. I thought she was scaring the seagulls away from the uneaten baits.

I looked around to take off the next trace and there it was - 24 lb 3ozs of solid snapper!

Who needs Viagra?

An Overdose of Viagra By Simon Croft

One of the greatest tools in any fisherman’s arsenal when looking for fish, is local knowledge; knowing where the reefs, holes and structure are, is very important in knowing where to find the fish. It can take years to build up this information, which is why it is often kept a closely guarded secret. For quite a few years now, to assist commercial fishermen, there has been seabed mapping software available for PCs, which, when connected to the sounder and GPS, will build up and record a profile of the seabed. There hasn’t been anything like this suitable for use in the recreational sector, until now.

Lowrance have just released HDS Generation2, the fastest version of the very popular HDS series. Like Gen1, Gen2 has structure scan as an optional extra, which is a very high frequency triple beam system that looks both straight down as well as out to both port and starboard, enabling you to look for structure either side of the vessel. Because this is all done at very high frequency (800/455kHz) it gives you an almost picture-like quality image of the seabed. However, instead of just viewing this information on the sounder screens as it comes through, Gen2 now overlays these two side scans onto the chart, enabling the recreational fisherman to build an accurate profile of the seafloor – a feature known as structure map.

It can be run live, where it displays instant images of the seabed on your map - invaluable if you are fishing an area for the first time. The drawback is that it can only show a limited amount of data, so you will lose the information over a period of time. The other option is to show all the saved data at one time by putting the unit onto record sonar when you go out and then when you choose to show the saved data, all this information will be shown on your chart. The one drawback with this option though is there is limited memory on the unit itself, so you can run out of space quite quickly. This is where the bigger units with the two SD card slots come into their own, because you can put in a blank SD card and save all the data to this, giving you a much larger memory. You can also do this with the smaller units, you just have to take your chart card out to do so.

Seafloor Mapping Now A Rec Tool

Simon says snapper are sitters for a kontiki.

This is a shot of some information collected at Lake Taupo overlaid onto the chart using structure map and then viewed in 3D mode, as you can see there is an awful lot of information and it was all found in one trip.

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It was an overcast day during May with the wind blowing from the SE at 15kts. I started off well, getting a solid king that was close to 30kg. During the next one and a half hours we caught another nine kingfish between the two of us on board.

Just as I thought things were slowing down, the sounder indicated a nice mark with a few prominent echoes above, off the edge of the bank. We ran back and slipped our jigs over and into the depths. After a couple of rhythmic strokes I hooked up right on cue and a few seconds later Steve Cavill was also into a fish, but it spat the hook after a few seconds.

I didn’t think much of my fish at first, as it wasn’t doing much, but all of a sudden it woke up and headed for the reef. At that point I started turning the drag up on my Daiwa Saltiga Z40 (I had luckily upgraded the drag a month earlier) to max drag. For the next 15-20min we continued a tug of war over top of the bank and down the other side, during which time Steve had done well to keep the boat above the fish to stop me getting reefed.

Finally, colour indicated the big fish drawing closer to the

boat. Once alongside it was apparent that this was a very big fish and we struggled to lift it on board. The fish was then weighed in a weigh sling and some quick photos were taken while struggling to hold

it up. It was then slipped back over the side to fight another day. The fish weighed in at 43.5kg and sported a few battle scars, which seems to be the case with all the big fish we have caught.

It is important to use top quality gear when fighting these large kingfish - this fish was taken on a Zest jig with PE6 line and a MC works rod - and always check your connections and line for

damage as kingfish will find your weakest point. It is also important to stay on top of your fish: when your line starts heading away on an angle you will be more prone to getting reefed.

There are also weigh slings available for weighing fish which makes it easy for accurate weights without harming the fish so it can be released.

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Battle Scars For Big KingBy Jesse Crasborn

A Keen Fisher in the MakingBy Sanatha Gibbons

My two-year-old son, Jayden Gibbons, loves fishing off Nelson‘s Rocks Road fishing platform. He wanted to catch a snapper and a john dory for his ‘Nanni and Nono’, but unfortunately all that was biting were little spotties.

He’s a fisherman in the making and loves going out on his Nono’s (Grandad’s) boat. Jayden reads

every month with Grandad and is getting good at naming all the fish.

Jesse Crasborn embraces the big battler.


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Honorary Ranger Vacancies - Fish & Game North CanterburyBy Ross Millichamp

A friend of mine from Colorado who visits New Zealand annually often comments on the similarities between Fish & Game in New Zealand and in his home state. New Zealand and Colorado have a similar number of residents, a similar land area and a similar number of licenced anglers and hunters.

However when it comes to

the size of the agencies that administer fish and game populations there is a dramatic difference; he estimates that the Colorado Fish and Wildlife service has five to ten times as many staff as Fish & Game New Zealand and questions how we are able to function with such limited resources. The answer is the huge contribution that unpaid volunteers make to Fish & Game New Zealand, none more so than our team of Honorary Rangers.

Honorary Rangers are appointed as a group for a three-year-term and are charged with doing the lion’s share of our

compliance effort. Between them they check around 10% of our licence holders annually and ensure that 99% of you continue to adhere to the regulations. However, being a ranger involves more than checking licences and ensuring compliance with the regulations. Rangers also perform vital public relations and education functions, and are very much the face of Fish & Game in the field.

The term of the current ranger group expires at the end of September and while many have chosen to stay on, a number are retiring so we have five new positions available. We seek

expressions of interest from people who:• Have a good general

education and/or life experience

• Have good knowledge of sports fishing and/or game bird hunting techniques

• Are of sound physical fitness with good eyesight and hearing

• Display good judgement and be capable of thinking quickly

• Have good written skills• Wish to make a voluntary

contribution to the management and protection of sports fish and game bird populations.

These positions are unpaid but are supported by training and assistance from Fish & Game staff.

If you are interested, please contact Ross Millichamp at [email protected] for a full position description and application form. Written applications close July 13, 2012.

“There is more to being an Honorary Ranger than just

checking licences; - Ranger Peter Van Der Zwet (left)

helps a young angler at the Christchurch Groynes.”

IN TouCHwith North Canterbury

Action & Eating Aplenty By Jake Williams

I love fishing for the action and the eating it provides, so that is a pretty good reason to get out at least twice a week. The main focus of my attention over summer was rig and elephant fish off Waimairi Beach near where I live in Christchurch. It was a great season, my second best-ever, with consistent catches of rig and elephants on most of the nights I fish. I do really well between eight and ten, particularly on an outgoing tide.

A typical evening would see me clad in a wetsuit, wading out to waist depth, casting a two-hook dropper rig sweetened with either raw prawn or paddle crab, before setting the 12ft Penn Power Stick in the rod holder to await the action. I use 6-7/0 Mustad recurve hooks, a 5oz breakaway sinker, 50lb mono trace and a 15lb main line. The heavy trace is to counter the large stingrays!

Rig are suckers for the paddle crabs I catch in my opera house net and I’ve even taken the odd elephant fish on them, but the elephants generally go for the prawns. Rig will take both and they are my favourite catch, being sometimes quite subtle on the bite, and full on aggressive at others. Their initial run is powerful and they peel a lot of line. However, after the second burst they generally tire and come in easily.

My biggest rig this past season was 27lb, the smallest 7lb and the average around 12-13lb, so you can see what I mean by ‘action and eating’. These fish keep my family and grandparents well fed and make me real popular with the neighbours across the street as well.

A younger Jake in fishing mode.


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Rub A Dub TubBy Steve August

Several years ago I invented a new type of hot tub for the bach at Bannockburn. I was too mean to buy a spa pool and anyway, I get itchy skin from chlorine. Lots of people said great, make us one, and I eventually went commercial. It’s all gone a bit mad, sold over 500 and started exporting - doesn’t feel like a real job.

It occurred to me after a while, that in making something to keep water in, we also had something that would keep water out. So it floats. We towed it behind boats and had various good parties, and there is even one on a boat in Fiordland they catch blue cod from.

A year ago Read Marine in Dunedin loaned us a Minn Kota outboard and we drove

a Kiwitub out to a little shelly island that sticks out of the middle of Otago Harbour, across from Careys Bay. It drove surprisingly fast but steered like a grand piano. Sharon orbited in circles for a bit, then worked it out and headed for the open channel, to a standing ovation from a collection of transfixed boaties. But I got the tides wrong, and never got the shot I wanted of water just lapping the base of the tub -

until recently. The Southern Clams barge helped out and we dropped the tub off, lit the burner and headed back to the Careys Bay pub while the tub heated. Only, it was the day of the moon’s closest approach to earth, wasn’t it? So the tide was a lot higher than expected and the burner was mostly underwater when we got back out to it. Never mind - still had a hot tub in the middle of the harbour!

From the front pageAfter their first trip was

postponed due to bad weather, Ted Birk, his mate and their wives headed out in Wildcat Charters Mistral, on a warm winter's day. It wasn’t long before Ted had hooked himself this beaut; a gorgeous blue cod, which happened to be the biggest fish Ted has ever caught!

Ted reckons it always pays to fish with the professionals - Wildcat Charters in Golden Bay!

By Cameron Reid (pictured)

At last! With the weather forecast good, we were on our way to Greymouth to chase ‘alberts’.

Up at the crack next morning, we boarded the Tanekaha and met our commercial tuna fishing skipper, Murray Marshall and Craig the deckhand, before casting off and heading for the bar and the open sea.

The skipper set the throttle, pointed the bow toward the Hokitika Trench and at six knots, the autopilot kicked in. The kettle was boiled and we enjoyed the first of what seemed

like bottomless cuppas. The outriggers were set with four close-in lines aside, and two rods were set wide, off the stern.

An hour-and-a-half later we had the first strike on a rod, which caused a stunned reaction. After a long three seconds of indecision, Lawson grabbed the rod and we all gathered at the stern, eager to see what the first fish of the day looked like - over the stern came a 4kg albacore. This was what we came for. Yahoo!

A few minutes later and we had a hit on one of the outriggers, fairly close to the boat, so it was

only a few seconds of hand-lining before a nearly identical fish joined the first one in the ice slurry.

We enjoyed consistent action over the next few hours, with all of the Nelson crew landing around three fish each, including at least one on a rod. Most fish were of very similar size but Gill caught one that pushed the 5kg mark.

While all this action was happening, those not directly involved discovered Murray’s wife, Shona, had packed heaps of awesome food. We were literally treated like ‘hobbits’ as we enjoyed first morning tea, second morning tea, elevenses, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea.

From mid afternoon until early evening we explored all of Murray’s marks and while we never had any hits, we enjoyed the relaxed and comfy atmosphere on board, and the awesome view of the coast from twenty miles out. By unspoken mutual consent, we eventually turned around, headed for the Grey bar and dry land.

As we again crossed a very benign Grey bar, we asked how many trips they take out in the tuna season, and how many fish they would catch in a typical day. The answers left us gobsmacked, as we were the guinea pigs on Murray’s first ever recreational charter!

“The season is running down now - you should have been here last month, we were getting about 100 fish-a-day,” Murray said. Wow, we had had an absolutely fantastic day with 27 good fish in the bin. How good would 100 fish be?

Gobsmacked and a Ton of Alberts

The young chap was on one of his first trips to the opening of waters in the mainland mountains, with his Dad and a disparate group of anglers from his town and around.

Doubtless, some of the traditional customs that have been fostered and become part of the culture over the years puzzled the poor chap, but he put on a brave face and did well to blend in.

Then came the time for a little night fishing. On this occasion the weather held fair and allowed the boys out the door with hope in their hearts and rod in hand.

Now, it wasn’t always that way. One night, during a previous opening weekend, the lads spent a considerable amount of time togging up with thermals, jerseys, waders, woolly hats and assembling the gear. Just as they stepped out the door, a storm that had been creeping up, snuck around the corner of the mountains and let off a nice flash and a rumble to rattle the fittings on the coal range.

The boys took a long look at their carbon-fibre lightning conductors and slowly peeled everything off again. But this night was very different!

Far above any urban pollution and with no streetlights the sky

was inky black, every star stood out glistening - the sky was alive.

Down the hill from the crib we went and along the lake to our favoured spots. Soon everyone was slowly retrieving and casting again in the silence of a glorious mountain night. Then it happened - simultaneously there was a string of expletives from a young voice and a huge splash.

“What happened” we all asked?

“A F##@@** great eel just swam between me legs,” came the reply.

He’d made a standing high jump of close to a metre and a half up onto the bank - the boys hugged their guts in mirth the night he put the high into high country.

He Put the High in High Country

Coastlines By Phred Phrog


Steve Terry On RecordA good mate of mine, Steve Terry, turned 40 recently and I’m about to hit 54. This got me to thinking

how good it is to have young mates who look as old as me! Some would argue that I give Steve a hard time, but he’s got the broad shoulders and midriff to take it. A few of us chipped in and bought him a mince pie for his birthday; complete with squirt of tomato sauce and gift-wrapped in a presentation box. I said to him that I wanted the present to remind him of us, because it certainly reminded us of him!

If it wasn’t for The Fishing Paper I probably never would have met Steve and most likely would have been sued for defamation by now for picking on the wrong person. I know Steve would never sue me because he’s not that fast on his feet – literally and figuratively. Besides, if he can’t laugh at himself he’s

going to miss out on a lot of fun, because the rest of us are laughing at him.We shared a few drinks with him to celebrate him living so long and to poke more fun at him, and, while thanking me for

coming, he apologised for not being able to spend much time chatting with us each on an individual basis. “That’s okay Steve,” I said matter-of-factly, “It suited us because we found talking amongst ourselves to be far more interesting!”“That’s a relief,” he shot back immediately, “ it’s reciprocal then!”I’d like to go on record as saying that was the first time ever Steve Terry has had a witty comeback to anything I’ve thrown at

him. Mind you – I think it was probably the alcohol talking!

Below is a classic reason we take the proverbial out of Steve: Steve Terry sharing a joke with a fish!

Captain’s Log: Beam me up spotty

The kingies became quite fickle over summer. In Golden Bay they were there one day then gone for the rest of the week.

Scotty was at the garage and overheard a friend bragging about the kingi he’d caught that morning. He shot home and was on the blower to me in an instant, and an hour later we were bouncing around the mussel farm buoys.

I fruitlessly cast around two blocks and in a last gasp attempt, the water exploded around the lure. An enormous yellow tail, perched on half-a-metre of tail-stock, stood up out of the water. Yes, I was on!

Usually you can get control of a kingfish’s head and lead it away from the farm, but this one kept on farting round, darting all over the place; it was unstoppable.

Trapped between two rows of orange buoys, we decided to pull it out to clear water, but as soon as we changed the angle, it bolted and just kept going.

I had to call a change in direction as we chased line back. Fortunately, it kept a dead opposite pull, so stayed between the floats and, more of a worry, clear of those bloody anchor blocks.

After a long tussle my muscles were burning, but we finally got over top of the fish and up it came. It looked like a good fish on the surface but not really as big as I’d expected, considering its fight. However, it wasn’t finished yet. As soon as it saw the boat it peeled off to the bottom again, and again and again.

Finally we turned the motor off and it came straight to the boat and rolled into the net. It took the two of us to lift it into the boat.

Later, when I finally got to the scales, it pulled them down to more than 22kg. If I’d weighed it fresh and un-bled, it would have been well over the 50lb mark.

The amazing thing was that it was only 114cm long, but built like a brick dunny.

Built Like a Brick DunnyBy Wayne Costar

New Appointment at Paper

The Fishing Paper Team is proud to announce the recent and safe arrival of new staff member, Harry (Cupboard) Young. Son of Laura Loughran Young (Ad chick at The Fishing Paper) and Rowan Young (Bloke), Harry arrived earlier than planned because he’s keen to take up his appointment as Editor-in-Nappies at the paper.

When Laura returns to work, his role will be to play quietly in the cupboard while mum makes sales – and to distract Crimpy. So far he’s doing good.

My magnificent kingi, but not such a magnificent pic!

on

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Stick Your Oar In Crimptoon

Mail your letters to Stick Your Oar In

The Fishing Paper, PO Box 9001, Annesbrook, 7044, NELSON.

Email: [email protected] Fishing Paper encourages readers contributions and points of view. We ask that all contributions come supplied with contact details. All letters must be emailed, type written or printed legibly, signed and not more than 300 words. The Fishing Paper states that opinions put forward are not necessarily those of the publisher. We reserve the right to publish in part or refuse to publish on legal grounds if the content of the letters are in any way legally contentious.

Have Your Say…Nostalgic Nurse

CuddlesDear Ed,

The photo of a steep sided pool titled ‘Salmon Return to The Leith!’ on page 21 of the June issue caught my eye - with just a touch of nostalgia.I recognized the photo as being where I fished as a high school lad around 1949.The pool was known in those days as ‘Nurse Cuddles Pool’, which was a humorous misnomer for a Nurse Couples who ran the nearby private maternity home overlooking the pool.Many a time I have cast a line to trout in that particular pool and I am very heartened to read in your article that salmon, as well as brown trout, are now established in the Leith system.Although it is a small stream it has considerable historical significance for it is where the first-ever brown trout releases were made in New Zealand way back in the 1860’s.Well done to Fish & Game and all volunteers who got behind the latest successful venture.Frank CartwrightBlenheim

Salmon Spawn Spawns Call For DoshDear Ed,As the spawning results from the season just past trickle in, the value of the McKinnon’s Creek Hatchery to the central South Island salmon run has again been emphasised. With the best catch for a number of years on the Rangitata and the hatchery again getting record returns.In spite of negativity that still permeates from a minority within Fish & Game towards hatcheries, it is clear if it had not been for the foresight of a few and their army of volunteers, salmon fishing would have been reduced to a distant memory of tales

told by grandfathers to their grandsons.To build on this success requires more than free time, an on going financial commitment. There now needs to be consideration to a small levy on licences so that the current success can be built on.I know this will bring howls of protest from some, but give it a thought: most do not blink an eye at forking out 10-plus bucks for a jug of the amber, or 30-plus for their favourite spirit, which always tastes better with one in the bag!Ken LloydChristchurch

Jackson Bay Gold CoastDear Ed,Coast recreational boaties have been slam-dunked with what must be the highest ramp, wharf and parking fees in the country, with the least facilities. From 1 July the ramp to Jackson Bay should be paved in gold, because that’s what it’s going to cost to launch there: twenty-five bucks per day to launch and the same again to park! As a retiree, it will soon become prohibitive for me to fish in one of my favourite locations – guess I will have to head up your way to Okiwi Bay!Westland District Council is dodging the flak by having their agents, Westland Properties, responsible for enforcing the hike. I hate to think that this type of charging is a forerunner to what is going to happen throughout the country. Hope you can put some heat on them to reconsider their charges.Norrie EwingHokitika

Codswallop!Dear EdPerhaps Ian Bright (Fisheries Officer) should have a cup of tea and a lie down. Instead of railing on about the mishandling of a large cod and the subsequent

loss of the fish as it was returned to the water, he should address his concerns to the moron who dreamt up the ridiculous concept of an upper size limit for cod. I caught, in quick succession, two cod of 2.5-3 kilos, at the Rangitotos. These fish were never handled - a lip grabber used instead. Because of these insane rules, I had to return them to the water. Upon doing this they rolled over to their backs and slowly sunk.I was fishing in 250 feet of water at a position I was told was a good snapper spot. I did not want to catch cod at all, but seeing as I did and had no other cod on board, I should have been able to keep and eat them. Catching 25 cod and having to return over or under-sized fish it a typical event of fishing this area. I would put it to you that if these crazy rules were not in place most fishermen would take the two good fish and move on and target something else. These rules are doing nothing to rebuild the fishery; in fact, just the opposite. Common sense, practical and fair rules will be abided by and respected. These current rules are not fair, respected or practical.Geoff Tavendale (Abridged)Kaiapoi

'Honey’s Money'

Dear Ed,

Spotted in the Cook Island – made me laugh. Hope there are more wives and girlfriends out there who are so generous

and understanding!

P Milner

Motueka

(Ed replies: Could be ex-wife has taken ‘Honey’s Money’ to get herself a new boat!)

NEW ZEALAND huNTiNg NEWs 11www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

HUNTINGNEWS

NEW ZEALAND

In his 2005 book, Random Shots, regular NZ Hunting News Columnist Peter Harker made some salient predictions about the West Coast’s incredible Burke River and they’ve just been proven.

In a footnote to the chapter ‘Not So Friendly Stalkers’ he wrote …“This mountainous valley is one of the most fascinating places

a hunter, tramper or mountain climber could ever wish to visit. In the late 1920s through till the early 40s it produced some truly remarkable sets of antlers, yet the number of trophy hunters who made the effort to get into the head of the Burke on foot are few. Ask keen hunters today about the Burke River and my bet is it would be only very few of those people who even know the name. In some respects this also applies to experienced trampers or mountain climbers. The headwaters of the Burke have awesome approaches

from other valleys - Gap Creek for instance - and the lower Burke’s spine-tingling gorges are enough to deter most people. But in saying so I hasten to point out that the Mueller Pass between the Burke and Okuru is almost a country stroll, as the top of the pass is wide and access across swampy clearings and in the bush (within reason) is extremely forgiving, yet it is a seemingly forgotten place.

As with other major Southern alpine catchments, the Burke received a lot of helicopter gunship pressure and in the early stages helicopter crews shot a number of huge stags. Now that the days of aerial meat hunting are over I truly believe that once again there will be good trophy stags and chamois bucks filtering back into the complex valley system. There will be ample feed to promote this.

I must underline the word ‘complex’, as the Burke has many traps

for the unwary or novice visitor. The upper valley floor is typical of most large South Westland catchments, but a number of senior creeks feeding the upper Burke are unforgiving and bloody dangerous in anyone’s language. They simply demand respect.

However, mark my words, sometime in the future I believe there will be he odd remarkable red deer stag shot here …

Also, the Burke is a photographer’s dream – simply a favourite place!”

Told Ya So!By Darryn Palmer and Peter Harker

Serge and Vinny Ritossa with a magnificent Burke trophy.

NEW ZEALAND huNTiNg NEWs www.thefishingpaper.co.nz12

A late afternoon in early May found me in half-a-metre of snow at 1850m altitude at the head of Lake Tekapo with my rifle draped over a snow tussock, the bipod impaled in the tussock’s spongy base. 450 metres away, across an open snowfield on a snow covered terrace, a mature black bull tahr was courting one of his harem of nannies. I had left Crimpy and Colin 200m down the mountain and had walked slowly, crouching over on all fours, through the snow to get to this point, partially scaring a secondary bull in the process. I was acutely aware that the four of us, Ron the other member of

our party was back at the hut, had spent a lot of time and effort to get me to this point. I myself had been training regularly running on the hills behind my hometown Blenheim for four months and had sent many rounds down range, practising and setting up the Kimber 7mm WSM for this situation.

Our story began last spring at the Safari Club charity auction at the Sika show. Crimpy and I bid on a ‘bivvy or hut based bull tahr hunt’ with Colin Murray guiding us and Ron Spanton providing guiding backup and logistic help i.e. he was Camp Mother. We arrived in Tekapo

and had to organise ourselves in a hurry due to some bad weather in the forecast and spent our first night in a remote hut at the base of a moraine and next morning were able glass some tahr on some steep faces, virtually from the hut itself.

There was one mature bull of average size keeping watch over the resident herd, so Colin and Crimpy climbed up on to a ridge to get a shot at him after he bedded down, whilst I stayed on the valley floor keeping watch on the tahr and letting the boys know what was happening and tracking them using the Garmin Rino. Unfortunately, most of the

animals were immature bulls and the alpha male kept moving between two or three gullies giving his underlings a bit a sort out if they tried to be too cocky. Crimpy and Colin had to come back down onto the valley floor twice and eventually took up a position 400 metres below the bull. By late afternoon they radioed me to bring the 7mm WSM to set Crimpy up for a 'hail Mary' shot but it was a difficult thirty five degrees uphill angle using a rock as a rest. I made the error of using my bipod with its pointy feet and not a pack for a rest so the rifle was shooting ¾ metre to the left and the tahr got away.

We decamped to another, better appointed hut that night and spent the next day relaxing, eating, drinking and swapping stories, as it rained and snowed all day. I must say I enjoyed it as much as the hunting days, with lots of interesting tales and experiences from four hunters with diverse backgrounds. Ron had been a guide and part owner of Lilybank, Colin a retired dairy farmer and hunting guide and of course Crimpy’s varied career. I learnt a hell of a lot; Crimpy certainly led the way in teaching me about sleeping in and receiving breakfast in bed. In fact, if I had been similarly fortified I am sure I would have got this article written a month earlier. (Ed’s comment: Smart Arse!)

Back on the hill, I checked back with Colin and Crimpy so they were ready to spot the shot and nervously rechecked the ballistic range, as the range finder was struggling to get accurate readings because of the snow. I dialled up the VX3 for 420 metres and settled in behind the

scope. The sight picture came straight onto the middle of bull’s shoulder. Now it was time. The next thing I knew the rifle had fired and there was the friendly push into my shoulder of a good shot. When the rifle came down from recoil I saw the bull run 10 metres and disappear behind a rock, giving a moment of anxiety but the Rino came to life with a congratulatory message from Crimpy. I was elated but I didn’t realise the real work was to come.

Colin and I snow bashed the 600 metres up to some ledges where the tahr had come to rest. To finally get to the tahr, I had to push Colin up by his backside prompting him to ask if this was the time and place for a prostate check. Given darkness was setting in and there was 40 degree drop down to a chute below us, the thought had never entered my mind, until then. It was dark by the time Colin caped out the bull and took off the back steaks, and we used Colin’s head torch, the Rino’s GPS and Crimpy’s light as a guide to safely back track to our original point. Then, as we headed off down the mountain proper to the boulder creek bed,

it began to snow. In the snow and dark the Garmin Rinos were worth their weight in gold back, as we had to back-track down the steep ridge. My LED Lenser HL14 head light that I had ummed and ahhed about buying also came into play, helping avoid ravines and slippery faces.

We got down onto the creek bed proper when a southerly blizzard hit us with wind driven sleet and snow. We took turns carrying my heavy cape and relied on our lights and the snow encrusted Rinos to negotiate various boulder gardens and moraines, and even find the vehicle in near white out conditions - finally getting back to the hut and a most relieved Ron at 1.35 am. The Laphroig we drank to toast the tahr and our experience tasted like nectar.

It was a huge day, a great day where we were fully tested and came through because we were a team. The experience and getting my bull tahr were only possible because of my three friends: Crimpy, Colin and Ron and by the end of the trip we had become A Band of Brothers.

A Band of BrothersBy Guy Gardiner

Colin Murray, Ron Spanton and Guy Gardiner.


“Best practice is to shoot ‘em on the run!” so said stock manager, Nigel Cameron.

The command left me quietly quaking in my boots. I’d never proved adept at shooting anything on the run, let alone an animal that has forsaken running for projectile bounding. South Canterbury wallaby are not large when you see them in the flesh, but they are bloody quick – hence the need, on the hunter’s part,

for quick reflexes, a steady swing and an abundant supply of ammunition.

I’d been chatting with the Kiwi manufacturers of Belmont precision ammunition to find a round that suited my new Zastava .223 and settled on the 55Gr SP Lapua. It grouped well on the range and now I had the opportunity to test it in the field – providing I could actually hit anything.

Mate Roger Adams and I were hunting in Albury, where ‘Guide Nigel’ had elected to bypass the ‘pussy country’ that held heaps of dozy wallabies and stretch our lungs on hill country, that I’m sure had been the inspiration for Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’! Nigel is a quiet, solid Southern Man of the land in his mid-thirties and a real pleasure to hunt with, and while he wasn’t there as a mere gun rack for his .308, I noted that he made sure Roger and I enjoyed the lion’s share of the action.

We held to a strict line as we advanced around the open tussock faces and up a leading spur, each with clearly defined shooting zones. Occasionally one got to stalk a stationary animal, but generally speaking, the

wallaby were impossible to see in the thick tussock until they exploded from under your feet. Then it was a case of no prizes for the faint-hearted.

The trick is to swing through the body, following the direction of the wallaby, and squeeze off a shot as you lead past the front of the animal. I found it far easier to get the hang of than I’d imagined and ultimately didn’t disgrace myself, bagging eight wallaby for 20 shots - one animal per 2.5 rounds. Rather embarrassingly, I hit more running animals than I did stationary ones. Roger scored better with a dozen or so, but then he is prone to exaggeration!

The population was sparse at altitude compared to the low country. The wallaby tended to be found in pockets, which added to the drama and anticipation of the hunt, so there were periods of inactivity followed by the sudden staccato tap of a trilogy of rifles splitting the air asunder. Exciting stuff. These marsupials lack pluck and die easily – at least they did with a Belmont 55Gr Lapua in the bread basket – so it makes for very satisfying shooting.

Canterbury’s Projectile BoundersBy Daryl Crimp

1 4 F A M I L Y F U N 1 7 - 1 9 A U G U S T new zealand hunting news

If the past is anything to go by, it will be a weekend of sweating, grunting, snorting, hooting and hollering and the odd bit of squealing – and that’s just the spectators

joining in the fun at this year’s Riwaka Hunting & Fishing Competition!The annual competition has grown in popularity to become

a fixture on the Top of the South Hunting Calendar, so put a ring around the weekend of 17 – 19 August and prepare yourself for an event like no other.For those sporting the hunter gene, the competition will be fierce,

with competitors travelling from far afield to challenge the ‘local boys’ on their home turf, so expect a showdown. We can’t let the infidels from out of town steal the show, so we are calling for a good turnout of ‘real blokes’ (blokesses included) to fly the flag for Riwaka.For those just wanting a fun family day out, check out what’s on offer

and see if you are game to miss out!

The competition this year runs from 12.01am on the 17 Aug to final weigh in closing at 2pm sharp on Sunday 19. At about 3.30pm the main prizes are announced followed by the minor spot prizes. The prize giving will finish with the major spot prizes being drawn. All entries go in to win 3 major spot prizes. They include:

• $500 CASh• helicopter Flight for 2 to Awaroa Lodge

(sponsored by Tasman helicopters)

• Combination Fish Finder Unit (sponsored by ENL)

• A New Rifle (Riwaka hotel – winner must have licence on the day)

• A Milwaukee Drop Saw and Vacuum Set (Placemakers)

Of the 5 prizes the 2 not picked by the winners of the draw will be auctioned at a $1.00 reserve and all the money raised will go to the rescue helicopter.

ENTRY FORMS AVAILABLE FROM:Riwaka Hotel, Coppins Outdoors, Motueka Sportsworld,

Stirling Sports Richmond

RIWAKA HUNTING & FISHING CLUB’S

2012 CoMpeTITIoN 17-19 AUGUST

PIG CARRY$500CASH

SPOT PRIZES

“Got ya”

Great Prizes

CASTING COMP

TARGET SHOOTING

Any parents attending must be

supervised by their children!

Possum Throw

See you at the Riwaka hotel. Festivities start at

1pm Sun 19 AugustSee you there!

A W e S o M e p R I Z e S T o W I N 1 5

FISH AUCTION


Steve’s Wholesale is pleased to be attending this year’s Tahr Show. We import ammunition as well as all the componentry and tools needed to load your own. This show is an opportunity to showcase our products to the public and offer them at show prices. Visit us for specials on Hornady & Black Hills 223 Ammo.

Look for a large stand with a full range of Hornady ammunition, projectiles and reloading tools, as well as Nosler projectiles and much more. If you want to get into reloading you’ll find everything you need to get started: primers, brass and six brands of smokeless powder, including ADI, Hodgdon, Winchester, IMR, Alliant & Vihtavuori - all at very competitive show prices.

Some hot new lines for us are MTM Ammo Boxes, from slip top to flip top to Zombie Ammo Cans, while Birchwood Casey Darkotic Targets will help you practice hitting Zombies in exactly the right spot. Winchester Gun

Cleaning and Maintenance Kits have all the tools to clean and maintain your firearms, and complementary to these are The Professional’s Choice Flannel Cleaning Patches. In addition to firearm components and accessories, we also have Mendota Dog Products; the best quality American-Made leads and collars.

For after the hunt, our hot new agency is Skull Hooker; European skull mounting brackets that are fully adjustable and offer the quickest and easiest solution to getting your trophy on the wall – ‘Get Your Head on Straight’.

Pre-orders for smokeless powder are very welcome. While we’ll have a full range, if you have a special request for a particular can size or quantity, ring us on 04 383 7351 to give us your powder order. We’ll have it packed and ready for you to pick up at our stand. We look forward to seeing you in August.

[email protected] www.steveswholesalenz.com

Steve’s Wholesale a Must-See Stall

Photo credit - Derek Johnson

Beretta Shotgun & Tikka 7mm Mag Up For GrabsThis year’s trophy and photographic competitions will feature an expanded prize list, with

more prizes for the tahr section. Remember, trophies from the last two years are eligible for entry. The roaring and duck & goose calling competitions always prove popular, and new for this year are a duck’s feet competition and a nanny tahr horn competition.

Just bring in a pair of wild duck’s feet and go into the draw for a Beretta A4 Extrema Shotgun, or bring in a set of nanny tahr horns and go into the draw for a Tikka T3 in 7mm mag with rifle scope. One free entry per person (conditions apply).

Kids don’t miss out on the colouring competition!Master Chef Taste of GameRichard Hingston, Executive Chef at the Christchurch Casino and keen hunter, has some great

recipes for the show, especially for tahr meat. We have taken on board your request to have more food and drink at the show, so visitors can look forward to sampling some great game

cooking.Casting the Net Wider

Many anglers visit the show because there is a huge crossover between the two pursuits, so it makes sense to now include fishing under the Tahr Show umbrella.

As well as the many exhibits, a casting competition will run throughout the show, with some great prizes for those who put their casting skills to the test, and triumph.Get The Hunting Edge

Since the last Tahr Show, new research has been undertaken involving the tracking of both deer and tahr. This information will be available at the show and of great interest to hunters, as it provides real insights into where animals go and what they do at certain times of the day and year. This could give hunters the drop on the animals, so if

you want that hunting edge, we’ll see you at the show. Put a ring around the date and we’ll

see you there!Pioneer Stadium 75

Lyttelton St Christchurch August 4th and 5th.

The Tahr Show is the premier fishing and hunting expo in the South Island, drawing enthusiastic visitors from far afield. It provides exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their wares in a focussed environment and launch new products to an eager public. While the emphasis is on promoting these recreational pursuits, it is very much a fun-filled and family oriented event, with a variety of new features for 2012.


The spotlight will be on the KSN Visual Solutions stand at the Tahr Show this year, which will display a range of Led and HID hunting Spotlights, perfect for possums, rabbits and general pest control, but also useful on bigger game like deer and pigs.

KSN Visual Solutions will be introducing a brand new model at the show this year: the KSN 300 lumen led hunting spotlight . The new KSN 300 lumen will deliver well over 150 metres of good shooting light and with an extensive adjustable beam, you can decide how much light you want at a given point. The KSN 300 features the very latest in led technology, with the new T6 led chip, and also includes a built in charger.

KSN Visual Solutions attend all the major Fieldays throughout New Zealand, bringing our established client base the latest in lighting technology, along with an unsurpassed back-

up service and extensive product knowledge. We work hard to make sure the customer is well informed and looked after, and have a 10-year peace of mind guarantee on our KSN spotlights so our customers can buy with confidence.

Be sure to check out our stand for some great show specials; the new model KSN 300 lumen spotlight normally retails for $189 on its own but at the show we’ll be throwing in a free scope mount and the spotlight for only $149 - an absolute bargain for the very latest in led technology!

There will also be some great buys on trail cameras and other lighting options. So do come and see us, discuss your requirements and we’ll do our best to work out a visual solution for you.

Deer Jaws No Primitive Hunting ToolBy Daryl Crimp

In the past it wasn’t uncommon for hunters to shoot a deer with little regard to why they were pulling the trigger, other than an animal was in their sights. In these days of restricted access and reduced populations, there is perhaps a need for hunters to have a better understanding of population dynamics and a more active role in managing our game resource. So says Mark Bridgman, co-ordinator of the Sika Show and the Deer Jaw Data Programme.

Mark and his colleagues will have a stall at the Tahr Show, to promote the Deer Jaw Data Programme, now in its nineteenth year, with the aim that any South Island hunters who go sika hunting contribute jaws harvested for research. The programme has been such a success in terms of collating valuable information on sika, which contributes to the management of North Island herds, that Mark believes it has potential for the South Island.

“Research is vital and valuable in areas where there are confined populations, so this programme could be applicable to Fiordland with the wapiti, the whitetail herds and the

likes of the Greenstone fallow,” Mark says.He sees the research being applicable on

many levels, not just on the public estate.“Guys leasing land for hunting, small farms,

large stations and other hunting operations can also benefit from the knowledge.”

Mark believes hunters can play a pivotal role in managing future herds and, in so doing, will become far richer in their knowledge and understanding of the game they hunt. “Understanding and monitoring the sex ratios and carrying capacity of a population can greatly influence when and on what a hunter pulls the trigger,” he says.

The Sika Show was conceived as a vehicle from which to gain data for the programme, but now has grown into something much more dynamic and attracts huge crowds annually. Mark sees the Tahr Show as being equally important for the South Island, and looks forward to interacting with local hunters when in Christchurch.

For more information on the Deer Jaw Data Programme, seek out Mark at the Tahr Show.

Spotlight on KSN Visual Solutions


19www.thefishingpaper.co.nz ThE fishiNg PAPEr

A small window of opportunity presented itself for a late autumn adventure. A great weather forecast, an early finish from work and youngest son Seth keen to make up for a lack of time on the water with Dad.

Before you could say, “Fishing is an addictshon”, the sun was setting over the Surtees securely anchored on a familiar spot in the middle of the Kenepuru Sound. The incoming tide had just

turned and was depositing our salmon burley directly through an array of dead baits deployed in an arc behind the quietly cooling Suzuki outboard.

Everything looked and felt good; we are ready for fishing frenzy. But alas, like many an overnighter in the Sounds, a rather uneventful evening unfolded. Highlighted only by a healthy cook up, our meagre catch bag including a brace of baitfish, a kahawai bled,

gutted and gilled for sashimi, and the inevitable large seven gill shark, which typically cleaned out our terminal tackle and disappeared to the murky shallows below.

The pressure from Seth to break his hat-trick fishing hoodoo saw us relocate and just after midnight, while second mate Seth was fast asleep, the calm night was interrupted by that wonderful sound of a 4500 Baitrunner screaming at full noise.

A scrappy, prolonged and noisy battle ensued, ending with a feisty 18lb plus snapper thrashing on the floor. It was quickly dispatched, bled and nestled in salt ice.

Skipper dad was elated, but Seth, who missed all the action, was not a happy camper when he saw the golden gleam in the glow of the moonlight in the ice box! Not to be outdone now that he was wide awake, it was only another hour before the young snapper slayer had rigged, struck, fought and landed an awesome 16 lb version of

dad’s fish, all on his own. You would have heard the whoops and hollers all the way to the head of Kenepuru Sound.

But our fun was still not over,

we could do no wrong. By the time the sun was high, we’d landed another four prime snapper in the 16-to-19lb range. It’s not often you catch your limit of snapper that size in the Sounds, so we kept three and released the rest.

We had fished long and hard and were exhausted. We had used a variety of rigs including unweighted stray lines and baited dropper rigs. We used plenty of berley and regularly

cubed ground bait. We also utilised a variety of dead and fresh baits including pilchard, mackerel, kahawai, baby salmon and squid, and we tried several different spots, moving when they had not fired after a few hours.

Nothing worked better than anything else, but here’s a tip. To catch XOS snapper in the Kenepuru - never give up and be flexible.

Shon and Son Seth Slay Sounds Snapper By Shon Emerson

How to solve Sudoku!Fill the grid so that every row and every 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9. Answers on page 22.

Sudoku

The Pink PageThE fishiNg PAPEr www.thefishingpaper.co.nz20

Easter brought the Manawatu Marine Boating Club annual fishing competition, which I duly entered as I had a title to defend!

We arrived on Thursday evening to the skippers briefing and gathered our information packs, new polo shirts, bait and boat loads of enthusiasm.

Friday dawned bright and clear, but the horizon was a bit lumpy. We decided to tough it out and give the bar crossing a go to see what the open ocean had for us this year.

First fish up was a barracouta, caught when trolling out to the ‘X’ spot painted on that particular piece of ocean. Species one for the competition!

The next few hours produced a few fish, none of which were anything to write about, but a couple more species to add to the list – mackerel, gurnard, snapper, kahawai, grey shark. We were getting ready to up anchor and go in for the weigh-in when hello, hubby’s rod bent in two and the fight was on. Up comes a 5.33kg grey shark. Brilliant – keep that one please.

Back in the water the line goes and what do you know – bendy rod again, and up comes a 5.03kg snapper. Woohoo – keep that one too!

At the weigh station his shark was the first grey to be weighed in, so he temporarily took top spot, with his snapper weighing in second heaviest in that division. A good day! That evening at the clubhouse, spot prize

time and hubby’s number is called out.

Second day the conditions had improved immensely. The sea was calmer, but the fish were calmer too. No 10kg kingies this year! That evening at the clubhouse, spot prize, hubby’s number is called out … see a pattern developing here?

Third and final day the conditions were perfect. The sea was flat, the wind non-existent, but so were the fish. Shame, we were in the zone, all primed for the big one, but alas it wasn’t to be.

So up to the clubhouse for the final prize giving. I passed my title to a young woman who caught the heaviest fish of the day and the competition – a grey shark weighing over 8.5kg.

Next up, the snapper division. Hubby’s name is called out for fourth heaviest fish in the snapper competition … here we go again!

Next, the grey shark division and yep, you guessed it, hubby’s name comes out again for second heaviest in the grey shark competition.

We were all cheering and patting him on the back, general congratulations were abounding when hello, the winner of the veterans division announced and yes, my hubby.

He cleaned up this year much to his surprise.

By Bev Simpson

It was Mother’s Day and my daughter Prue phoned, inviting me to spend it with her at Okiwi Bay. It sounded like a great idea. I hadn’t any other plans, so I packed up my wee Holden Barina and drove the winding road to the Bay, arriving just in time for a cooked breakfast.

It was then I discovered we were going fishing to d’Urville Island, on a local’s Riviera launch. This sounded like a wonderful adventure and as my brother is Ron Prestage, fishing is ‘in the blood.’ I was very excited about the day ahead.

There was a bit of a swell heading to d’Urville, but the Riviera cut through the waves with ease. We

finally arrived at our fishing destination of Paddock Rocks, a very picturesque spot, and set about targeting blue cod.

I don’t know if it was the fishing rod I was using, or just plain good luck, but I began catching cod as soon as the line hit the bottom. Winding them up was quite a challenge, especially with

two on the line at a time!

When we reached our daily quota, we headed off to a nice quiet bay and got the barbecue going. We enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day lunch of venison steak and fresh cod, washed down with a lovely glass of Savignon Blanc.

It was a very special and memorable Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Fishing Adventure:

By the Number By Kim Jones

Last year’s winning effort, sadly not repeated!

By Darryn Palmer

Not to be outdone by mum or dad, four and a half year old Shania Greaney managed to secure a winning position in this year’s Motueka RSA Fishing Competition walking away with the prize for the heaviest spotty.

Mum, Becs says Shania is rapidly becoming a dedicated young fisher, leaping at every opportunity to get out on the water.

Following an afternoon nap, Shania and young brother Liam headed out with mum and dad for an evening’s fishing just offshore from Port Motueka.

The only thing Shania doesn’t do is bait her own hooks, but the rest is entirely up to her, including on this night, a very good solo fight with a feisty kahawai.

Won’t Be Beaten

seafaring suPerstitionsBirdS and Luckswallows seen at sea are a good sign. swallows are a land-based bird and seeing them at sea implies that land is near and your prospects are clear.

a cormorant sighted at sea is bad luck.

sighting a curlew at sea is considered bad luck.it is unlucky to kill an albatross. they host the soul of dead sailors and are considered to be an omen of bad luck at sea, especially if killed.it is unlucky to kill a gull. they also contain the souls of sailors lost at sea.


With Mark Roden

tarakihi Virgin on the ridiculousGee whizz, after my last month’s story in

The Fishing Paper where I suggested that you can still dive throughout the winter as long as you have the right gear … I went out on a bleak Sunday and nearly froze my proverbials off. Interesting situation in that I had similar gear to the rest of the guys, but I was the only one who really got cold; some cheeky bugger suggested that ‘age’ must be a factor, some crew members do come perilously close to not getting invited back on board the Tardis.

We did have a fantastic day though: got as far as Greville Harbour on the west side of d’Urville island and found good numbers of tarakihi. Tarakihi aren’t voracious feeders like blue cod and tend to be a bit more shy and spooky. While this makes spearing them a challenge I’m sure it helps them survive, as they don’t go nuts over berley and enough of them are likely to scatter in front of a trawl net to help ensure the future population.

The old blue moki doesn’t seem to be so lucky, or smart, they just mooch around in their loose schools and are easy targets for spearos; a group of keen young guys can clean out a whole school of them in no time

flat. Set nets reduce the numbers of these fish (and butterfish) as well. Moki, an underrated eating fish, are caught as a commercial species around East Cape and large numbers also end up as cray bait.

I was so pleased to find a rock that looked like no-one had speared or netted it for a long time, and surrounding it, a school of big blue moki cruising around in about 5m of water and under them, at around 10m, a huge cloud of tarakihi. I was a bit selfish (in a way that only hunters can understand) and didn’t call the rest of the guys over, I’m keen to get back to this rock and get some photos of what our underwater environment should look like – everywhere, not just isolated pockets. I’m also interested to see if this relatively undisturbed rock is holding any crays. I’m constantly being told that the crays have gone into deeper water, but not sure if they’ve gone into deeper water or if all the ones in shallower water have been caught. All I know is that they are getting harder and harder to find, so if there are any on this ‘virgin’ rock then it might add weight to the argument, one way or the other – watch this space!

SpearfishingBy Peter HydeField Operations ManagerCanterbury & WestlandPhone 0800 4 Poacher

Over the past three-years recreational fishers who regularly fish for blue cod (BCO) along the North Canterbury coast have expressed concerns about the state of the blue cod stocks. This stretch of coast is commonly accessed by boats launching from the small coastal settlement of Motunau.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (formerly Ministry of Fisheries) recognised the importance of this area for recreational fishing and have regularly monitored the state of the blue cod stocks. This monitoring is by way of a detailed Boat Ramp Survey carried out by NIWA in 2003 and 2009. There has also been At Sea Potting Surveys carried out in the summers of 2004/2005, 2007/2008 and 2011/2012.

In brief, these reports indicate that the number of blue cod hasn’t declined significantly. That is the good news! The bad news is the average size of blue cod has noticeably declined and there are far fewer blue cod above the legal size limit of 30cm than in the past.

Honorary Fishery Officers keep records of the number of fish onboard the boats, when they are carrying out their inspections at the Motunau Boat Ramp. These records indicate that the number of blue cod being landed per

boat has reduced. This has been particularly noticeable over the last two-years.

The most likely cause of the decline in the number of larger blue cod can be put down to recreational fishing. The number of recreational boats launched from Motunau has steadily increased over the past 15-years.

The amount of blue cod taken commercially in this area is small and largely is a by-catch of trawling further out to sea.

Many recreational fishers who fish in the Motunau area express the situation like this:

They want to see something to stop the decline in the blue cod fishery and want something there for future generations;

They want something done sooner rather than wait until the situation gets really bad;

They want to be part of the process of making changes to recreational fishing rules rather than having the rules opposed on them by the Ministry for Primary Industries (Ministry of Fisheries).

Often they quote the Marlborough Sounds minimum and maximum size limit (slot fishery) as a rule they would rather not

have imposed on them in the Motunau area.

On 20 June Motunau Coastal Guardian’s had its first Annual General Meeting and elected a representative committee. The committee is:

Chair – Terry Donaldson

Secretary – Te Marion Lenihan

Ngai Tuahuiriri Rep – Makarini Rupene

Motunau Recreational Fishers Reps –

Andrew Johannis

Colin Cracknell

Steve Ryder

Chris Shuker

Motunau Based Charter Operations Rep Murray Vandstone

It was also decided that, for a small subscription fee, members of the general public can join in the Motunau Coastal Guardians. Further information will be advised on this in the future. On behalf of the Ministry for Primary Industries, I look forward to working with this group in the future to achieve the aim of protecting and improving blue cod stocks in the Motunau area.

Motunau Fishing Group Formed

SudokuANSWERS


Harbour Views By Dave DuncanYouth Fish-out Pond, one Step Closer

Gravel has finally started to be excavated from the site of the Sports Fishing for Youth Trust fish-out pond site at Challies Island in the Waimea River berm lands, which Fish & Game have been working on in tandem with the Trust. Getting to this stage has been like watching paint dry, but after three years of effort it is great to finally see earthworks happening. One of the first consignments of fish for this pond will be salmon raised by the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) class, as part of their aquaculture course. These fish have just been transferred to the NMIT facility at the Glen for on-growing to around half a kilo size, prior to release for the first youth fish out day next summer.

A number of other parties have been critical in assisting with the project and without their assistance the project wouldn’t have got off the ground. New Zealand King Salmon have kindly provided feed for growing the fish. Without their assistance it would not be possible to grow the number and size of fish required.

Rainbow trout are also being sourced

from North Canterbury Fish & Game with assistance from the Canterbury Community Trust. Likewise, Tasman District Council, Taylor’s Contacting, Downer, Fulton Hogan and Oldfield’s have also been critical in getting the ponds constructed. Over time it is envisaged that this will become a popular local event with families, as nearby fish-out days such the Groynes in Canterbury attract thousands of people each year.

Fish & Game staff recently undertook a salvage operation at the intake of Trust Power’s Branch hydro scheme when it was shut down for gravel sluicing. Around a dozen fish were encountered, including one very large 650mm brown trout and several 250-300mm rainbow trout. These rainbows indicate that the 350 adult rainbow trout released in March 2010, probably successfully spawned in the river that year, as until recently we have never salvaged small rainbows from the intake, despite there being a low number of rainbow trout historically present in the upper catchment.

Branch Salvage operation Reveals More Breeding Rainbows

Salmon for next summer’s fish-out days being transferred to the Glen for on-growing.

Fish & Game Field Officer Lawson Davey

with a salvaged 300 mm rainbow trout

presumably spawned from fish released

in the upper Branch River back in 2010.

I awoke to a Saturday morning that was crisp and cold, with a very light westerly coming down the valley. After breakfast my wife was off out shopping then lunching with our eldest daughter.

Not being one to lay on the couch, I decided to get my trout rod out, dust off the flounder net and head off to the estuary. I was hoping for a feed of flounder and a bit of fun with the rod.

There was a light chop on the water when I launched the boat and a breeze that almost cut clean through me, but once rugged up with a hat, jacket and gloves it was bearable.

After setting the net, I put out a lure and began trolling. I had only gone about 200 yards when the rod doubled over and line peeled from my reel. I thought this

is good and after a twenty minute battle I landed a nice fat kahawai, whose new home was going to my fish smoker. With the lure back out, it wasn’t long before the rod bent again resulting in another kahawai. This fun went on for about two hours in which time I landed twelve kahawai in total.

I then headed upriver a bit, out with the lure again and this time I landed two trout. One about four pound and fat as was also heading to a new home with the kahawai. The other one was a bit small so I released it.

I set off back downstream and had a look to see what was in the flounder net. It took me close to half an hour to pull in, cleaning it as I went so it was ready to set again if needed, but after counting

the fish I decided nineteen flounder were more than enough for a feed!

On my way home I rang my wife to let her know that we were going to have fresh flounder for tea. Once at home, and after the boat was put away, I filleted the trout and kahawai, mixed up a brine and put them into the fridge ready to be smoked the next day. The flounder were then filleted ready for tea. That night we dined on flounder fillets dusted in cornflour then fried in rice bran oil served on mash with a light dusting of salt and pepper, with a few drops of lemon juice added. It was accompanied by a nice crisp salad and washed down with Stoneleigh Sav blanc.

It sure beats the hell out of laying on the couch!

Morning On An Estuary By Mark Wills

The Blessing came about after the Seafarers Memorial Trust was formed when the Sunderland Pier was

completed in 2000.The tradition of Blessing the Fleet is

worldwide and started with many fisheries blessing their fleets before going to sea and later came to be a memorial service for those that did not return. In Port Nelson, our blessing originally focused around the scallop and hoki fishing fleets. Those vessels have now either increased in size or adapted to the need of other fisheries.

Today the multi denominational blessing is open to all, as is the opportunity to spare a moment to remember of all those who have sadly lost their lives at sea, regardless of the

cause or occupation. Broadcast on a local radio station, all those taking part can enjoy the day.

In the past few years, many yachts and launches have taken the opportunity to participate in the ceremony and are invited to attend again this year. To ensure all vessel owners get into the spirit of the day, there are prizes awarded for the best-dressed vessel.

There are also great activities on shore for the family and an opportunity to purchase some of the many varieties of fish caught and processed here in Nelson. Experts on filleting will amaze with their skills. The various cadet units will impress with their drills and an exercise in the harbour from one of the local big fishing vessels will also impress.

20 & 21 JulySeafarers Wharf,

Rocks Road, Nelson

FRiday 7pm: Fireworks and flare demonstration

SatuRday

12 midday: Blessing of the Fleet

Rescue demonstration

Fish market

Best dressed vessel

the Blessing of the fleet


I was at my son’s place last Sunday for lunch with his lovely partner and her aunt and uncle, who reside just around a corner in Okiwi Bay where I also have shares in a family bach. During the meal I was reminded of a particular party at a bach over the creek that my mates and I were actually not invited to. In fact I was told very politely that they would appreciated it if my mates and I did not turn up. The girls were dressing up in fancy dress and their husbands were to dress up also and they would be a bit embarrassed. This was told to me as I was rowing the dinghy up the creek after mooring out the boat. Well, telling Roughie this is like telling a rabbit to keep out of the carrot patch. I promised that if I told this story I would not mention names, so I won’t, even if we were not invited we still had a bloody good party night!

As my mates prepared our barbecue with the day’s catch and plenty of amber liquid, all of the girls from over the creek came in their fancy dress just to give us a taste and remind us we were not welcome to their party that night. Well stuff me! The blokes on my side said get that barbie cranked up, drink your booze fast – we are going over there when it gets dark!

So off we went with booze and guitar etc to liven up the show. The blokes and the girls were a bit embarrassed when we arrived, I can tell you!

There were some great

costumes. The girls looked very ‘fetching’ and the blokes looked like they were getting ready to take full advantage of the situation after we left. Anyway we livened up the show and had a great night.

Next morning us blokes went fishing and returned

about midday to absolutely no sign of anyone from the other side of the creek. We are still wondering what went on after we left that night as we got them all pretty tanked up on the liquor but ‘those who shall remain nameless’ still smile and say nothing. Bloody ratbags!

Roughy’s Ramblings By Rob Rough

Fishing Party

ProDuCt PreVieW

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ThE fishiNg PAPEr24 www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Cod fillets for 4

Salt and cracked pepper

Rice Bran oil/ knob of butter

RoaSt Vege Medley

4 medium potatoes diced into 1.5cm cubes

2 cups diced pumpkin

1 cup diced kumara

1/2 large red onion roughly chopped

1 green capsicum roughly chopped

Handful finely chopped fresh sage or rosemary

olive oil

Salt and cracked pepper

CRoutonS

4 slices of whole meal bread cut into 2cm squares

olive oil

dice root vegetables into small cubes and wash in fresh water. drain thoroughly and mix together in a bowl with onion, capsicum, sage and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over vege mix and combine well.

Spread into a large shallow roasting dish and bake at 200C for 40 minutes or until cooked crispy.

Make croutons by frying bread squares in hot oil until golden on both sides. drain on absorbent paper.

Season fillets with salt and pepper and pan-fry for 2-3 minutes per side rice bran oil with a knob of butter.

Mound roast vege mix on a plate, sprinkle with croutons and top with fillets.

Pan-fried Cod on Roast Vegetable

Medley

Blue Cod Heads with Coleslaw and Brown Rice

By Ron Prestage

Remove gills from cod heads. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Brush heads with olive oil and place in open roasting dish. turn midway through cooking. Cook until extremities turn brown and flesh starts to come away from bone, approximately 25 minutes.

ColeSlaw

grated or chopped cabbage, carrot, capsicum celery, red onion and parsley. eta Coleslaw

dressing.

BRown RiCe

Boil for 25 minutes in salted water.

Serve with soy sauce.

Small snapper or school groper heads could be baked the same way.

Worcestershire sauce is made from dissolved fish.

Worcestershire sauce, the popular English sauce, is made from dissolved anchovies. The anchovies are soaked in vinegar until they have completely melted. The sauce contains the bones and all.

FOOD FACTS:


From Westport: greymouth +05 minutes Hokitika +10 minutes Karamea +35 minutes Whanganui inlet -1 hour 05 minutes

From nelson: Picton is -47 minutes on the high tides and -1 hour 19 minutes on the low tide elaine Bay -35 minutes stephens island -30 minutes Collingwood -25 minutes Croisilles Harbour -18 minutes on the high tides and -02 minutes on the low tides

From akaroa: Kaikoura +1 hour 08 minutes on the high tides and +1 hour on the low tides Lyttelton +43 minutes on the high tides and +42 minutes on the low tides Moeraki -1 hour 08 minutes on the high tides and -35 minutes on the low tides

fisHing WitH CriMPY

saturDaY Mornings | 7 - 7.30

NELSON • 1341 AMMARLBOROUGH • 92.1 FM

WEST COAST • 98.7 FM

NELSON • 1341 AMMARLBOROUGH • 92.1 FM WEST COAST • 98.7 FM

Tide CharTJuly 2012

Marine WeaTher 24/7

Tidal data supplied by OceanFun Publishing Ltd www.ofu.co.nz Note: Tides in chronological order. Lower daily depth = low tides. Higher daily depth = high tides.

To find out what’s hot and what’s not and whose rod has a in it.

Join Crimpy and Darryn for fishing mayhem, madness and much more!

WeST CoASTwith North Canterbury

By Dean Kelly – Manager, Fish & Game Field Officer

Bays Gold laGera pale lager with good use of local Hallertauer and saaz hops. Gold has at least 6 weeks of cold maturation which results in an extremely drinkable lager. Bays Gold lager was judged New Zealand’s Best lager at the 2003 New Zealand International Beer awards. 89 Pascoe st Nelson Ph (03) 547 8097

TIDES OF CHANGE By Poppa Mike

A Darling Named GraceWhen Huria Matenga helped

with the rescue of passengers and crew from the wrecked sailing ship Delaware, at Whakapuaka Bay (now known as Delaware Bay) in 1863, provincial and national authorities praised her rescue efforts. They were likened to those of Grace Darling some twenty-five years earlier. It was as if Nelson settlers wanted, or needed, their own Grace Darling. Although the story was well known at the time, it has faded as many more wrecks and famous sea rescues have taken over.

In September 1838 the sailing ship Forfarshire was caught by a violent overnight storm and wrecked on the Big Harcar Rocks off the coast of Bamburgh, Northumbria, England. Of the sixty passengers and crew on board, nine escaped in a lifeboat and nine others made it onto some ragged rocks. Fortunately Longstone Lighthouse was about three quarters of a mile away and operated by William Darling and his family. At first light daughter Grace was up and using her father’s telescope, scanning the seas for survivors, when she spotted people clinging to the rocks.

Without hesitation she and her father launched their small rowboat, known as a ‘coble,’ and rowed across in the heavy seas, managing to take off five of the survivors. On return to the lighthouse three of the neediest survivors and Grace were dropped off, where she cared for their welfare while William and two others returned for the other four. The nine survivors, four crew and five passengers, were looked after in the lighthouse for three days until the storm eased and they could be returned to the mainland.

Word of the rescue soon spread, newspapers sensationalised the story and suddenly Grace Darling

became a national heroine. In Victorian England a story of such female courage became quite a sensation, in much the same way that Huria Matenga’s efforts did, even though others played greater parts in the two rescues.

Grace Darling’s fame took on further acclaim when she died just four years later. She was buried in the Bamburgh churchyard and a memorial, visible from passing ships, was later built over her grave. The church depicts the story in a large stained glass window, and the local museum also features the town’s heroine, in much the same way as the Nelson Provincial museum does.

By Nigel CarsonWith news of good salmon fishing in the canals

during the preceding month, my wife, Betty, and I hired a house in Twizel, hoping to put a silver lining on our stay. We were not disappointed; for the first two days we caught our bag of four salmon per day quite easily.

On the third day, we were up at five and were at the canals by six to greet perfect conditions and not a cloud in the sky. After putting in a few hours concerted effort, I got the barbecue out and cooked breakfast at the side of the canal, then got straight back into fishing.

A hundred metres along the canal and on the second cast, I hooked a nice salmon. A mate, John, was with us and he brought the net over to assist me in landing my fish but was instantly distracted by a plaintive wail from Betty. She also needed help, so John passed me the net and went back to pick up our second net.

While all this unfolded, a chap pulled up above Betty in a ute, to watch. Instead of taking the net to Betty, John wandered up to have a yak with the driver of the ute. At this stage John hadn’t seen Betty’s fish, which she had had been playing for quite a while, as he had his back to her. Half way through the conversation, the chap commented to John, “That looks like a twenty-pounder; I think you’d better go and net that fish!”

Surprised, John turned around and stumbled down the bank, ending up half in the water at the bottom. He recovered from the stumble and netted the fish with skill. It was so big it sat half in and half out of the net.

By this stage I’d lost my fish and thought I’d better go see what all the commotion further along the canal was all about. I joined the crowd at the top of the embankment, to take photos. One couple had a set of scales, so we attempted to weigh the fish but the scales bottomed out at 7.5kgs. Therefore, we do not know the true weight of this fish, but it was clearly a monster.

The fact that this enormous rainbow was caught on 2.5 kg nylon, made the effort all the more special. In addition, we caught two brown trout, one at 6.5lbs the other at 5.5lbs, both a good size for the area.

Pot of Silver at Rainbow’s End

Betty’s Bewitched!


PO Box 175, Nelson - 137 Vickerman StreetPh 03 548 0711 - Fax 03 548 0783email: [email protected]

Representing your fishing interests and property rights

Returns from New Zealand seafood exports are bucking the international trend and have increased during the first quarter, as outlined in the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council’s first edition of its quarterly economic review: www.seafoodindustry.co.nz/economicreview.

The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council (SeaFIC) says receipts for the first three months of this year have gone up by 8.6 per cent on the first quarter of 2011, for a total of $388 million. SeaFIC says that’s very pleasing when compared with falling returns for meat, wood, oil and fruit exports from New Zealand for the same period.

Credit for both increased prices and volumes of seafood exports is partly down to exporters diversifying away from the beleaguered European market and towards other destinations, such as China, which became New Zealand seafood’s largest market for the first time last year.

China, along with Hong Kong, bought over 27 per cent of New Zealand’s seafood exports in the first quarter of this year (worth $106 million).

In contrast, the only two European countries in the top ten export list, Spain and France, have bought a falling total of $20 million of seafood from New Zealand in the same three months.

Finfish continues to provide two thirds of the export volume. But high value rock lobster exports for the first three months of this year grew in value by 18 per cent over the first quarter of 2011, seeing it currently increase its share of total seafood returns to 14 per cent. Most seafood exports to Hong Kong are rock lobster.

Reflecting a strong international production trend, 2011 also saw a gradual increase in New Zealand aquaculture exports, of 45,031 tonnes, giving 12 per cent increased sector returns of $307 million for the full year.

Market Diversification Helps Seafood Export Returns

Intrepid young Nelsonian, Damon Nuhaj, is the archetypal Kiwi kid – happiest when fishing. Be it the back creek, boat or wharf, Damon will spend hours dangling a line and refining his fishing skills, and to good effect. He often fishes with his buddy, Daniel Crimp, and there is always a bit of friendly rivalry, as there was on this occasion.

Daniel shared the location of one of his secret possies and the two filled the morning with plenty of banter, laughter and chatter. The fishing was pretty average by adult standards, but the kids were happy and didn’t seem to mind the odd

spiny dog or greyboy thrown into the mix. The highlight of the day was when the boys got into a ‘crop of carrots’ and the competition really hotted up to see who could be carrot

king.

It was a close fought battle

but Damon proved that, in the

end, Weet-Bix is the food of

champions.

Carrots For The Weet-Bix KidBy Daryl Crimp

Damon Nuhaj – “Do I have to eat the whole carrot?”

Good Keen Men WantedWe need people like YOU to step up!You don’t need any special skills – just be

yourself and spend an hour or so each week doing activities you enjoy. You’ll find it lots of fun – and you’ll get a great sense of satisfaction knowing you’re making a real difference to a young person’s life.

Recently, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson was asked to find a mentor for a boy who wanted an adult buddy to do fun stuff, such as fishing and outdoor activities with. We were gutted we had to tell him he would have to wait because we didn’t have enough male mentors. We’ve been telling lots of boys that lately; we currently have 40 boys, aged seven to fourteen on our waiting list.

It’s a frustrating problem, but there is a simple solution.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson we’ve seen what a difference our mentors make. We’ve watched young people grow in confidence and self-esteem, performing better at school and developing better relationships. It’s amazing the impact a positive role model can have!

So go on, give a kid a hand up by putting your hand up today.

Contact Gavin on 03 545 9864 or [email protected] or visit our website at www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz/local/nelson to find out more.


Published by Coastal Media Ltd

7 Kotua Place, Wakatu Industrial Estate, NELSON

PO Box 9001, Annesbrook, 7044, NELSON

Ph 03 544 7020 Fax 03 544 7040

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

EditorDaryl Crimp021 472 517

[email protected]

Sales & Advertising

Annette Bormolini021 996 541

[email protected]

Reagan [email protected]

Alan Williamson [email protected]

Graphic DesignPatrick Connor

[email protected]

PrinterGuardian Print

Deputy EditorRon Prestage

[email protected]

Contributors

Daryl Crimp

Darryn Palmer

Ali Kennard

Poppa Mike

Ron Prestage

Simon Croft

Dave Duncan

Jesse Crasborn

Sanantha Gibbons

Mark Roden

Ross Millichamp

Peter Harker

Mark Wills

Jake Williams

Cameron Reid

Phred Phrog

Steve August

Wayne Costar

Guy Gardiner

Shon Emerson

Bev Simpson

Peter Hyde

NIgel Carson

Dave Dixon

Rob Rough

The Fishing Paper is published by Coastal Media Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the staff, management or directors of Coastal Media Ltd. Unsolicited editorial, letters, photographs will only be returned if you include a stamped self addressed envelope.The Fishing Paper encorporates the Top of the South Edition and The Canterbury Edition.

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Coarse fishing for me in New Zealand is entirely a summer sport, but that’s mainly because the competitions I target are held in summer. Also, as catches generally decline in the colder weather, it’s just not worth the effort and expense of travel to access suitable waters.

Not that I mind smaller catches, or indeed cold weather, after all there’s Pommie blood in my veins! However, I much prefer a busy approach to fishing, with lots of fish activity and regular bites to direct tactics.

There’s another problem too, some species of coarse fish shut down for the winter, either becoming minimally active, such as carp, or some, like tench, even go into hibernation. Conversely, other species either become quite active or are easier to target in the winter, with perch being a good example.

Back in Ol’ Blighty, fishing continues through the harshest of conditions, particularly on the ‘commercial’ waters where high density stocking ensures the fish are always hungry. The sound of bait being thrown into the water is a virtual dinner gong. Even then, the predominant carp do feature less regularly in catches, and anglers will often turn their attention to the smaller species, known as ‘silvers’, which include roach, bream and perch, which remain active in the colder conditions. At the peak of winter many fisheries totally freeze over, but even this doesn’t stop people visiting them. Armed with ice-breaking tools, such as concrete blocks attached to lengths of chain, the hardy (or just downright crazy) anglers smash a hole in the ice then ‘saw’ a narrow channel back to the bank to bring any hooked fish through. Incredibly, none of this disturbance seems to bother the fish and catches can be reasonable.

In the most severe freeze-up of 2010-11 many fishery owners brought in JCB diggers to smash the ice in front of each peg prior to holding competitions. This not only helped to keep paying customers coming through the gates, but with ice over a foot thick, it was often the only way to break it! I think I would have stayed at home, although I do recall fishing some matches in my younger days in England when the line froze in the rod rings and the landing net stuck hard to the bank! I also remember not catching anything on at least one occasion!

Coarse Fishing By Dave Dixon

Winter fishing

Colt Bolts in With MokiZachariah Livingston, a junior member in the

Colt section of the Wellington Surfcasting And Angling Club with his magnificent blue moki. Zachariah was fishing with his dad along the south coast during the last competition of the season, using mussel for bait. They enjoyed

a very productive session, bagging a heap of

moki and some nice tarakihi.

Zachariah is a very keen and skilled young

angler, so well done - what an awesome fish

and a great angling achievement!

Steve’s

Fishing Shop

Story


Wintertime is a good time for surfcasters to target rig. The snapper have all left the shallows for deeper, warmer water so any surfcaster looking for a feed of fish for the family should consider the rig option.

Rig aren’t too fussy about water clarity and are often caught in murky seas and in the dark at night. Night fishing for rig is generally more productive than daytime. Once hooked they tend to swim strongly sideways along the surf line so be prepared to move with them. A long handled gaff can be very useful in retrieving a large powerful rig from the waves.

Most beaches around the Top of the South and down the West Coast will have rig on them, feeding on paddle crabs, their favourite food. It is uncanny how these sharks target paddle crabs rather than any other sea creature. They crush the crabs with their gummy jaws and do not have the teeth sharks are generally feared for. Crabs are top baits but you can fool a rig into snapping up a prawn or a piece of crayfish.

My pulley rig this year for rig catching makes use of the latest in sinker technology. It is a breakout sinker with built in bait clip, which slides up and down the sinker stem. Previously, my tied down rigs used rolled up toilet paper to keep the bait from ‘helicoptering’ in flight. I then graduated to the impact shields, fitted above the sinker and now the bait clip is incorporated ingeniously into the sinker itself!

Use a keeper hook as this makes it easier to fix on a crab for bait, well bound with bait elastic. I like to cut the legs off the crabs to let the juices run and give a more streamlined shape for the cast.

If the rig is destined for a number one feed of fish and chips make sure you deal with it quickly on capture. After killing it, run the knife down behind its head and along the top of the gut cavity to remove head and guts in one motion. Then cut off the fins and tail. The ‘trunked’ fish can now be put on ice or filleted, which is simply a matter of slicing the meat off both sides of the

cartilaginous backbone and then removing the skin. Rig return a good amount of meat, as there are no bones to cut around. Quick processing action eliminates the ammonia taste that can rapidly develop in sharks if left whole.

Another shark species worth catching for the table over the winter is the greyboy. These have sharp teeth so if you get bitten off, put on a wire trace. The cooked greyboy is not as firm as rig, more like a flounder compared to a snapper, but very tasty and nutritious all the same. They will take any cut bait with a bit of blood in it.

Most of my rig fishing is done on the West Coast but the beaches of the Kina Peninsula, handy to Nelson are good places to target rig at this time of the year.

From Sinker to Smoker By Ron Prestage

Latest Rig to Target Rig

One of two rig caught during my most recent West Coast rig fishing trip.

The latest breakout sinker with the ingenious bait clip, used in a pulley rig.

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Issue 82 - The Fishing Paper & New Zealand Hunting News