April 2017 - The Fishing Paper & Hunting News

THE

FISHING FREE

April 2017 Issue 139

PAPER

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HUNTING

Good Moody Trout Story page 6

NEWS Roari

ng red stag. Photo by Ger

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16 page roar feature

 Top 10 Roar tips  Foreign snapper buzz  Trouting for groper

Photo Richard Cosgrove

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THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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Retired New Zealand Olympic swimmer Moss Burmester has a new accolade to add to his list of accomplishments – landing the first black marlin speared in New Zealand waters. A keen freediver and spearfisher, Moss spotted the 163.4kg monster while diving on Sunday 5 March, in ‘ShallowPatch’ off of Cape Karikari at roughly 1pm. Moss describes how he…

BATTLED black & won

I hardly had any time to think, but I was relaxed and calm. My flatmate, Rosie, had first seen it ten seconds earlier and shouted out that there was a marlin, but initially I doubted her. Then I saw it for about three seconds swimming straight at me before it turned broadside and I had my opportunity for a perfect shot.

Although my mind was racing and going, ‘It’s a marlin!”, I felt very calm and knew exactly where I had to shoot it, 10cm above the pectoral fin. I took my time and calmly squeezed off the shot, it hit right where I wanted it to (in the spine) but due to my gun not being specifically suited for big fish, it really hurt it but by no means stopped it!

Moss comes to grips with his amazing achievement.

It was epic! A huge thrill and something I’ve always dreamed of from an early age; to catch a marlin, I just didn’t ever realise it was possible or think that it would be through spearfishing! I got the same feeling and rush I had when I won my Commonwealth Games gold medal!

It took about 15 minutes to boat, which is considered very fast, and it was a hell of a fight. I ended up shooting it three times before I grabbed it by the bill to try and iki it.

The fish didn’t explode away like they normally would.

Nat Davey, an extremely accomplished fisherman, two times spearfishing world record holder, and ex-commercial fisherman was with me and he said they are one of the hardest fighting fish around. We think that my spine shot must have really hurt it and slowed it down. It still towed me around for approximately 10 minutes before I had a go at finishing it off by swimming

Moss Burmester with the first black marlin to be speared in New Zealand.

MARINE ELECTRONICS With Sean Ryan sean@fluidelectronics.co.nz

Westfleet rises to the challenge The Solo Circumnavigation of the South Island, a fundraiser to support Russell Blowers, who suffers from a rare form of rickets disease, set off from Nelson on 1 April and is now hurtling down the rugged yet beautiful West Coast. Skipper David Puklowski will endure what nature has to throw at him for around 19 days but, with all the prep and training runs completed, he is well equipped and prepared, and considers it minuscule compared to the daily challenge Russell faces throughout his life.

The late delivery of the vessel has caused time to be in short supply, but the team rallied and completed positive tweaks for safety, performance, and a few little comforts.

The fuel monitoring system on the Lowrance is working well and, combined with all the other technology packed into the unit, is pumping out the vital info’ that will be constantly relied upon by Dave to safely navigate each leg of the journey. At his finger tips he can check fuel used, fuel burn rate, distance traveled, and the distance range he can travel with the fuel remaining on board.

Achieving this was not without a few curve balls. Armed with the info’ from Terminator, we just could not reconcile the fuel use with the extra fuel used to refill on the first two runs. It was not until Dave siphoned the tanks that we found our fuel capacity was much greater than we had been told, and the fuel flow system had been right all along. A great problem to have!

Trip information from the Lowrance will be

uploaded onto a website so you will know exactly how much time is being spent on the water, how far he has travelled, and how much NPD fuel we have used.

The inReach satellite communicator will be an integral part of the safety package but will also allow you to view Dave’s progress and current position. It will also be his immediate and constant communication with the ground team. He will use messages to keep you all updated on what goes down each day.

Messages, position, and his entire trail will be displayed on the map at challengeforamate. nz. so you can follow his progress.This is a huge challenge.

Westfleet and Craig’s team from Greymouth, on hearing of the awesome cause, did not hesitate to come forward with a very generous donation, which we are very grateful for.

Westfleet challenges other businesses to get in behind the project and support the fund raising effort. Thanks also to all of the other current and future donators; every dollar donated going 100% towards treatment.

The team is now focused on continued fund raising so that Russell can have an opportunity to enjoy a better quality of life.

This is all about mates looking after mates, so head to the website challengeforamate.nz hit the donate tab, and be as generous as you can. One day, one of your mates might need a hand!

down, grabbing it by the bill in one hand, and stabbing my knife between its eyes into its brain to kill it. However it found a new lease of energy and went mental! I was holding on for grim death and Nat, watching from the boat, which he had gone to retrieve, said I was getting lifted up out of the water and then slammed back down. It was like trying to hold onto a mechanical bull!

Unfortunately, because I was handed loaded guns I can’t apply for an NZ record, as it must be completely unassisted. However, right from the start, due to my first shot not going right through the fish and therefore not being very secure, we didn’t want to lose it and it likely later die, so speed was more important, hence why I was handed two loaded guns to second and third shoot it. There would have been nothing worse than it getting off and potentially dying and being wasted.

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THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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Spectacularly sloppy snapper Lloyd Wood

Venturing off the West Coast at Raglan, we were greeted with a sloppy confused sea so opted to fish in close. Poking our nose around the corner, we set up a drift over Jackson’s Reef and let loose with the long jigs, mechanical jigging but only attracting rats. These were quickly released and, with no sign of bigger fish, we changed tactics accordingly.

I threw the pick over in 38m of water, 200m off the south west side of Jackson’s and set the berley. I have a custom-made berley cage that attaches to and slides down the anchor rope via a carabiner. Once it hits the chain it stops and tends to bounce against the chain, pumping out a good strong trail.

The choice of berley is important too, with mussels and kina a favourite.

Some of the guys were using heavy gear but my preference is to fish light. I was running 15lb braid on my Shimano Corvalus 300 and fishing a Shimano Aqua Tip rod, with homemade flasher rigs using: 30lb Black Magic fluorocarbon trace, 6/0 Wasabi hooks, tied as a ledger rig with small plastic squids at

the top of each hook. The hooks were then baited with bonito and squid.

Gareth was using a slow jig set up on 20lb gear. The conditions proved ideal, as the fishing really lit up. Gareth caught a nice 11kg king on his slow jig and a smaller one of around 9kg fell to one of the ledger rigs. The snapper were going gang busters as well, so we were able to set a good boat minimum limit of 40cm. It would have been possible for us all to limit out but, with the daily bag limit set at 10 per person, we figured that too much so settled on half-a-dozen good fish each. They ranged from 40cm through to 10-12lb and then the big mother hit.

It put up a solid, dogged fight and showed plenty of muscle.

On light gear a fish that size really peels line and gives a good account of itself. Once to the surface it was netted quickly, photographed, and returned to the sea. It swam off strongly, which was a great end to a spectacular sloppy day of fishing the mighty waters of Raglan.

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ABOVE RIGHT: Lloyd with the 20lb snapper caught on 15lb braid on his Shimano Corvalus 300 off Raglan. Photo Gareth Dale,

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Polishing chrome on the Kaiapoi Tyler McBeth

Tyler believes everyone should experience the thrill of catching 'chrome'.

An hour went by with only a couple of juvenile kahawai falling victim to our spoons, until not a second after I muttered to Cary, “I think I’ll change my lure,” I struck in to a fish.

Instantly, with the large knocking motion on my rod, we knew the culprit would be a salmon. The silver flanks of the salmon were twisting in the water, like living metal. After a few minutes of playing tug of war, the fish was beached on the mud and sand that covers the mouth of the river. The presence of sea lice on the fish’s pelvic fin was an indication it had recently come in to the river. After a few photos, I weighed it.

It tipped the scales at 7lb 11oz. It felt fantastic to catch two salmon in a week, especially when not many fish had been caught in the river.

We got straight back out there and soon saw more salmon pass by in front of us. Another hour passed by before I glanced over and saw Cary strike in to a fish. We thought the fish was foul hooked at first, as a silver salmon came to the surface on its side but the line soon bounced off one of the fish’s fins and there was no mistaking the fish had chomped on his spoon.

After a short but spirited battle, I was handed a net by known local angler Scott Blackler, who had parked up on the point to have a chat to us. I quickly scooped up the angry, chrome salmon. Even though, it was another small fish, weighing in at just over 7lb, it was a salmon and that’s what counts.

Most anglers should experience salmon fishing. There isn’t a word for the exhilaration of getting a savage take of a lovely solid object in the water, where your hand slips off the handle as everything goes tight, then seeing the flash of chrome.

My friend Bryce Helms invited me to fish the mid-reaches of the Waimakariri River with him. Intrigued due to the fact I hadn’t landed any up river salmon before, it was a no brainer.

However, with the slow trickle of fish going up river at the time, I wasn’t holding my breath of making contact with a chinook.

We hastily ventured to the river, looking for likely holding It's a salmon and that's what counts.

spots for our quarry to rest in. We fished a couple of small pieces of water before finding the holy grail of fishable water, destined for a king to lurk in. It was a large deep piece of turquoise blue water, as the bright, hot sun reflected on the deep swirls in the pool. We thought every salmon working its way up river would have to come across this hole at some stage. We started fishing at the top section and realised we needed to step up to heavier lures. I ended up using a 17g green and white Zed spinner.

Not long after fishing near the top of the hole, I felt my line go solid, feeling a kick back at the end of my rod.

Unfortunately whatever it was, came off. I cast to the top of the hole and let my lure slowly drift round in the current, while giving it a very slow retrieve. As my lure neared the bank, my rod tip whacked around, indicating a salmon was on the other end. Like when you hook an eel, the fish was violently twisting its body, trying to shed the hook. I kept the pressure on, let the fish run, and it eventually grew tired. Within minutes, it was on the bank. The reward was a stunning 9lb hen.

Six days later, I planned a salmon session at the top of the incoming tide at the mouth of the Kaiapoi River, with my friend Cary Wesley. It didn’t take long before salmon began porpoising in close to where we were, as if they were tormenting us. With the Waimak up river having low flows, a small 10g white, green, and holographic coloured Zed spinner was my choice.

In the remanding hour of light left, we fished with confidence but, unfortunately, Cary's fish was the last of the evening.

Once the mosquitos became active, we called it quits and both walked back from the mouth of the Kaiapoi, joyful and satisfied.

The presence of sea lice indicated this fish had just left the ocean.

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Trouting for groper Matt Stone

The sea was like glass as the four of us left Akaroa Harbour in the early morning darkness, bound for the groper grounds.

I had been out a few times before, but as I had no boat rod, I decided to risk my Shimano Catana trout rod this trip, as the spare rod was in use with an extra person onboard.

Skipper Joe Schroeder knows his stuff and, despite a few early issues with the sounder, soon had us on the fish. I dropped my jig to the bottom in around 80 metres of water.

Within a minute I had hooked up. There was a fair bend in the poor Catana and, to be honest, I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew. The fish was pulling string and I was struggling to gain any line back.

Suddenly, the weight was gone; it transpired the hook had pulled out.

I dropped back down and immediately

STORY Matt with a good size 'trout' in anybody's books.

James de Pass, Joe Schroder, and Matt Stone enjoyed a jigging bonanza on the puka.

hooked up again. This time it was easier, perhaps a small one? But no, it turned out to be a reasonable sized school groper. The first fish I hooked must have been a whopper, as I soon knocked out my five fish bag limit before any of the others with their boat rods, despite the fact my poor rod was bottomed out the whole time.

We moved to the blue cod patch, but yet again I seemed to keep finding the groper and caught and released a further two before catching some nice sized blueys and plenty of sea perch.

What a trip, the sea stayed glassy calm all morning, before a light nor'easter picked up in the afternoon. One of our crew, alas, felt a little green for much of the day and spent more time on his knees leaning over the side than fishing.

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THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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Twenty grand warning over toheroa MPI press release

Toheroa and tuatua have subtle differences,

Fisheries officers are appealing to the public to ensure they’re up to speed with the rules around collecting toheroa now that the rare shellfish are making a comeback to 90 Mile Beach, after a fisheries closure in 1982.

Ministry for Primary Industries spokesman, Steve Rudsdale, says the beach has been empty of toheroa for many years and it is great to see juvenile toheroa making a comeback and beginning to recover.

However, he says their survival will be threatened if people don’t leave them alone.

“Their existence remains fragile and they cannot be disturbed. One of the difficulties is that toheroa look very similar to tuataua.

Tuatua are much more prolific than toheroa and are not subject to the same gathering ban,” he said.

Toheroa shells are more brittle and slightly rounder than tuatua, and have a slight lump at the base, whereas tuatua shells are slightly glossy and have a square, flat base. A simple test is to sit the shellfish on its base on the sand with the sharp end standing up. A tuatua should stay standing, balanced on the flat base while the toheroa should fall over.

“The two species can be the same size and

colour depending on their age but toheroa will eventually grow twice as big as tuatua and have a darker shell,” Mr Rudsdale says.

Toheroa also have a major cultural significance and it would be a great pity to see their recovery fail because of people’s greed or the fact that people are unaware of the rules. The only exception to collecting toheroa is a customary fishing permit.

If caught with or you have disturbed up to 50 toheroa, you face a $500 infringement fine. If you are caught with more than 50 toheroa, you face prosecution and a maximum fine of $20,000.

“Fisheries officers and honorary fisheries officers will be out and about on the beach educating gatherers about the rules and how they can tell the difference between tuatua and toheroa.

“It’s important people know the difference.

We will be using some discretion, but will not tolerate people deliberately or repeatedly taking toheroa,” he said. “I would encourage everyone who visits 90 Mile Beach to care of the toheora and to report anyone disturbing or taking them to the 0800 4 POACHER line, that’s: 0800 476 224”.

Fish & Game's Steve Terry (aka Pieman) on scale duty at the Coleridge High Country comp. Photo Richard Cosgrove.

Coleridge powers up anglers’ flight (front cover story) Daryl Crimp

Situated in the Canterbury high country at the foot of the Southern Alps, Lake Coleridge is one of the few places in New Zealand where you can catch brown trout, rainbow trout and salmon at the same location, making it a popular destination for local anglers and many from further afield. It supports one of the very few populations of landlocked chinook salmon, which are the most common catch in the lake. The fish inhabiting the cold waters of Coleridge typically range in size from 0.75 - 1.5kg but big fish do exist there.

The highlight of the fishing calendar is the opening of the high country season, the first weekend in November, which is marked by a competition run by Fish & Game, one that has become increasingly popular over the years.

Anglers flock from all over Canterbury, the South Island, and even internationally, with one couple winging it away from Australia every year for the last four years to take part.

The event is not without its fair share of excitement and entertainment either.

Last season, the ultimate winner only just managed to register in time. Nick Moody may have been last person in the queue before the 3.00pm cut off time, but his last minute dash paid off and he went on to stun the crowd with his category winning heaviest brown trout of 3.78kg or 8.3lb in real language.

Over 300 attended last year’s competition prize-giving, which celebrated a total catch of 209 trout and salmon.

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THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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Pat Noone with his monster trout made special by the presence of his dad from Ireland.

A touch of Blarney in the Basin Pat Noone

My father and I are great fishing buddies, fishing almost every evening together before I moved overseas. He recently visited, on holiday from Ireland, so I suggested we fish the famed canals of the MacKenzie Basin in the hope of hooking into some of the mega trout that inhabit those waters. The Irish are good when it comes to a bit of ‘Blarney’ and I suspect he thought all my talk of monster fish was just that. However, it took little convincing to have him join me.

Prior to this, my biggest trout was 9lb, which is no slug in any language. I’d elected to use light gear on the canals, fishing small soft plastics along the edges. It was productive but I lost two fish early on, so was a bit apprehensive when the rod really loaded up later in the piece. I knew it was an enormous

fish, far outstripping anything I’d had on before, so I didn’t think I had much hope of landing it.

The battle played out for over an hour, with me gaining ground only to lose it again and again to big powering runs. Eventually, I had it to the shore and was staggered at its size; it was simply enormous and it was instantly obvious that it wouldn’t fit in my net, which was far far too small. Dad had to get into the water in an attempt to scoop it out and, believe me, it was a relief that he succeeded. It weighed 38lb 4ozs and was 98cm long.The highlight was that Dad was with me when I caught it.

The same day my dad landed a 33lb fish, which put a great seal on a memorable day’s fishing. In fact, I think that day was the best experience we had.

Dad was thrilled with his 33lb canal trout.

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THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

Getting Started – (part 2) Mark Roden

Last month in The Fishing Paper I talked about how most of us get started along the freediving or spearfishing path. One of the most important things to remember when you start out is to make contacts with likeminded people early in the process.

Clubs are a good place to start; I have been involved with the Nelson Underwater Club over the years and although they are mainly scuba divers, it’s a great starting point.

A few years ago, a group of us set up a Facebook group – ‘Nelson Spearfishing and Freediving Club’ as an experiment to see if we really need a formal club i.e. committees, agendas, subs etc. etc, and the page gets a lot of views and works pretty well, so if you’re keen to network and hook up for a dive, have a look.

As winter is approaching, there is no reason not to go out for a dive but things do change, the most obvious being temperature. This is where a modern wetsuit makes all the difference. The latest freedive suits are super stretchy, very comfortable, and are unlined on the inside, i.e. just raw neoprene, this

requires soapy water to lube them up to get on, but results in a total seal of rubber against your skin that stops any water getting in at all.

If you want to have a look at one of these suits and even try one on, and it’s recommended you do so you get the right fit, give me a call – have a look at the Spearfishing Nelson ad, if you require any gear or just want to know where to go for a dive.

The South Island Spearfishing Champs are being run out of French Pass this year on April 8. Entry numbers are up already on last year, so expect a report on the event in the May issue of The Fishing Paper. We’ve had a lot of out of town entries as guys are keen to make a real adventure out of it, with the French Pass location a drawcard. Now we just have to hope for some fine autumn weather. Organising an event and seeing people busting to get here does remind me what a great part of the country we live in, so get out and take advantage of it.

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Snapper by the basket Deepwater stray-lining techniques Daryl Crimp

This well-conditioned autumn snapper put up a good scrap on light gear.

The tide was good but not perfect; just starting to make on the incoming but flooding spring tide, so a lot of current to work against. The berley pot was hanging 5m above the bottom and we were anchored in 30m and targeting autumn snapper in Tasman Bay. As the seasons change and water temperature drops, snapper commence their slow migration back to localised spots in deep water but, when located, generally provide good fishing because they feed aggressively in order to fatten for winter.

With the snapper showing a preference for both stray-lines and flasher rigs of late, Ron and I had both bases covered; he was fishing flashers, while I had two stray-line rigs out the back. While many think stray-lining is the preserve of shallow water fishers, it can still be used effectively in deeper water to around 40m. The secret is to use light line of around 6kg for mono and 10kg for braid.

Many now use fluorocarbon traces of 40lb but I still like the old favourite, Black Magic 60lb supple trace; it never lets you down

when you hook those big buggers, especially if the bait is swallowed and the line has to run the gauntlet of those big teeth.

Snapper also often feed either early or late in the tide and can come on the bite, go off, and then come back on the bite again later, so fishing one spot through a whole tide phase can be better than constantly prospecting different spots. Choice of berley can also play a part. While a good ‘oil slick’ is desirable in order to get reach, when the fish are finicky it can be more important to match your berley to your bait or snapper’s favourite food, so, on this occasion, I was using pilchard and bonito, and mussel and kina.

The basic stray-line rig is a metre trace with a fixed 6/0 hook at one end and a swivel at the other. Directly above the main hook runs a sliding keeper hook, aimed at keeping a large bait straight and presenting naturally.

Traditionally, the keeper was a 4/0, but I often just use two 6/0. You can run to about 8/0 comfortably. Above the sliding hook. run a ball sinker just heavy enough to get

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9

THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

comfortably to the bottom and stay on the bottom. Situate the sinker on the bait just behind the keeper hook and secure it in place with a half hitch over the tail of the bait. Be aware that when fishing flood tides, the bait will drift off the bottom as the tide picks, so you need to adjust the weight accordingly.

On this occasion, the snapper hit early in the tide, as anticipated, and went solely for the big pillies on the stray-line, showing no interest in the flasher rigs; that’s fishing! As each fish picked up the bait and ran, I gave it plenty of time; snapper will sometimes hold a big bait in their mouths and run clear of any competing fish before swallowing the bait proper. Often they’ll run, stop, and run again. As they pick up speed on the second run is when I strike, and the strike is

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essentially just winding the reel to engage the drag and lifting the rod high and waiting for the fish to pull up tight. The hook sets itself when the tension comes on and then you let it run, starting the pump and wind process when the fish gets to the end of each run. When the fish runs, hold the rod tip high and just sit back; the reel drag and rod action does all the work; your job is to retrieve line in the intervals.

Stray-lining snapper is the most exhilarating form of bait fishing, as the fight takes place away from the boat as opposed to from directly above the fish, so the fight is entirely different. However, no one technique ever works to the exclusion of others, so don’t fish with all your eggs in the one basket.

A beautiful Tasman Bay autumn snapper.

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What made Fiordland such a special place to visit for me Vicky Maitland

The isolation and getting away from our busy lives is always a good thing. The scenery was mesmerising: the remarkable flora and fauna, the wildlife, and the privilege of saying that I’ve been to one of New Zealand’s World Heritage Parks, as it was on my bucket list.

There are three World Heritage Parks in New Zealand; the Sub-Antarctic Islands formed in 1989, Tongariro National Park, and Fiordland, both formed in 1990.

According to Wikipedia, a World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 UNESCO member states that are elected by the General Assembly. As of July 2015, 1031 sites are listed throughout the world.

The landscape in Fiordland has been shaped over many, many years by glaciations into fiords, rocky coastlines, towering mountains, lakes, and stunning waterfalls. The landscape is covered in virgin native bush along with southern beech and podocarps, some of which are over 800-years-old. We were lucky to experience

all of this while living aboard the vessel Affinity and had a wonderful time with other likeminded people, who have now become our friends. The small vessel, it only accommodates sixteen people plus the crew, was warm and cosy, the crew were friendly and knowledgeable, and the food was plentiful.

What blew me away the most was the wildlife, it is outstanding: New Zealand’s only alpine parrot the kea, and the magnificent sea birds like the albatross and the mollymawks, which are my favourites.

We also fished a couple of times and we felt very privileged when the crew cooked it for our dinner, oh so fresh!

I also didn’t realise the importance of the area for early settlers to New Zealand and the struggles that they had to overcome living in such a remote location and how Captain Cook and his men used the area to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the sun.

This cruise around Fiordland is one of the best holidays we have had and we came away from it relaxed and enriched by the tales that were told onboard over the seven days spent discovering this truly remarkable and very special place.

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Captain’s Log: Beam me up spotty Crimp’s Niue escapes winter drudgery

Due to the popularity of the three hosted trips we took to Niue last year, Annette and I are repeating the experience again this August but one group only.

Niue is an exceptional destination because it remains probably the last untouched destination in the Pacific where you get to experience life exactly as the locals do. ‘The Rock’ of the Pacific is tiny, with a population of 1500 locals living in seven small villages scattered about the island. The pace of life is like stepping back in time to 60’s New Zealand and with only two flights a week during peak season, it is definitely not crowded. In fact, there is likely to be less than 200 tourists on the whole island during your stay, so you never have to queue and get to enjoy many of the attractions on your own or with friends.

We stay at the Scenic Matavai Resort, a charming isolated, sprawling complex situated on cliff tops, ten minutes from the capital of Alofi. From the pool deck you get to enjoy cocktails during Happy Hour and get to watch dolphins and even whales below as the sun sets. There is nowhere in the world like Niue, as a place to relax and unwind.

We time our trips for August because it is the perfect time

to escape the cold, miserable drudgery of our New Zealand winter, so that you can recharge and revitalise in the warmth and tranquility of Niue. It also the peak of the fishing season, so you can have the opportunity to battle wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna, and maybe marlin, right at your feet. Because there are no rivers or streams on Niue, the surrounding ocean is amongst the clearest waters of the world and the colour has to be seen to be believed.

August is also the best time to see the mighty humpback whales that call in during their annual migration. While not guaranteed, we haven’t missed interacting with them yet, and you even get to swim with them if you choose; this is a life changing experience - believe me.

This is a not a hardcore fishing trip and rated highly amongst the couples who came last year, with everyone giving it 100% for value for money. In fact, the inclusions are so amazing and we include activities only available exclusively to Crimp’s Niue, so it is definitely a trip you do not want to miss out on.

Spaces are filling quickly so call now to reserve you spot on Crimp’s Niue - it is most definitely a holiday like no other, that I can promise you.

Allan Coppell with an impressive wahoo.

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By Daryl Crimp

11 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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STICK YOUR OAR IN

CRIMPTOON

FREEMAN GROUP

HAVE YOUR SAY…

Mail your letters to Stick Your Oar In The Fishing Paper, PO Box 9001 - Annesbrook, 7044, NELSON email: editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz

Tribute stirs memories Kia ora Daryl, I really enjoyed reading the article you had written about your Dad, David Crimp.

What a wonderful tribute Daryl. Kapai! The story brought back fond memories of my own dad, Jock Perry, also a ‘doer’, as many of that generation were.

I recall one instance when my teenage daughters and two of their friends were enjoying a family dinner together with us and after dinner the girls were muttering about the speed of the internet on their mobile phones! This caught the ear of my dad, a returned soldier from WW2. He jokingly told the girls they ‘had nothing to worry about’, that when he moved on to his rehab farm in the rugged Wairarapa hill country there was no telephone and no power initially. When he enquired from the Post Office about getting a telephone, they told him he would have to not only cut and supply the poles himself, but also erect them (approx 2 miles of telephone poles) before they would come and put the wire up.

There were also no boundary fences along the newly constructed road in the district so on the way from Masterton to the family farm, there were 14 gates to be opened before one got home.

Needless to say the girls were all amazed and I think they gained a real appreciation first hand about the times your father and mine lived in.

He also had cord hand-lines, which he used to catch groper from the Castlepoint high top reef. The .303 and some tree stump dynamite was also used on occasions, but that’s another story.

Thanks for the memories Daryl.

I heard a quote the other day - There is no present like the time.

Kia ora / Best regards Owen Perry Hi Daryl, Thank you for the March issue of the magazine and that wonderful tribute to your late father.

It was quite moving and

reminded me of my own father whom I lost in 1948 from a wound suffered at Gallipoli.

You were fortunate to have had your dad’s love and support for so many years.

He seems to have been an excellent mentor and obviously helped shape you into the man you are today.

At a guess I think you are the proverbial chip off the old block!

You must be incredibly proud of your dad and I am sure that you are grateful for all the years you had together.

To you, Annette, and family members, I offer my condolences.

Sincere best wishes, Frank Cartwright

Poison supplier at large Dear Ed, A statement made in a NZ Herald article (“Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announces new 1080 rules, 27/2/2017)”) states, “The Government has recently tightened up regulations around 1080, after the blackmail scare that cost the country millions of dollars.”

That cost was more than $37 million. What the writer, Nicholas Jones, failed to mention was the 1080 in baby formula blackmailer, Jeremy Kerr, over a period of years, had been at the heart of the Government’s poison industry. This blackmail attempt had nothing to do with those opposed to 1080 use .... it was all to do with the Government’s poison industry itself.

In a Sunday Star Times article (“1080 blackmailer Jeremy Kerr was in business with the Government”, 28/2/2016) it was revealed by Landcare Research CEO Dr Richard Gordon that Landcare scientists completed the testing of cyanide-based Feratox, a poison developed initially by Kerr, in 1994.

Landcare Research then entered into a product development agreement with Kerr’s company Feral IP. In return Landcare Research received 1% of royalties on pellets sold by Feral IP over 10 years. Documents lodged with the Companies

NG I H S I F THE

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Annette Bormolini 021 028 73393 annette@coastalmedia.co.nz

Office show Kerr was a Director of Connovation Research Ltd in 2002 and Connovation IP Ltd in 2003.

Jeremy Kerr, Connovation Ltd, is acknowledged on page 10 of the Department of Conservation scientific paper “Efficacy of microencapsulated zinc phosphide as a poison for ferrets” for providing the MZEP. Who within the Government’s poison industry provided 1080 toxin used for his blackmail attempt to Jeremy Kerr? Kerr said Landcare Research supplied it ...

Landcare Research say they didn’t! The Police don’t seem to have followed up on this supply of 1080 factor very closely, so Nick Smith is now trying to plug the holes within the Government’s poison industry, that could allow another costly 1080 toxin incident. Until Kerr’s 1080 supplier is also brought to justice there is still a high risk another “Ecoterrorist” will emerge from the Government’s poison industry.

Meanwhile, those opposed to 1080 use go about trying to save the lives of native fauna that 1080 and other toxins kill.

Ron Eddy

Predator free potentially problematic Dear Ed, The Predator Free NZ campaign, which if by some improbable dream to rid NZ of predators such as possums, cats, stoats, hedgehogs, rats etc by the year 2050, comes to fruition, it could mean that, by ridding the country of these egg and baby bird eating predators, game bird populations could increase rapidly creating an abundance of hunting for game bird hunters. Ducks, quail, pheasant, chukar etc could be around in numbers never seen before. Yahoo!

But hang on a minute, if they exploded into numbers so great that licensed game bird hunters couldn’t control them, they then could like Canada geese, be classified as pests, where it would be open season on them to be shot all year round. If that didn’t work, maybe the scientists

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8 convenient locations. visit www.roofing.co.nz for our full range & services will have to dream up some sort of toxin to lower bird numbers.

More than likely game birds will compete for native bird tucker increasing the likelihood of squawking from Forest and Bird and DoC to get rid of them. Food for thought. What are your thoughts?

Lewis Hore Oamaru

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12 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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SEAFOOD CURRY

• 5-800g firm white fillets cut into cubes • 1 medium red onion roughly chopped • 1 red capsicum diced • 1tsp cumin powder • 2tbsp chopped fresh coriander • 1tsp Dijon mustard • 1tbsp green curry paste • 1 tin coconut milk • Cracked pepper • Olive oil

Heat a good dollop of cooking oil in a large saucepan and cook onion and capsicum until soft. Stir in cumin, herbs, mustard and curry paste until well blended. Add coconut milk and a liberal seasoning of cracked pepper and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until the sauce reduces to a thick creamy consistency.

Add fish and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with large chunks of French bread to mop up the juices.

COOKING with CRIMPY Join me for a Taste of Asia as we tour Vietnam and Cambodia.

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Crimpy’s Taste of Asia Early September 2017

Roar THE

20 17

New products

G N I T N U H NEWS

Tips and tricks Safety Roar stories Photo by Gerald Fluerty.

2 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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Two stags one ear Ian Hadland

Despite having years of hunting under his belt, Johnny had never roared in a red stag.

That wasn’t surprising given that most of his hunting had been spring river flat shooting for food, and he reckoned antlers couldn’t be eaten anyway. But now Johnny was desperate to see a

stag close up in the bush, so a Haast Roar block ballot win had him fizzing.

“I’ve been practicing my roar,” he said on the long drive from Dunedin to the Waiatoto Bridge and he bleated through a crudely cut down horn.

It was still awful and he knew it, so afterwards

said, “You might have to do the roaring and I’ll do the shooting.” I only half agreed – I would definitely be doing the roaring. Didn’t matter really, it was always a laugh hunting with Johnny and even though years of rugby had robbed him of his knees and ruined his sniffer, he always made the best of it.

The charter jet boat ride up the flooded Waiatoto was uneventful and having pitched our tent we shouldered the rifles and set out across the bush terrace. When the river noise had abated, I let out a roar, which was immediately answered by a stag at the base of a ridge in front of us. Johnny heard it too and grinned, stabbing his finger back towards the camp. Industrial deafness is a bugger of a thing but I’d never seen its affects close up. Years of operating mincers in the butchery trade had ruined Johnny’s hearing on one side, meaning he was hopeless at pinpointing the direction of any sound and, even worse, at hearing the soft whispers required when deer are nearby. This was going to be a mission.

The angry stag was approaching with enthusiasm and he wasn’t stopping for anything branches or vines included.

I shook my head and pointed towards the ridge base again. Johnny tapped his sweaty ear and shrugged his shoulders to acknowledge the impediment. I roared again and the stag

Ian with the stroppy stag that passed right under Johnny's nose.

What is in our water?

Our water is constantly circulating from earth to the atmosphere and back again. This is accomplished by the heat of the sun and the pull of the earth’s gravity. When water evaporates from lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans, it condenses and returns back to earth as rain, snow, mist, and fog. This is known as the hydrological cycle. Without it, life would cease to exist. The moment water returns to earth, it begins accumulating particles of almost everything it comes into contact with, including human waste, animal waste, pesticides, and industry pollutants. The scientific term for this is ‘hungry’ water, meaning it is hungry for contaminants.

This contaminated water then becomes our surface and ground water. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking water comes from either surface water or ground water. Surface water collects in streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Ground water is water located below the ground where it collects in pores and spaces within rocks and in underground aquifers. The NZ government requires that systems reduce certain contaminants to set levels in order to protect human health, but they also add contaminants for other purposes. For example, chlorine is added in order to make it difficult for pathogens to survive so water gets safely to your home; however, chlorine is a known carcinogen (cancer causing substance) that should ideally be removed prior to drinking. There is a cost : benefit ratio for anything government or councils add to

our water, essentially far more lives are saved by adding chlorine to prevent illnesses than are lost through the long term accumulative effects of exposure to chlorine.

Similarly, fluoride, believed to help reduce dental cavities, has become a controversial additive to many water systems. Others maintain it has little or no effect and point to Europe and Asia where it is almost entirely absent from water supplies, and where there is no significant difference in dental caries, as evidence against fluoride being added. Whatever point of view you choose, there is one indisputable fact – fluoride is a highly toxic substance that accumulates rather than passes through the body, so if we can limit exposure to it, even in trace amounts, we should try. Fluoride is the base compound used in many poisons, including 1080, otherwise known as sodium fluoroacetate. So, from an outdoorperson’s perspective, we should be using a filter system that can remove any trace amounts of 1080 that make it into our waterways.

WHY YOU NEED TO FILTER YOUR DRINKING WATER The Zones of Drinking Water Contamination The A, B, C, D, R and pH of drinking water: Aesthetic – offensive tastes, odours, chlorine, silt, sand, and sediment.

Biological – giardia, cryptosporidium, e-coli, viruses, and bacteria.

Johnny with the 10 pointer taken at close quarters.

responded but seemed closer. We made a fast few metres in that direction and into the clear before letting out another roar. Again it was answered. I told Johnny to go out to my left but stay in sight in case the stag tried to cut behind us and pick up our scent. He had only moved three paces when I heard the stag coming in at speed. I tried to alert Johnny but it was fruitless.

The angry stag was approaching with enthusiasm and he wasn’t stopping for anything - branches or vines included. The tips of supplejack were being pulled down from the trees as he crashed in on us. I looked over at Johnny but he was still stalking to a shooting vantage point, completely oblivious to the approaching animal. It ran right past John at less than 10 metres, turned and stood broadside in front of me. I waited for Johnny to notice him and shoot first as we had

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3 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017 agreed, but it was now clear that he couldn’t see it. I chambered a round and dropped the 9 pointer on the spot.

“Christ, did you not hear him coming Johnny?”

He pointed to his bad ear again. “Cripes, look after those eyes eh, because you got bugger all else going for you fella.”

He laughed and groped around under his rain coat for his sheath knife.

“I’m looking for a bigger one than that anyway Hadland. Now let me get started breaking that down for you to carry back to camp.” Generous of him.

Next morning we were up early and away upstream. The precious first two hours after sunrise had yielded nothing so we decided to loop back to camp via a high bush terrace. I’d been roaring every 100 metres so was surprised to get a reply from an animal so close. I signalled to Johnny to go forward and I’d follow 20 metres behind and keep roaring. The stag wasn’t moving but was replying to everything, so we pressed on.

I used hand signals to keep Johnny pointed in

the proper direction. 50 metres now separated us from the stag but directly in front was a large windfall, and it would be risky in such a fickle wind to try to get around it. It was an intense close range standoff. I’d roar and a moment later there would be a heavy hair raising reply.

The stag stench was overpowering but Johnny’s buggered nose hadn’t even so much as twitched.

I signalled him to press on through and saw him crawl under the windfall and disappear. A minute later there was an ear-splitting boom from the 25-06 and, when the echo subsided, a faint voice rang out, “Got em”. John said the 10 pointer was just standing on the other side of the windfall waiting for him so he poked the rifle through the dead branches, lined up, and dropped him at under 10 metres.

“Mate, you have to get some hearing crutches if you’re going to stay a bush hunter,” I said as he ran his hands over the dark antlers.

“What for? Only one of us needs to hear. We make a great team, eh?”

Johnny with the meat he never heard coming.

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

BAKEWELL BURNER outstanding must-have Poppa Mike

As a retired hunter and tramper but ageing camper, fisher, and outdoors bloke I have long been on the lookout for a small firebox I could lift out of the car and use quickly and easily.

The warmth and ambience so often found in tramping huts in my earlier years was what I was after. A page three advertisement in March 2017 issue of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News caught my eye, so I took the plunge and purchased a Bakewell Burner, based on the blurb that accompanied a couple of photos.

A prompt response from Wayne Bakewell of Alloy Industries in Tauranga and within a few days I had the Bakewell Burner high on a hill in Golden Bay, in a bush clearing looking out at Farewell Spit and the flashing light at Cape Farewell. My companions for a beautiful evening comprised, ‘Kiwi’ Kimmy, ‘Bushman’ Anaru from Anaura Bay and ‘Woofer’ Samuel from Sweden.

The burner fits snugly into a cardboard box, smaller than a chilly bin, is easy to carry by one person, and weighs 10kgs. The best things about it are, all the attachments pack neatly inside the firebox and all components are either stainless steel or aluminium alloy.

The team easily slid it out of the box and within one minute had it fully assembled – no complex written instructions required, everything so easy.

Another minute later a single match was struck and the expertly set fire soon saw the chimney puffing, or should I say pouring forth as the fire showed it had a perfect ‘draw’ of air.

With the side mounted water tank filled, we noted the water quickly warmed up, along with the cooktop and warm top. The smoke soon became clear, the glowing started and the cooking began – a large iron pan full of lamb chops, sausages, onions and tomatoes. In a pot alongside, a mass of petite agria potatoes, fresh from Anaru’s

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garden, were soon bubbling.

During the cooking we discovered the front door was great for controlling the draw; when closed, enough air was drawn in around the edges to keep the fire going steadily and opening it

slightly was like turning up the temperature. In record time the six litre water tank was boiling, so we had to open the filler cap a little to release steam and pressure. In future we won’t fill the tank quite so full, as we found as bubbles splashed up, the liquid caused the agria pot to start sliding off the cooktop.

Lesson two is to make sure it is level before cooking starts. Lesson three was not to grab the legs for straightening once the fire has been lit, as the legs all got very hot. A bonus design feature we all noted was the 5cm spill plate welded across the bottom front edge of the firebox, ensuring no hot ashes or embers spilled out as the door opened.

The quality of the cooking was superb, so much so ‘Woofer’ Samuel had three helpings with plenty of meat – not a bad effort for someone about to fly to Japan to join a Buddhist monastery! The water boiled throughout the cooking, so it was instant coffee for Samuel and a celebratory beer for everyone else, for the evening was a great cause for celebration.

With daylight fading over the Kahurangi Mountain peaks, a red sunset backdrop tried to match the glow of the embers and the clean, red flames coming out the chimney. As the last of the red sunset faded away, the Bakewell Burner became the lone glow of the evening – the perfect finale for a perfect day. Everybody agreed the Bakewell Burner scored the perfect 10 out of 10.

Next morning a happy owner upended the few ashes out and packed it away still looking as if it was brand new. No sign of any heat warps or bulges. No flame leaks around the joins of the two-piece chimney, heaps of cooking space, especially with the side warmer plate which could easily have fried a pan full of eggs or billy of spaghetti – something to try next time. There will be a next time before this review gets published – the DoC camp at Karamea beckons. Well done Wayne, you have a great product – we strongly recommend it as an outstanding must-have.

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4 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Trophies have no place at Christmas dinner Mike Daisley, CEO Mountain Safety Council

It’s hard to believe it’s the end of March as I write this thinking about the Roar that, if social media posts are to be believed, is well underway. While it’s a time of celebration for big game hunters, I’m in the unfortunate position of being one of the people the media call for comment if there is an incident. I say ‘If ’ in the positive sense that I sincerely hope hunters heed the press releases, media articles, TV pieces, our own advertising and, of course, the recent publication we’ve produced. There has never been a March where we’ve witnessed quite the attention on big game hunting.

Some people would hasten to change my ‘if ’ to a ‘when,’ such is the regularity of incidents that happen in a two-month window of time. If you roll March and April together, you have 56% of fatalities and 40% of search and rescue events occurring in a little over 60 days. Yes there is a rise in participation, but a misidentified target is a procedural mistake that appears far less frequently throughout the other ten months of the year that see a steady rate of participation.

We recently released our second insights report ‘A Hunters Tale: A deep dive into hunting incidents in New Zealand’ that has some sobering statistics for those heading out this year. Shockingly, 38%

of big game hunting fatalities are from misidentification. These are completely avoidable incidents that change families in an instant and are the single greatest cause of fatality for big game hunters.

What's also troubling is that 88% of all North Island big game fatalities involve a firearm.

Identifying your target beyond all doubt is one of the seven basic rules of safe firearms handling. Assume any shape, colour, movement, or sound is a human until you can prove otherwise.

The ultimate responsibility for target ID is with the hunter taking the shot.

What it really boils down to is prioritising making it home, over the glory of a trophy stag to send to the magazines and frame on your wall. If you need any help with this priority, ask your family, your wife, or your kids which they’d rather have at Christmas this year, you or the trophy.

I’m absolutely sure that we can have a ‘0’ in the fatality column this year. It’s possible if we all advocate for safe and enjoyable hunting. I wish you well in your search for the trophy stag, but, for your families sake, make it home eh?

Have a read of our recently released report on hunting incidents.

You’ll be surprised.

Read us online... www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS ONLINE EDITION

NEW TFP FREE e v i t c a r e t in FUN Interactive editorial/advertorial Place the cursor over an image for video action

4

THE FISHING PAPER - MAY 2016

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Staunch seven-gillers cut no slack

Greg Gilbert

Having spent a few weeks chasing silver on Canterbury rivers and having a low patch at work, I figured I should get back to what I know best, surf casting.

After watching the time tick by at work, I raced home on Friday, packed my car and headed north, arriving in Kaikoura about 7.30 pm. I rigged up and fished for about an hour-and-a-half, using scallops as bait. I managed eight moki and a red cod, all undersize, so packed it in.

I met up with Greg Terras around 6.00am next morning.

It was cold but we didn't mind, so we fished for a couple hours but with not a huge amount of success - just a couple small moki.

Then the wind turned and was blowing in our face.

Although it wasn't pleasant, it wasn't bad either and it coloured up the water. I thought there could be some seven-gillers around so on went some salmon for bait. The first big bend in the rod proved me right and I went on to battle it out with three seven-gillers, a decent conger eel, and a small stingray, along with the moki and other fish I

6

THE FISHIN

G PAPER

- MAY 2016

The luck

Greg Gilbert with the staunch Kaikoura seven-giller.

caught. Greg also managed two seven-gillers.

Of our catch, a couple were small, 20-40lb, but a couple were a bit bigger. We fished on into dark but it was pretty quiet so we retired for a well earned sleep.

A big conger added to the mixed bag taken from

the surf.

Sunday dawned to a beautiful morning, which had us back at the surf full of anticipation. I threw out some rainbow trout as bait but, having seen Greg get a couple of dogfish, I was a little disappointed when my line went slack.

I said to Greg, “Here's a doggy for me,” and started winding up the slack. The moment I felt the weight come on, 50m of line suddenly peeled off my reel, straight out to sea! This was no doggy and thinking it wouldn’t be a

giller, as they usually swim along the beach, it was thrilling not knowing what was on my line. After a solid fight and plenty of rod bending action, some 20min later and 300m down the beach, I saw in the wave the brown shape and mass of a giller. Needless to say, I was very surprised as it was the hardest fight I've had from one. We thought it had to be foul hooked, but once we’d managed to beach it, and with a crowd of over a dozen people that had watched the whole fight standing around, we saw it was in fact hooked in the mouth!

A couple of quick photos and back it went to fight another day. A few others wanted photos and I possibly sounded rude with the way I said, “No, it needs to go back!” (So, sorry if you’re reading this).

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clear, The discipline gear I have with a plan to intercept bought. Binos needed to accuratelya rifle. more animals Sam. get you and the sequence the two closer than you believe, on hands and deer. Crawling of steps required shoot game but also not just spotting knees practice. After planning stalking at hand. She takes me a clear shooting to a gap in the trees gave a year, I’m was close now expensive but routes. They get the feel just starting but kept looking lane. I rose I was told once, are of a correct way. I waited to depression from a small shot when - you only cry my if you buy quality until her head into a kneeling pressure; throw there is no once - when dipped behind and pulled position but in the excitement have made you pay for the bow up know, shut a tree must too much noise, 20-30 yards them. I of being only up, get back to full draw. from an animal, through my as the lead deer’s to the hunt.

I then went head snapped shot sequence: I stalked on and placing arrow on target up and looked through the an straight at me. becomes a froze mid-crouch 1) Check pines, making long thin grassy HUGE challenge! stance. I’m I’ve had to I until she went for a kneeling! Have slow down slip that often By this time, back to feeding. a lot more like this.

Glimpses of practiced held animals. my thighs were quieter, which and move the slip through burning. Ever my 42-year-old, mouthfuls, 2) Bow hand the trees soon appeared, so she’d look in y few struggles with.

6ft 2, 95kg body I slowed to relaxed, arm my direction, move a muscle. a crawl but slightly bent. so I daren’t deer everywhere.

3) Sight looked for I had earlier I glass more pin floating I ranged the they would but my old on target. glassed carefully. stopped short of the slip spot feed past at binos didn’t 4) Sight so with major and 26 yards, so cut it, Below, I could bubble level. waiting game, brownie points now it was a redskins feeding see a couple Not quite! I which had a promised to missus, I secured twisted my of wrist. about 80 yds detrimental my noggin. the a new pair of away. Soon, turned to six! effect on Swarovski SLC two She was looking I started to overthink straight at me!

They were feeding rising like bile I felt panic the shot. Would in my direction, up, would she but I fought I stuff it so I formed keep feeding to focus. Using tension to release into my lane, I move? Got back the shot, I still should to focus, keep the trigger, managed to my mind on but the shot ‘pull’ the task felt good. Time as the arrow yawned closed the gap, striking perfectly in taste of success

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“It was a hot summer afternoon and the family was picking blackberries.

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Bay, so that here We traversed was the the Boulder Delaware Bank, crossed Bay on glassy north of the Whangam water and started up with oa Heads. fishing a dropper James was set and a snapper kitted and strayline rig to target the snapper before we got the after suicide joined the party berley in the water on fishing for mission. We literallysuicide mission them and target blue had to stop The day remained cod and was a fast gurnard. windless one. James and the in a fish trip home loved pan-fried butty and took home memories snapper of fishing to Ireland in our bountiful happy Tasman Bay.

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6 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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Hunting Tin Signs The Perfect Gift For the hunting fanatic in your life We have just received our latest shipment of signs and to kick it off we have a brand new range of hunting signs. The perfect gift for the outdoors enthusiast. There are heaps to pick from. You can also choose from cars to fishing, to vintage garage signs. There is a theme to suit any ‘Man Cave’, shed, bach or bar. The range is huge and there are heaps of themes.

Come on in and check them out.

From only $30, these signs make amazing gifts, but hurry, they are going fast.

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Optically Speaking - with Ant Corke HOT NEW PRODUCT LINE SET TO DOMINATE GLOBAL THERMAL MARKET What an exciting time to be at the cutting edge of the thermal imaging revolution! Yukon Advanced Optics Global and their professional Pulsar brand have consistently pushed the boundaries of thermal imaging from the introduction of the first Pulsar Quantum in 2013. Since then, we have seen many improvements to the Quantum, as well as the introduction of the Pulsar Apex thermal riflesight, and the Pulsar Core thermal riflescope attachment.

So, what’s new? There are two totally new product lines, as well as modifications and realignments of existing products. The new models include a hand-held monocular and a riflsight with a new 640x480 pixel thermal sensor, commonly only found in military weapon sights. Here is a rundown of the new range:

New product- Pulsar Helion XP (640x480/17µ/50Hz) As above, but with a higher resolution thermal sensor and interchangeable lenses. This produces a very detailed image with a massive field-of-view. The user can select the appropriate lens for whatever situation the thermal will be used.

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New product- Pulsar Helion XQF (384x288/17µ/50Hz) This is now our flagship thermal monocular, which replaces the Pulsar Quantum XQ19, XQ38, and XQ50. It has better image quality than the Quantum due to a new processor, software, and heat sink. It is also waterproof to IPx7, has an inbuilt recorder, wi-fi streaming, picture-in-picture, and quick-change battery pack options. This produces a beautifully detailed, crisp image, with high magnification.

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Realigned product- Pulsar Quantum Lite (384x288/17µ/50Hz) This features the trusty body and electronics of the Quantum XQ, but with lower specification 23mm and 30mm lensess and viewfinder. I’ve compared these two new models with the previous Quantum XQ, and whilst the image quality isn’t quite as good, it’s not bad! The sub $3k price puts this model well in front of anything else in its price range.

Modified product- Pulsar Core FXQ (384x288/17µ/50Hz) The Core is now offered with a 38mm lens, which is smaller and lighter than the 50mm lens version. Both 38mm and 50mm now sport the new 17µ sensor for better resolution. Fitting this to the front of your riflescope is quick and easy.

Finally, there is a Pulsar Apex thermal riflescope with a 17µ sensor, and an inbuilt laser rangefinder with presentable distances and ballistic profiles. We don’t yet have a sample of this, but that’s fine as we have plenty to get on with in the meantime. Look out for our videos, and test reports as we try out each model at the range and in the field.

In the meantime visit www.yukonoptics.co.nz for more information. Have a great and safe Roar!

7 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

From an ageing novice bow hunter and in no particular order, these tips may or may not work for you. They are just a few things I’ve benefitted from and, as I’m still learning, any of you bow hunters with more experience, put your thoughts down and get them to Crimpy so I can benefit too.

1) CAMOUFLAGE: Cover up; deer can see you and our white faces and hands stick out like dogs’ balls! Put on a veil or face paint and put it on thick. Finger-less gloves are good as they allow good feeling in the fingers for the release. I’ve cut the right-hand index finger glove right back to the main knuckle, for that extra bit of sensitivity. I find the veil catches the string sometimes but try both and go with what works best for you.

2) GLASS: Look lots, find your game before it finds you. When you spot your stag or his girlfriends, it’s easier to plan your stalk using the lay of the land and looking for landmarks.

Glassing saves plenty of time walking.

Walk little, look often; as I get older my body will start to slow down, so hunting smarter is a necessity. Get good bino’s, the best you can afford.

Cheap bino’s strain your eyes. I have a pair of Swarovski 10 x 42, easily the best investment I have made.

3) SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO: Tree stand/blind or spot and stalk both have merit and is up to

the individual as to preference. Most Kiwi bow hunters are spot and stalk, I am. A lot of US hunters are tree stand hunters, but I can’t sit all day waiting for a deer to walk past. Do your homework, get some game cameras out, see what’s about, and set up over well used trails. Mask your scent, get in your stand, and wait. Spot and stalk, as the name suggests, find your quarry and let the fun begin.

4) WIND: Whether it’s rifle or bow, get it in your face. When you’re in real close you want it in your favour. Test it all the time as you start getting in close. Use a dust puffer or lighter but be aware the noise of the flint striking will be heard by your prey the closer you get and be prepared to move out and back in again if the wind starts to shift.

5) PRACTICE: Practice heaps leading up to the Roar. Get to know your bow, your broad heads react different to your field points. Get those arrows down range. Be realistic about your range so you can make ethical shots.

If you only practiced out to 40 yards, think very carefully about having a crack from beyond that range. Push your limit in practice but not in the field, respect your quarry.

6) GET CLOSE: Pretty obvious. I think Davey Hughes said it, “I get as close as I can to my quarry then I get 10 metres closer for me.” Sage advice.

It requires patience and nerves of

steel to get inside an animal’s personal space, but I try and get well within my shooting range.

7) PATIENCE: When chasing those stags, there are a few hangers-on in the form of younger stags and hinds all there ready to trip you up. Be prepared to wait a while so as not to blow your stalk. Look lots as you close in; a single step and scan everywhere before the next step. I’ve had to stop mid-stride and freeze, muscles burning in protest, waiting for a hind to stop looking and carry on feeding. Make your movements slow, small, and deliberate.

8) RANGEFINDER: Greatest gadget for bow hunters. Know your range all the time. If you’re in ambush mode, range trees and bushes, where your quarry is likely to come out. If you know the distance you can be more confident in making your shot. Trying to guess in the heat of the moment can be the difference between a good shot and a bad one.

9) CARRY A SECOND RELEASE AID: Chuck a second release aid in your pack, just in case you have a malfunction with your main one.

Like most bow hunters, you will experiment with different ones so pop one in your bag. Another reason is if like me, you get to your hunting ground only to find you have left it behind, DOH! Photos only that time.

I now attach mine to my bow every time it’s not in use.

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10) HAVE FUN: Enjoy the whole experience. Bow hunters all know you’re going to get close and blow many hunts, so when you have them get away on you, concentrate on the good stuff. Sometimes the wind will swill at the wrong time or you snap a twig and blow your hunt, but still enjoy all the stuff leading up to that point.

Last April I was stalking in on a fallow buck. I had taken my boots off and was in full stealth mode as I poked my nose over the brow of the hill, thinking he would be on the other side

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about 20 yards away. He was gone! I relaxed, let my bow down. Suddenly a doe was coming round a trail about 10 metres uphill from me and he was hot on her heels. I didn't have time to draw, she came to a halt and looked at me. In desperation I threw my bow up and drew back hoping she’d run past me and drag the buck with her, giving me a shot at about 15 yards but she spun round and was gone, taking her boyfriend with her. Gutted? Yes, but man I had a blast getting to that point; two deer only 20 yards away, what a thrill. That’s what I like about bow hunting.

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8 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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WICKED EDGE: the system, Icon of past paves way to future accessories, upgrades, and components The research & development team behind the Wicked Edge Sharpening System have developed new kits and upgrades to the base system. Developing the system and options has always been Clay’s plan when the base system was first developed. Not all the systems and accessories listed below are carried in stock. However, we have regular shipments from the US, so can add to these as required.

Strops

Systems

Accessories attachments

There are now seven systems available, all developed for high degree accuracy and precision, and all featuring their own attributes. Each system has additional functions, with either some or all of the following attributes over the original system: faster set up (cam, larger range of sharpening angles, faster angle set up, portability and semi commercial and commercial systems. All systems have the same premise on the same principle of manual sharpening.

The stones

The next medium to refine the blade further is the leather strop. These can be used naturally or you can add diamond paste, 14 micron to .5 micron, or 4 micron polycrystalline diamond emulsion to .5 micron, and diamond sprays.

Glass and aluminium platens

Blank glass and aluminium platens are also available to adhere diamond or aluminium oxide lapping film 9 Micron to .1 micron.

All the upgrades listed can be added or used with any one of the seven systems available: scissor sharpening attachment, chisel attachment, low angle adaptor, digital angle gauge, generation three knife clamping system, and ball joint arms.

The key components to the Wicked Edge are manufactured in the US and assure you of a more robust quality control system and support.

Visit our web site www.bladesnz.co.nz, which showcases the stock items we carry.

To view the full range of Wicked Edge products visit www.wickededgeusa.com

Each system has its base set of stones, all diamond stones base systems having the 100, 200, 400, 600 with finer diamond stones in 800 & 1000 grit. At the coarse end of the WATCH THIS grit scale are the 50 and 80 grit Wicked Edge stones, ideal for those seriously blunt blades. The stones then switch to ceramic for the finer grits 1200 &1600 and 1.4 micron and .6 micron grit.

Curved stones for the recurve blades: a set of curved 400 & 600 grit made from vitrified bond ceramic.

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NARROW RAPID - Like hunters, high country farmers benefitted from the advent of jet boats.

Here the late Alf Dick takes the then manager of Woodstock station and his dogs up a tributary of the Waimakariri River to muster stock. Circa 1958

It’s human nature to find a better, more efficient way to do things, and New Zealand hunters of the last century were certainly no exception to this rule.

The major deer culling operations that began in the 1930s became an iconic part of Kiwi culture and, like the gold rushes before them, created characters who epitomised what it was to be a ‘Kiwi Bloke’ - or in the words of the late great Barry Crump, ‘A Good Keen Man’. But it was a tough way to make a living, so any opportunity to make accessing the back country easier was high on every culler’s wish list, as was any way to help bring venison out of the bush to fullfil a growing commercial meat trade.

In many situations the jet boat fulfilled both these needs.

- Field & Sport Demo Scan here

paul@bladesnz.co.nz

For more info: www.bladesnz.co.nz Sales: 021 205 1240 ©2013 Wicked Edge™ All Rights Reserved

Prior to the jet boat, many cullers and hunters would float their kills out, a difficult enough task in itself, but at the end of their river journey the sodden carcasses weighed twice their original weight. So not only did jet boats provide fast access into remote hunting ranges, they could also be used to bringing out multiple carcasses relatively dry. With the advent of multi-stage jet units in the late 1950s, jet boats were able to carry quite heavy loads, and it was a common

sight to see a boat coming down-river with several carcasses across its foredeck. Many of these enterprising jet boat driving hunters were able to remove thousands of deer from the bush, and they played a major role in controlling pest numbers through the 1960s.

By the 1970s helicopters had all but replaced land and water alternatives for commercial deer recovery, as well as providing a live-capture option for the new deer farming industry, but this certainly didn’t stop recreational hunters from continuing to use jet boats. Further improvements in waterjet technology and jet boat hull design, as well as easier access to more powerful engines, increased the load carrying, stability and performance of jet boats, making them even more suitable for hunting parties and venison recovery.

With so many quality boatable rivers across New Zealand, a jet boat provides many opportunities to extend your hunting range into less travelled wilderness. Whether your passion is fishing or hunting, a jet boat can provide access to places that might otherwise take you days to walk in to, as well as easing the strain on your back bringing your trophy out.

Talk to your local jet boat dealer about jet boat options to suit your hunting and fishing lifestyle.

9 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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Torn between two lovers

I

Kim Swan

am flummoxed, torn asunder and forced to wonder, 'Am I really that woman who goes for the fella with the most dashing life experiences, the biggest boy-bits, the flashiest shiniest accessories?'

'Am I so shallow that I do not appreciate a young try-hard for what he has to offer?'. Apparently I am for I was only torn between the two lovers for a fleeting moment.

The lover to my left, I can have him, I can have him easy. He's a two year old, naive and noisy - roar, roar, roar.

He's a'struttin back and forward on his little knob, showing himself off for all to see, including me. But he's just a four pointer and his tiny tines are pathetic.

The young fella had had a very supportive mother, like all red deer hinds she was a solo mother. She loved her twig-topped son as only a mother could and gave him good advice - its not about the size of the wood son, its about how you use that wood. So, today believing he is tall timber, he roars and he paws and he pees upon his rut pad.

The lover to my right? He's the strong silent type and he's playing hard to get.

Far far away, in the midst of a huge open face and with the wind in his favour this stag is taking his bath in private. He is screened by toitoi, his body blackened with wallow mud. He is so far away I cannot see his antlers, but I can see the size and shape of a heavy mature animal. His position on the hill suggests he is wordly-wise, he cannot be taken by surprise from

any direction. And he is silent in the early morning light, too clever to draw attention to himself during daylight hours. This stag, he is a challenge.

Torn between the two? The young buck, close to the truck, tender meat, an easy stalk, a simple shot. The old master, too far off to retrieve, the stalk from hell, a shot so long it will stretch my barrel. No serious contemplation required - I am that woman, vain and shallow - bigger is better.

Stags only copulate for a few seconds which must be why this fella is so big on foreplay and getting ‘down and dirty’.

So its on. A simple plan which entails a huge walk-cum-stalk without silhouetting myself on the ridgeline.

Then 'get in behind' after doing a big loop to get the wind in my favour.

Then stealth towards the toitoifringed wallow and, without Snr Stag even knowing I'm there, pop up and "surprise!".

Stags only copulate for a few seconds which must be why this fella is so big on foreplay and getting 'down and dirty'. As I scuttle and weave along the tops and through rocky bluff systems he has himself a mighty fine time. He rolls and he wriggles in ecstacy. Ten minutes, twenty. He flops and slops, he rakes the mud with his antlers and flicks it onto his back. Mud, glorious mud.

Finally and unexpectedly, the big fella pulls the plug. I take a seat and

spy on him like a pervert, admiring his filth-darkened features and his masculine attributes. He is a fine specimen indeed.

The stag tests the wind suspiciously then pauses for a moment. Is he onto me? He pummels a tussock tuft, gives a half-hearted roar then continues on, antlers decorated with drooping vegetation.

Dammit. The gap between Snr Stag and I is substantial. While he grabs a quick snack I begin to slide. Feet in front, bum on the ground, skid marks up the back of the pants and slide silently and quickly down the mountain side. Fifty metres to a suitable rock rest, lay aside camera and binoculars, rifle ready. Hell do I have buck fever, but I'm a female, is it doe fever then? Whichever, I've got it bad. Hands-shaking, erraticbreathing, heart-thumping bad.

Stretched! By golly the little 7mm08's barrel was stretched. It got hot too, first the three rounds in the mag - all clean misses - then another two spare rounds. Try a little higher, no.

Try a little lower, no. Missed again, both times.

Old Snr is surrounded, bullets richochet above him, below him and all about him. He was entirely unaware that he'd had a female stalker and knows not where to run. Frantic, he dashes into a tiny patch of cover then hides, his antlers' white tips rotating as he looks left, right and centre. His eyeline is below the scrub and he cannot see me as I silently lessen the metres between us.

When the stag can smell me, when he can no longer remain still and secure in his hideout, he bursts from cover and runs directly away from me.

I'm not entirely ready but instinctive shooting comes easy with a clear

target and a regular rifle. The shot is long but not complicated.

The big fella finally comes to rest close to his beloved wallow. He is no classic royal not even a ten, but he is all stag and all this woman wants.

STRASSER: passionate, innovative, precise European rifles are synonymous with precision and quality and now one brand encapsulates these features and more, with affordability for the New Zealand market. Austrian family owned precision engineering company, STRASSER, is the rising star in the quality hunting and sporting rifle market, with much of the impetus attributed to son Mathias Strasser, an energetic thirtysomething passionate hunter responsible for many of the company’s innovative designs.

The family, accomplished hunters experienced in wilderness hunting, visited New Zealand in 2011 and hunted extensively. Pride of place of the office walls in Austria is given over to tahr, chamois, and red stag taken Down Under, but the connection goes deeper. That hunt later inspired some unique designs now incorporated in their range.

STRASSER has a long history in gun making, for decades manufacturing essential parts for other world renowned hunting and sporting guns. Their accuracy and precision is unquestionable, with their parts also accompanying the Ariane Euro space agencies’ rocket reliably and safely into orbit.

In 2005, STRASSER pioneered the straightpull bolt action rifle, the STRASSER RS 05, which became a milestone in the history of hunting weapons and treasured by hunters all over the globe. This model, with their patented hydraulic barrel clamping, was enhanced in 2014 with the further developed RS barrel exchange system, STRASSER RS14.

The simplicity of the RS barrel exchange system allows highly accurate, repeatable, and reliable change of calibres, that has been renowned since the RS 05. Calibre change is made easy with the bolt head being able to be swapped in seconds.

With over 20 different calibres over three calibre groups (min, std, mag), it is definitely the allrounder among premium hunting weapons.

STRASSER focus on the inner values; at first glance all the features are not obvious. Their removable trigger set, featuring a unique set trigger, can be adjusted to your own preferred trigger weight. The assembly also houses the Allen key to dismantle the rifle. The removable scope mount has a three-point ball-seat assembly, enabling precise and extreme repeatable accuracy.

All rifles feature an innovative bolt that locks into the barrel to ensure the shooter’s safety, even under the highest gas pressures. Hidden in the bolt mechanism is extra safety, thanks to a small rotating part made of tempered steel, which, when in the clamped and locked state, rotates behind the blocking wedge and unfailingly locks it into position. This positively controlled safety technology ensures that the radial components of the bolt are always locked into the barrel and absorb the resulting forces, placing STRASSER straight-pull bolt action rifles amongst the safest in the world.

STRASSER also offer the fixed calibre, RS SOLO. It boasts all the features of the RS14, but with a fixed barrel and at an excellent price-performance ratio. For long range sport shooting, the STRASSER TAC1 provides uncompromising precision and reliable technology for the marksman in the field.

With all these features you will be pleasantly surprised at the price. Compared to its competitors, STRASSER will leave change in your pocket and deliver what it promises: rifles that are safe, fast, precise, modular, and elegant.

The safe and accurate design and ergonomic operating functions make STRASSER straight-pull rifles a reliable companion for Kiwi hunters and sports marksmen.

To secure your personalised STRASSER, or to find out more, contact Strasser NZ at Alpine Sports Methven.

10 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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INVITATION Come and hear about this year’s

HOSTED TRAVEL TRIPS WITH CRIMPY Thursday 20 April - Tasman Tennis Club - 18 Gladstone Rd, Richmond

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11 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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From the wilds to the freezer

The sixty-five minute chamois Andrew Chinn

Got to love living in Fox Glacier.

It was a wet Sunday afternoon but I decided to go outdoors despite the weather. I biked up the road for 15 minutes to a creek and then walked for about 50 minutes upstream, very slowly as it was wet, drizzly and slippery. Just when I was thinking there was not much happening, I saw a couple of animals in the distance. I got in behind a tree, looked through the scope at the first one and noted it was quite small.

I then moved to the other side of the tree to view the other and could tell as soon as I saw the chamois it was a better than average head. I was not in an ideal spot as I was leaning out and around a tree, a tricky shot, but I lined up the animal and fired with my .223 rifle. At the shot, the chamois crumpled. I was satisfied with the head as it is the biggest one I have shot to date. It is 9½ inches not a monster but not a baby either.

All in all, a most satisfactory way to spend a few hours on a miserable weather-wise Sunday afternoon.

Why ZeroPak People often ask why choose a ZeroPak vacuum sealer over the other brands available.

The answer that is simple; ZeroPak is the only company in NZ who specialize in vacuum sealers and have been doing this for around 10 years.

ZeroPak machines are manufactured in Europe by STATUS, a small family company who hand-assemble these machines to a very high standard, using quality components.

They are designed for New Zealand conditions. Because Kiwi’s predominantly wish to vacuum seal things like fresh meat and fish,

Part of the intrinsic pleasure of hunting is being able to provide make a delicious range of rolled and seasoned roasts, or smallgoods, for the table and guarantee the provenance of the food. Nothing is including salamis, flavoured and seasoned sausages, bier sticks, more satisfying than knowing where your food comes from, that it’s saveloys, mince, meat patties, and cooked sausages. Check out their free range, organic, and killed cleanly by your own hand. Obviously website for more info or give James a call now: www.meatsolutions. the quality of the product plays a big part and also the ability to get co.nz/ or phone o3 544 7297 the best from the various cuts of game. This is where Meat Solutions comes in and stands out.

Meat Solutions in Richmond is run by James Fairbrass, a butcher with 30 years experience, ably assisted by Amanda Day on smallgoods, and Andrew Nyberg as butcher-slaughterman-active hunter. With such a depth of experience, plus the hunting connection, Meat Solutions is the professional choice of the amateur hunter.

With the Roar front of mind with hunters, James has some advice for those wanting to turn their kill into ‘cuisine’.

“The big thing with rutting stags is to be meticulous skinning that belly area and keep the meat as clean as possible - uncontaminated.

If you are unsure, bring the whole, gutted animal in and we’ll happily skin it for you.”

Contrary to urban myth, James says rutting stags are not inedible and, in fact, sixty percent of those handled carefully are okay to eat as steaks or meat.

“It really depends on how charged up they are,” says James. “We get the odd one that is very dark but even From the wilds to the freezer... these are perfectly fine for small We provide quality homekill and goods such as sausages, salamis, and bier-sticks.” processing services throughout Another key preparation rule with the Top of the South. any game is to keep it clean and cool it straight away. To this end, Meat NO STRESS • FAST & EFFICIENT Solutions provides a 24/7 chiller service to hunters so they can get game chilled and protected any time of day or night; just ring James for the combination and he’ll talk you through the process.

While rutting stags are on every hunter’s mind, Meat Solutions handles all game, from deer to geese 25 Salisbury Road, Richmond • Ph 544 7297 to wallabies to chamois to tahr and beyond. They will skin, break down, www.meatsolutions.co.nz and vacuum pack your animals, and

sooner or later, some liquid will get sucked inside the machine and cause damage. All ZeroPak machines feature liquid protection by way of either a filter system or electronic liquid sensor. These features are unique to ZeroPak. ZeroPak also offers five-year industry leading warranties on all models, honoured here in NZ. Outside of warranty, ZeroPak offers a full parts and repair service on all machines, including domestic models; again this is unique to ZeroPak. Most hunters know that vacuum sealers exist, but not all of them own one. Of all the people who would benefit the most from owning

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and using a vacuum sealer, the hunter-gatherer would be right near the top of the list.

They tend to own larger than average freezers and many love to process their own catch by smoking, mincing, or making salamis and sausages.

Vacuum packed meat or fish will not get freezer burn. Red meats can last up to five years in the freezer. Frozen fish can be pan-fried after 18 months in the freezer and taste like it was caught yesterday.

Because of the flat nature of the vacuum pack you will tend to gain around 20% extra freezer space and your prime steaks will thaw perfectly - none of that warm on the outside, still frozen on the inside.

For anyone who does not have the facility to hang and age their meat, you can place bags of vacuum packed meat in the fridge for anything from three weeks to two months, and the meat will age slowly in the vacuum bag without drying out. This can be done with either whole cuts or pre-cut steaks.

When going hunting, you can vacuum pack pre-prepared foods, such as casseroles, cold cuts of meat, rice risotto, etc. Bring a billy or fry pan of water to just below simmer and place the still sealed bag into the hot water. You have a delicious, no fuss meal in a hurry. If weight is an issue, vacuum pack your dehydrated foods into small, convenient packs.

While you’re at it seal up your first aid kit, spare ammo, socks, undies, etc. These bags can be opened by cutting off the seal and then re using, so almost no cost to do this.

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inTouch with inReach

The inReach is a two-way satellite communications system and comes in two models: the SE and the advanced Explorer.

The SE is the basic two-way communicator whereas the Explorer has navigation and waypoint functions added: the navigation and waypoint features being useful when hunting.

These units are, think a cross between a satellite phone, GPS, and personal locator beacon. Unlike a sat phone, you can’t talk to people but you can email or SMS individual or multiple people anywhere in the world. You can also activate an SOS in an emergency or send pre-programmed messages to selected people, or if your plans change, you can notify those concerned.

The SOS and message function have been responsible in the past 12 months for two successful responses in remote areas on the West Coast. One was a commercial fishing vessel thrown onto the beach and the other a hunter whose appendix decided it was time to revolt when the weather at the drop point was about to completely close in. Both instances resulted in the users being safely rescued by helicopters to live and tell their tales.

A popular feature is MapShare. Delorme give registered owners a website, which opens in Google Earth. Once you programme recipients into the inReach unit’s address book, you can nominate selected people to follow you on MapShare by sending them a link and a password. Once you activate ’tracking’ on the unit, they can access your map at any time and follow your progress in real time on their computer or iPad. This has inherent safety potential, as well as peace of mind value for those at home. Should anything happen and you stop communicating, they can see on the map where you are. They can also see when and where you shoot animals, camp, stop for lunch or have a nanny nap.

Using the waypoint function you can mark wallow holes, animal sightings, campsites and so on. Because all your hunts are recorded and stored on your website, you have a reference for future hunts and also a visual record of where you travelled last time.

The units operate on the Iridium Satellite Network, so are very efficient. The system works on a monthly charge fee like a sat

MARCH SCOPES – have a closer look

phone or cell phone but is cheaper. You have a choice of plans, and if you are not using the device, you can deactivate the plan and reactivate it when you need it.

Applications extend beyond hunting and tramping: outdoor workers, farmers, bush workers, ocean going yachts, commercial fishers, kayakers, rafters and mountain bikers could all benefit from the inReach system.

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March 2.5 - 25 x 52mm Zoom Scope (Second Focal Plane) This second focal plane design scope has an 10x magnification ratio, which is the highest magnification ratio in a SFP (Second focal plane) configuration rifle scope made to date.

“Nothing comes close to the precision and accuracy of a hand built March rifle scope.”

Plenty of manufacturers make statements like this about their products. Especially about optical equipment. However this is one time where a statement like this is actually true. Each March scope is individually built by hand, by an optical engineer. The managing director of the company recently commented that the difference between March scopes and any other brand is that other scopes are built on a production line and March scopes are hand built by experts. March scopes are another level.

Hand assembled from start to finish

handle the toughest operations. This includes use on rifles producing serious recoil. Enjoy a lifetime of precise and accurate dial adjustments for elevation, windage, and focus. They are used in combat zones by Special Forces from several countries.

Compact Design March scopes are the most compact scopes ever made to achieve 10 times zoom ratios and up to 80x magnification, with a 10-yard minimum focus. Assembled and built with unprecedented attention to detail, using the very best design in materials and lenses.

The fact that each March scope is hand assembled from start to finish, with every component either hand lapped in place or glued where applicable, makes March scopes superior to anything else available. Whilst nothing is perfect, the chance of a mechanical failure with a March scope is virtually non-existent. That's why they're trusted by marksmen the world over.

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Contact David at info@marchscopes.co.nz or 0212255223 if you would like to discuss these fine products further.

These rifle scopes are designed and built in Japan, by very experienced craftsmen, to

Space doesn’t allow a full description, but google this product and look at the winners of competition shooting around the world.

You will find a large number of March scopes being used. For hunting applications, there are several superb choices available.

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13 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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14 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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Huntjet escape to remote destinations Lynnaire Johnston

Last month, Huntjet owner and jet boat designer Andy Bowron shared the thrills and spills of jet boating, amply demonstrating why so many Kiwis love the sport.

This month, he reveals his favourite jet boating spots and explains what to look for when buying a jet boat.

Jet boating is inherently risky – especially at speed – which is exactly why it is so popular. But there’s also another reason: a jet boat can get you to places you couldn’t otherwise reach, at least not without a long tramp or a helicopter.

One of Andy’s favourites is the Hollyford and Pyke River in Fiordland.

“You start out on the Hollyford near Milford, boat down, using a chopper to get over what some call the Hidden Falls Rapid, to Lake Mekerrow and the confluence of the Pyke River. Then you boat up the Pyke through Lake Alabaster, and back into the Pyke.”

Andy and his mates stay at the Lake Alabaster hut from where they go hunting and fishing. They come home, he reports, with a few deer, maybe a trout, and – in the season – a handful of whitebait.

Other ideal places for jet boating include the west coast of the South Island with its rivers teeming with whitebait and trout and ‘awesome west coast bush’. (Well, perhaps no longer ‘teeming’.)

The West Coast, Andy says, is a very big jet boating area giving great access to back-blocks and hunting areas. But, he agrees, there are lots of other great rivers to explore all over the country.

It seems highly possible that jet boating gets into your blood (Be warned!). Andy tells of two sets of customers, one of which ordered his new Huntjet from Canada so when he arrived in New Zealand he could spend his holiday boating around the country.

When he returned to Canada he took the boat with him and it can now be spotted out and about on the Yukon.

Then, there was the extended family of young guys all keen for adventure. They bought four boats between them, three Huntjet 310s and one slightly bigger Huntjet 330. They go off adventure jet boating as a team, knowing that if anything goes wrong, there’s plenty of help available because, as Andy points out, “It’s always good to go boating with some mates and other boats in case the inevitable happens.”

If going into an unfamiliar area, Andy recommends consulting with locals and/or joining the national jet boating club, Jet Boating New Zealand, to find out which rivers are accessible

and navigable. You will also need to know where the potential hazards like rocks, rapids, logjams, sandbars, and shallow braids lie in wait for the unwary and unprepared jet boater. Taking spare parts (see sidebar) is a sensible precaution because it can be expensive to chopper your boat out of the back-blocks.

Huntjet boats are highly reliable, however. That’s because they are designed by someone – Andy – who lives and breathes jet boats. He’s been through pretty much everything there is to experience on the water and knows how to design and build boats that will last the distance. Every nut, bolt, and rivet is precisely and perfectly placed so his boats not only look good, they handle well. Andy puts tremendous thought into his designs to cover all bases and make the boats suitable for as many water conditions and situations as possible. His preference is for classic lines built with a high-quality finish.

Huntjet boats range in size from 3.1m to 4.3m, but with larger sizes made to order. Made from high quality, marine-grade aluminium and quality components by skilled engineers, the boats are strong with lots of height (freeboard) and plenty of width (beam). They offer excellent handling and a dry, soft ride.

Huntjet and its sister Nelson-based company Marine and General Engineering (M&G) not only design and build new boats but will repair and service any brand. Contact them on 03-548 9138 (ext 2) or visit the website – huntjet.co.nz

Spare parts to carry on your jet boat If your boat has been well maintained and regularly serviced, you will be less likely to have mechanical problems while on the water. But even so, it pays to be on the safe side by taking spare parts with you when heading out.

Before your trip, inspect your boat, noting any electrical components (E.g. relays, fuses) that you can carry spare.

Also take with you: • Spare hose and clips • Cable ties • Duct tape • Self-vulcanising tape (for hose repair) • Minute Mend (a CRC product) • Lacing wire • Electrical wire • Electrical crimp connections • A spare fuel filter • A spare fuel pump • A spare fuel hose • And some Kiwi ingenuity

WATCH THIS What comes up must come down - Scan here

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Contact Andy Bowron for Huntjet & Harmag enquiries 021 248 9132 - 03 548 9132 A range of finishes to suit all budgets and styles

admin@marineandgeneral.co.nz www.huntjet.co.nz www.facebook.com/HuntjetNZ

15 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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TOP 10 ROAR TIPS Kawhia Craig

1.

Know your hunting area and species habits: Pre-Roar scouting trips help identify potential animal concentrations, wallows, suitable camping area, and viewing platforms.

2.

Be familiar with your gear; Roar trips are not the time to break in new boots or practice with dial-up scopes, and time on the range firing from hunting positions (standing, sitting etc) builds confidence for when the shot really counts.

3.

4.

5.

Be fit enough for your hunt; if lots of climbing (with a pack) is involved, then get out early in your hunting boots climbing hills around you, adding weight to a pack as your fitness increases. I use a gully staircase (80 steps) 20 minutes walk from my house and build up to ten climbs before adding a weighted day pack.

Avoiding scenting up your intended hunting area; my preference is to camp nearby my intended area, not right in the middle, and hunting the fringes before laying a scent trail by walking right through the middle. I now see a lot more animals over the entire hunt rather than some on the first day before scenting up the entire area and pushing animals out.

Walk less, look more; once you have reached an area with good deer sign, slow right down and spend lots of time looking. For high percentage shooting you have to see the deer before they see you. On a good viewing platform I will often sit till dark; allow deer to come out rather than moving always.

6.

Use (buy or borrow) binoculars; this can really increase your success when coupled with tip 5. Depending on terrain, I may move 5, 10, or 50 paces before having a bino, looking for things out of place - a horizontal line amongst verticals (deer’s spine amongst small trees). Don’t expect to see the entire deer first off, rather an ear or antler etc.

7.

Calling roars, croaks, bugles etc; learn how to do it properly or buy a mechanical caller. Whilst early in the season, some rubbish calls can be successful but it’s best to match the call for the situation.

Deer farms are a great place to visit and practice.

8.

Work the wind; as in all hunting keep the wind in your face and avoid it being at your back, even if this means a long detour to get this right, or leaving a spot for when the wind is more favourable.

9.

Deer’s sixth sense. Often you read about deer being able to sense when they are being watched. I believe that too many hunters wash their hunting gear with regular washing powders that are full of UHV brighter, which can be seen in the deers visual spectrum (Google it). This effectively makes our clothes glow to them. Try washing your hunting gear in Lux soap flakes or one of the commercial washes available from your local hunting store.

10. Be safe; someone will be shot this Roar.

You all know the rules, just follow them!

A pre-scouting trip located this big beast but it took several more trips before Craig nailed him.

Hunting & Fishing Fiordland

Fishing Diving Hunting Kayaking Exploring

Fiordland an untapped paradise Phone 0508 888 656

fiordlandexpeditions.co.nz

If you haven’t hunted Fiordland yet, then why not?

The musings of great triumphs are bountiful and the tales of the nearly did, even more so!

The red deer and the wapiti were released on Manapouri in the early 1900’s, for a gentleman’s sport. Now I don’t know about you but I’m not familiar with too many gentlemen who would climb these here hills to satiate their desires for a great trophy. But then some say I wouldn’t know too many gentlemen.

Well I have met quite a few good keen blokes over the years, who have come down here to try their luck and many have been rewarded richly for their effort. But you need to be keen and you need to be shrewd, for the deer down here have been hunted for decades and they know the smell of man. Some say they even know how he thinks

and I’d not be surprised, from the tales I’ve heard of the one that got away.

But the one that didn’t…

Well he’s hanging on the wall. You’ve seen him.

At the clubs and the bars and in your mate’s Man Cave. Time to man-up and get your shiat together; it’s time to head south. Even if you don’t get the big one you will have a bloody great time and the feast of your life when you spend a week on the Tutoko with friends and family; It’s the place to be!

Give us a bell or drop us a note and we’ll send you some info on what we can do for you.

0508 888 656 or charters@FiordlandExpeditions.co.nz Hear from you soon.

16 HUNTING NEWS - APRIL 2017

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The lines of peril

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Boatman Brad is finally on the board.

I first dived the mussel farm off Kaiteriteri five years ago. In spite of having dived all round New Zealand and abroad, it was like nothing in my previous experience. Defined more by what was missing than present - no rocks, no seaweed, no coral, minimal surge, no crabs, no crays, no paua, and often not a fish to be seen. Just looped lines of mussels. Despite the austere setting, the excitement when the kingies morph out of the murk is strong enough for January-February, it is pretty much my only option for fishing over this period.

Fortunately my accomplice Pierre has similarly obsessive tendencies so there are no arguments over destination. The inflatable has room for more and we often have others on board. Over the years a multitude have come and gone, all bringing something unique to the role. Some are memorable for their gear, some for their clothing, some for their optimism, some their story telling, some for their moaning and some for their antics in the water. All have provided something and all would be welcome back.

One stands head and shoulders above the others - if not in stature then in character – Pierre’s nephew, Boatman Brad.

We love Brad for many reasons. Certainly his enthusiasm for all things fish is unmatched, just ask his Mum who once spent nine hours waiting in the car while Brad pottered away unsuccessfully at the Motueka wharf.

His boat handling is more than adequate, though he does only know one speed - full noise ASAP. What sets him apart from all others though is his story telling. Every tale a treasure.

Sometimes we are regaled with fearsome tales from the shed, home-made knives, unsupervised welding and grinding, and explosions. Other trips we are amazed by creativity, such as the DIY taxidermy on the broken-shelled remains of an eaten cray. If material runs dry there is always our favourite to fall back on - running through the treasured inventory of individual sinkers he has salvaged from various spots. Total collection currently 50kg plus - salvage locations classified top secret.

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While Brad’s main role aboard is keeping an eye on the divers, of course he has to fish in between collecting our fish, or moving us from spot to spot. While he is a top fisherman, until recently, he had never landed a legit kingi. By his own count he had caught about 30 ‘rats’ and been busted off by a few bigger ones. When his Uncle Pierre picked him up around 8.30am one Saturday in late February, little did Brad know this was about to change.

Arriving at Stephens Bay, Pierre and I kitted up while Brad organised the boat and his fishing gear. Brad took us to the spot where, “There were heaps last time I was here.”

Pierre had a spear in the first fish, while I was still rinsing my mask. Assistance was called for and hilarity ensued, while I faffed about in the water and eventually got organised enough to put a kill shot in and the first fish was on board before Brad had his pilchard over the side.

Visibility was good, the water warm, and the sea was still.

Pierre and I were in the zone. Breathing up, heading down, watching the koheru, and seeing the odd kingi cruise by. I was just breathing up for another descent when I heard Brad even more excited than usual, “Pierre, come and give me a hand.”

Looking up I see a sight of impending doom. Brad standing at the bow, rod bent, hanging on for dear life, and the boat being towed at a good clip straight towards, cue ‘Jaws music,’ THE LINES OF PERIL. Having recovered a fair few lures from the mussel lines over the years, it was pretty clear how this story was going to end.

As Brad told it later, he had removed the bottle from his rig; based on my observation the koheru couldn’t get more than a metre or two from the surface. Letting the live bait go again he watched it swim deep, deep, deep. He put the rod in the holder and started jigging. When he noticed the rod twitching, he thought it was just the live bait but trying to get the rod out of the holder, but he couldn’t lift it - the drag was accidentally left on full.

‘HOLY’...! Is it a shark, is it a ray? Wait, it is Superkingi.

Faster than a speeding snail, he was being dragged slowly but surely towards the lines, then a deep dive, a 180 degree change of direction and the boat is heading back towards the other set of lines. Reel on full drag, too hot to touch. Call for help. Uncle Pierre arrives, dives under the boat.

Pierre takes up the tale - sees the kingfish only a couple of metres below the boat with the hook looking very precariously positioned, he knows what he has to do - balls it up. Floundering around under the boat, banging his head on the hull, lets off a misdirected shot, fish disappears. I arrive, seeing Pierre flapping about with spear dangling from gun.

It’s clearly up to me to save the day. I ask Brad, did it get off.

Uncharacteristically brief reply, “No.” Knowing how long Brad had been trying to catch a kingi, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on me, as I slipped under the surface to see - the big blue. Peaceful sea, no movement, no lure, just water and mussel lines. Up to the surface to see just the tail, dangling over the side of the boat. The kingi is on board, landed unaided by Boatman Brad and he is on the board - the kingi scoreboard. We couldn’t find any scales but it was 107cm and prime condition. I’m guessing 15kg plus. Definitely a keeper. So no fish shot by me but still the best day ever at the mussel farm. Nice one Brad.

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14 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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Beautiful river, beautiful trout Frank Cartwright

To anyone who has fished Otago extensively, the Pomahaka River has to rate highly.

Separating West Otago from Southland are two mountain ranges; the Old Man Range and the curiously titled Umbrella Mountains - and this is where where the Pomahaka takes its rise.

These mountain barriers stand broadside on to prevailing westerlies and receive generous rain and winter snow to provide a constant flow throughout summer months. During very heavy rain or a sudden thaw, it can quickly become a fearful torrent, but returns to clear, fishable conditions fairly rapidly. It is fishable

the ‘Pommie’ has created a deep ravine through the high country and with a base of solid rock over most of its length, provides stable trout habitat. There are endless pools, runs and glides and beds of golden gravel to provide excellent spawning habitat. Spotting trout is not difficult, although they are apt to be shy due to angling pressure.

One of the best areas to fish is the upper gorge area. From Gore it is about an hour’s run and after calling at the runholder’s homestead to check in and pay our respects, we were soon travelling up a narrow dirt road. We stopped

proceeded to false cast - a few seconds later the Humpy was engulfed from the foamline, my mate smartly lifted his rod and connected with a very good trout, which immediately raced towards him before turning and fleeing upstream. Line screeched off the reel and just as the backing was showing, the upstream rush eased and gradually my mate gained control, retrieved line, and brought the trout back to shallower water where I patiently waited with my landing net.

After several minutes of good sport the trout was steered towards the net and with a whoop, I captured it, slipped the fly from its jaw, and presented it to my mate. It was a beautiful golden jack weighing 6.0 lbs (2.7 kg) and

after ensuring it was unharmed, we slipped it back into the stream. With one good trout to our credit we were hopeful of further fine specimens in the many pools ahead but in spite of putting in another three hours effort working our way upstream, we never as much as saw another trout. Our luck was out and the trout were obviously lying low. We mused over this on our way back to Gore and could not come up with an answer as to why trout were absent from their usual haunts - the weather was fair, the barometer high, and insect life abundant.

Never-the-less, we had had a very enjoyable day with the gorge to ourselves and a very fine fish for a bonus. And it doesn’t get much better than that!

Go north young man Kawhia Craig

The upper Pomahaka River .Photo Fish & Game

along most of its length and blessed with good stocks of butter-coloured brownies and big searunners in season.

I fish well above the lowland township of Tapanui mainly because the upper reaches are both wild and beautiful and, to me, epitomise the best of back-country fishing. Over millennia,

above a very long pool where we thought we had seen a fish moving beside a foam line.

My mate reckoned it was worth a flick so, after setting up his rod and tying on a size 12 green Humpy, he cautiously threaded his way through riverside scrub until he was 20 metres downstream of the target area. He then

It’s all action up north with great fishing still to be had on Kawhia’s west coast. After the frenzy of spawning, the snapper settle into a routine of feeding up large for winter in a bid to stack on weight as they slowly drift to deeper water.

Snapper to 16 pounds and bag limits are the norm but it’s no good sticking to the shallows; try around the 55m mark or the iron sands buoy.

There have been lots of kingfish at Gannet island so good sport action there.

As the water cools down, the hydro lakes will start producing and expect some good battles with large trout. Recently Damo Irwin snagged this beauty 9 1/2 pound behemoth from Arapuni.

Damo with 9.5lbs of rainbow muscle.

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15 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

Harbour Views

A longline of blow boats’ woes

By Dave Duncan

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Need a bigger frying pan (Halibut part 2)

Graham Gurr

Dave Duncan - Harbour Master

Longlines seem to be a very effective at catching fish, as I hear more frequently that someone has had great success with their longline but nothing on the rod.

Is your longline clearly marked with name and phone number? Why do I ask? Maybe, if it’s not clearly marked we could lift it and enjoy the spoils as well as not know where to return it to.

Alternatively, and more likely, we could lift it if it has drifted into the way of a big container ship and return it and its spoils to the rightful owner.

I came into the pilot station on a 232m long , 32m wide ship recently and had to alter course twice to avoid the longlines we managed to identify. What if it had not been clear? Longlines and nylon do not treat seals and bushes kindly, after being wrapped around a prop shaft. The results could be disastrous. Please ensure your longlines are kept well away from commonly used shipping routes and pilotage channels. Keep a good look out from your launch.

The ol’ blowboater curse … a failed engine; why some yachts have sails on them has been a query lately, as I have seen several yachts that have been towed from afar. Please spend some time and energy into

considering how you get back to Nelson if your equipment fails.

I have been very surprised at the patience and perseverance of the Coastguard, who have effected some long tows recently on the broken down ‘blow boat’. If you could just sail back to The Cut that would save a lot of angst, effort, and fuel for those volunteers.

As I am a ‘blow boater’ myself, I comment out of observation and not on behalf of any organisation.

Winter is coming so now is the time to start considering laying up your vessel.

Whether it’s in the marina or in the garage, it is worth speaking to your servicing engineer to ensure you go through a proper lay-up process. This could save you hours of grief and considerable embarrassment from being one of those towed home next spring. Of course, if you go boating through the winter, don’t forget the water and air temperature will be colder. Rug up warm underneath your lifejacket. Stay safe.

Bait Cannon heralds NEW REVOLUTION The new bait cannon - the air powered surfcaster - has created a new fishing revolution, with two types available.

First up meet Big Berther, a self-contained unit that you simply place on the beach, unfold the legs, put your rod into the holder supplied, and drop the supplied sinker and trace, with bait attached, down the barrel.

It takes about 10 seconds to set it up. Now pump up to the desired pressure, knock back the lever to shoot the line out approximately 250 to 300 metres and that’s it. Then sit back

while you catch a fish. The unit weighs only 6kgs, is 1750mm long, and comes in a base unit or a full kit, depending on what you desire.

The second option is the Surf Smasher.

This is a smaller, handheld unit whereby you put your rod in a rod holder previously dug into the beach, load the cannon with the sinker and bait, pump up to the pressure you require, then walk down to the water’s edge and shoot it out 150 to 200 metres, go back, flip over your bail arm, and take up the slack. That’s it. The Surf Smasher is only 1140mm long and weighs 3kg so fits nicely into the storage boxes on most motor homes, or easily into the boot of your vehicle. It comes in two different kits: the base kit or a full kit including pump etc. The device can also be made left-handed.

The Bait Cannons are sold as an R20 device, as it is not a toy. It has been manufactured in New Zealand using Marley high pressure fittings, rated 167psi, and quality PVC/stainless and brass fittings (no rust). It uses a brass pressure release valve for added safety. Both these products have a lifetime warranty.

My two sons and I were fishing the waters off the Kenai Peninsula with Ninilchik Charters, the target species being halibut, a flat fish that resembles enormous flounder. Having just boated a monster, I was still reeling when Bucket bellowed: “Get those baits down, we’ve found the fish!”

I just stood back and tried to recover; knackered was too mild a term.

The fish were coming aboard at a steady rate but mostly smaller fish. Little Gurr, Bigger Gurr, and I had a decision to make; we had not intended to take any fish from this trip, as taking the fish back to New Zealand was going to cost us an extra $200 for the extra bag (a 50lb box of fish is charged as an extra bag). But we already had 80lb of fish in the fish bin and, even after gutting and filleting, that’s a lot of fish. I told the boys we would keep one each; I already had mine so Little Gurr and Bigger Gurr kept the next two fish over 28 inches they landed.

Jake and Donald, the two from a separate party, quickly limited out so it was just the boys and me. We continued to catch and release fish after fish, thankfully most were in the under 28 inch category and, once I got my second wind, a lot of fun to catch.

The skipper and Bucket were blown away by the fact we did not want to keep any more fish but were happy to keep on fishing.

Most of their clients are just on a meat hunting trip, aiming for the maximum fish to take home to pay for the trip. With halibut selling for $27 per pound and more expensive than beef fillet steak, you can see why they want to take home as much fish as possible.

Like all good things, it had to end and did when the skipper announced we had to run for home because we had to be off the water by 7.00pm.

The dozer was waiting for us as we arrived at the beach and motored up onto the trailer; a practised manoeuvre as we were out of the water and up the beach in a matter

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of moments.

Part of the deal is the crew clean your catch at the end of the day so, after a couple of photographs of our three fish, Bucket and the skipper quickly turned the halibut into enormous fillets, which were bagged and ready for us in a matter of minutes. The knife work was practised and very quick.

I parted with a sizeable tip to thank them for a memorable day and several dozen feeds of fish. The crew back at All Alaska Outdoors, where we were staying, would turn the fillets into meal-sized portions and vacuum pack and freeze it for us to take home.

Waikawa Marina, Picton, Marlborough

16 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Rangiora Eco Holiday Park Canterbury hub How often do we have blinkers on to what is right in front of us and discover little gems to one side of the beaten track? Think Canterbury, think Christchurch, but if you are a true lover of wide open spaces, the outdoors, nature, hunting and fishing, and adventure sport, Rangiora is the real hub of mid Canterbury.

Geoff Brown of Rangiora Eco Holiday Park explains that the small rural town is central to such a wide range of activities and interest focuses that it makes logistical sense to base

yourself there when visiting the region’s playgrounds.

“If you are a keen hunter, we are half-an-hour from the Southern Alps where you can hunt tahr, chamois, and deer, and if you are a keen fisher, we are close to the Waimak’ where trout, salmon, and whitebait run.”

Not to mention the many other rivers, streams, and beaches worth exploring. The town boasts its own airport, helicopter operators, and even has a resident hunting guide for those who

Rangiora Eco Holiday Park A large holiday park with cabins, self-contained lodges, caravan and tent sites from $15 per night. We provide affordable accommodation for motorhome and campervan travellers, couples, families, school and sports groups, business travellers and backpackers.

• Kids playground • swimming pool • laundry • communal kitchen • dump stations • WiFi • close to many local attractions Please don’t hesitate to contact Geoff to find out more about our wonderful facility.

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want access to some fertile hunting fields.

Just down the road is the Waimak’ Bridge and popular launch spot for jet boaters seeking adventure on Canterbury’s most famous braided river system.

The cyclist is well catered for here, with the beautiful cycle and walkway along the Ashley River to Waikuku Beach, but that’s just the start. From Rangiora, everything is within comfortable striking distance to the cyclist: visit Oxford and take in a Sunday Farmers’ Market (ditto Ohoka), crack into Christchurch City and experience a taste of metropolitan life, while avoiding city prices for accommodation. And

Kayaking

for the seasoned or experienced cyclist, bike to Waipara for a day sampling the vineyards and return to the cozy ambience of this quaint rural township - the round trip is only 70k!

Rangiora Eco Holiday Park is the perfect destination, offering a huge variety of extremely affordable accommodation options from cheap cabins at $20 per night, lodges for groups at $20 per person per night, through to motel class self-contained cabins at a fraction of the motel rate.

It’s worth checking out; the hub of Canterbury hums… quite an affordable tune!

with Chris West

HANDY TIPS It is often the little things that can make a big difference. Here are a few tips that will hopefully improve your time on the water.

1. Many sit-on-top seats have straps on both the front and back of the seat, and the opposing tension in these straps is what holds the seat firmly in place. It can take a bit of experimentation to adjust the seat to feel just right. When you remove the seat from the kayak for transport, you need to loosen these straps and in the process may lose your preferred setup. When you remove the seat, always loosen just one set of straps; either just the forward or just the rear straps. When you attach the seat, simply pull the same strap tight and you are ready to go.

paddle and wrap the insulation tape around the shaft on the inside of where you grip the paddle. If your hands begin to move around on the paddle shaft you will feel the tape and hopefully readjust your grip.

2. If your kayak has a hatch, look to see if there is a short length of cord that secures the lid to your kayak. If not, it is worth adding it and then you do not need to worry about your lid getting lost while you are accessing items in the hatch.

4. If you find your kayak seat lacking the comfort you wish for, don’t automatically go for a block of foam to pad the seat.

Sitting on some foam will lift your centre of gravity and you will find a reduction in stability. Instead look at the shape of the seat. You may find more success in trying to create a better shape to your seat. Often uncomfortable seats are flat, so all your weight is transferred onto a small area. Sit on your seat and place your feet where you would normally have them. If you only contact your seat in a small area, try placing some foam wedges under your legs (right up near your bottom) to fill in the gap forward of your seat. This will give you a greater contact area and hopefully increase your comfort.

3. Some people, especially when first learning, find it difficult to keep their hands in one place on the paddle shaft.

If you find yourself holding your paddle unevenly then try adding a couple of wraps of insulation tape to the shaft.

Decide on where you like to hold the

5. Sunscreen is important when paddling on a sunny day, but it can make your hands very slippery. Just before you launch, grab a handful of sand and rub the palms of your hands together. This will remove the sunscreen and you can hold the paddle with confidence.

17 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

From Sinker to Smoker

ION JUNCT TOWER RY STO

By Ron Prestage

Successful Surfcaster: Sam Ngabro Ngaamo It is good to see on Facebook, Sam’s surfcasting success on the South Island’s West Coast, my old stamping ground.

Now readers of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News can find out a bit more about Sam, who now lives in Hokitika.

The Fishing Paper: What is your first memory of fishing?

can’t make it to work. Persistence has been my key to success.

Coast area?

Sam: Hokitika in 2002 my brother and I filled our bath-tub with fish of all different species, but no snapper. In February 2015, 10 minutes before we were ready to pack up, I noticed my rod going crazy. I ran down and battled with a 26lb snapper. When I seen colour in

TFP: Do you have favourite West Coast surfcasting spots and how do you fish these places?

Sam: I don’t have any favourite place inparticular. I like to drive along the beach in my 4x4 at low tide to find where the good holes are.

TFP: What other forms of fishing do you pursue?

Sam: Set-net in our local river; kontiki fishing and spinning for kahawai.

TFP: Besides fishing, what else do you like to do in the outdoors?

Sam: Gathering seafood – mussels, pipis, cockles.

TFP: What do you think of the present state of the West Coast fishery?

Sam: I’m happy to see the snapper come back, five years ago it was unheard of.

One of Sam’s recent West Coast successes.

Sam: I grew up in Whangarei Heads where snapper was abundant and watched my older brother arrive home with fish every day after school. He travelled by boat from Whangarei Heads to Bream Bay College and most days went fishing instead of school.

Our mother didn’t mind too much as we always come home with plenty of seafood.

TFP: What stages have you passed through on your fishing journey?

Sam: 99% of the fishing I have done in my life is from the sandy shore or off the rocks. I have recently been given a fly fishing rod and keen to learn this type of fishing.

TFP: What has been your most successful day surfcasting in the West

the water I automatically knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. When I had got it on-shore the feeling is still hard to explain.

TFP: What is your most favoured rig for surfcasting?

Sam: Sand grabber with 100lb steel trace and four #8 black magic hooks.

TFP: What brand of rod and reel do you favour?

Sam: Shimano TFP: What baits do you mainly use for surfcasting on the West Coast?

Sam: Prawns and squid TFP: What is your top tip for surfcasting success?

Sam: Having a good excuse why you

Niece Jamie-Lee & nephew Deegan Ngaamo are pretty pleased with Sam’s monster 26lb snapper.

Tip of the Month: The Useful Uni Knot

1

The uni knot is one of the strongest and most versatile knots. It is quick and easy to tie and once perfected, this method can be used in the dark.

1-Thread the line through the eye of the hook.

2-Fold a long section of tag end back along the main line.

2

3-Pinch the tag and mainline together between two fingers and thumb.

4-Roll the tag back over the two fingers and between thumb and fingers to form a large loop. Roll the wrist so the loop rotates to the bottom.

5-Thread the tag end through the loop, around the tag and mainline and back through the loop. Repeat this six times.

3

6-Hold the hook, the tag end and the main line, pulling tight so the loop closes.

6

7-Once the loop is closed, grasp the main line and hook – pulling smoothly until the knot slides tight against the hook. Clip the tag end, leaving 3mm spare.

4

5

7

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Tread lightly for salmon Simon McMillan

I managed to get back out on for a few hours up river mid March but the fishing wasn’t easy. Low, clear conditions made fishing tough and with the flow only 100 cumecs, it had obviously put a lot of salmon anglers off. No-one was about, so we had the pickings to ourselves. Because of the lack of action, I think many were of the opinion there were no fish present but they were still trickling through. My theory is that, at this time of year, any salmon left are primed to make a run up the river; in fact, they need to do so. Their eggs and milt will be well matured and time is running out.

Timing is critical during these conditions. Of course, if you wander around in the middle of a bright sunny day, your chances are going to be slim, so getting out in the dark and fishing change of light is key.

When the river is this low and clear, I also switch to light gear; my set is quality Shimano like a softbait set up, egg-beater reel running 14lb braid and a 12lb leader. A 14gm white Amazing Baits zeddie capped it off on this occasion. My tactics would normally be to boat up early and fish a couple of likely looking holes in that first hour of light and then scoot down to the mouth to see if I could pick up any fresh fish.

While the season has been ‘average’, it has been disappointing to see a lack of good fish; those 14 - 20lbers have just not been there. So, on this occasion, I had to be happy with my catch of the morning, a nice 9lb salmon plucked from low clear waters.

They are still present up river when the flow is low, you just have to tread lightly.

18 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Dickheads,

donuts & the EPG F Larnce Wichman

or years now, a small DoC camping ground at Marfell’s Beach in Marlborough has been a favourite fishing location for many people, mostly local folk. Part of it’s charm was that it was an isolated location and considered a slice of paradise.Times change and today you need to be the early bird to get a caravan park or tent site prior to any long weekend.

It used to be boat only access to the fishing grounds, until the arrival of the three wheelers and quad bikes, which paved the way for land-based access to Cape Campbell and further south along the east coast. This greatly increased fishing pressure. Prior to that, access was by foot or horse, and access was by low tide only. If you missed the tide, you either got wet and shortened the life of your bike or had a few hours wait, which, given the location, was not really a bad thing.

Then came an unforeseen change in the form of the November earthquake and subsequent uplift along the east coast, which has made access easier regardless the tide.

With better access comes more people and not just fishers: sightseers in 4x4s, two wheel bikes, and leisure walkers to the Cape to view wildlife. The earthquake suddenly and abruptly transformed a remote location to a totally accessible one, which altered the dynamics entirely.

No doubt locals and recreational fishers enjoy all day accessibility. It has become more laid back, with no pressure co-ordinating the tides to get around, set gear, and get back.

However, there is an unexpected dark side to this silver lining. While the locals stick to the well-worn track they have utilised for years, others are not so respectful. Residents are bewildered and saddened at what they see as abuse and degradation of the coastline, a beautiful location they have treasured for years.

People pollution the problem New arrivals have been tagged as loopies and idiots because they show no respect for the area by driving off the well-worn track and up on the new tidal zone, using bikes to hoon over sand dunes, riding on private property, doing donuts on the tidal zone, and damaging the historical cultural pa site and middens. All get ignored for the thrill of scarring the area and because some are too lazy to carry fishing gear that extra 30-50m.

Discontent simmered away until it recently boiled over: farmers had a guts full of the antics, a group of recreational fishing campers had enough of having ‘the bone pointed’ at them, and the media became involved, laying blame squarely at the feet of recreational and commercial fishers. The outcome was a meeting at the Ward Town Hall, called by the Flaxbourne Settlers Association, to open discussions as to how the area can be better managed and core values reinstated. It was packed to the rafters.

Ecology expert Prof David Scheil Christchurch University gave a presentation on the impact of driving and walking on the new tidal zone, which is very fragile.

Marlborough District Council attended and explained their position, Department of Conservation managers of the camping site gave their position, local iwi expressed disappointment on the ignorant attitude of some, and farmers expressed their frustrations and worries, while acknowledging that it was not the local or regular users that are the problem; it was the newbies ignorant of the protocols of using the area safely and respectfully.

The earthquake suddenly and abruptly transformed a remote location to a totally accessible one, which altered the dynamics entirely.

People power the answer However, it became apparent agencies had little power to control the area from being abused. Mark Wills, a Marlborough Recreational Fishing Club member, understood the agencies’ limitations under regulations, and suggested it was up to locals to manage the situation.

The outcome was the formation of the Eastcoast Protection Group, EPG. Mark obtained fascinating information for the inaugural meeting, about vehicles utilising public space. Did you know:

• Take safety equipment, including a spade and a rope.

• Always drive with headlights on.

• Stick to the hard part of the beach below the high tide line. Check tide times before you go out.

• Access to the beach is three hours either side of low tide only.

• Look out for partially submerged objects.

• Stay off the dunes – fragile dune systems are damaged by vehicle use. Dune planting is used to bind the sand and reduce erosion, but bikes and 4WDs undo this work by creating tracks through vegetation which can lead to `blowouts’.

• Always slow down when there are people or animals around. Be considerate.

• Be aware of shorebirds nesting at high tide.

• The vehicles permit to be on the beach must be accessible. On a mobile phone or device is fine.

Looking into the abuse of the area, it is surprising what people take for granted.

For example, there were over seventy cray pots stacked on farmer’s property without permission. I wonder what the reaction

‘All’ in for a win Given the lack of any regulations to manage the situation, signage and education is the first step, followed by peer pressure to educate the uneducated. The local recreational fishers want to protect what they see as God’s-own and a natural gift, and work with the farmers to reduce the impact on the new foreshore and tidal zone. Recreational fishing is an integral part of the area and good relationships with local residents is imperative if this is to have a future.

Those who visit the area please be mindful: a tiny part of our wonderful country is under stress due to the earthquake and increased ‘people pressure’. It’s an area that provides access to a recreational fishery and ecosystem that is worth protecting, which then puts the onus on us, the general public, to shoulder responsibility in preserving its natural integrity. This means we all respect the area’s natural values and utilise it sensibly and within limits.

Will signs and education do it? You will determine the answer to that…

PLEASE KEEP OFF AND OUT OF THE ROCK POOLS AND TIDAL PLATFORMS WITH ATVS

Rules and guidelines for beach access Under the Land Transport Act, beaches are legal roads, so all road rules apply.

This includes speed limits, licensing of drivers, vehicle registration and warrant of fitness, alcohol use, seatbelts, helmets and driving behaviour.

Beaches are policed If taking a vehicle to a beach, you need to follow these guidelines. They ensure the safety of beach users and minimise your environmental impact.

would be if the farmer parked implements on the front lawns of those pot owners.

Similarly, if farmers did donuts on the front lawns of ‘townies’ or cut a track across the lawn for a short cut, it simply would not be tolerated and heated emotions would soon become the motivator for change.

This article was sponsored by CRAMAC 5.

19 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Flicking fluff at the suicidal outlier Ben Sowry

I had an unusual experience with a trout, but first, a bit of historical information in to set the scene.

There is a fish known as the brown trout, a native of Europe. Many years ago, a fella, for some reason, decided to chuck a bit of fluff on his hook to try and catch one of these trout using fluff for bait. This character, unbeknown to himself at the time, started a trend, fly fishing, which has since grown so now millions of people spend millions of dollars for the opportunity to throw fluff at trout.

Due to this, many people who live outside of Europe wanted to put their skills up against a slimy animal with a pea-sized brain and the brown trout spread across the waterways of the world and one of those waterways is the Wairau River.

Brown trout are not your standard fish. Most have an IQ approaching 145 and are fluent in many languages and able to solve complex calculations in their heads. Maybe a mild hyperbole but there are days I swear it’s true. Okay, so they might not speak multiple languages, but what the brown trout does have is a strong awareness of its environment and a natural tendency to flee danger.

These fish have gained notoriety in being difficult to both approach and deceive. Any mild error on the fishers’ part will result in a spooked trout, rather than a hooked one.

We’ve got our Wairau River and on one point on the map, we have one brown trout, regarded globally as being hard to outwit, and we have one angler. This angler has been using a fly rod to hook willow trees, rocks, exposed skin, and the occasional brown trout, for the last

20 years. This angler is yours truly.

Before I go further, I’ll need to give a basic rundown on a wee bit of biology and a little bit on maths.

Biologically: nearly every sexual organism on this planet has three basic drives: 1. Don’t die. 2. Have babies. 3. Don’t let your babies die.

The brown trout, not being asexual, certainly fits these categories.

Frequently in statistics, there is a point of data incongruent with all the other data recorded. Sometimes, there will be such a random variable it is shocking to think it comes from the same data set. This point of data is known as an outlier, or an anomaly.

This one brown trout, at one point on the map, in one Wairau River- he is the outlier. He is the anomaly.

Externally, there’s nothing the matter.

He’s in the water, he’s swimming around, and he’s looking for food.

Thus far, he’s really sticking to the principles of basic drive number one: don’t die.

Enter one angler. Now this handsome, articulate, and wellmannered chap sees said trout and reckons to give it a go. He uses cover of the riparian vegetation to conceal his presence, executes an unusually accurate cast, devoid this time of hooking any willow trees, rocks, or exposed skin, but instead landing in the water ahead of the swimming trout. The trout sees the offering of fluff-on-a-hook and in an attempt to adhere to basic drive number one, don’t die, races over to consume, what I’m convinced he believes is, a piece of food.

At this stage, our hero, with the nine-foot-long piece of graphite in his hand, sinks the hook into the flesh of

"Look Ben, I'm just trying to be my own person, which is not easy for a fish!"

the trout’s mouth. The trout isn’t too keen on this and decides to remove the hook. I assume, dear reader, you have some idea on the anatomy of trout but for those who are unaware - trout do not have thumbs or fingers.

This makes taking a hook out tricky, so trout try other techniques such as the head-shake, the jump, and, when all else fails, the swim around quickly to try and outrun the hook. On this occasion, the head-shake won the day and, as the trout shook his head, the hook tore from his mouth. As it was released, the hook catapulted over our hero’s head. The angler responded by, first saying a loud fourletter word and secondly, catapulting

the hook back at the fish. This was more to ensure the hook would not become entrapped on the vegetation behind but, as it turned out, the trout saw the very same fly, swam over, and bit it again. Stunned, our hero lifted the rod once more but, this time, the hook found no purchase and again the hook sailed over the angler’s head, again accompanied by the mandatory four-letter word.

So again, the hook was launched forward, landing in the water next to the trout and the fish, for the third time, inhaled the hook. This time, the hook held and the fish was brought to the bank. It weighed three pounds.

This story, basically, makes me question everything about this fish.

World renowned for its wariness, this was the stupidest fish I have ever come across. Not just the stupidest trout but the stupidest fish. I hooked it, yet it still took the fly, again, twice, within 10 seconds of being hooked.

Thus, the outlier. The anomaly. The forfeiter of biological drive number one; don’t die. I can only assume he was suicidal. But if he was, I didn’t conform to his wish and let him go to swim away. You never know, I might catch him again one day.

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20 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

A HOLIDAY BREAK LIKE NO OTHER !

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Amberley lures record comp numbers Geoff Shier

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After talking to our weather man, experienced fishers and a trip to the beach we made the hard decision. The wind was strong and the sea was angry. Sunday 22nd Jan was not a nice day at the beach. For everyone’s comfort and safety (especially the little ones) the competition was postponed until Sunday the 5th of Feb. And what a decision that turned out to be. It was a hot cloudless sun-cream type of day. The sea was flat due to several days of nor’westers, exactly the opposite of the conditions two weeks earlier. The heat of the day was cooled by a gentle north easterly breeze. The perfect day.

We were not sure whether moving to the Sunday in the middle of a long weekend was a good idea or not. Win some lose some crossed our minds. Perhaps it was the great holiday weather that brought record

numbers of fishers out for the day. Over 300 rods lined up over 3 or 4 kms of beach was more than the eye could see.

Kids entries were the highest ever at 80 registrations and senior entries of 236 were also a record. They must have heard that all juniors go home with a prize. It was fun to watch the kids choose between a surf rig trace pack and bright red Crusaders caps.

Senior Prize Darcy Potter with a ray measuring 1230mm Junior Prize Isabella Linton with a skate measuring 807mm Thanks to you and the team at The Fishing Paper for helping out and for being our key sponsors. It was a perfect day at the beach thanks to your generosity.

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Spanish castanet virtuoso, Mary Garcia, is pictured reading a copy of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News during her recent solo world tour ‘Castanet High Spots’, which attracted record numbers numbering in the dozens. This is her first tour where she has shunned large cities in favour of only performing in villages situated over 10,000 feet above sea level. Mary has no interest in fishing or hunting but reads the paper as a professional distraction from work.

“Castanet playing at this level is very stressful,” Mary said, “because lack of air pressure at 17,000 feet here in the Andes means that you inadvertently play the castanets with more force, which then leads to an increase in tempo, which can then lead to heat exhaustion if left unchecked.”

Playing castanets in the thin air can also lead to split finger tips, which happened to Mary early in the tour, forcing a delay while she attended her bloody fingers.

Mary said she picked up a copy of the paper from a nomadic piranha fisherman, who picked it up somewhere in his travels, and reads it because it engages the left side of her brain, while give the right side a well-earned

rest.

She also likes to relax with a tall tomato juice laced with vodka, stating that: “It is a bloody good way to unwind from the nonsense Crimpy writes!”

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

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21 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Three twenties in one

Jenny and Guido with their unbelievable catch.

STORY

Pete Connolly

To this day I am not sure why I did it. Perhaps it was impulse or maybe I genuinely empathised with the look of utter disappointment on the guy’s face. His attractive partner looked dejected as well.

“Would you like to go fishing, mate?” I found myself asking of the stranger. He spoke with a heavy German accent but she was French. It transpired that they’d already spent a month holidaying in New Zealand and both were enthusiastic fishers; understatement; addicted, compulsive, fixated, fanatical, and infatuated with fishing. Her dream had been to come to Nelson, catch a snapper, and cook it for her husband, Guido, and now her dream was in tatters.

Jenny Vi and Guido Schmitt had serendipitously popped into Big Blue Bait and Tackle Store in Nelson while I was there, stocking up on odds ’n sods, as you do. They were enquiring after a charter but none were available and it looked as if their hopes were dashed, until my trap opened itself.

“Would you take us fishing - really?” was the incredulous reply from Guido.

“As long as you can be at the ramp by 6.30am,” I replied. They looked crestfallen for the second time that day, but soon an agreement had been reached; they bought the bait and berley while I dashed off to ready the boat.

Jenny’s other concern was that she was not a good sea traveller, but I had some good pills on board and it was into a sloppy sea and toward a rain drenched horizon we headed. Twenty minutes later I was tossing the pick over and setting the berley, while a slightly ‘green’ Jenny went aft for a kip. With her goal of catching her own fish still ringing in my ears, I promised to rouse her the moment I hooked the monster and then set about baiting up.

In the middle of Tasman Bay in 25m of water, a good berley trail is an asset and my brew of choice was pillie & bonito, and lots of it. On this occasion I would go through nine kilos. I had a stray-line out with a whole pillie and the other rod rigged with a Black Magic flasher rig.

I’d warned the couple that snapper were by no means guaranteed, but I felt we had a good chance of catching a fish. Their expectations weren’t over the top either; they just wanted

a snapper of any size - it didn’t have to be a monster.

So, it was just a case of settling in and waiting. Then the sea flattened and the rain stopped, just like that. A mere fifteen minutes into her recuperative slumber, Jenny was abruptly awakened and summoned on deck to the sound of a singing reel. The stray-line had blistered off moments earlier and I set the hook before handing the reins to the little French fisher. Jenny knew the ropes but this fish was a scrapper and had some muscle of its own. The rod arced, line peeled, was retrieved, and lost again. It was shaping up to be a classic encounter with one of Tasman Bay’s big bruisers and Jenny was shaken. She was flagging a bit but, after some Connolly encouragement, dug her toes in and took it to the fish. Moments later she triumphed and her first snapper came to the boat, all twenty pounds of it!

After celebrations and a photo session, Jenny retired to reflect on the feat from under her eyelids.

Over the next hour, I kept the berley flowing while chewing the fat with Guido. It was

fascinating, enriching, and somewhat surreal to be sharing the experience while listening to stories of lives lived on the other side of the world; all but for a chance meeting in a tackle store!

Forty minutes later, the flasher rig was chomped. Another big bend and another

stoush with a big bruiser, this time for Guido.

I videoed the battle for posterity and gave him the benefit of some more Connolly encouragement. And another twenty-pounder came to the boat. Guido was stunned but happy. Deliriously so. I was just stunned. I’d never caught two twenty-pounders one after another. Then, an hour later, the rod dipped for the third time. Another big bend. A hat-trick?

Guido refused the offer to do battle again; they’d both caught their snapper and were more than happy, so I got to go ‘hands on’.

And another great fight it was; nuggety stuff, heavy, raw muscle, and scrappy too. But then, it could afford to be belligerent - at twenty pounds plus, a fish has a right to have attitude!

Unbelievable - three snapper over twenty pound, in a row.

The smiles on my two new friends faces said it all and they couldn’t thank me enough, but, ironically, I think it was me who came away richer for the experience.

Watch the foreigners catch some awesome snapper!

SCAN HERE

As far as Pete was concerned, he came away richer for the experience,

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22 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Riuwaka trout population boosted Trout flying bright green streamers were released into the Riuwaka River recently.

150 brown trout raised from fish caught in a neighbouring waterway were tagged, trucked, and released in a day long operation by Nelson/Marlborough by Fish & Game staff.

Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game Manager Rhys Barrier says having a local source of trout and salmon grown on contract for Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game region will hopefully be of real benefit to licenced anglers.

“We carried out the release of adult brown trout into the Riuwaka River (formerly Riwaka) in order to try and boost the flagging population in this river, which was once a superb fishery.

Fish & Game staff will use this research project to investigate recruitment issues in the fishery.

With the trout only able to spawn in the main steams of the Riuwaka River, and the river being subjected to flooding events recently, and other human activities such as unsympathetic earthworks, and sedimentation issues, the trout population has suffered.

The fish that were released were part of 1000 fish that had been electrically fished from a neighbouring river so are effectively the same genetic stock.

The trout were taken over to the Wairau

The fish were carefully raised to be released into the Riuwaka.

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Fish & Game Officer Jacob Lucas with one of the specially raised trout being released into the Riuwaka River.

Valley were they were raised in ideal conditions by Pieter Wilhelmus in his hatchery to improve their chances of survival.

150 trout that averaged about 1.1 kilograms in weight were selected and tagged then trucked the 160 kilometres back to the Riuwaka and released into three sites along the river.

Fish & Game ask that anglers who catch the tagged trout release them if possible in the first year, but still let them know the tag number, date, time, and location that the fish was caught.

This will enable Fish & Game staff to track the movement of the fish; the project will run for the coming three years.

Barrier says, “Licence holders are reminded to get out there and make the most of the current fishing opportunities, noting that

Riuwaka will close to fishing on April 30th”.

Fish & Game Field Officer Jacob Lucas says that after a wet summer, fishing conditions in Nelson and Marlborough’s Rivers are now excellent.

“Many rivers are hitting form, including local mainstays such as the Motueka and Wairau Rivers, which are currently fishing very well, with the rivers in great shape, and good numbers of fish present. While trout can be fussy at times, you’ll find success at this time of year if you target willow lined edges, and riffle habitat, using small nymphs and dry flies or cicada imitations. Trout are making the most of the terrestrial bonanza at the moment with passion, vine hoppers and cicadas largely on the menu. Spin anglers are best to target the top water areas in the evenings, when trout sit just underneath the surface intercepting mayflies,”.

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24 THE FISHING PAPER - APRIL 2017

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On the hunt for marine pests

Photo Scott Tindale

Marty Bowers MPI Recreational Fishing Team

Recent finds of Asian paddle crab Charybdis japonica and the clubbed sea squirt Styela clava in the Kaipara harbour have drawn attention to the role fishers have played in monitoring the spread of marine pests. These two species are unfortunately established in many east coast harbours but were not thought to be in the Kaipara, until recently detected by vigilant fishers.

The Asian paddle crab was first detected by a commercial fisher in their nets and later by a recreational fisher who

Foreign marine pests are often first detected by recreational fishers. Photo Scott Tindale

speared one while out floundering. The clubbed sea squirt was collected in a recreational scallop dredge. These observant fishers realised they were something not normally seen in the Kaipara.

How they got there is uncertain and now they’ve arrived, they probably cannot be eradicated. However, detections like this help MPI understand pathways of spread, which can be used for stopping the spread of other pests.

Some marine pests are very common in some parts of New Zealand but will not spread elsewhere without help – things like the clubbed sea squirt, the Mediterranean fanworm and the Asian paddle crab are unable to transfer themselves from one coast to another naturally, without being aided.

Most people have heard of Check, Clean, Dry when it comes to stopping the spread of didymo, but did you know what to do to help stop pests spreading in the marine environment?

Check your gear e.g., nets and scallop dredges and in anchor wells for any hitchhiking marine life, before moving – especially if you are moving between harbours or coasts.

If you accidentally bring these aboard, don’t return them to sea – take them to shore dispose of somewhere they can’t end up back in the water e.g. in a rubbish bag that is taken to landfill.

If you’re not sure whether it’s a pest or not, or if it hasn’t already been found in your area, give MPI a call on the pest & disease hotline: 0800 80 99 66. You are welcome to call us whenever you notice something unusual. It might be a new

biofouling pest you have not seen before, or if you witness large numbers of dead or dying fish or shellfish.

The pest & disease hotline is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your call goes through to a call centre, who will collect some basic information about the reason for your call, and take your contact details. This information will ensure that your call is directed to the right team. If it’s a marine pest or disease issue, it will be passed onto the Marine Incursion Investigators.

MPI has two full time Incursion Investigators dedicated to responding to reports of marine pests and aquatic animal diseases. Both have a huge wealth of technical knowledge, experience with pests and diseases, and passion for the protection and enhancement of New Zealand’s marine resources.

All information you supply is treated confidentially and only used to manage biosecurity risks (if any are identified).

It is helpful if you can be as specific as possible about the location, or provide GPS coordinates. To help confirm the species you may be asked to take photographs or collect samples. You will be told the best way to collect, store and submit those samples. To maximise the chance of obtaining a diagnosis or identifying a pest samples need to arrive fresh. The sooner you contact MPI, the better our chances are of identifying the pest or disease and being successful in reducing its impacts.

Recreational fishers are out there observing the wider environment every day. For this reason, you play a vital role in detecting issues in the marine environment. You are New Zealand’s ‘eyes-on-the-water’. We need your help to detect changes out there before they become a widespread problem.

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