December 2019 Issue 171 The Fishing Paper & Hunting News

THE

FISHING& HUNTING

 Stags in the clan pg 27

PAPER

FREE

December 2019 Issue 171

NEWS

Silver Surfer Story pg 2

 Kaikoura Salmon  Perchzilla  Mokihinui Rig

2

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

An unpredictable day Out of habit I keep my salmon rod and reel in the back of my truck at all times. One thing I’ve learnt about the Kaikoura salmon fishery is being ready to go as soon as the fish are on the bite. On this particular morning I had no idea how the beach was fishing but walked down to the water’s edge, rod in hand, to try my luck.

Casting my lure out to sea, I had a quick look around to see if any birds were working along the coast. At this time of year the kahawai tend to feed on baitfish close to shore and birds are a distinctive indicator of where to find them. There was a bit of a commotion a kilometre or two down the beach, but nothing worth the walk.

Kevin was fishing next to me.

“Anything caught this morning Kev?” - It’s a question I pester him with on a regular basis.

“Yeah, a couple of salmon have been caught. One about an hour ago and another just before you got here”.

He then kicked the stones above the high tide mark to reveal a salmon keeping cool beneath.

Bryn Williams

“I got this one this morning too” Knowing that a few salmon had been recently caught raised the level of anticipation that every cast held. Kev’s salmon was around the 10lb mark, long and skinny. A fish that had the potential to be a real beauty, if it had been eating more Weet-Bix every morning.

I was halfway through a conversation when suddenly my line went tight.

I reacted quickly with a strike and kept the rod tip high. Line began to peel off my ShimanoStradic reel and I knew I had a good fish on.

Earlier in the year I found myself in the same situation only to lose the fish moments later. I gave another strike.

The fight felt slow and heavy, until the salmon made it to the breakers. Upon seeing the beach, the fish turned violently, stealing line as it motored across the shore. I followed in pursuit, keeping

A stunning 13lb salmon

the tension on trying to tire the salmon into giving up.

Half a dozen times it followed a wave in, only to make a U-turn and speed off. This is a zone where a lot of salmon are lost and the longer the fight wore on,

the more I started to wonder whether my knots would hold, or if it would just spit out the hook. Eventually, the salmon ran out of energy and I guided it in on an incoming wave. As it lay out of the receding water, Kevin

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I was stoked! A stunning, 13lb fish, with a lot more condition than the smaller 6-7lb fish typical of Kaikoura.

The day was unpredictable but had produced the goods.

In a way, not knowing when the fish will turn up is half the reason for wanting to return the next day, and the day after.

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Issue 171 3

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

Get out there –

Freshwater opportunities on our doorstep

Gareth Nicholson

It doesn’t take much reading of magazine articles and forum posts to realise that New Zealand is home to a world class trout fishery - some of the best of which is right here in the Nelson/Marlborough region.

Growing up as an avid young fisherman in Swaziland, a landlocked country within South Africa, I spent a lot of my time on the local rivers and dams in pursuit of trout. It was far more than a hobby, and from around eight-years-old became an addiction!

I’d sit in class sketching new fly designs and rush home after school to get them tied up and tested.

When I wasn’t in class or on the sports field, I was on my bicycle and off to the nearest trout dam. The more time I spent outdoors, the more I learned and the more

I wanted to know. These experiences growing up have shaped my character, beliefs and career interests to date and have been important in my personal development through life. As I grew older, I began reading a lot of fishing magazines and before long I had a bucket list of

Quality trout in the top of the south

places that I wanted to fish in my life time – New Zealand was always at the top of that list.

As chance would have it, I met a lovely young Kiwi overseas and today we call New Zealand home. I have been amazed at the quality of the trout fishing over here and at times feel like a kid again, with the new scenery, sounds, birds, plants and insects to take in and learn from. What is difficult to understand, is how few Kiwis use this awesome resource around the Top of the South. Reading last season’s fisheries report for the Nelson/Marlborough region, I picked out a few telling statistics around licence holders and river usage: 84 % of overseas based anglers visit the South Island, over 50 % of backcountry license holders in the Nelson/ Marlborough region are non-

Alert… pāua bag limit changes!

Please note the changes to the pāua bag and accumulation limit in Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson, effective 12 December 2019.

The recreational limit of pāua is changing in Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson to ensure the fishery remains sustainable after the impacts of the Kaikōura earthquakes in 2016.

The daily bag limit for pāua is being reduced from ten to five, and the accumulation limit from 20 pāua or 2.5kg of minced meat, to 10 pāua or 1.25kg of minced meat. This applies to both black foot and yellow foot pāua. These changes take effect on the 12 December 2019 in the Kaikōura/Canterbury (PAU3) and Nelson/Marlborough (PAU7) fisheries.

The bag and accumulation

limit is the maximum amount of pāua any one person can have in their possession at any given time if they have been fishing over more than one day. The earthquakes caused an uplift of coastline in both PAU3 and PAU7, which had a significant impact on pāua populations.

This was a unique event, and we need to be cautious to ensure the long term sustainability of the resource.

The change to harvest levels has been informed by the best available science and consultation with the local community, during which there was strong support for a reduction.

The total allowable commercial catch (TACC) limits were decreased in 2016/2017 in both PAU3 and PAU7 by 50%. The commercial industry in PAU7 has voluntarily shelved a

residents, licence checks suggested that 35 % of river users held non-resident licences in our region. In my eyes, this simply tells me that people are travelling from all over the world to experience this amazing fishery that the locals are seemingly taking for granted.

Nelson /Marlborough Fish and Game put a lot of effort into looking after this freshwater resource and making fishing opportunities accessible to the public.

Within a few hours’ drive of Nelson, we have access to a lifetime of freshwater fishing opportunities including world-class rivers, kids fish out ponds and beautiful lakes. So next time there is a weekend where the sea is too rough to get out on the boat, or you just need to get out of town for a change of scenery, I challenge you to get yourself and the families

out onto some of the rivers and lakes the region has to offer. Become a part of the New Zealand wilderness for a day and discover the beauty that the top of the south has to offer – catching a trout is only the second most enjoyable thing about being out in the country.

(Ed’s note: Ironically, we struggle to get Fish & Game to promote the sport through this paper, despite it having the highest circulation of any outdoor publication in New Zealand by more than double! Did you know over 20,000 people pick up a copy of The Fishing Paper & Hunting News each month—and we are told nobody reads print anymore; it’s all digital!

Thanks Gareth for assisting in promoting the fishery.)

Stuart Anderson—Director of Fisheries Management MPI

further 10% of the TACC to minimise the impacts of catch displaced from the closed area affected by the earthquakes.

The commercial and recreational catch changes help ensure that everyone plays their part in helping to maintain the sustainability of the fisheries.

The shellfish and seaweed closure is still in place along the Kaikōura and southern Marlborough coast. There is still research underway looking into the impacts of the earthquake uplift and it is important we continue to give this area time to recover.

Brochures, including information about the new bag and accumulation limit, will be made available.

Further information can be found on the Fisheries NZ website.

Bag limit reductions are aimed at a return to healthy stocks. Photo Storm Stanley

Issue 171 5

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THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

KLT – a more versatile circle hook

Over recent years, circle hooks have gained popularity with many anglers. Their key feature is that they are basically selfhooking; leave the rod in the holder and a fish having a crack at your bait will more than likely hook itself.

They are not designed for striking at the fish. That selfhooking aspect also makes them popular when you’re in conditions where it’s a little harder to feel the bites, deeper water or fishing in rough surf being classic examples of this.

Another key feature of circle hooks is that they almost always hook the fish in the corner of the mouth rather than in the gut or in

Mig Rumney from Fishing and Adventure caught this beauty in the far north, straylining with a KLT 8/0 hook and 60lb Tough Trace

the gills. That means anglers can release fish with less handling and less damage, increasing their chances of survival. Getting a hook out of the corner of the mouth is a lot easier too than retrieving it from further in, regardless of whether you’re keeping the fish or not.

One of the newer versions of circle hooks to hit the market is Black Magic’s KLT. You can see it’s a cousin to their black and red KL hooks and it comes out of the same Japanese factories. It has the same side profile, but the key difference is that it does not have the offset point of the KL style. It’s a non-offset circle hook. What’s the big deal here you ask? Well, it’s a lot about looking after your fish. Having the point of the hook in line with the shaft, rather than offset, decreases the chances of gut hooking if your fish does hoover the whole lot down. As the fish turns away, the hook slides back through the mouth, only catching and penetrating as if turns around the corner of the jaw—no real damage.

There are many IGFA rated tournaments that insist on this style of hook now, particularly with live baiting.

The other key feature is the hook’s coating. It’s called PTFE…think non-stick fry pans. You can feel it on the hooks surface. That ‘slippy’ feel improves penetration and helps the hook last longer, but the best thing…

Perchzillas on plastics Nothing is more special to me than uncovering a deep slow moving backwater in a small flowing river. I feel confident there will be a hungry perch lurking below, waiting to ambush potential food passing by. On this session, my confidence paid off.

During the months when the rivers are closed to

fishing, I like to seek out potential honey holes for the upcoming season, as the more spots I can fish in a river, the less likely I am to blank on any given fishing session. One spot I had found in winter stuck in my mind; a willow overhung the river, creating a deep gravelly hole of considerable size with a deep undercut bank

much better rust resistance.

You’ll find you use less hooks in a day’s fishing. If you’re using them in a rig, you should still freshwater rinse them at the end of the day.

But any rusty discolouration you see on your next trip out simply rubs off with ease.

You’ll see them used like this in Black Magic’s Snapper Snack® rigs.

You can get them from 1/0 all the way up to a 10/0 with that big one making an effective lightweight game hook for marlin or tuna.

Overall the KLT stands out as a totally versatile hook.

Surfcasting, live baiting, deep water fishing, straylining or on a variety of rigs, it’ll do them all. Certainly worth checking them out.

soft bait had fallen through the water column slowly, my line went solid. I STRUCK! The fish dug towards the old wooden structure, trying to seek sanctuary around God knows what has accumulated underneath.

Luck was on my side, and the fish turned my way.

The battle soon came to a close as a grand sized perch reached the bottom of my landing net.

lifted in, and the fish was on!

The perch darted and dug all over the hole but eventually was netted—3lb on the nose!

Much smaller than my first fish but still a respectable fish.

Tyler McBeth

in the margins. The potential had me excited.

little wind blowing from the south.

The new season finally came around once again, and so did my urge to feel the vicious jolts from Perchzillas on my softplastics. The conditions could not have been better on this particular day; light rain, heavy overcast weather, and slightly warm with very

Before I fished the willow hole, I'd felt the need to have a cast behind an old wooden structure that was in the water. I've had two perch from here in the past, which has made me feel the need for one or two casts each session. On the second cast, after my paddle tailed

Perchzilla, the colossal perch

After a few quick photos, the colossal perch was returned. I watched as it swam along just below the water to sulk under the wooden platform before moving elsewhere.

My attention then focused on the willow hole I had found higher up in the river.

A short drive and a walk later, I had arrived.

I fished a 4-gram jighead with a 5cm paddle bait soft bait. As I feathered the lure down in the hole on my first cast, I felt a soft bump. I

I retained this perch in my net in the water whilst I had another cast. WHACK! Two 3lb perch in two casts. This suggested to me there was a shoal in the hole. I released the two perch further downstream, so they do not spook the shoal. Bites came thick and fast after that. After a total of eight hooked and six fish from the slack-water to 3lb 8oz being brought to the net, the shoal finally put two and two together and, unfortunately, shut their mouths for the rest of my session.

I hooked one final fish after that, in another swim further downstream, but ended up calling it a day. I wasn’t disappointed. It had been a great session. I had quenched my perch thirst, but crave more hookups of my favourite species.

Issue 171 7

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8

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

Iconic Henderson’s ‘pregnant’ for summer Henderson's is bursting at the seam with summer stock and the girls, Tamzin and Lana, and are really excited about some of their new brands. A chance meeting between a regular Henderson's customer and the boys at Pacific Tackle on Waiheke Island has seen the introduction of several new ranges: Nomad Tackle lures, Accurate rods and reels, ThirtySeven jigs, and BKK hooks to name a few.

Henderson's has also extended the dive section

to include Wettie wetsuits, spear guns, and accessories.

Local spearfishing pro Gary Fisher is helping the team out with gun re-slings, advice, and repairs to ensure they can provide awesome service from kick off with this new range.

After some decent time out on the water in recent months, as well as customer feedback, the range of slow jig rods, reels, and tackle has increased hugely. Slow jig has been a game changer as a way to avoid spiny

Giving jigging a go today

dogfish, while still being able to target everything from tarakihi, gurnard, snapper, kingfish, and school groper.

If you haven’t used this light, fun gear, ask the staff in store for their advice. The topwater section has also grown in preparation for an awesome summer.

Lana with a nice carrot

The girls have spent the quiet months visiting suppliers, checking out different products and improving their stock.

New Zealand made Hutchwilco Lifejackets, Victory Knives, and the new range of Absolute Wilderness meals feature to promote quality, New Zealand businesses. Seriously cool Loose Unit watertoys and biscuits, as well as an increased range of boat seats, bait boards, and bimini tops from Ocean South means Henderson’s has all your boating and fishing needs covered.

Henderson’s has been a Marlborough icon for over twenty years. If you haven’t been in store for a while, pay the team a visit, you’ll be pleased that you did.

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Issue 171 9

Young hunters applauded

BOOK REVIEW The ROAR

The New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association (NZDA) is encouraging the next generation of New Zealanders to actively participate in hunting, saying hunters play a crucial role both in society and protecting the natural environment.

Tales of hunting, helicopters, and UFOs Alan Stevens Imagination Press RRP$40

This last month has seen young New Zealand hunters receiving death threats for the lifestyle they are providing for their families.

Reviewed by Stuart Graham I liked the title; great idea for a book—tales and tips on the red rut… but it’s a misnomer in this case. At the very least, an obscure title. That aside, the catchy front cover will stop the avid hunter in his or her tracks and lure you into one man’s reminisces of a life hunting the back blocks of the South Island and Stewart Island.

It’s essentially a linear journey, from a youthful introduction to hunting by an older brother who dragged Alan on a spotlighting ‘round’ from Reefton in the early 60s, through an eclectic mix of hunting adventures and observations,

to hunting in current times.

Much of the story is centred around Kaikoura and largely covers red deer hunting, with detours for whitetail, chamois, goats, and pigs.

The writing is prosaic; honest, unfiltered, and humorous. It provides a great snapshot of what hunting was really like and a sense of how it has changed over the years. There is no pretence from the author— he just tells it like it was, which is refreshing.

There is much to interest a wide hunting audience in The ROAR, with the chapter on taking to the air a particularly good read.

If you enjoy a nice easy hunting yarn with the odd insight along the way, this book is for you.

National NZDA President Trevor Chappell says he applauds young hunters and that it’s important for New Zealanders to recognise the positive role hunters play in society, to their families, and to New Zealand’s natural environment, and for the next generation of New Zealand hunters to be fully equipped in hunting safety and ethics.

“The NZDA applauds these young New Zealanders providing for their families with organic meat that is freely available. New Zealand hunters play

an important role in conservation, animal population management, outdoor advocacy, and provide organic free-range meat for friends and family to enjoy.

The NZDA is committed to encouraging and nurturing the next generation of hunters to pass on hunting traditions, culture, and respect for the outdoors. We encourage our members uphold the highest ethical standards and respect for game animals and recommend that anyone considering hunting enrol in a HUNTS programme that teaches responsible hunting, provides safety and firearms training, and skills to be able to survive in the outdoors,” says Trevor.

The New Zealand Deerstalkers’ association is the national body for hunters and shooters across New Zealand. Founded in 1938, the NZDA is a voluntary organisation, which has 49 branches and in excess of 8,000 members across New Zealand.

President Trevor Chappell says not only is the role of hunting important, but having a link with the outdoors and natural environment is necessary for young people’s mental health.

“As hunters we highly value the outdoors and remote places for physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits, and the resilience and selfreliance they provide the individual and believe that this is important for the next generation of New Zealanders,” says Trevor.

NZDA President Trevor Chappell

Cameron Howey of Wellington says hunting and being outdoors has played a vital role in his mental and physical health.

"I started hunting at 12 years old with

Happy hunter Cameron Howey of Wellington

my Dad. The main thing I have noticed about hunting is that it has significantly benefited my mental and physical health; the connection with nature and the outdoors helps with stress relief and having a sense of knowing where your meat came from—there is nothing quite like it. The relationships and connections you build with other hunters in the community is awesome too. I always encourage my mates to get involved.”

There are approximately 50,000 active hunters in New Zealand who help manage the game animal population in New Zealand. https://www.deerstalkers.org.nz/

Osprey swoops to new heights

Osprey Boats recently commissioned the biggest boat the Nelson company has built to date, a 10m vessel powered by twin 225 Yamaha outboards featuring the revolutionary new Yamaha Helm Master system. The aluminium boat was custom built for Matt Dobson of Wellington’s Black Pearl Fishing Charters, who says a purpose-built boat was the best option for his expanding business.

quickly and efficiently, and it gave the customer confidence through being actively involved.

“Our business is fishing and the sleek new Osprey has allowed us to really cater to the market and offer a safer, more versatile, more productive, and more comfortable fishing experience,” says Dobson.

Dobson has been fishing the Wellington area for 25 years and his experience in the charter industry was invaluable in the design and build process. Osprey Boats actually encouraged him to customise his boat, something lacking in larger boat companies, says Dobson.

Osprey production manager Matthew Elliott says, “The new model is a huge success and has greatly expanded our commercial market.”

Osprey Boats’ previous largest boat build was 9.2m. The increased size wasn’t the challenge.

The challenge here, like all Osprey Boats’ projects, was building a boat that satisfied the customer. Osprey Boats a family owned business has been building safe, reliable, built to last, and practically unsinkable boats for more than 20 years.

“While Matt knew what he wanted for Black Pearl Fishing Charters, trust that a boat builder could interpret those needs and translate them into good design is a big factor in bespoke boat design,” says Elliott, “so we made sure communication lines were open throughout the build.”

This meant any issues could be dealt with

“He knew where we were at each stage and we worked together to optimise the build and fine tune the vessel.”

“There was a bit of leeway with how I set up the seating and the cabin,” he says. “I had my cabin lifted up a bit and made bigger so I could sleep in it.

Being able to fully customise things is a huge advantage.”

The larger size of this new boat allows Dobson to grow his business by covering more distance and handling rougher conditions.

The Yamaha Helm Master is a fully integrated boat control system that, for one-man-band Black Pearl Fishing Charters, is like having another set of hands on board.

“I can push a button and it will hold me in one spot, so I can be out the back baiting hooks or taking fish off,” Dobson says. “For docking, the twin outboards allow me to move the boat sideways. I just use the joystick to bring the boat parallel to the wharf instead of having to turn it around. It makes everything quicker and easier.”

Dobson continued to update his Black Pearl Fishing Charters Facebook page during the build, and a steady stream of customers were ready and waiting to try out his new vessel once it was delivered ahead of schedule mid-October.

“Our greatest satisfaction is achieving customer satisfaction. Matt was speechless when his new boat was delivered and to see that reaction—perfect!” Elliott says.

Osprey Boats - 03 548 7887 Osprey.co.nz matt@osprey.co.nz matt@blackpearlcharters.co.nz

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10 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

Coutta’s Cut:

TIDES OF CHANGE Poppa Mike

Blame it on Werke, Ranke and the weak It was 1938 when Berlinbased Temmler Werke developed and began marketing his newly developed drug. Almost immediately high-ranking army physiologist Otto Ranke saw it as a new miracle drug that could keep tired Luftwaffe pilots alert and the entire Nazi army euphoric. 1939 research on university students found “sudden increased capability and impressive productivity despite being short on sleep.”

From this point onward the Wehrmacht, Germany’s army, distributed the drug to millions of their soldiers on the front. They soon nicknamed it Panzerschokolade – ‘tank chocolate.’ Note the capital letter ‘P!’ The commercial brand name was Pervitin. Note the letter ‘P’ again! Pervitin remained easy for the general public to obtain or as a prescription drug from pharmacies. Doctors freely prescribed it for patients as an appetite suppressant and for depression. Students, especially medical students, turned to the drug to help them cram through their studies. Likewise numerous athletes found Pervitin

decreased their sensitivity to pain.

However, this ‘miracle’ drug quickly became a nightmare. While its initial short term effects seemed attractive, the long term effects soon proved to be devastating. Addiction soon developed and with that came sweating, dizziness, depression and hallucinations. For some soldiers, heart failure or suicide resulted. Despite this Pervitin was not banned in Germany until 1988.

Since then the drug has re-emerged under the more technical term methamphetamine, more commonly referred to by the criminal underworld as ‘P.’ I recently had a first-hand encounter of the side effects of this drug. A person who was often employed (by another company) to carry out tasks adjacent to my work areas, began showing

strange moods, strange facial expressions, careless and dangerous acts and strained relationships with others about him. Then suddenly he was no longer on the job.

Then the newspaper reported his arrest and impending court hearing, so I took myself along to follow the case. His parents and I were the only ones in the public gallery. When the accused appeared from his custody cell he looked less than half the man I knew just a few weeks earlier - he had shrunk in height and weight, he looked haggard. He had also physically attacked his parents, in particular his mother and gave them the most evil glares. Needless to say he was found guilty and heavily sentenced to further imprisonment. Not only had this person wrecked his own life but he had severely damaged others. A bit like Werke and Ranke helping Germany lose the war!

Old, still married and alive I suppose, even though I hate to admit it, at 65 I’m approaching what some what some would consider old age. A lot subscribe to the theory that 70 is the new 50 but while my mind may agree, several other parts of my body most certainly don’t.

Lynne the Ruthless thinks I’m getting old too. She has never liked me venturing too far off the coast on my own and while she understands I’m a bit anti-social and like my own company, she has started coming with me if—a very big if—the weather is perfect.

Last summer one of those forecasts came up; five knot variable winds and no swell whatsoever. I mentioned to Lynne that it would be a great day but I was heading to Mayor Island , 20 miles out from Tauranga. We’d try and pick up some skippies for the bait freezer and have a go at a kingfish.

After swearing on The Fishing Paper that the weather would be to her liking, off, we went. All went well until about five miles short of Mayor, when the five knot variables turned into 15 – 20 knot south easterlies with waves straight off the beam. Lynne the

Ruthless had that “you lying bastard” look on her face and strongly suggested we turn around and head back in to where the conditions were more suitable. Words to that effect anyway.

However, she eventually succumbed to my charm and agreed to me putting a couple of skippy lures out to make the trip worthwhile. I put one in the holder and gave her the other.

Next thing, all hell broke loose. I looked back and, due to a tight drag, all 50kg of her was getting pulled all over the cockpit. She said something like, “Dear, please take this rod” (although not a direct quote), which I did and eventually landed one of the biggest skippies I’ve seen.

The other rod then went off and I got told my present worth and future prospects when I asked her to grab it. Another big one. By this time the swell was getting

Coutta

up and to avoid, at best, a serious domestic, I turned the boat around and, to keep the peace, proceeded across the swell at a nice 12 knots.

Nice and smooth, everyone was happy.

Now, I must mention that at that time I did not have hydraulic steering fitted (I have now) and I smoked rollies. As I said, the ride was nice and smooth so I steered with my knee and started to roll a smoke. I didn’t see a slightly bigger swell coming until it hit the side of the boat and knocked me just enough for my knee to come off the wheel. The boat slewed into the wave, Lynne crapped herself and erupted and called me for every careless bastard under the sun—and I dropped my smoke. That was basically the end of the day.

Very quiet trip in.

Since then, Lynne the Ruthless has learned to read the marine forecast and swellmap. On the bright side, I’m still old, still married, and nobody died.

SOUTH ISLAND Fighting Bay

catch fish... not cables SeveRe PeNALtIeS APPLY FOR ILLeGAL ACtIvItY IN tHe CPZ. CALL 0800 tHe GRID, tHe PAtROL veSSeL 027 444 2288 OR vISIt www.tRANSPOweR.CO.NZ NO FISHING of any type (including trawling, crayfishing, line fishing, taking of paua or kina, setting of nets).

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Issue 171 11

Fiordland a femme fatale The remoteness and primordial feel of Fiordland is a powerful attractant. In the modern spatially mapped, communications saturated, and culturally homogenised world, it has become increasingly difficult to satisfy the innate explorer within us.

Yet the very advancements that have ‘shrunk this world’ have also made it easy for us to venture further with less experience, knowledge, or preparation.

But convenience comes at a cost, and Fiordland’s virtues can also be its vice.

Like a femme fatale, Fiordland can be capricious; seductive and alluring one moment and destructive the next. The rugged coastal landscape is a masterpiece of intrinsic, historical, and natural beauty but the colliding forces of the southern oceans and associated weather fronts can change the mood from bright to brooding to black in the slash of a brush. Yet it is not to be avoided—just prepared for.

Well-equipped boaties leave from the boat ramp in Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. S. Logie, MPI.

For those wishing to experience coastal Fiordland, commercial charters offer a safe, comfortable, and informative option but for those wishing a more tangible explorer experience and to take their own vessel, advanced practical planning is essential.

A good first step is to acquire the user’s guide to the Fiordland Marine Area; Beneath the Reflections.

Published by the Fiordland Marine Guardians, it contains information about the rich history of the area, fisheries and biosecurity regulations, weather patterns and safe anchorages, communications, and includes a useful fiord-by-fiord guide.

The user’s guide also provides information on the suitability of anchorages according to the weather; for example, some of the northern fiords are best avoided during stronger northerly and westerly weather

patterns.

Fiordland is not the kind of place to venture into without the right kit, including good back-up communications, auxiliary engines, enough fuel and supplies, and appropriate safety equipment. Communication does require extra attention. While many coastal areas around New Zealand have reasonable cell phone and VHF radio coverage, Fiordland has zero cell phone coverage and the VHF network has gaps.

These are detailed in the user’s guide.

Installing VHF repeater on Mt Grono, Secretary Island. L. Cleaver, Environment Southland'

Fiordland is unique in other ways; before you set out, check out whether you have the right insurance policy to cover operating your vessel in Fiordland.

Some boaties have found themselves high and dry, and facing a hefty bill to

recover their boat when things haven’t gone according to plan.

There are also biosecurity issues to contend with. With the arrival of the invasive seaweed Undaria into Breaksea Sound and Chalky Inlet there are restrictions in place in both areas. Whether you are entering Fiordland via the coast, making a road trip to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi or Doubtful Sound/Patea, or permanently moored in the Fiordland Marine Area, you must have a Clean Vessel Pass for your boat. This requirement is a condition under The Fiordland Marine Regional Pathway Management Plan and has been put in place to prevent marine pests from getting a foothold in Fiordland.

A Clean Vessel Pass can be obtained online from Environment Southland. When you get your pass, you also get a free copy of Beneath the Reflections.

If you are planning a visit to Fiordland, check out Fiordland Marine Guardians web page for more information:

https://www.fmg.org.nz/

Ask a local – Boating in Fiordland is a privilege And with privilege comes responsibility.

As a group, we’re responsible for managing and caring for Fiordland’s precious marine environment.

Before you venture into Fiordland ask a local.

Collectively, the Fiordland Marine Guardians represent the knowledge/mātauranga and experience of Fiordland users. Whether it’s about safe anchorages, fishing regulations, or requirements for a Clean Vessel Pass for Fiordland, connect with us at FMG.org.nz

Photo courtesy of Dirty Dive South

12 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

A ghost wins award

PISTOL SHOOTING Brian Bishop

Philippines Shooting Well back from the Philippines with the New Zealand Team. What can I say, they know how to do an event and made us all feel very welcome. Even before we arrived, we had a request for the team to do the haka, no team that I know of has done this before but when the host nation asks, “Yes” is the only reply.

The opening ceremony was awesome and our haka went down well, a lot of heart went into making it work. As a team we made ourselves known with team photos with the officials and by staying around to the end, while most others slipped away.

Shooting started early the next morning for half of us whilst the others started in the afternoon. As with all matches this size you only shoot half days, rotating morning and afternoon. This helps with the numbers and allows us to handle the heat, because it’s a little hotter over there (the last day just about killed me).

The shooting was very good, with some of the best in the world there which included 1100 competitors from 40 countries. Making

this the biggest Australasia hand gun match ever, which was no surprise when you actually got to see the event.

It was nice to arrive and have the support of the country and its officials, which is the opposite to what we are experiencing here in New Zealand at the moment.

In the Philippines shooting is a valued pastime and sport as they understand the benefits to the community.

Armscore, a local ammunition company, declared they would give 1 million rounds for the Philippine team members, that works out to about 30,000 per team member.

While in New Zealand we get the Government making lives very hard on licenced shooters and the feeling of unease is very real.

We had some very good results; Julian Watson 3rd Production Super senior (over 60), with Classic, Revolver and Standard pistols all managing 3rd

places. Open didn’t do so well as we had a few problems, the less said about my shooting the better, I didn’t do my part and for that I’m sorry.

Prize giving was again a big night and was well run if maybe a bit long as we only had time afterwards for a quick shower, pack our gear and head off to the airport for the flight home to Auckland.

For me the adventure wasn’t over as I was due to give an oral submission on the new proposals for the second tranch.

I have never been keen on public speaking and the nerves were building as time approached. How did it go down? Who knows? I did get Tamati to stop texting with a well-chosen comment about hearing that decisions already appear to have been made, this made him put down his phone and take notice of what I had to say.

There were some good questions from National and all I can say is I did my best and I hope some good will come of it.

The Ghost Trolling Motor has won gold at The Designers Institute of New Zealand The Best Design Awards, an annual showcase of excellence in graphic, spatial, product, interactive and motion design along with four boutique awards.

Comments from the judging panel included, “This technical tour de force lured the judge’s attention and reeled them in with its thoroughly considered and ergonomically resolved controls and comprehensively refined user experience. A world class product deserving of gold in this competitive sector.”

In addition to the gold

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“Ghost and HDS Live are the magic combination of great engineering execution, innovation and user centred design,” said Paul Bailey, Principal Designer, Navico. “It is fantastic that the commitment and focus shown by our talented team to craft such amazing user experiences has been recognised by the Best Design Awards judges.”

For more information on the Lowrance Ghost Trolling Motor or the HDS-LIVE range, please visit www. lowrance.com or call 1300 NAVICO (Aus). 0800 4 NAVICO (NZ).

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Issue 171 13

Captain’s Log:

CRIMPTOON

Beam me up spotty Roads to richness story I grew up on a farm in the Tadmor valley south of Nelson and, as a youngster, watched a rally scream through the Dry Weather Road late one night in the late sixties early seventies.

Mum. Dad, and us three kids stood by the edge of the gravel road as growly cars, one after another, became airborne off a hump 50m away, hit the ground spewing stones, and rocketed past, leaving us in a dusty slipstream. We were blinded by the incandescent lights and stirred by the other-worldly tenor of the event but that was my one and only connection with rallying.

When offered Driven to review I vacillated and only went for it because I’d earlier decided to take a punt on books ‘outside my sphere of interest’ or on genres I normally shy away from.

As a result, I’ve chewed on some duds but this is not one of them. Even if you are not remotely interested in motor sports, Driven is a high octane read that deserves

more than a sick pun from me!

Most will recognise the name Hayden Paddon because being at the top of one’s sport creates its own celebrity, but only rally aficionados will know the backstory—how a Kiwi country kid battled through the ranks to successfully challenge the rally world’s elite drivers. In Driven, Hayden shares the ups and downs of a 20 year career that saw him following in the footsteps of his idols Possum Bourne and Colin McRae. Single-minded, his goal was always to become World Rally Champion—a tall ask for a lad from Geraldine.

While an autobiography, Driven is a suspenseful read and genuine page turner, with many elements of a good novel. There’s a rags to riches theme but tempered with the Kiwi can do attitude and a heavy dose of Number Eight Wire ingenuity. Underlying this is a love story, a touch of romance, some heartbreak, and the patriotic trope of the underdog rising above all odds—but it’s real.

It’s also a story of friendship, relationships, team work, and humour.

There are lots of thrills and spills, and Hayden’s portrayal of the intricacies and techniques of driving are fascinating. He writes with a raw honesty and delivers a great exposé on

the behind the scenes rally world, which is populated with a rich ensemble of savoury and unsavoury characters. There is a sense that international rallying is not too far removed from the rock world, where ‘fame and fortune’ are as fickle as fog on the wind.

What does shine through is Hayden’s authenticity.

Determined, single-minded, obsessed, talented, and outspoken, he is, at the root of it all, a dinkum Kiwi bloke. By the end of the book, you feel like you just want to meet the guy and shake his hand.

Maybe, just maybe… some of the inspiration will rub off.

Highly recommended.

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Issue 171

THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019 Nine years ago this month Leslie John Blake passed away suddenly but peacefully at Bay of Islands Hospital, Kawakawa, aged 68 years. Very few people knew him as Leslie Blake but in the Bay of Islands, and in most small commercial fishing ports around New Zealand, the name Johnny Longline was legend. Daryl Sykes looks back at…

15

Whangaroa Harbour – a jewel of the north Photo credit Northland Tourism

Johnny Longline and the loves of his life Johnny Longline grew up in Christchurch and commenced his long maritime career in a sailing dinghy and was skilful enough to represent Canterbury in a youth regatta.

When not sailing, his weekends were spent on trawlers and line boats operating out of Lyttelton. Aged fifteen, Johnny joined the merchant navy and within three years had his Able Seaman’s ticket.

During the early 1960’s, Johnny crewed on various commercial vessels. He worked lobster boats and trawlers out of Westport.

On one trawler voyage, Johnny made his first accidental catch of lobsters. Whilst the skipper and crew slept, Johnny came fast on something big and heavy. He had to wake them as the trawler threatened to go under stern-first. At first they thought they must have fouled a huge log or shipping

Johnny and Rita

container, but after carefully retrieving the net they had a record catch of 16 tonnes of lobsters, which had been on their seasonal march from Southland.

Johnny moved from the mainland and trawled out of Napier for eighteen months, followed by a another few tours of duty on lobster boats in the Bay of Plenty.

That work also had its moments and the worst of them involved an octopus. Whilst potting off the Raurimus near White Island, Johnny reached inside a pot to recover lobsters, when a very large octopus took exception to being disturbed and latched on to his arm.

When Johnny stuck his other hand in to free himself, the occy wound itself around that too. The old occy had braced itself with two tentacles latched onto the sorting table.

Johnny yelled for his deckie to get him loose but, whilst struggling to get hold of the occy, he too was wrapped up—and that’s when their boat ran onto rocks!

The adrenaline immediately kicked in and both men tore free of the octopus and immediately put out a call for help.

Fortunately, there were other boats in the vicinity and Johnny’s sinking vessel was lashed between two of them and ferried back to the wharf.

Johnny then worked his way further north and, in 1968 in Auckland, purchased his first boat, the Te Kauri. For the next two years, Johnny long-lined the Hauraki Gulf, selling much of his catch from the side of the road.

Then, in 1970, he moved to the Whangaroa

READ US ONLINE go to

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Harbour where he fished to supply the Totara North fish factory, then owned by the Lane family.

lining out of Houhora when each of his 600 long-line hooks captured a fat snapper; day after day after day.

When his first marriage crashed out in 1973, Johnny took timeout from fishing, working for a good five years at the fabled Kingfish Lodge. In 1982 he re-married.

Becoming the wife of a commercial fisherman was to change everything for Rita Blake.

There were also a couple of mind-blowing trips on board a 1500 ton American-based super-seiner. One day they managed to land 500 ton of skipjack in one hit.

The newlyweds decided they didn’t want to be apart while Johnny was working at sea so decided to start a fishing venture together. They bought Delightful, and after fixing up the old vessel, Rita hung some flowery curtains at the windows, and they set sail in their new home.

Johnny and Rita successfully long-lined and floundered until Johnny’s ill-health forced partial retirement in 1991. There were some golden days during the early eighties, long-

Johnny was also an ardent competitive recreational fisherman. He participated in the Whangaroa one-base game tournament for 31 years. It took him 29 years to land his first marlin. Johnny also had an unusual affinity to recreational fishing vessels—the NZ Coastguard gave him a special award for towing 32 disabled boats back to port in only one year.

Despite his failing health, Johnny persevered with flounder netting in Whangaroa Harbour but had to hang up the gumboots in 1997. He took up net making as a modest income supplement to their pension.

When Johnny and Rita retired, they bought their first house and enjoyed a new, relaxed way of life living by the sea. However, things were to change again when John was diagnosed with leukemia.

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Rita tells of this time. “When John was told he had a terminal illness, I asked him if he would like to spend the last few years of his life on the sea. So we sold our house and bought ‘Delightful Lady’. On our first morning on the boat, John woke me and told me to come outside. I walked out into the cockpit to be greeted with squeaks from dolphins swimming around our new home. John said, ‘That is amazing, they have welcomed you back to the sea’.”

Johnny's funeral was held at the Whangaroa Sports Fishing Club on Friday 26 November 2010. When John passed away, Rita decided she couldn’t live alone on the boat. Losing her husband was devastating but she knew she had to find the strength to keep going, as he would have wanted.

“With the help of family and friends I got my life together again, slowly,” she explained.

“We all have choices in life, and you can sit and wait to join your departed one or move on, grasp life, and live it to the best of your ability.”

Sandy Dobbs shows that women can still catch fish in Whangaroa Harbour Photo credit Instagram.

In 2013 and hoping to inspire people, and show her grandchildren ‘Nana isn’t just a grey haired old lady’, Rita Blake published her memories of life at sea in her delightful book ‘Walking with Dolphins’, a love story told with honesty and simplicity and a beautiful postscript to the eventful life of Johnny Longline Blake and a strong foundation for Rita as a story teller and author. For those who have lived close to the sea and won their livelihoods from fishing her book will be a comfort and an inspiration.

With acknowledgements to Rita Blake and NZ Professional Fisherman/Peter Stevens for source material. Walking with Dolphins is self-published by Rita Blake and Ken Weston, copyright 2013.

Contact delightfulritablake@gmail.com

16 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - NOVEMBER 2019

Optically Speaking The exciting new Pulsar Axion thermal Pulsar thermal imagers are renown for quality, performance, and reliability, as well as being widely chosen by pest controllers, search and rescue, and mariners. This month I will discuss the merits of the new Pulsar Axion thermal monocular and why it is redefining the budget thermal imaging market.

Released at the beginning of 2019, the Pulsar Axion made an immediate impact with every shipment presold before arrival. Customers prepared to wait were rewarded with a beautifully engineered product that is innovative and oozing with quality.

Manufactured with an extremely strong, lightweight and waterproof magnesium alloy body, it is sleek, ultra compact and ergonomically designed for ease of use. A quick-change rechargeable battery enables the user many hours of observation time and is highly important because all batteries wear-

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The Pulsar Axion is a valuable hunting accessory and is ideal for many other tasks including farm security.

out over time and the availability of new batteries is an important purchasing consideration.

At the core of the Axion is a new 320x240 ATTO sensor that is manufactured in France by Lynred, who are a major supplier of thermal sensors for military, aeronautics, and space applications. Unlike many other budget thermals, the Axion is fitted with a precision ground germanium

lens that produces a clear, undistorted image, that is perfect for the sensor’s highresolution 12 micron pixels pitch.

The Pulsar Axion is available in two model types, the Axion XMS and the Axion Key XMS, the latter having a lower specification viewing screen and no video recording and streaming.

The higher specification Axion XMS screen is noticeably better and the

price reflects this. However, the Axion Key represents excellent value-for-money, and incorporates all the key features that are required to spot game and pests at night, as well as for many other applications.

Starting at under $2000, the Pulsar Axion represents outstanding value. To see an Axion for yourself, visit www.yukonoptics.co.nz to find your local authorised stockist.

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Issue 171 17

Filth & Me A local cocky reckons “the stock have gone queer and who can blame ‘em.” The stock are not alone. The wild game animals have also gone queer and I’m beginning to scrabble on the top step of that same slippery slide myself.

This week alone we’ve had frigid gales from every point of the compass, breathless humid sauna days, snow flurries followed by rainbows, frosts followed by skin-shrivelling furnace blasts. Random weather.

Queer animals and a sulking human stifled by nature’s wayward ways.

Spring growth has proliferated, grasses forming seed heads, matagouri sprouting green amongst the grey thorns, bracken and blackberry unfurling their leaves, yellow flowers spatter the land at ground level and at eye level. Animals of all species are feeding in a frenzy to compensate for the hard times of winter.

Weather aside, now is the time for this hunter to climb high.

Aha! A movement caught my eye. For a while I thought it was just the tikka and I wandering these hilltops but no, we have company. It’s a billy goat. He’s glossy black

• • • •

with cherry highlights. That combination of colours some women try to attain with hair dye and salon stylists. As far as goats go he’s a handsome fella.

Kim Swan

piebald onesie, smudged with a generous coating of wallow mud, was hard to follow as he ghosted through the scrub. He paused for thought before resuming his pursuit of the two black goats. He stalks them.

Cunningly, he pretends he is disinterested, he noses the ground, yawns, sidled closer.

Always, always his eye is on his quarry - they back away, he shuffled forward.

Aha! Bill has a friend, a black and tan with a severe limp and yes, if I listen intently I can hear another, Mr Brown, foraging horndeep in the prickly scrub.

Billy One and Billy Two acted awful strange. They’re nervous, irritated, peering into the scrub where Mr Brown forages and then I espy Filth. Filth takes acting strange to a whole new level.

As the trio progressed uphill, so do I. Intermittently I do a quick, quiet, scarper then parked my arse, dropped my rifle into my lap and resumed ogling.

With binoculars clasped in steady hands I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene across the gully. Never before have I witnessed a boar hunting mature goats.

Filth is a predator. He is hunting the billy goats. At first it’s hard to believe but his body language tells a story and it’s not just me who’s reading him like a book.

The limping goat appears to be Filth’s prey. Little do they know, all of them are my prey. Very soon goats and boar will venture into a blind spot and I will lose them. Or the indecisive breeze will give away my presence to the players in this strange and unlikely game.

As Filth disappeared back into the cover of matagouri and bracken, the black billies took to high ground. From their rocky outcrop they snorted and twitched. Their unsuspecting brown mate browsed unconcerned till a stealthy snout poked through the scrub. Suddenly he's accosted by a lunging beast going in for the hold.

Mr Brown, large, fit and fast, made good his escape.

Who goes first? The clever mud-encrusted boar will feed my family, so he is number one on my hit list.

Filth, camouflaged in his

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I propped elbows into knees and followed Filth with scope wound to 9x. When he paused, I pop some lead behind his ear then turn my attention to Bills One, Two and Three. Then, a surprise, as the gunfire spooked Bill Four from his hideout in dense cover. Silly boy should have stayed put.

The predator pig is hard to find, his camo coating serving him well as I circled and stomped in vain. Finally though, he is mine.

But then again, yuck, no.

No thank you!

Filth reeked. He is a youngish boar with no ears, with broken tusks, slathered in wallow mud and absolutely disgustingly pongy. His belly is tight with muck and maggots.

An opportunist omnivore, his steady supply of stinky carrion has tainted him inside and out.

The limpy billy goat, perhaps with an infected wound, either looked like or smelt like easy meat.

The farm boundary, not far away, is home to a maternal flock. Had Filth learnt his killing ways on wobblylegged lambs? Did he then upskill to ewes, the cast and the heavily pregnant? No wonder they’d ‘gone queer,’

with him stalking their maternity suites.

Unfortunately for Filth his hunt for a warm meat meal has been his downfall.

Unfortunately for the goats,

they avoided the boar but they haven’t dodged a bullet.

Unfortunately for me, I leave empty-handed, all five of my targets far too hard on the nostrils to shoulder and lug home.

18 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

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Remove to a baking tray and bake at 220º C for a further 5 minutes.

Take out and rest for 10 minutes.

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Season with a pinch of salt and a good dash of white pepper.

Mash with butter, using a dob at a time, until light and fluffy.

Serve fillets on fresh greens, topped with radish sauce.

Issue 171 19

Fish Mainland – what it will look like and how will it operate The November issue (page 8) has an article titled, ‘Why Fish Mainland makes sense.’

This article briefly explains what Fish Mainland will look like and how it will operate.

As background, a group of South Islanders has recently worked together to design an organisation to represent South Islanders’ marine recreational fishing interests. They aptly named it, Fish Mainland. Its aim is to provide a unified voice for South Island marine recreational fishers.

Fish Mainland is designed to support the valuable contribution that fishing makes to the health and wellbeing of South Island fishers and communities.

It is also designed to demonstrate the ability to work respectfully and collaboratively with the Government, Iwi, the other fishing sectors and interests to find workable solutions that provide the best public outcomes.

A challenge, however, is that the recreational fishing sector is numerous, diverse and undefined. It is largely unknown, except for a small proportion with membership to fishing and boating clubs.

In comparison, commercial fishing quota holders and Mandated Iwi Organisations are well defined, and they have incentives to form

mandated representative organisations to speak on issues of importance.

The group of South Islanders acknowledged these differences, along with the futility and high cost of identifying and seeking a mandate from the majority of the 100,000+ South Islanders who fish.

Instead, the group focused on how Fish Mainland could best build a mandate for representation, based on an electoral system to select a Board of Directors at the regional and Iwi level.

capability will include roles in operations and communications and staff able to cover a range of duties, including policy, research, development, accounting, membership, coordination, fisher engagement and community events. The intent is for a fully functioning Fish Mainland to have four to five full-time equivalent staff, plus contractors as required.

Anyone who is interested in and supportive of recreational fishing and/

or sustainable fisheries management practices can be a member of Fish Mainland for free. However, only those who reside, or own land, on the South Island or Stewart Island will have rights to nominate and vote for regional directors. The same goes for any member groups (incorporated societies, charitable trusts and companies) located on the South Island and Stewart Island. Each will have one vote.

Fish Mainland will soon become an incorporated society with a website providing for membership sign-up. Members and non-members alike will be encouraged to donate funds that will be necessary for Fish Mainland’s day-to-day operations.

At this early stage,

Your donations will be particularly important now and until the group of South Islanders and the Government agree on the best way to secure, long-term funding for Fish Mainland.

enquiries to

Fish Mainland cannot be possible without your commitment and financial contributions.

Please direct any Jim Crossland 021 0294 5996 03 355 9433 bayfieldenter@xtra.co.nz

Each Director elected from the regions will be expected to represent the interests of their respective regional recreational fishers and the interests of all South Island fishers. Similarly, the Directors appointed by the Mandated Iwi Organisations will be expected to represent the interests of all South Island fishers, along with the interests of their respective or collective Iwi. The two Directors appointed by the Board will also be expected to represent the interests of all South Island fishers.

At all Board meetings each Director will have one vote, and resolution will be decided by a simple majority. The Chairperson will not have a casting vote in Board or committee meetings.

The intent is to build Fish Mainland’s capability and capacity over time, starting with a CEO and Office Manager.

In due course the

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20 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

TrackMe best investment Daryl Crimp

I have been using an Inreach Explorer for several years now and rate it as one of the best investments I have made, for my hunting and outdoor pursuits. It ranks alongside quality rifle, Swarovski optics, Jetboil, and Radix nutrition—none of which I’d head into the hills without.

Garmin Inreach

are experts in the field. The monthly plans are affordable and flexible, and small price to pay for safety and peace of mind in our rugged outdoors.

The unit allows friends and family to track you and communicate with you in real time, from home computer, tablet, or smartphone, which does reassure loved ones that you are okay, safe, and well. My son Daniel is now heading off into the wilderness with his mates on hunting adventures, so the Inreach has been invaluable here. I can not only check his progress, ensure he’s okay, but communicate as well; change of plans are noted and rendezvous or pick up times coordinated so I’m not wasting time.

There have been times where I have decided to pull out of an area early and been able to communicate directly with the chopper pilot, sending my coordinates and brief message.

The pilot then flies directly to your feet.

Essentially, it is a remote satellite communications and safety device: think a marriage of sat phone, GPS, map, and PLB, on a monthly cell phone plan and you have the concept. However, you cannot talk via the Inreach but you can communicate by way of text and emails, and send out your location at the push of the button.

I use New Zealand company TrackMe NZ as my provider because I think they offer the best service for local conditions and they

The emergency SOS feature is a winner because it is linked directly to Rescue Centre in Wellington, whereas other PLBs send the signal to an overseas location before it is redirected back to NZ. This saves precious time in an emergency but the unit also allows Wellington Rescue to communicate directly with you to ascertain the type of emergency and other relevant details, which can expedite the rescue.

Other useful features include weather updates, trip statistics, compass, preset message for quick updates, long life rechargeable battery, and the ability to

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Issue 171 21

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The Fishing Paper & Hunting News

Editor: Daryl Crimp - 021 472 517 editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz Sub-Editor: Mike Brown Administration & Sales: Annette Bormolini 021 028 73393 - annette@coastalmedia. co.nz Deputy Editor: Ron Prestage rgprestage@xtra.co.nz Printer: Inkwise

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

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22 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

Never Be Lost

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The inReach Explorer+ works anywhere so you’re never out of range. The inReach will allow you to send and receive messages which is a game changer and in the real world means you can receive information that could save you time and effort and of course it adds to your safety.

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Issue 171 23

A halcyon Helion hunt

BOOK REVIEW Always Summer

The little buggers had frustrated me all year.

Sometimes the fickle wind betrayed me but most often it was their keen eyesight and familiarity with their territory that continually gave them the advantage. However, on a balmy evening last month, an almost imperceptible breeze, burdened by a heavy musky odour, changed the odds and I superstitiously crossed my fingers at my side. Fallow!

Fishing from two angles Peter Rolfe & Michael Pickford Medlar Press Available www. medlarpress.com Reviewed by T P McPhee English mates, Peter Rolfe & Michael Pickford, fished together for many years until Michael emigrated to New Zealand. The fishing thread continued through long letters and then emails, which ultimately led to the construct of this book.

Based over just one year, the framework of the book is an exchange of ‘letters’ focused on their respective fishing exploits, thoughts, and observations, yet from two very different perspectives; Michael fishing the big water of New Zealand’s Lake Taupo and surrounds and Peter fishing small English ponds for coarse fish.

It’s a clever mechanism because it allows for the exploration of fishing themes from two viewpoints, while giving both writers a platform from which to inform, educate, and express their feelings and opinions to a wider audience. There is much fascinating material

T P McPhee

to be learned from the exchanges, particularly from Peter’s delving into the ecology and biology of pond fishing and related species.

Michael brings the tangible thrills of fishing to life with his descriptive prose, giving harmony to the two styles.

This is a quality read that will withstand repeated readings; both authors are clearly very accomplished writers and Medlar Press is a specialist fishing publisher of high end books, so this is definitely not a disposable read. The narrative is clean and tight, with fitting support from monochrome illustrations throughout.

Available online from Medlar Press.

This small resident herd numbering only a dozen, frequents a pine covered terrace I regularly hunt in the North Island, but they are devilishly difficult to get the drop on. The deer notice anything out of place in their environment and easily detect the slightest movement in the clear layer beneath the pines. A hunter’s moving legs contrast nicely with the static tree trunks, no matter how slow and deliberate the movement, and regularly crouching to scan underneath the foliage often adds to your ‘footprint’ in an alien environment.

Layers of shadows also make the charcoal coloured critters difficult to see—until it’s too late.

A recent acquisition that has helped me level the

We have the technology

playing field is the Pulsar Helion XP38 Thermal Imager (see my review last issue), which features a more powerful processor than previous models, the high resolution 640x480 thermal sensor.

The compactness, lightness, clarity, and range of this little unit showcases how technology can be transformative to one’s hunting.

While many think thermals are nocturnal hunting tools,

there are many daytime situations where the Helion saves you time, energy, and frustration—such as locating animals in the shadowy understory of the pines or native forest.

This evening, I’d detected the deer without the Helion XP38, first by smell and then my ‘hunter’s eye’ detected a dark shadow out of place, recessed in the pines. I hugged the ground and waited, motionless. Soon, fallow filtered out of the pines, in ones and twos, heading for a favourite feeding face. The Helion had been in play for some

minutes now and I was able to ascertain a number of things not clear to the naked eye: there were nine deer in the group, seven still staggered back 80m into the pines, and most were yearlings but two were pregnant does. I could make out through the thermal, the velvet knobs of a solitary spiker so waited until it fed into the open. A steady rest over the day pack allowed for a head shot and prime meat was destined for the summer barbie.

Then the blowflies descended, changing halcyon to harrowing!

Tasman Bay snapper Doug Clifton

An early start followed by a stop at BP for the essential coffee soon had us heading out of The Cut under the light of a full moon. We

headed towards the Kina Bluffs and aimed for the 15 metre mark that has provided in the past. The first hour of fishing was slow

but with the turn of the tide and the current starting to push our luck soon changed.

With the tide now running it wasn’t long before Ethan

Doug's Tasman Bay snapper

Ethan nails a nice one

nailed a nice fish on the orange Khoga slider. After getting the monkey off our back the fish started to come on the chew with some nice snapper and gurnard to throw in the mix. The fish were in fantastic condition and put up a decent scrap on the light gear!

The key was running multiple different set up’s with a slow jig, flasher rig and strayline to cover our bases. Squid seemed to be the flavour of the day with the majority of the fish caught on the old faithful flasher rig out the back of the boat.

With the wind starting to pick up signaling the end of our morning we headed for home. A slightly bouncier trip back across the bay soon had us back on land with a beer in hand and the filleting knives out!

24 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

From Sinker to Smoker

Targeting rig at Mokihinui

Ron Prestage

Fresh paddle crabs - top rig bait A solid Mokihinui rig

Rig always feature on the results list for the annual ten-day Mokihinui Fishing Competition. Many daily heaviest fish winners are good sized rig and the longest fish has been a rig in the past.

A welcome feature of rig fishing is that they can be caught in conditions that are unsuitable for snapper catching. Rig don’t mind dirty water, whether it’s caused by river flood water or stirred up sediment from

wave action. Rig will feed in rough seas and close to shore as they search out crabs, the main course in their diet.

Bait choice is the key component in successful rig catching. Paddle crabs and prawns are the best baits for rig. Somehow the rig, with their highly developed sense of smell, like all sharks, can sniff out a crab or a prawn in dirty water, in the dark, or in the boiling surf.

It is an advantage to fish

with two rods or with two baits so you can target snapper and rig at the same time. Australian banana prawns are the ones I like to use, although other fishers have reported success with other types of prawns, including cooked ones.

My favoured rig for rig fishing is the pulley rig, as this set up allows the crab or prawn bait to waft around on the sea floor, the place where rig find their favourite food. Use a 5/0 main hook

and a 4/0 keeper hook plus bait elastic to secure your crab or prawn. A 5oz breakout sinker should keep your line in place.

Best time for rig fishing is dawn and dusk or if you are a night owl, in the dark.

The Mussel Rocks near Mokihinui is a good place to catch paddle crabs for bait in the low tide pools.

Use a crab pot or an onion sack filled with fish frames on a line. Leave the baited sack in the deeper part of

the pool for a while and then gradually pull it into the shallows and grab the feeding crabs with a gloved hand.

Rig should be trunked as

soon as possible to prevent the ammonia taste getting into the flesh. Battered rig is great with chips for a tasty meal. Rig also freezes well so is well worth catching and keeping.

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Issue 171 25

East Otago Taiāpure Regulation Changes

Changes to the Pāua bag and accumulation limit in Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson The recreational limit of pāua is changing in Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson to ensure the fishery remains sustainable after the impacts of the Kaikōura earthquakes in 2016.

The daily bag limit for pāua is being reduced from ten to five, and the accumulation limit from 20 pāua or 2.5kg of minced meat, to 10 pāua or 1.25kg of minced meat.

This applies to both black foot and yellow foot pāua.

These changes take effect on the 12 December 2019 in the Kaikōura/ Canterbury (PAU3) and Nelson/Marlborough (PAU7) fisheries.

The bag and accumulation limit is the maximum amount of pāua anyone can possess at any given time if they have been fishing over more than one day.

The 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes caused an uplift of coastline in both Canterbury and Marlborough, significantly impacting pāua populations.

The change aims to reduce the risk of depletion from recreational fishing after

impacts on the pāua populations caused by the earthquakes.

Changing the harvest levels was informed by the best available science and a consultation held in 2018, during which there was strong support for a reduction.

The total allowable commercial catch (TACC) limits were decreased in 2016/2017 in both PAU3 and PAU7 by 50%. The commercial industry in PAU7 has voluntarily shelved a further 10% of the TACC to minimise the impacts of catch displaced from the closed area affected by the earthquakes.

The commercial and recreational catch change will help maintain the sustainability of the pāua.

The change aims to reduce the risk of depletion from recreational fishing after impacts on the pāua populations caused by the

2016 Kaikōura earthquakes.

In 2016, the Kaikōura earthquakes caused an uplift of coastline in both PAU 3 and PAU 7. As a result, pāua populations and other intertidal species along these sections of coastline were significantly impacted, with high levels of observed mortality.

Commercial catch limits and recreational allowances were reduced in 2017 as a result of the earthquakes’ impacts and the subsequent closure.

Recreational regulations haven’t been reviewed in PAU 7 since the earthquakes.

Displaced recreational fishing effort, and increased recreational fishing pressure on localised paua populations outside of the closed area, meant that the current recreational regulations set for

sustainable utilisation in PAU 3 and PAU 7 were no longer considered appropriate.

Best available information suggests recreational harvest has increased since 2011/12 in both paua management areas, and that recreational harvest has been displaced following the implementation of the earthquake closure. This is causing an increase in fishing pressure on localised paua populations that are readily accessible and outside of the closed area within PAU 3 and PAU 7.

There is a strong management focus on ensuring paua fisheries remain healthy, and are managed at high levels of abundance so that they can continue to provide benefits over the long term. The high biological vulnerability of paua fisheries (e.g., due to the risks associated with localised depletion), mean PAU 7 is subject to regular stock assessments to monitor and inform management.

Consequent to consultation, the Minister of Fisheries has agreed to the regulations proposed by the East Otago Taiāpure Management Committee.

The Decision Document can be viewed on the Fisheries NZ website.Thus, the Fisheries (Amateur Fishing ) Regulations 2013 and the Fisheries (South-East Area Commercial Fishing) Regulations 1986 will be amended to give effect to the following: • close the East Otago Taiāpure to both commercial and recreational pāua fishing • prohibit harvesting seven species of attached kelp: Durvillaea antarctica, D. willana, Ecklonia radiata, Macrocystis pyrifera, Marginariella boryana, Marginariella urvilliana and Lessonia variegata within the Taiāpure; • prohibit commercial and recreational use of set-nets within the Taiāpure; • require all recreational fishers to hold only whole or gilled/gutted fish when fishing within the Taiāpure.

These changes will come into force on 12 December 2019.

Further information can be found on the Fisheries NZ website.

Pāua restrictionsPAUA RULES FOR CHALLENGER AREA PAU3 (Canterbury) and PAU7 (Nelson/Marlborough) area Ordinary (Blackfoot) Paua

Rules

• Use a flat blade tool to remove paua

The recreational limit for pāua is changing in Canterbury, Marlborough, and Nelson** to ensure the fishery remains sustainable after the impacts of the Kaikōura earthquakes in 2016.

• Measure your catch before leaving th water.

The daily bag limit for pāua is being reduced from 10 to 5, and the accumulation limit from 20 pāua or 2.5kg of minced meat, to 10 pāua or 1.25kg of minced meat. This applies to both black-foot and yellowfoot pāua. These changes take effect on 12 December 2019 Minimum size: 125mm

PAUA RULES FOR CHALLENGER AREA

The area from Marfells Beach to the Conway River* remains closed to the taking Ordinary (Blackfoot) Paua Rules of shellfish and seaweed species (excluding rock lobster and scampi).

Yellowfoot Paua

Daily limit:

• Underwater breathing gear (UBA, sc prohibited when taking or possessin

• Paua must remain in the shell until above the mean high water mark (in from a boat).

10

• Use a flat blade tool to remove paua.

• When daily limits are accumulated t maximum number of paua that one can have in their possession at any o is 20 paua or 2.5kgs shucked weigh removed). This possession limit app everywhere including in the home.

• Measure your catch before leaving the water.

• Underwater breathing gear (UBA, scuba) is prohibited when taking or possessing paua.

Minimum size: Daily limit:

125mm 10

Yellowfoot Paua

Ordinary Blackfoot Pāua

Minimum size:

• Paua must remain in the shell until landed Daily(including limit: above the mean high water mark from a boat).

Map A *

80mm 10 Map B **

• TO When dailyOR limits are accumulated the FREE CALL 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224) TO REPORT ILLEGAL POACHING OR FIS ITYellowfoot IS ILLEGAL SELL TRADE YOUR CATCH. Pāua

maximum number of paua that one person have in their possession at any one time Minimum: 125mm Minimum:can 80mm Check the rules using our FREE services: is 20 paua or 2.5kgsrules, shucked weight (shell For the full recreational fishing visit your local office or check www.fisheries.govt.nz/rules removed).

This possession limit applies Daily limit: 5 Daily limit: 5 • Download our NZ Fishing Rules app by texting the word ‘app’ to 9889.

Minimum size: 80mm everywhere including in theThe home. app works even when you have no coverage.

Daily limit: 10 • Text the name of the species you are fishing for (e.g. rock lobster) to 9889 and receive legal size and bag limit via return text.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL OR TRADE YOUR CATCH. FREE CALL 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224) TO REPORT ILLEGAL POACHING FISHING. • VisitOR fisheries.govt.nz/rules or pop into your local office.

Thanks for fishing sustainably

For the full recreational fishing rules, visit your local office or check www.fisheries.govt.nz/rules

Fishing rules and restrictions change regularly and are different for each area – please check every time before you fish.

It is illegal to sell or trade your catch.

Call 0800 4 POACHER to report illegal fishing.

26 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

Paper exposing read for ex-sniper

&

Travels

We knew the paper was popular but the ink was still wet when Ethan Eder found himself reading about his latest successful chamois hunt—mind you, he was camped outside the printers for three days in anticipation.

Ethan, not his real name because he’s on the witness protection programme, loves all types of hunting: deer, rabbits, tahr, chamois, goats, wallabies, and crayfish to name a few. While he enjoys hunting New Zealand’s challenging and varied terrain, Ethan has hunted internationally, targeting the lesser spotted Patagonian pygmy tree ferret in the mountain savannah grasslands, the tuskless albino javelina in Mexico, the bearded raghed in Afghanistan, and diving for hairless moisties along the coast of California (a species of clam similar to bearded mussels but totally different).

Fisheries innovation projects supported Groups involved with innovative fisheries research projects are encouraged to apply for government support in the latest funding round from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme.

established in Budget 2018 with around $40 million a year across the whole primary sector. It has recently been broadened to include more fisheries projects, in particular smallerscale ideas.

Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says the SFF Futures funding is designed to be flexible enough to support small or large projects across a broad spectrum.

“The sustainability and ongoing success of the sector is crucial. We are looking for new ideas that will make a difference for New Zealand and its fisheries, right along the supply chain from the ocean to the plate,” says Nash.

“Our most pressing issues in the primary sector include climate change, pest and disease management, water quality, and food production and safety. In fisheries, we are moving from volume to value.

“We are backing innovative ideas in the fisheries sector and the wider primary industries,” Mr Nash says.

“The SFF Futures programme can offer small grants of up to $100,000 or large partnership projects of more than $5 million.

In a previous life, Ethan might have been Major B. Link-mate, an undercover sniper for the CIA, who specialised in wet-work, assassinations, killing folks, and doing the dirty work for Trump, but he’s not. But, then again, he might be.

Obviously we cannot expose him because he’s wanted by ISIS, Interpol, a Columbian drug cartel, and 14 angry women from around the world.

Ethan enjoys reading the paper because it is such a credible read.

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.

www.worldtravellers.co.nz/motueka P 03 528 1550, Visit us at 183, High Street, Motueka

Any group in the community is able to apply: anyone with an innovative idea, such as researchers, training institutions, Māori agencies, community groups, industry bodies, businesses and non-government organisations.”

SFF Futures was

“To ensure ongoing prosperity and protection of our fish stocks, fresh ideas are vital. We want New Zealand to be globally recognised as a world leader in sustainable and innovative fisheries management. We want to help extract more value from New Zealand’s food and fibre industries, in a sustainable way that means our natural resources will be there for future generations.

For more information visit sff-futures.mpi.govt.nz

Hi, I’m Dennis owner of the Outboard Shop, Nelson’s official SUZUKI Marine dealer.

This is the time to look at repowering your boat. Quiet, with low maintenance, the range of Suzuki marine engines will take your recreation to new levels of enjoyment, as well as bring you back home safe. With advances in technology, you will find better performance and fuel economy with the latest Suzuki 4 Stroke motors.

Call me for a free quote!

Phone (03) 5487858 • Mobile (027) 747 4566 26 Echodale Place, Stoke, NELSON

Issue 171 27

Dawn bait raids the go It’s often overlooked because of how easy it is to rock up to a gas station and grab a smelly bag of pilchards but if you put the time into catching fresh, you will be more than rewarded for your efforts.

The big advantage you have over dead baits is the opportunity to fish a live bait. Some species, like the john dory, rarely take a dead bait. Not having a few live baits in your arsenal is limiting your fishing potential.

The first species that comes

to mind is the jack mackerel, which turn up everywhere in the warmer months—and everything feeds on them, right from snapper up to marlin.

Jack macks always hang with structure. Think weed beds, wharves and reef. A light berley trail in shallow water will consistently allow me to load up on baits. I put down a three-hook sabiki baited with squid. This little bit of scent speeds up the whole process of getting bites. Having a rig that looks like krill can’t be bad either.

fresh kahawai is also great as a cut bait that attracts pretty much any fish you can think of.

Blair Whiting

Small macs are by far the best jd livie.

Kahawai are possibly the most common baitfish you will find around the country. Juveniles are easy to catch when nothing else seems to be biting. Early mornings are the time to load up on these versatile little baits. Throw out a 7g jig and they will be onto it in no time. If you find some structure in shallow water, you can almost guarantee some lollipops. Kingfish love kahawai, as do snapper.

If you don’t run them live,

The piper is an oftenoverlooked bait that is predated upon by many inshore fish. Piper are somewhat difficult to catch and don’t have the best stamina on a hook.

However, I have a few ways to fix both these issues.

The piper has a very small mouth and simply can’t fit a normal sabiki hook in their gob. If you use trout hooks in size 14 – 16 with a slither of squid, you will find you are able to hook them at a higher rate. Keep your rig high in the water column as they will normally feed just below the surface. Try not to handle them at all if you wish to use them for a livie.

Piper are poor swimmers when hooked through the back, however if you change your usual 8/0 to a strong light gauge 5/0, they can swim for much longer. This is a great way to rig them since kingfish go mad for them in our harbours.

Keep these things in mind for the next time you’re out on the water: - Keep your bait hooks strong but small - Berley for consistency - Live-bait hooks don’t need to be huge - Use squid on your sabiki - Get up early and catch your baits at dawn

Productive bait fishing

Stags in the clan

Elliot Hendry

Spring had sprung and the freezer was looking bare, so venison was on the menu for this trip. With the walk in and camp set up out of the way, Poppy, Stella and I continued up the hill up to the bush line.

“I can see two!” she replied.

The range finder said

GAMO Black Fusion Mac1 IGT .22 With 4x32AO WR GAMO Scope

Good condition Approx 2 years old comes with half a packet of GAMO .22 Slugs.

Selling as not using much.

Features: • Calibre: .122 (5.5mm) • Break-barrel, single shot.

• Velocity: Up to 1033 fps.

• Fixed fiber optic front sight.

• Fully adjustable fiber optic rear sight.

• Rifle steel bull barrel • Fluted polymer barrel jacket.

• Scope mounting rail.

• Automatic cocking safety system.

• Raised cheekpiece.

• Muzzle Energy 21.4 ft/lbs • Stock Synthetic • Color: Black.

$350 ono Contact 021 472 517

FOR SALE New custom made Carbon Fibre Ultra light 30-06 Rifle

Not 15 minutes from camp I caught a glimpse of a deer running away. No chance of a shot but a promising start!

Breaking onto the open tops it was evident the deer were coming out of the bush to feed on the fresh grass, there was sign everywhere!

Sitting down to glass it didn’t take long to pick up an animal, a stag feeding on the opposite hillside. With plenty of time up our sleeve I continued glassing hoping to find an animal handier to our position. A couple more deer were spotted in a similar area as the first before we decided to move further down the ridge to open up some new country.

I hadn’t sat down when I spotted a deer on a small clearing below us. Calling Poppy over I pointed it out.

FOR SALE

The perfect all round New Zealand calibre, the 30-06 is a proven cartridge and ideal for all New Zealand big game.

Elliot, Poppy and Stella well pleased with the eater 350m, which is no problem for the .270 but I prefer to get closer if possible. I could see an ideal rocky outcrop to shoot from further down the hill so we crouched down and slid as quietly as we could down the hill.

We were almost there when disaster struck! The fog that had been coming and going all afternoon came in heavy and we couldn’t see a thing!

There was nothing to do but

wait it out.

Several times it came tantalisingly close to clearing and I could just make out deer through my scope but we still had plenty of daylight left so I showed some restraint. I was rewarded when a clear window of visibility opened up. By now two deer had become three! It was a mob of bachelor stags teaming

up for the velvet growing season.

I usually try to avoid shooting stags in velvet but feeding my family is more important than a bit of antler, so I lined one up and made no mistake from 250m, putting the shot just behind the shoulder to prevent any meat wastage.

Job done and freezer filled for another few weeks!

Features a Southfort Lab Carbon stock and Carbon wrapped barrel with a Weatherby action, Palm swell for easy grip and soft recoil pad.

This lightweight tack driver is the perfect alpine rifle-ideal for those big bull tahr.

$4500 ono Contact 021 472 517

28 THE FISHING PAPER & HUNTING NEWS - DECEMBER 2019

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

EL RANGE THE PEAK OF PERFECTION SEE THE UNSEEN

SWAROVSKI INTERNATIONAL (NZ) LTD. 3/45 Queen Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand Tel. 04-5954286, optik.sia@swarovski.com, www.swarovskioptik.com