March 2017 - The Fishing Paper & Hunting News by The Fishing Paper

THE

FISHING FREE

March 2017 Issue 138

PAPER

HUNTING HUNTIN NEWS

Red stag. Photo by G

Flu erald

. er t y

16 page roar feature

A silver bullet! Story page 20

 Hunting ‘black spots’  'Puka jigging  Biggies in the basin

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purpose. Unanimously, these clients say they would have bought from us had they been aware of the pitfalls and how easy we made the experience.

Offering the most appropriate product options for optimum on-the-water results, professional installation, and after market support are keys to a great experience. Our solution oriented approach saves clients countless hours of needless frustration and disappointment and quickly deals with issues as they arise. While no-one is infallible, customer feedback indicates we score very high in consistency and accuracy, a lot better than others, but that’s what you should expect from a technical dealer.

Some parallel import certain expensive products they offer at discounted prices but forget to mention the warranty is not supported in NZ, and if there is a problem, the units need to be sent back to Asia. With any discounts offered be sure that they are genuine and compares ‘apples for apples’. e very aware that some inflate the ‘why pay’ price to well above what it should be, then offer a generous discount to bring it back down to the RRP! Finally, you need to be sure that the product is still available at that price, as the best deals are often not or only had one or two units to start with. When buyers cannot get this deal they automatically think the next deal on offer is just as good, and the trap is sprung!

Companies who endlessly offer discounts, generally don’t have a thorough knowledge of how units operate in the real world; that’s when you find there is a lot more to electronics than what’s in the manufacturer’s operator manuals. Increasingly we are being called in to assist clients who have bought units and cannot get the support they need from the seller. These people pay us to put things right and replace items not fit for the

While we do our best to compete on cost, our price always covers more than just the product. If you are solely motivated by the cheapest deal, at least be aware of the pitfalls of poor installation and operation, and lack of ongoing support. The back up of a bona fide dealer who can fully support you from go to whoa is worth the investment and may save you vast sums long term.

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ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 3

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Getting the gap for salmon

ION JUNCT TOWER TORY S

Bryce Marshall had a few nervous moments with this scrappy salmon.

STORY

Simon McMillan

It had been quite some time since we had the opportunity for a shot at the Rakaia, with constant rain in the alps after the last big flood, and every time the river was ust looking about right, it would get a top up of water and be unfishable again. However, Sunday was going to be our chance, and with norwest rain being predicted for later that day we HAD to get out there. As with most fishing, an early start often reaps the reward, so a first light mission was planned. With five anglers all wanting to fish, we had two et boats lined up and the plan was to fish the ‘big’ hole first, then split up to cover more water as the morning progressed. After two ‘unscheduled’ stops that required a little pushing, we arrived at our destination and began fishing. The river colour was perfect and it was calm, for now anyway. After a very short time Bryce called out that one had just shown itself midway up the hole, but very close to the bank. With a

Tim Goom could afford to finally smile after getting this one under his belt.

slight adjustment in cast and swing, Tim hooked up soon after. This fish was lb but really fought above its weight, with strong runs into the current. It eventually had to be landed downstream after a great battle. eing Tim’s first of the season and after missing out last season, it was met with handshakes all round. Then, without wasting another minute it was back up to the boat, get the fish on ice, and back to fishing. It seemed almost immediately I heard, ‘ ep, fish on!’ from ryce. I looked up from the boat to see a solid bend in his rod and a nervous look on his face. This was a slightly smaller fish, but again was scrappy! I netted this one behind the boat and it was with much relief

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THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Hika Rountree with a nice Golden Bay kingfish taken on a stickbait.

Alex had a hell of a time catching this beauty.

Stone the shags, an elephant Alex Burrowes

One Friday morning in early January my grandparents and I packed up the caravan and headed towards the Otaio River mouth. We arrived after the hour and a bit drive and, once we got our fishing gear out of the caravan, we were off to the beach! I tied on a simple pulley rig on my rod, with cooked prawns for bait. With the rod holders in the stones, it was time to cast out the baits and watch the rods. I got bored after an hour and started running up and down the beach. Out of the blue, a stone shot up and hit me in the eye; there was a bit of blood so I thought it might be time to sit still. While I was taking care of my eye, a flock of shags flew straight into my line, which

made it look like I was on. False alarm. After dealing with the shags, my rod doubled over again but this time line was screaming off the reel and I knew this wasn’t another shag. After a 0 minute fight and several stinging runs, I finally saw the distinctive spike rise from the murk: I had hooked a big elephant fish. At this point I didn’t care about my eye. We hauled it up the beach, where we weighed and measured it. It weighed 13 pound and was 03cm long, definitely my P ele! After that excitement, we managed a few more decent ele’s around six pound, and two small rig. After a brutal baptism, it ended on a happy note.

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Green bullets of Golden Bay Daryl Crimp

Golden Bay has experienced excellent fishing over summer, with kingfish in plentiful numbers, good catches of snapper, and large trevally turning up in traditional haunts in February. The snapper were full on the bite in ovember, with the bigger fish being caught on soft baits. Hika Rountree said local knowledge is definitely an advantage, as the snapper do switch behaviour throughout the season. During November and late January and February, most snapper were being caught on flasher rigs with squid as bait. “They were only just starting to take stray lines and pillies toward the end of February,” he said. Hika also said the kingies have been consistent, although the majority are just under size. The most popular method of catching them is trolling large grey bigbibbed Rapala lures but jigging or casting stickbaits around marine farms has provided productive alternatives. Hika said, despite the prolific number of ‘rats’ around, there Former Warriors' and Kiwi's hooker Syd Eru and Boston Rountree hauled a few snapper off the beach over summer.

are some monsters out there. “We have been spooled a couple of times drifting big kahawai live-baits under balloons,” he said. “We are fishing good gear over the sand, so these fish have got to be big mothers if we can’t stop them!” Hika also said the new craze of saltwater fly fishing for kingfish is well-established in olden ay now, with anglers coming from all over the world to test their wits with these shallow water green bullets. Trevally are back in the bay and should stay until the end of March. Hika says they are often missed by some anglers because they sit below the kahawai amongst the snapper and require a softer touch approach than snapper do. “They have small soft mouths, so the hooks often tear out as they power into big long runs, so you need to set your drag light.” To consistently catch the trevally, drift an unweighted fresh bait on a small hook below the kahawai and play them gently once hooked.

ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 5

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‘Puka jigging on the peninsula Joe Schroder

Joe and Renata jigging together for 'puka.

The forecast looked good so I assembled a crew and informed my girlfriend, Renata, that we where going groper fishing and would have to get up at . am the oys of dating a fisherman eh.

to complete their limit. It was all over in 35 minutes; an epic achievement, especially Renata on her third time out and using my cea 0- 5kg rod with an 000 Thunnus spooled with 0lb braid! It takes skill to

STORY

'Bashy' with a freight train that took him to the limit.

We launched the Senator in the dark in good conditions and headed to the ground off Akaroa, about 40km from the ramp. ou never really know what it’s going to be like until you get to the heads but we where greeted with a beautiful sunrise and ideal conditions, so I dropped the hammer and off we went. Yahoo! onditions got even better after the first 5km, which are tide affected, and we arrived at the spot earlier than expected. I tilted the transducer down and set about my work while my good mate, Josh Bashford, rigged up the rods. After five minutes stooging around, I found a very healthy patch of ‘puka and ordered the crew to drop jigs while I positioned the boat for a good drift. I gave Renata and Kim a bit of advice, they being new to this game, and all three hooked up almost instantly; epic start. A few more drifts continued in similar fashion, but then ‘Bashy' hooked into a freight train that was horsing 50lb braid off at blistering pace. It took him down to his last few turns before he stopped it, and after a good scrap a nice 44lb ‘puka was onboard. enata and im then got some nice fish

play fish on that gear and she proved to be a natural talent. I like to fish light and have fun if you think groper don’t fight, you would be surprised how they go on light gear and jigs. The string pulling rivals kingfish. Next it was my turn and I skippered myself onto the fish and igged up my limit, which took a little bit longer as the ‘puka had moved. It’s also a challenge to drive the boat and fight groper on light gear at the same time! With the groper done, we headed to the perch spot for a couple of drops, then steamed a few kms to the cod marks. After six or seven drops we had a good feed of blueys in the 3-4kg range, with enata being a star again and getting her first ew ealand blue cod she is from zech epublic in fine style with a double of big ‘boofheads’. The job was done so we headed back in and were sitting at the pub having an ice cold beer and recounting the day’s adventure by 2 o’clock. We exclusively target ‘puka on jigs and find it to be much more productive and fun than bait fishing. If you have never caught ‘puka on jigs and light gear, give it a go. The results are outstanding and it’s so much fun. Renata was thrilled to hook into some good Kiwi fish.

THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Shifting metal on the ‘Huro’ Daryl Crimp

STORY

Charles Smith with a 'Huro' salmon taken on Amazing Baits lure.

With the salmon season struggling to gain momentum early on, diehards dug in and kept throwing metal into the water in the hope that silver would eventually stick. This relentless pursuit often eventually pays off and early February proved fortuitous for those on the ‘Huro’. North Canterbury’s Hurunui River hadn’t been copping the floods of the more iconic Rakaia and Rangitata rivers and was fielding catches of around a do en a day. Seasoned salmon angler Charles Smith and mate, Bradley, turned up early on the ‘Huro’ on the Tuesday after Waitingi Weekend with the intention of fishing the surf, but residue slop from a big southerly meant conditions weren’t ideal so they headed for the gut. With an .30am low tide, anglers were working the south side of the gut as the tide ran off at first light. With two hours good water ahead of him, Charles thought the north side looked to have a better edge. “I was looking for that first bit of flat oily water before it drops away,” Charles said. “A cobber of mine was there with a dinghy and another mate from the Rangitata turned up, so we all rowed across to try our luck under the cliffs.” David Rodgers hooked up almost immediately, the effect was to galvanise the others into tying on zeddies like there was no tomorrow. While the others were frantically tying knots and ‘shifting metal’, David landed his first salmon, an eleven pounder, and promptly hooked another, giving him a limit

bag in twenty minutes. Time for a cuppa for that lad. Then Pete’s line pulled up short and the bend in the rod signalled ‘fish on’. Again silver came to the shore,. with the fish all being around the ten pound mark. Charles broke with tradition and hooked up next, battling it out with a salmon that went lb. The metal that did the damage was an Amazing Baits 24g crocodile spinner. Charles said the trick was to cast to the one o’clock position, engage the reel, let the lure sink to the bottom, and let the current swing it while winding just enough to keep in contact with the bottom. At the bottom of the tide the current became too fast to fish so they tried the surf again, but it was a dismal failure. “The sea was full of seaweed, which fouled the hooks, so we caught up with Steve Marshall and had a cuppa north side.” Steve had been ‘shifting metal’ for ‘hours’ with no luck and it was to remain that way for him throughout the rest of the day. As the tide started to push in, Pete hooked up again and finished his limit with another ten pounder. Charles then hooked and lost another, but persevered. Around the top of the tide, he too finished with a limit bag, the second fish being one of 3lb. Charles said the season has been a bit lack lustre after a slow start. “There are less salmon than usual and skinnier,” he said. “What we are seeing is more fin-clipped hatchery fish showing up.”

The business end of a successful salmon mission.

ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 7

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Sharks march to church Karl Blick

A mid-January Sunday sortie for sharks proved a busy one. I started out using big kahawai baits and the tope were fair hammering them. Three or four times the bait was smashed before I’d got back to the spike after the cast; these ‘Sunday school’ sharks were marching to church on a mission. They weren’t overly big, pretty much all around a metre and two that went a metre-and-a-half plus. After tiring of working two rods I switched to my secret seven gill bait and hit the action button straight away. The first was a pup measuring a bit over four foot, and then things went up a notch. Immediately the bait was back in the water the rod bowed again but to a heavier weight. The fight reflected a better fish and a bloke-sized eventually sledged through the surf - a six-footer.

The last in line turned out to be a doozy. Again the action was instant, with the rod buckling immediately after the cast. This time it was a workout session as this was no pup and it had designs on muscling me big time. This beast was the reason we fish and I en oyed every minute of the scrap. I’d win ground and the giller would take it back and some but the constant pressure was starting to turn the tables. With the fish tiring I upped the ante and soon a submarine surfed through the foam. The sharks had come to the bait in a procession, the next two-foot bigger than the last. This monster was an eight-footer that I estimated to weigh about 5kg, but another pair of jokers who tried to lift it put it at heavier than that. It didn’t really matter because all fish were released I guess it was their lucky Sunday.

Karl got a good workout wrestling with this big seven gill shark.

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THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Black Magic

STORY

leader

Being terminal tackle specialists, the guys at Black Magic Tackle will tell you there are a number of key items that stand between you and your fish. A good hook suited to the purpose is essential, as is the right line. However, using the correct leader can be the difference between having a successful fishing trip versus one that leaves you heading home with you tail between your legs. Your leader is the line that separates your main line from the tail of a fighting fish, and it gives added protection against underwater structures that can cut through your mainline all too easily. Black Magic has developed an extensive range of leader line aimed at covering a broad range of fishing styles and terrains. It’s been around a long time and it’s proven in the field. Some of the key factors they look at during development are abrasion resistance, knot strength, tensile strength, and low visibility in water. One of the better known ranges is their copolymer leader. This comes in either a ‘tough’ or ‘supple’ option. Both lines have excellent strength properties and are ultra-clear in colour – much less visible to your targeted fish. Tough Trace, as its name suggests, has very high abrasion resistance while the more sensitive supple line is a good choice when you want a lure to behave

“To catch the best I use the best”, says Mike Stephens who was using Black Magic 60lb Tough Fluorocarbon to catch this excellent 24.6lb snapper.

more naturally while swimming. Tough Trace: available in 20lb to 400lb Supple Trace: available in 20lb to 200lb Their Tough Fluorocarbon has a generally firmer feel than the copolymer trace and really steps it up on abrasion resistance and strength and, in fact, has no reduction of breaking strain when wet. It’s made from

00 fluorocarbon and is almost invisible in water. Available in 15lb to 120lb They also have a fluorocarbon tippet, again designed for its abrasion resistance and strength as well as its near invisibility in water. Commonly use by freshwater anglers, it is also a good choice for squid fisherman. Running alongside this product is the suppler

Deception Tippet. It’s manufactured from a low gloss green copolymer, which makes it less reflective in water. Both these products are available in 4lb to 12lb. Whatever fishing you’re doing, this range will cover most of your needs.

PARA’KITO™ mozzies worst nightmare The world is a wonderful place full of wonderful adventures. At PARA’KITO™, we want you to embrace this world, to travel, to explore, to experience its joys, all whilst enjoying a naturally reduced mosquito appeal. The brand PARA’KITO has become globally renowned over the past 10 years, now selling in more than 40 markets around the world. A single pellet fits safe and snug in the mesh pocket on the outside of the band or clip, not touching the skin, making it safe for very sensitive skin types. As the essential oils are released into the air around you, they help to mask the scents of your breath and body, making it harder for mos uitoes to find you. The blend of essential oils is impregnated into selected polymers then injection-moulded to form the pellets, that are then vacuum sealed. Once opened the pellet interferes with the mosquitoes’ sense of smell, thereby reducing your attractiveness to them, with the added benefits of being waterproof, safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, these

pellets are effective for up to 15 days! The Clip offers the advantage of being easy and portable, able to be clipped onto strollers, backpacks, bikes, and much more. Now adding to the range, the NEW PARA’KITO™ Spray, with its micro nebulization, allows a perfect application of our gentle formula without alcohol and parabens. It has a non-greasy soft touch, can be applied on sensitive skins, babies older than six months, and breast feeding women. This spray offers 00 proven efficacy against mosquitoes, and we have found it helps in the reduction of sandflies! “Purchased this for my husband to use while he is mountain biking. He absolutely LOVES it! It works so much better than any of the sprays, sticks, or roll on options he has used previously. Even when using some of the really heavy DEET sprays, he was still getting bitten but this seems way more effective. It’s so much nicer for him to use as he was

finding the sprays really chemically smelling, fumy to breathe in and have sprayed on him. I found it a lot nicer too; he doesn’t come home smelling like a chemical factory now.” – Tinneke Symonds, Facebook review 22/12/16 Outdoors or in, we never stop caring about your comfort and well-being. That’s why we use natural essential oils in our products to help reduce your mosquito appeal. Visit nz.parakito.com or check us out on Facebook.com/ PARAKITONewZealand for more information.

ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 9

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Thresher thrashing on a flasher Dan Govier

While fishing Tasman Bay recently I had a strange encounter that proved more than a handful. I was fishing with a Black Magic flasher rig when the rod suddenly doubled over and line peeled as though I’d hooked a turbo-charged kingfish. It took me up around the front of the boat and around the anchor, so I did most of the fight from the bow. Unbeknown to me at the time I’d foulhooked a huge thresher shark in the tip of the tail, so I am assuming a fish was going for the bait when the thresher came in, as there was a lot of large yellow eyed mullet around that day. It gave me a really good scrap being

hooked in the tail as I essentially had to pull it backwards, but the old Shimano ‘Trini’ worked wonders and slowed it down. When I got it to the boat the colours of the shark were just amazing and I wanted to try and capture that on camera. So I reached over, being careful not to get a whack with the tail, and grabbed it by the tail and removed the hook. I got it on to the gunwale of the boat despite its protests and managed to wrestle him to get a hold of it so that I could get a photo taken before it was quickly released. It took off in a hurry once back in the water.

STORY

BOOK REVIEW The Malice of Waves Mark Douglas-Home

Penguin Random House $37

Reviewed by Lynnaire Johnston I have discovered a new way of reading. Allow me to explain. In the past, if a book mentioned something I didn’t know about I would generally just ignore it, remaining in blissful ignorance. Now, I just whip out my phone, google what I want to know, and find the answer instantly. There’s probably a funky name for this, but until I Google it, I’m calling it ‘interactive reading’. I first realised this was ‘a thing’ when reading The Sixth Extinction (a chillingly exciting thriller) and found myself constantly turning to my phone for answers to questions like how does a tiltrotor fly? And, what does a mesa look like? In my next book, The Underground Railway, I discovered (again thanks to Google), that in the 1800s parts of the United States were crisscrossed with illegal underground train tunnels which allowed slaves to escape across state lines and national borders. Most novels don’t explain in detail how these historical or geographical concepts worked so googling is the obvious solution.

Take the Outer Hebrides, an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. Not a place I know anything about, but having read The Malice of the Waves in consultation with Google, I can now tell you that hanging off a cliff by a rope is not generally survivable because the wind can send you into an uncontrollable spin. And, that collecting erythristic eggs (those with a highlyprized mottled, reddish tinge) from wild birds is both highly dangerous and illegal in the UK. Now, these facts may not be useful in my everyday life, but I find them fascinating. The Malice of the Waves is a cold-case murder mystery involving a young boy whose father every year employs a new expert to find who killed him. This year’s expert is an oceanographer specialising in tracking objects at sea. He knows all about what happens when bodies are submerged and happily shares the grisly details. The unusual location, the usual plotswithin-plots and the small but diverse cast of characters makes this one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. Although it is only February!)

10 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Captain’s Log: Beam me up spotty David John Crimp 1930 - 2017

Just after midnight on 20 February, my father David John Crimp passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family. He was 86 and it was his time. It’s a tough day when your rock finally crumbles, but he spent more years living than he did dying so there is plenty to be grateful for and much to celebrate. Dad grew up on the back of The Depression, one of a large family on a small farm at Glenrae, south of Nelson, so knew what it was to go without. He was a shy man but he plucked up the courage to ask a young ‘import’ to marry him, after meeting Mum at a raspberry dance at Tapawera. She was from Petone. In short order they established a farm at Glenrae and started a family: Graeme, Daryl, and Deirdre. Looking back, I suppose all families were ‘poor’ back then because there was little in the way of material wealth, but, ironically, I was the richest kid on the planet. My earliest and fondest memories of my father involved

a gift he gave me when I was quite little. It wasn’t gift-wrapped, shiny, or new. It was time - his time. You see, Dad was a great hunter and he took me with him as soon as I was big enough to look over his boots, and it was special to me because it was the one time in the world I had him to myself. He taught me to hunt, to shoot, to tickle trout, to speak my mind, and to value my word. In my eyes he was a giant of a man, strong, but not without flaws. e was not one for words and he struggled expressing emotion, but he led by ‘doing’. He was instrumental in bringing black and white and then colour television to the area. He was an exceptional farmer, an A.I Artificial Insemination) technician, and an acclaimed shearing judge. He shot and sold wild pigs so he could learn to fly, then built his own aeroplane in a shed on the farm at Tadmor. e taught raeme and I to fly, albeit somewhat illegally. In latter years the roles started reversing. He enjoyed hunting with me and was always

David Crimp loved fishing and hunting.

eager to come out on the boat to target snapper. Towards the end, I had the privilege of helping care for him through his ailing health, and sometimes it occupied a lot of my time but I never faltered or wavered in my commitment to be with him till the end. The reason was really quite simple. You

see, um and ad had given me the first years of my life, so I figured they were in credit. And I finally had a gift I could give my dying father. It wasn't gift wrapped, shiny, or new. It was time. My time. Goodbye Dad. I love you. Daryl.

Teaching the teacher Ian Hadland

Michelle with a little slice of southern silver.

“We’re coming to Glenorchy with you and you’re going to teach me how to fish, my sister-in-law Michelle blurted out across the Christmas table. At the same instant a bit of brandy snap caught the back of my throat and I coughed. Turns out that coughing sounds more like scoffing to a bossy school teacher. When my watering eyes had cleared she was still glaring at me, waiting for a response. Like a naughty schoolboy I uietly answered then.

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As most of us know, it’s hard to teach a school teacher anything and that, coupled with fishing the gin clear waters of Lake Wakatipu, meant this was going to be a tall ask. Fortunately this year has been a boomer one for salmon in the lake, with them being readily caught from boats and the shore. Day licence obtained and chartreuse Gulp baits attached, we headed to one of Wakatipu’s creek mouths to try our luck. A painful lesson on how to cast light soft plastics followed, including the need to let them sink deeply before retrieving. “ ou’re casting with your shoulders, flick it like a whip and don’t be shy”. The straight-laced teacher shot a glance back that curbed any further crass innuendo I had in mind. A moment later she was yelping and cranking on the reel handle. “Steady Michelle - let it run a bit but keep your rod tip up.

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The teacher experiencing a steep learning curve.

Only wind when the reel stops screaming.” For once, it looked if she might be following instructions and before long a shiny lake salmon was at her feet. When it finally came up in the net there was no hiding the teacher’s joy. She went on to catch another two. On the way back to the crib she was grinning as if ‘little immy’ had finally been transferred to another class. “A on the skills session Ian

Tomorrow, you can teach me how to hunt deer!”

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ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 11

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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 Dear Ed, Why is The Fishing Paper not being distributed by the iconic Smith ity stores any more? I looked forward to picking up The Fishing Paper every month and, more often than not, made a purchase while there. Also I pointed my fishing and hunting mates in that direction as well.

I would certainly hope The Fishing Paper is reinstated there. If not maybe one of the other two sports shops in Oamaru may like to become distributors. Lewis Hore Oamaru Ed replies: Thanks Lewis, we are working on finding a new distributor in your area.

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CAMPING ADVENTURE

THINK YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? If you fancy your general knowledge and think you could do well on Mastermind, beat the Chaser, or even fancy your chances at the local pub night ui , then here’s one that might have you stumped. Just to help your chances this Fishing Paper quiz is giving you three chances. To help readers even further, Bays Brewery have tossed in a complementary question that could earn you a complimentary pint of their finest lager. If you get both answers correct you get two!

Question 1: What is the name of the ship involved in the greatest loss of passenger lives in a maritime disaster? Question 2: Where in the seas of the world did this occur? I suspect most people will give the immediate response of Titanic and Atlantic Ocean. No, sorry. Peter doesn’t give away his beer that easily. Dig a bit deeper and try the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, or even the Andrea Doria following her collision in the Atlantic. These would be very good guesses as all

Empress of Ireland.

NG FISHI THE

R PAPE

HUNTING NEWS

Published by Coastal Media Ltd

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Daryl Crimp 021 472 517 editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz Sub-Editor

Mike Brown Administration & Sales

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

lost hundreds of passengers. The name of the vessel you are seeking lost more than a thousand passengers, The key word is ‘passengers,’ which discounts the number of crew or those on active service during wartime, so discount the Bismark. To help you a little, this maritime disaster happened in summertime, to a very large, modern luxury liner, cruising within sight of land and with another vessel nearby. Within 4 minutes the vessel and most of the passengers were at the bottom of the sea. At this stage you need to contact Bays Brewery, Pascoe St, Nelson, to submit your answer before reading the rest of this article. In the summer of 4 the anadian Pacific luxury ocean liner Empress of Ireland (sister ship to Empress of Britain) departed from Quebec, Canada. While travelling the St Lawrence Seaway towards open ocean, she was surrounded by fog. So too was another vessel, the Norwegian coal freighter Storstad. Somehow both vessels became confused disorientated and a fatal collision eventuated, causing the liner to be badly holed and sink rapidly. The final death figure was established as ,0 2 passengers.

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Contributors

Lynnaire Johnston

Dwayne Aberhart

Daryl Crimp

Dylan Booth

Ashlea Tainui

Ron Prestage

Dave Duncan

Steve McEwen

Sean Ryan

Dan Govier

Graeme Johns

Poppa Mike

Greg Gilbert

Jyles Lavington

Ant Corke

Simon McMillan

Jake Williams

Mark Roden

Alex Burrowes

Tyler McBeth

Ian Hadland

Joe Schroder

Huw Thomas

Chris West

Karl Blick

Kawhia Craig

Marty Bowers

Lewis Hore

Nick Kingstone

Kim Swan

Kevin Belcher

Allan Foot

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.

12 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

WILD VENISON ﬁllets with brandy & mushroom sauce

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COOKING with CRIMPY

Venison is very lean so best cooked medium-rare to rare. For best results, cook steaks in their whole muscle groups by searing them in a hot pan, then finishing them in a hot oven. Rest for ten minutes and then slice; this will retain the juices and flavours. •

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2-3 tbsp brandy

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Keep pan on heat and cook mushrooms in a little oil until coloured. Deglaze the pan (flame) with brandy. Add stock, cream, and pepper, and bring to a steady simmer. Simmer until reduced to a creamy sauce. Remove from heat and then quickly whisk in the egg yolk to create a silky smooth sauce. Slice steak into medallions and serve immediately with sauce, creamed potatoes, and fresh steamed vegetables.

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ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 13

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Chinook salmon spawning in a Canterbury spring-fed stream. Photo Kevin Belcher.

Chinook ‘nookie’ a fascinating act

Kevin Belcher

The female will then continue to cover the nests with gravel, This pair of salmon estimated to be about 8kg in weight returned from sea to the spawning stream, having eluded which forms a distinctive mound in the stream bed. A few anglers at the river mouth and those who fish the runs and weeks later she will be completely worn out and exhausted, holes of the braided river. and will certainly die near the redd. The male will go in search of other females to mate with but the same fate inevitably Once the salmon have reached the headwaters, they gather awaits him. in deep pools until finally entering the spawning streams. The female (hen) instinctively selects a position with the right size The carcasses of the salmon will decompose to become gravel and the correct depth and nutrients for the stream life. volume of water flow. epending The eggs will hatch and tiny salmon The survival rate is extremely low, on the ripeness of her eggs and fry will emerge from the gravels of far less than 1%, as they are at risk other factors, this site selection the spawning redd in about two to may take hours or days of fussy from floods, eels, trout, gulls, shags three months’ time, depending on activity. She is usually attended the temperature of the water. They and herons, and also being sweep by several males (jacks) and one will feed and grow to become small into irrigation channels. of these – usually the largest – is smolts before eventually leaving the the dominant fish. is main task stream, then into the river to begin the seems to keep other males at a respectful distance. perilous journey towards the ocean. When the site selection has been made, excavation of the The survival rate is extremely low, far less than , as they spawning redd begins. The female lies on her side above the are at risk from floods, eels, trout, gulls, shags and herons, and steam bed and fans her powerful tail vigorously time after time also being sweep into irrigation channels. When they reach the until a shallow depression is formed, in the bottom of which a sea they are in immediate danger from hungry predators such deeper depression or ‘nest’ is created. The depth and calmness as kahawai, penguins, terns, gulls, seals, and shags. of the nest is tested frequently by the female with her pectoral The survivors spend on average two to three years at sea and then the anal fin, while the male frequently prods the where they feed and grow into adults before the homing female with his nose, and from time to time then quivers in an instinct brings most back to the same river where they are excited fashion as the mating ritual nears. born. When the female is satisfied, she takes up a position ahead of A full video clip of the spawning act can be found on the lip of the nest and her mouth gapes open. This is the signal YouTube for the male, who immediately dashes to lie alongside as close www.youtube.com watch v yi W u g as possible. The female ejects her eggs, which gather in a cluster in the nest while the male, also with a gaping mouth, Chinook Salmon Spawning Acts 2016: Canterbury - Scan here simultaneously releases some of his milt or sperm, which drifts down and around the eggs, and forms a distinctive cloud. Once spawning is completed, the male chases off any intruders while the female covers the newly fertilized eggs by gently fanning her tail and dislodging gravel from upstream. She then forms other nests in the redd and the mating rituals continue until the female has completely exhausted her egg supply depending on her size, usually 3000-5000 eggs.

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14 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

Bruisers after dark

BOOK REVIEW New Zealand Untouched Landscapes

Dwayne Aberhart

Petr Hlavacek Potton & Burton $49.99

Reviewed by Lynnaire Johnston

If you like landscape photo books, you’ll love this one! Largely taken in the South Island, these double-wide shots are of places well known – Pancake Rocks, Milford Sound, Lake Wanaka – and those less well known and harder to get to like the Tasman Glacier, the Catlins, Hooker Lake and others. Almost all involve water – lakes, rivers, glaciers, shorelines. Many feature striking light – sunrises and sunsets, or that one special moment when the sun peeks out of the clouds to light up the photo’s subject. Photography is the art of being in the right place at the right time to take the perfect shot. It is also about planning, strategy and the tedium of waiting until the conditions are perfect to get the best photo. Many of the views in this book can take some effort to get to, via the Routeburn Track for example. So, unless helicopters are employed to drop the photographer at the desired location, it can be a ‘bit of a walk’ to get there. The author’s brief preface makes no mention of how he took these photos, of

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the work required, the distances travelled or the waiting out the weather for that perfect, brief moment when the sun comes out from behind the cloud to shine on the focus point or subject of the photo. The book begins with an introduction by Dave Hansford to the country’s geological, fauna and flora history including the prehistoric. It emphasises the demise of so many of our endemic plants and animals through forces natural as well as human. The book has no index, no page numbers and no notes on the photos apart from a brief caption outlining the geographical location. There is no explanation about what you’re looking at which, if you’re interested in such things chiefly because you’re never likely to get there yourself), is a pity. But it is an excellent reminder of the superb country we live in and may even entice us off the couch and out into the wilderness. And that is no bad thing.

There was a strong easterly wind blowing over Christchurch so I decided to head to a spot that I knew was sheltered from it. We headed out just before dark, set up our gear, and were immediately getting bites, with a few small rig caught. Once the sun had slipped behind the Southern Alps things started to heat up. The rig really came on the bite as the big boys moved in. We were hooking into fish up to the pound mark and having a real battle royal with these big bruisers in the dark. At .00pm I saw my rod buckle over and the reel screamed, peeling off line at a great rate of knots. I just knew this had to be a big one. The rig put up a

good fight, pulling string and stretching my arms for a good twenty minutes or so. It wasn't until I my friend entered the water and grabbed the fish by the tail that we realised ust how big it was. I immediately knew that I was going to weigh this fish as it had to exceed my personal best. It weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds and measured .6 metres in length. The rig was caught using a pulley rig with an impact shield and one whole cooked prawn as bait. It’s going to be a hard fish to beat but I’ll keep heading out. in search of bigger bruisers after dark.

When it comes to long hauling line, Dwayne reckons you can't go past a big rig.

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Roar THE

20 17

New products

HUNTING NEWS

Tips and tricks Safety Roar stories Photo by Gerald Fluerty.

2 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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10 TOP TIPS to bag a stag Ian Hadland

t’s been a surprising 30 years since I roared up my first red stag in Westland bush but I still remember it vividly. It strode up through the bush with its nose in the air having already replied to a crude roar made through cupped hands. At 30m its stench was overpowering. I raised the .303 but was trembling so hard I couldn’t hold it steady. It turned away and was swallowed by the bush never to be seen again. From that disappointing start, a Roar hunter was born… Over the years since I’ve learned a thing or two about chasing bush stags in the Roar so here is my top 10 tips to bag a Roar stag.

1. Do your homework There is no substitute for knowing your hunting ground, so making mental notes on areas of stag rubbings and marking wallows on your GPS during spring or summer hunting will put you well ahead of the game. If you haven’t been to the location before, use a good topo' map or Google Earth to get familiar with the typography. Look for good ridges for travel and to roar from and especially spots where those intersect with terraces or high benches – a likely spot for wallows and also good feed areas for a harem of hinds. Plenty of homework will mean your carefully negotiated leave pass from home won’t be wasted in unproductive stag areas.

Roaring in a red in the bush is thrilling, close quarter action.

2. Timing There are plenty of theories about what brings on a stags vocals. My hunting diary records roaring as early as 28 March through to the 18 April but the peak of the rut is noted as the 4 - 10 April, and it’s during that period I’ve been most successful. Other factors no doubt play a part, such as the moon phase and condition and age of hinds entering the rut. A bigger factor is the shortening of the days and this is often amplified by a crappy patch of weather, particularly a southerly, which drops the temperature as well. Frosty mornings during that peak time are an obvious choice for a sick day.

intruders but lonely younger stags are also curious about other stags and will often come in for a look. I was in a roaring standoff with a good stag one day when out of nowhere a spiker appeared between us. I roar every 200m or so and even more if the ground is broken up by creeks and ridges. It’s surprising what replies from areas where you think you should have been heard from. Soliciting a reply is what it’s all about.

3. Make plenty of noise

I use a piece of 40mm PVC pipe to roar through, but I’ve seen every variation from simple cupped hands through to some good commercial ones. Hollow and throaty is what you are looking for.

When you get out there, roar loud and roar plenty. Stags, particularly those defending cycling hinds are stirred up by roaring

4. Roaring and roaring tubes

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And your roar doesn’t have to be that great, as long as it carries a decent distance. I bumped into a mate hunting the same ridge one time and gave him a bunch of grief about his strangled goat roar. He reckoned it got the job done. I’d already shot a stag the day before but this was his first outing since the new baby at home. Together we headed for a small hanging basin where I’d heard a roar earlier. I let out a roar, which was instantly replied to. “Its yours Cam, but beef up that roar for Christ’s sake. I’ll head home.” A while later the strangled goat was back in action and being replied to by a worked up stag. Maaaaaaa…..

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ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz RRRROOOOOAAAAWW. On it went until a shot rang out. I turned for home in disbelief and a text later confirmed the kill - a nine-pointer, which had jogged right into him.

to see the eye fillets. Remove these, then slide the knife point into the hip joint at the last spinal vertebrae. That will allow you to snap the hind legs off leaving the hip bone in. Load the front legs and back-steaks into the decent-sized pack you have been carrying for the purpose and tie the antlers and some day-glow material onto the outside. Stand up and throw the hindquarters over your shoulders with the hooves facing forward. What’s left behind will be the ribs, spine, and neck bones, which is largely what you would be hiffing when get home anyway.

5. Listen Unlike other times of the year where your eyes do most of the hunting, it’s your ears that really come to the fore now. It’s helpful to be able to hear distant roars but you also need to listen intently right where you are standing. I’ve lost count of the number of curious stags that have snuck in without even a moan and have only given themselves away by a cracking twig. So roar away, but linger for a minute or two to catch out that sneaky stag.

10. Safety

6. Cover the ground The distribution of deer during the roar is lumpier than at other times of the year because they are grouped together, so it makes sense to cover a lot more ground and concentrate on the most likely ground. Stags will often use the same areas year-on-year so go back to where you have seen stag sign before. If new to the area, check out the back edges of terraces or flat patches on ridges for active wallows. I walk quickly between sites rather than stalking the whole way as the stags don’t seem to mind the noise. In fact, they may be curious of it. As always, hunt into the wind. That’s easier in the morning when the breeze is blowing downhill and down valley.

7. Be patient If a reply is heard, I project a waypoint forward on the GPS and move in quickly. When you get closer though, it’s worth being patient. Hinds and the breeze are your enemy now so be alert for both. A lesson I relearn at least once a season is to only roar when you have a good view in a number of directions. Sometimes a stag will try to cut beneath you to pick up your scent or could come charging in from a completely random direction. Take a moment to sum up where you are in relation to the stag. He could be walking towards you already.

8. The sticky stag One frustrating behaviour of stags in thick bush is to reply continuously but not move forward from a point say 50m away, usually from behind a windfall or across a creek. They just won’t budge. There are two options. First is to sneak in, which is very tricky if hunting alone because these stags tend to be on high alert. It’s much easier if one of a two-man team remains behind

Doing your homework first leads to greater success.

(unarmed or unloaded) to roar at the stag while the other tiptoes forward for an opportunity. The second option is to crash in, making a low moan as you go. It’s exciting, as occasionally this can entice a move forward by the stag as well. One needs to be ready to identify the stag properly at a moment’s notice and pull off a shot before he becomes aware of the imposter. Its a 50/50 chance at best but it sure gets the blood pumping.

9. Break it down Having got your stag on the deck, try to resist the urge to carry it out whole. It’s tempting I know but a gutted red stag is upwards of 70kgs and apart from upping the risk of injury from tripping or falling, it is very hard on your knees longer term. If I had my time again I’d have broken more animals down like I do now. Cut both front legs off the ribcage and leave to cool. Split the skin along the spine and remove the back-steaks and hang over a branch to cool off too. Pull the back legs uphill and cut off the nuts and pizzle, being careful not to get too much of that stain on yourself. Open up the gut cavity, and roll the paunch and entrails out enough

There will be plenty written about identifying your target and safety with firearms, so I won’t dwell on it here. All I will say is, choose your hunting mates carefully, as stats show you are more likely to be mistaken for a deer by a member of your own party than a random stranger. In saying that, I’ve roared up six other hunters in my time of hunting public land and, while that is spooky, all have ended well (except for the chaps poaching our Haast Roar block!). Key here is to yell out at the earliest sign that what’s replying isn’t a stag. Good luck and don’t forget to get some tasteful photos before you get stuck into the knife work. They always come out better if the animal is in one piece still.

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Ian Hadland with a solid bush stag.

DUCK & ROAR 2017

Get geared up with Wild Outdoorsman & Hunters Element If you are coming to the West Coast of the South Island, make sure you are wellequipped with new quality gear for the Roar or the duck season. Wild Outdoorsman is the Coast’s leading outdoor specialist, with two conveniently situated stores: our larger store in Hokitika township and Fishing and Firearms in Greymouth on the main road. Wild Outdoorsman has everything you need to enhance you chance of success, from firearms to camping gear and essentials. We are celebrating these iconic events, the Roar and Duck Shooting, with great prices and

exclusive deals from Hunter’s Element. Wild Outdoorsman is stockist of leading brands like Ridgeline, Hunters Element, Stoney Creek, LED Lenser, Scarpa, Hanwag, Svord, Buck Knives, Leatherman, Bushnell, Nikon, Vortex, Leupold, Shimano, Abu Garcia, Air Flow, Stanley, Tatonka, Browning, Tikka, Howa, Ruger, Savage, Hornady and many, many more; all available at the best prices. Come in and see us, we’ll get y’all geared up! Or see our latest catalogue or visit us at: www.wildoutdoorsman.co.nz

4 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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Hunting ‘black spots’ Nick Kingstone | Communications Manager NZ Mountain Safety Council mountainsafety.org.nz

On the eve of the Roar it’s timely to consider the various locations around the country and explore if there is anything interesting from a risk perspective. We undertook – as part of our 2016 publication ‘There and Back’ – an analysis of the various hunting regions around the country and worked out the average of injury, search & rescue and fatality specific to hunting. We represented this number in each category as ‘1’ so we could easily see how much higher any location around the country was from this average. The results were shocking. Southland, Queenstown Lakes, Westland, Central North Island and Auckland were the top five locations with higher incidents of injury, search & rescue and fatality higher relative to the national average of 1.

It’s important to note that each region often has a particular factor or environmental condition that can create certain types of incidents. For example, the Central North Island is covered in thick bush, often with low visibility. It’s common to only see part of the animal in question. Unfortunately, this is thought to be a contributing factor to the high rates of misidentification in this region, particularly around March, April and May when there are lots of hunters enjoying the Roar. Similarly, in the high country of the South Island where the terrain is steep and often loose, we see a high number of incidents due to falling. MSC explore each region and hunting type in detail in our upcoming hunting specific research report ‘A Hunters Tale,’ due out later this year. These kinds of numbers should be of real concern to the hunters in these regions. While there are lots of contributing factors, the message is clear, if you’re hunting in one of these regions then you’re hunting in a higher risk environment. This may be specific to a season or a species, but overall these locations have a higher profile and should be considered ‘black spots,’ similar to what the Police commonly do if there is a stretch of road or an intersection that had a higher frequency of incidents. And, like the road ‘black spots’ they often have unique features about them that keep producing a similar type of incident. It’s from this perspective that hunters need to consider the location they’re going and how this impacts their decision making. So, if you’re heading to the Central North Island to hunt this year, then you’d be wise to take into account that you’re 4.3x more likely to be injured than the national average, 7.9 times more likely to be in need of a rescue, and a whopping 8.9 times more likely to be killed in this region. As we explore the data in more detail we, as Mountain Safety Council, take these sorts of findings to our partners, hunting and firearms user groups as well as local communities to help us understand what this might mean at a local level. We’re committed to uncovering the root cause, so our interventions are targeted, accurate and effective. Enjoy your time out there, but remember that the trophy of a lifetime or putting meat in your freezer are not worth failing to make it home for. #MakeItHomeNZ For more hunting related safety resources, videos and guides head to mountainsafety.org.nz

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ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS

6 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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Optically Speaking - with Ant Corke ITâ€™S ALMOST ROAR TIME FOLKS! What a great time of year this is for deer hunters throughout New Zealand. Deer are in the peak of condition, and there is always that hope of gaining a trophy. Now is the time to get out the maps and, time permitting, find where the animals are by stealthy observation. Between dusk and dawn are the easiest times to spot deer feeding, but I also often see them feeding during late afternoon. Once fed, they will melt away and chew their cud. During daylight, I use my trusty Yukon spotting scope, sometimes in conjunction with a Pulsar thermal to spot. The thermal quickly shows me where animals are, and the spotting scope enables me to identify what I'm looking at. This process is very quick, and ideal when there is a lot of ground to cover. At night, deer can be easily spotted with a thermal imager, but in order to be 100% sure of target identification, a closer approach is required. A careful upwind approach is required to get sufficiently close to enable positive identification. How close depends on the type of thermal imager, its optical characteristics, and the conditions, such as rain, fog, temperature, and terrain. For spotting deer (as well all other game), my own preference is the Pulsar Quantum XQ38. I have thermals of all types, but this model ticks all the right boxes as a 'go to' thermal. It has a good field-of-view, and good distance performance. It also happens to be the model that most of our customers choose, which validates my own opinion about this device. Distance and field-of-view are the useful criteria for efficiently using a thermal imager. I will start with distance performance. Out and out distance performance is good, especially for search and rescue applications, but unless the animals can be identified, it only gives a â€˜heads-up' that there is something out there. At extreme ranges, 1.5km and more, animals look like specks, and I personally don't go tearing over to see what they are. After all, walking for long distances whilst actively hunting is likely to spook animals that are closer, and it would be a great disappointment if the specks turned out to be goats! Spotting at 600 or 700 metres on the other hand, is a good distance to get within identification range. This is the range that an animal can be identified as a deer, pig, goat etc. A Pulsar XQ38 can identify deer at about 400 metres. This provides plenty of distance to begin stalking without alerting the deer to your presence. Field-of-view is also very important. I know from experience how frustrating it is to have too much magnification at closer

quarters. If animals are likely to be encountered at less than 200 metres, a wide field-of-view enables quicker scanning, and is useful at night when walking. A wide field-of-view is also useful when deer are likely to be hidden by long grass and foliage, and especially when viewing at ground level. Choosing a likely spot where deer can be seen moving and feeding is vital. An elevated position is ideal for spotting deer, especially those that are resting-up in scrub. Deer can also be more easily spotted whilst looking upward at hillsides, when they are moving through bush to their feeding grounds at the bush edge. My favourite position is from above, with a background of trees. Deer will be easily spooked if the skyline is broken, even at night. The above covers spotting and identifying, which is important for knowing where deer are, and also being able to select a deer from a herd. Though the Roar is about shooting stags, spikers and barren hinds need to be culled to improve herd quality. Barren hinds that don't have young compete with healthy animals for food and, due to their age, face a slow and miserable death. Best turn these deer into sausages, patties, and salami. A while back, I was night hunting a private forestry block with a mate, when I spotted a young stag, lying amongst scrub, in a previously harvested pine block. I spotted and positively identified him with my Pulsar Quantum 38. To take the shot, I had a Pulsar Forward DN55 night vision converter fitted to the front of my riflescope. When I raised the rifle to take the shot, I was dismayed that I couldn't see my target due to long grass and broom in front of me. In order to get a clear shot, I had to climb a pile of very unstable forestry waste. After the shot, I was unsurprised that the animal wasn't lying where I had shot at it, and assumed a miss. However, a wider scan with my Quantum 38 showed a very clear large white blob lying in thick scrub, about 80 metres from where it was before the shot. It was stone dead, and though I had shot it through the neck, I had missed its spine. Had it not been for the thermal, I would have assumed a miss, given the difficulty of the shot. The Pulsar Quantum is brilliant for recovering carcasses, even if they are lying in scrub, and are visible for hours after death, revealing blood trails, and even spotting bodily waste. That's about all I have to say this month. As I've whipped myself into a frenzy, I must go home and start cleaning my hunting tackle. One last point that I need to make, is that my Pulsar Quantum is very good at ensuring that my target is not a person. People, after

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Carcass lying in thick scrub at 180 metres.

Deer at 300 metres are easily identified.

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ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS

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Secrets to using the AJ Caller during the sika rut Allan Foot (A J Productions)

An electronic caller is another tool in the hunter or photographer’s arsenal to improve success, but it does require some strategy. First of all, l don’t overdo it, always have the wind in your favour and remember, the most effective days to get a sika stag to

respond or come to a call is when there is least roaring activity. Everyone will have different ideas on when and where to use the caller but this is generally what we do. We will play the single call about 4-6 times an hour and in that time we may use the Hee-

.Peter Kinane posing with the spoils.

haw call once or twice. I find the Hee-haw call to be more effective in the evenings. When using the single call, we mix it up a little. Sometimes we will give a single call only and other times will give a couple of soft stag mews first, followed five seconds later with a loud single call. Another effective calling sequence using the sika deer 2 card is to give the hind/fawn call, followed by a loud single call 5-10 seconds later. Also on the sika 2 card is the Yak Yak call (Button 4). Very few hunters would have ever heard this particular call. It is a soft call that a sika stag will sometimes use when following a hind in heat or chasing away a subordinate stag. The calling sequence worth trying is: Button 5 is a fawn/hind series of calls, but we don’t use the entire sequence. Press (5) fawn/hind call and then press STOP button immediately after second call, which is the hind. Wait about five seconds and press the Yak Yak call. About 10 seconds later, belt out a loud single call. Just mix things up a little. There is a right or wrong way to use the caller but as already mentioned above, don’t overdo it. After giving a call wait at least five minutes before moving on. However, we have sat in one place for as long as 25-30 minutes and had sika stags walk

Allan with a respectible eight pointer.

in after all that time. In an area where stags are already calling, we don’t do any calls unless we have too. Since they are making all the noise, we just sneak in. In the past, we have successfully used the single call and stag mews while in close to a group of deer, however, you will only roar up the young stags, not the master. If a master stag is holding a hind, then no amount of calling will make him leave her. Spiker, fawn and hinds calls are good to use during the rut but can also be effective outside the rut. When using these calls, only have them at half volume - not full volume. On quiet evenings, we will give a hee-haw call and a stag may reply back straight away with a single call. Generally, if a Jap

stag replies straight away to your hee-haw or single call, then there is a good chance he is on his way. He may take less than a minute or five minutes to come in, depending on how far away he is. The AJ Caller can be controlled via the wireless remote, giving the advantage of having distance between the game caller and the hunter. Not all deer will walk right up to where the call is coming from but will sneak in and stand back 20-30 metres or so and look. Of course you have no idea that this has happened until you move off and an animal crashes away. When using the remote with the game caller, one of the key benefits is it gives you more time to observe an animal that has come into your calls. A deer will pin point the exact location

where the call came from and hone in on it as if the spot was marked with a GPS. By standing back 30 – 50 metres or more (if the terrain allows) you have a good opportunity to see any animals moving in. Remember; other hunters may be using a caller so always identify your target beyond any doubt. Hunters do not look like deer and deer do not look like hunters, so there is absolutely no excuse for making a mistake, which one would live to regret forever. For safety reasons I strongly recommend wearing some form of blaze orange when using a game caller, especially in areas of high hunter numbers. Good luck and safe hunting.

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8 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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THE

Roar

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Develop a new relationship with your blade

Hamilton - new horizons for hunting and fishing

BladesNZ Ltd came about because of frustrations with knife sharpeners available in New Zealand. The search for a system that was bulletproof yet easy to use identified the Wicked Edge Sharpener. Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners was born in the USA out of a desire to find an alternative to ineffective traditional knife sharpening techniques. The answer came in a precision engineered, controlled-angle sharpener anyone could use. The Concept Poorly formed edges, like those created on electric sharpeners, will quickly dull. Controlled-angle sharpeners work well but clamps often fail; the vices don’t have enough clamping power to be truly effective and the whole process comes to a halt while the knife is replaced and the vice reset. You may also find the need to re-create the edge from scratch, which requires a considerable amount of time, when only a touch up should be required. The combination of mechanical problems and poor performance finally led the founder of Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners, Clay Allison, to take a closer look at sharpening to create something that would address these issues. The Knife Sharpener With the Wicked Edge, the problems inherent with traditional sharpening methods are solved. Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners’ ground-breaking patented knife sharpening technology will revolutionize the relationship that knife owners, from hunters to chefs, have with their knives. Any knife with a straight blade is held securely at the perfect angle for the type of knife and steel. The user controls the diamond grit

The HamiltonJet waterjet is one of the most advanced and innovative marine propulsion systems in use today, and is at the forefront of waterjet propulsion technology. HamiltonJet pioneered the development of the modern waterjet system over 60 years ago, adapting technology initially designed for shallow river operation to suit all manner of inshore and offshore vessels. The first jet boats carved their way upstream in the mid 1950s, and it wasn’t long before hunters recognised their benefits. Jet boats opened up new hunting grounds, made old ones more accessible, and helped hunters return with their spoils, while also making the trip itself more adventurous. And it’s not much different today - most jet boaters are also fishermen and hunters, combining their passion for river, rod, and rifle to best advantage in getting off the beaten track and into the untamed wilderness. Some, like the late Harvey Taylor, took jet boat hunting to new heights when he installed powerful spotlights on the bow of his boat so he could hunt till dark and still get home safe for a cuppa.

grinding stones with innovative movement technology for a cutting edge that is perfectly shaped and finished. Wicked Edge sharpeners are a simple but effective method that puts professional sharpening ability into everyone’s hands. Clay designed these products to help you quickly and easily get the edge you want. Awards and Customers Wicked Edge sharpeners have won numerous awards including the ‘Accessory of the Year’ for two years in a row at BLADE Show (2009 and 2010). Wicked Edge also won the Kitchen Innovations® 2014 Award for the Professional Series Knife Sharpener. Wicked Edge sharpeners are used around the World by hunters, outfitters, and chefs, and on the campuses of The Culinary Institute of America. The Wicked Edge System and accessories have been engineered to be compatible throughout their range of sharpeners, allowing the user to add the latest components to their existing platform. Contact us today to find out more about Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners! www.bladesnz.co.nz paul@bladesnz.co.nz

There’s no question jet boats provide something more for hunters and fishermen - the only restriction is how far and deep the river runs. The first jet boats carved their way upstream in the mid 1950s, and it wasn’t long before hunters recognised their benefits.

Find out more about this boat by calling HamiltonJet New Zealand on 03 962 0505 or email: hamiltonjetnz@hamjet.co.nz

ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS

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THE

Roar

FIELD TEST:

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PULSAR XQ38 THERMAL IMAGER - THE GAME-CHANGER Daryl Crimp

Consistently successful hunters of the Roar have one thing in common, preparation. Just how individual hunters prepare may vary but leaving little to chance does increase success rates. Because hunting during the rut often requires close quarter shooting, I like to get rifle fit beforehand by shooting from many different positions and shooting plenty of rounds. This helps hone muscle memory, builds confidence, and reduces the likelihood of duffing a shot in tight situations. Field practise is always better than range work, so this year I opted for a wallaby shoot as a Roar ‘eyeopener’. The use of light-calibre firearms is easier on the pocket and lets you practice plenty without the risk of recoil ‘overuse’ causing flinching, as can be the case with heavier calibre rifles. This trip also provided the opportunity to field test the Pulsar XQ38 thermal imager, with a view to seeing if it had applications in the Roar. Six of us were hunting in pairs on an unfamiliar block comprising 2,000 acres near Waimate and, while in good numbers, the wallabies were in localised pockets; mainly south facing gullies with dense cover. We faced the disadvantages of having to learn the lay of the land and find wallabies amongst the high late summer grass, vegetative cover, and swampy gullies. Rick and I quickly developed a routine with the Pulsar XQ38 thermal imager and refined it to good effect over the weekend. Basically, Rick would scan the terrain, identify signatures, and I would locate those in the open with the Swarovski EL 10 x 42 rangefinder binoculars and then shoot them with the Browning X-Bolt .223. Mostly we were shooting down into or across gullies, ranges of 130 yards to 220 yards, with the occasional 300 yard shot. I have to say the Pulsar XQ38 thermal imager was a game-changer, as we would not have shot anywhere near the numbers of wallabies without it. We saw far more wallabies than the other hunters and out-shot them more than five-to-one. Rick was able to pick out signatures in light scrub and tell me when and where they were about

to break cover. After taking the shot, it was also useful for determining a kill shot or whether we had to follow up a wounded animal. For pest control situations such as these, it is an amazing piece of apparatus. Lightweight, compact, and very intuitive, the Pulsar XQ38 thermal imager is very easy to use in the field and ideal for morning, evening, and night hunting situations. During the heat of the day it became more difficult to distinguish hotspots but still effective, especially when determining movement. The clarity and depth of field is excellent, with species definition amazing out to several hundred yards (we picked up the signature of a hare in long grass and not visible to the naked eye at 220 yards and clearly identified it when it put its ears up). Considering the effectiveness on small game such as rabbits, hares, and wallabies, the Pulsar XQ38 thermal imager would be an absolute game-changer on deer and other larger species. The Game Changer- WATCH IT HERE - Scan code with your phone.

Real wallaby action - WATCH IT HERE - Scan code with your phone.

The Pulsar XQ38 thermal imager was a game-changer when Crimpy went hunting wallabies.

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 thirty-something 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 straight-pull 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 all-

rounder 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 priceperformance 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 straightpull 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 - MARCH 2017

Roar

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Give Me 10 Days and I will show you the best hunting experience ever ...

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ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS 11

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BEWARE the man

with one GUN Ian Hadland

“Are you sure we should just share the one gun?” My twin brother Brett looked back and me with his jet-lagged eyes and said, “I can use any gun with a stock and a barrel – even your popgun .7mm08, let’s just get going.” “Ok but I’m not sharing my pop gun if the stag’s a big bugger.” That agreed, we packed the truck and boat and were soon skimming across Lake Te Anau. Brett had timed his NZ holiday from his Sweden home very well so it coincided with the first week of April – the peak of the Roar, a minor detail largely lost on his Swedish wife. We shouldered the packs and headed up the river valley, but it wasn’t long before we were back at the boat sorting through some fly fishing gear. The sight of happily feeding trout in the river’s gin clear water had distracted us and would continue to do so for most of that first day. The rain had bought in a fresh lot of lake fish into the tributary and the threat of bad weather had brought them on the feed. Brett was new to fly fishing and, thankfully, the combination of naïve fish and the draw of large terrestrial

patterns being dumped on the surface meant several nice trout were fooled. One was taken for a late lunch. “Didn’t we come for the hunting?” he mumbled through a mouthful of fresh fried trout and bread. I agreed; we should stash the rod and find a stag. An hour’s walk further upstream and, with rain starting to fall, we heard our first stag part way up a ridge running off a broad river terrace. When we had halved the distance to the stag I offered Brett the rifle. “Go get him bro, while I wait here and do the roaring”. Even from here, the stench of stag filled the air. I roared and there was an immediate reply. Brett looked back wide eyed. “This is what I flew half way around the world for,” he said, set off around a swampy clearing littered in dirty wallows and onto the bushy ridge. The roar and reply game was going very well, and I expected to hear a shot at any moment. Instead, another stag started roared further upstream and started approaching! By now Brett had got a look at the 6 pointer, spooking it in the process. But still the second stag was roaring and approaching me at speed. I got back on the tube

and roared ‘commmmebaaaaaack’ in Brett’s direction. The upstream stag replied again and was closing in on my position. Just how stags know your exact location under these circumstances never ceases to amaze me. Matters were becoming urgent, with no sign of Brett and the increasing likelihood that the stag would appear in front of the only unarmed Roar hunter in the South Island. “Commmmbaaaaack quicklllleeeeeee,” I retorted down the roaring tube pointed in Brett’s last known direction. According to the reply, the up-valley stag had closed the gap to 100m. Finally, through the rain drenched understorey, I caught a glimpse of my brother’s sweaty face returning with our shared rifle. “Cripes you’re cutting it fine here bro,” I whispered, “I thought I was going to have to knife it.” Almost simultaneously as Brett took my side, a stag appeared on the ridge above us. Brett closed the bolt and, with the stag at 30m and approaching in full view, I watched Brett searching for him in the scope. “Scope covers bro!” He flicked both rain covers open and

Brett left it to the wire before he shot this rutting stag.

lined up again. 10m now separated us from the stag. Brett yanked on the trigger without effect - the unmistakable flinch of a gun trying to be fired with the safety on. “SAFETY!” I whispered harshly. He pushed the switch forward and

the rifle did its job. The stag crumpled on the ground five metres in front of us and slid to our feet. Both of us looked in amazement. I was speechless but that didn’t stop Brett. “See, told you we’d only need the one gun!”

ZeroPak vacuum sealers a Kiwi favourite C & M Marketing Ltd are a proudly New Zealand owned and family operated business based in the Far North for the past fifteen years, specialising in vacuum sealers since 2008. Craig and Michelle Jenkins are the sole distributors of the ZeroPak Vacuum Sealers in the South Pacific, manufactured for them by Status Kitchen Innovations in Europe - a family company who have been making vacuum sealers and high end innovative household products for the last 20 years. Recently, they also took on the distributorship of the SICO brand; designed and manufactured in Italy they can best be described as the ‘Rolls

Royce’ of vacuum packing machines. The range covers from high end domestic through to full commercial machines. “Vacuum sealing was Craig's idea, he wanted to keep the fish and shellfish we catch in the freezer without it spoiling, and being a keen hunter he wanted to keep his venison in top condition too,” said Michelle. “His hunt began for a decent vacuum sealer that could deal with fish juice, liquids, and the normal everyday food that New Zealanders want to keep fresh longer. He couldn't find anything suitable so we did it ourselves, creating the ZeroPak brand.”

Being a perfectionist, Craig is also in charge of any repairs and servicing, so if you have a technical vacuum sealing question, he is the man to talk to. The products are sold in Europe under the brands Status and SICO. The vacuum sealers and accessories are guaranteed to be of the highest quality and will give years of service and enjoyment. “We promote our products at expos and shows throughout Australasia, and we appreciate all feedback from our customers so we can improve our products and service,” Michelle said. Zeropak can be purchased directly online at zeropak.co.nz or from your local Hunting & Fishing store.

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Call 03 544 7020 or email admin@thefishingpaper.co.nz

12 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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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 When hunting the back country inReach keeps you connected to civilisation. as peace of mind value for those at home. Should anything happen and efficient. The system works on a monthly charge fee like a sat you stop communicating, they can see on the map where you are. phone or cell phone but is cheaper. You have a choice of plans, and They can also see when and where you shoot animals, camp, stop if you are not using the device, you can deactivate the plan and for lunch or have a nanny nap. reactivate it when you need it. Using the waypoint function you can mark wallow holes, animal Applications extend beyond hunting and tramping: outdoor sightings, campsites and so on. Because all your hunts are recorded workers, farmers, bush workers, ocean going yachts, commercial and stored on your website, you have a reference for future hunts and also a visual record of where you travelled last time. fishers, kayakers, rafters and mountain bikers could all benefit The units operate on the Iridium Satellite Network, so are very from the inReach system.

MARCH SCOPES – have a closer look

2-way Satellite Communicator

STAY SAFE - STAY IN TOUCH - no matter where on earth you go! • Send/receive SMS or email anywhere on earth • Trigger an SOS and communicate with the 24/7 Emergency Response Centre • Adjustable tracking intervals allow you to track your trip and share your location online. 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. Hand assembled from start to finish 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. Built so tough they will outlast you These rifle scopes are designed and built

in Japan, by very experienced craftsmen, to 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. Summary 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. Visit us online at www.marchscopes.co.nz Contact David at info@marchscopes.co.nz or 0212255223 if you would like to discuss these fine products further.

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Missed out in March?

HUNTING NEWS

Advertise your products in our April issue of The Roar. Call our friendly staff on 03 544 7020. Read the Roar online @ www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

NEW PRICING FOR 2017! Contact us for more details

Deon Optical Design proudly design and build March Rifle Scopes Deon believes shooters deserve the best possible optics to succeed in all aspects of competition and in the most challenging of hunting situations.

THERE IS A MARCH SCOPE TO MATCH THOSE REQUIREMENTS. March rifle scopes are built to the highest optical standards possible and with our focus and attention to detail are the world leaders in rifle scope design. Ph 021 225 5223 | www.facebook.com/MarchScopes www.marchscopes.co.nz info@marchscopes.co.nz

The choice of world champions

Roar the

20 17

Photo by Gerald Fluerty.

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ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS 13

14 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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Huntjet - perfection plus If New Zealand has the most boats per capita of any country, Huntjet, in fact. then it stands to reason that we also have the highest number of Andy has sage advice for jet boaters. ‘Travel with others so if jet boats. things go wrong, you have a back-up. Also, take plenty of spare Fortuitously, we also have a huge number of navigable parts with you. And before leaving make sure your boat has been waterways – rivers and lakes – perfectly suited to jet boating. fully serviced.’ (See sidebar) For many Kiwis, jet boating is a sport or recreation in its own It is also important to know your boat well. M&G is involved right. They’re in it for the buzz of speed, the thrill of danger and in many insurance repairs because jet boats, by definition, find the pleasure of getting into otherwise inaccessible back country. themselves in scraps and scrapes. For others – principally readers of this august journal – jet There’s no question that Andy is passionate about his boats. boating is a means to an end. It’s He likes to experiment with different primarily the vehicle that will get you designs and will spend hours on his to the fishing and hunting spots that computer getting the details exactly It’s primarily the vehicle that most Kiwis never visit. right. ‘You either have the eye for it or you don’t,’ he maintains. Andy Bowron, who runs Huntjet in will get you to the fishing Nelson, is somewhat of an expert in jet Andy also prides himself on using and hunting spots that most boats, having been ‘playing’ with them every available inch of space. ‘We for 15 years. Tinkering with them in like to keep customers happy so we Kiwis never visit. his backyard mushroomed into a fullstand behind the product with full time business of which he is designerwarranties against faulty workmanship in-chief. Sister company, Marine and and build quality,’ he says. General Engineering (M&G), builds his creations. They share a Huntjet customers don’t necessarily buy their boats fully fittedmutual belief in building quality boats that last the distance. out; many, says Andy, do the final fit-out themselves. But those That distance can be anywhere from five to 30 years, depending he finishes he likes to use quality NZ-made hardware, such as on how well a jet boat is looked after and the pounding it steering, trim and reverse control gear. receives. If you fancy joining the jet boating fraternity – whether for the Huntjet boats are mainly for river use, but they are also thrills or to go hunting and fishing – Huntjet should be your first perfectly at home on lakes, estuaries and bays, and in calm seas. port of call. One of Andy’s customers lives in Otaki and launches his jet boat Next month – how to choose the best jet boat for your into the Otaki River, trundles downstream through the estuary to needs and the best places to go jet boating if you’re keen on the river mouth and out into the sea where he throws a line for a whitebaiting, trout fishing or hunting. few snapper. Fish caught, he retraces his wake back up-river and hauls out his boat, having used the fresh water to wash the boat WATCH ONE OF OUR BOATS IN ACTION - Scan here for him. Jet boats, says Andy, appeal to both families and those who enjoy adventure boating and hunting. They are an ideal way for weekend hunters to quickly reach hard-to-access backblock areas, saving the time and effort of tramping in. To say nothing of the fun involved in negotiating tight rapids and the rush of adrenaline from the sheer speed. But with thrills inevitably come spills. Which is why you need a well-built boat, that is constructed from quality materials. A

What to do before a jetboating trip •

Inspect the outside of your boat, and up and under the intake grill for any damage. Clean out any stones and debris.

•

Check all steering linkages for loose or worn parts: steering nozzle pins, locking pins and lock-wire. Make sure they are all tight and secure because if you lose your steering, Andy says, you are buggered.

•

Check all reverse bucket control linkages for any loose or worn parts and make sure they are all tight and secure.

•

Under the engine cover, have a good look at the steering linkage, cable ends, shackles and turn buckles. They need to be tight and secure with lock-wire in place. Look up under the gunnel to check the pulleys are all secure.

•

Have a look under the dash at the steering helm control and make sure all shackle lock-wire is tight and secure.

•

Check all reverse control linkages under the engine cover and under the gunnel.

•

Check fuel lines are in good condition and secure, especially on fuel injected engines.

•

Check the bilge pump is secure and working.

•

Check the battery is secure and leads have good connections.

•

Inspect the drive shaft universals and lubricate if necessary.

•

Visually inspect the engine for oil or water leaks, loose hose clips, and any loose wires from alarm and gauge senders.

•

Check lifejackets and inspect all safety gear.

(Next month we will supply a list of all the safety equipment you need)

The perfect boat for those harD to reach places Customised seating

Designed and built for hunting, fishing and adventure

Motor options

MARINE & GENERAL are the proud manfacturers of HUNT JET Boats

We can build a boat to suit you. Come and talk to Andy at Marine & General and see how we can help you

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

ISSUE 138 - HUNTING NEWS 15

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The downside up of hero-help

hideout, lay his antlers along his back, poke out his nose, drop to his knees, and shuffle into the tight vegetation. Then he'd lay low and silent till danger had passed. Ears cocked, way way up high above the forest track, his head and shoulders in a small grass gap between two trees, the stag was then taken by surprise.

Kim Swan

knew I was pushing the proverbial pooh uphill with a very pointy little stick but when it comes to hunting there is one piece of good advice I can offer and that is, if you're not out there amongst it then you're most certainly not going to see anything. If you are out there, even in the worst place, at the wrong time, and with the wind up your back, you have exercise, fresh air, and a slim chance of success. In my case I was in a difficult place but the time was right, as was the wind. Low cloud shrouded the hills and eliminated all chance of sitting and spying. Light showers of rain moistened the eyepieces on scope and binoculars. I covered a lot of ground on foot, stealthy and focussed but was not rewarded with a glimpse nor a startle. I'd said I'd be home in time to make dinner, but at dinner time I was heading up one last forest track. Finally I found some deer sign. Metre long skid marks, deep gouges, and large spoor facing all points of the compass indicated that young stags had being playing on the track. With velvet freshly stripped they'd been jousting, clashing antlers, and strengthening necks before the Roar. At a point just below my navel, I found the one patch of cotton fabric on my entire being that was not saturated by hours of walking in the rain. Awkward and embarrassed, I unbuttoned my strides and wiped my scope dry at either end. Right, now I was good to go! This is where the pushing excrement uphill part happened. I was hunting in plantation forest, radiata pine, trees five metres high planted on the contour. Thousands of green soldiers row upon row, all holding hands. The gaps, just a mere few, were filled with broom and blackberry or rockfall overlaid with honeysuckle vines. Unless the deer were right on the track, my chance of seeing them were not just slim but severely malnourished and skeletal. Magpies scolded at my existence. Their warning call caused a stag to lift his head and listen. Typical forestry stag; he was listening for a vehicle. If he heard one he'd dash for the nearest

With velvet freshly stripped they’d been jousting, clashing antlers, and strengthening necks before the Roar.

The downside up stag that was full of surprises.

I was taken by surprise too. Firstly, because I'd seen movement in a distant gap and spied half a stag there. I'd dropped to my knee, wound the scope out to 10x, flipped the safety catch forward, aimed high to compensate for the extremely long shot and, second surprise, I actually pulled off a mighty fine score. It was such a fine score I have to admit to caressing the 7mm-08's little black butt and telling it how much I loved it! Then began the uphill slog. The scramble to find a brown deer

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in gold grass, a deer which lay somewhere up there between thousands of trees all holding hands, row upon row, and all looking exactly the same, clones from the same cone. Each tree was awash with droplets of rain, each clump of broom all wet and whippy. Rocks. Thousands of sharp-edged knee-high rocks all overgrown with goose grass and honey suckle vines. Third surprise, amidst the maze of close-quarters vegetation, was that I found the big brown beasty. Neck-shot, with antlers jammed under scrub, he lay upside down, stacked vertically upon the rocks.

My first battle of wee versus mighty was getting this very large stag downside up as upside down stags are difficult to behead and disembowel! Then, a relay. Drag, wrestle, roll. Curse, pant, snivel. Every centimetre forward was a win. Many centimetres made a metre. Every twenty metres over treacherous rocks and through broom and gorse was a victory to celebrate. My reward was a brief respite, the time in which I went back the way I'd just come to collect the stag's head, my rifle, and gear. Metres and minutes ticked by ever so slowly. Ninety minutes later, I propped the stag to cool trackside. He was a huge animal - insides insulated in bubbles of white fat, haunches like a laminitis pony, strongly muscled forequarters and neck. I was a little animal - a drowned rat. I was filthy, bedraggled, saturated, and strewn head to bootlace with goose grass seeds. My truck was many kilometres away and my watch reckoned on eight o'clock. Come nightfall and my hero had not come to rescue me. Instead, I had to drive humbly homeward and apologise to him about dinner. Worse still, I had to ask for help. "Its not a big deer, honest, you'll chuck it up onto the truck easily, darling.” I emphasised the darling part, fluttering eyelashes that were hidden under a sodden and dripping fringe. I smiled encouragingly knowing all along that I'm a liar. The not-big deer I need hero-help with is bloody huge, darling.

Post Roar explore in Fiordland

Ever wanted to hunt Fiordland? I bet it’s on your bucket list. Fiordland Expeditions is the specialist when it comes to getting the most from your Fiordland experience, be it hunting, fishing, diving, or exploring the wonderland Rudyard Kipling described as the eighth wonder of the world. With two vessels, Tutoko and Tutoko II, in -depth local knowledge, and impeccable professional service, you can be assured of an unforgettable and fun experience. For hunters, there are two clubs on the Tutoko and Tutoko II: the gun walkers and the deer stalkers, so which one do you fit in?

Fiordland Expeditions’ post Roar adventure Hunting in Fiordland can be a fickle thing but perseverance will undoubtedly reward the persistent and the wise. There are deer here aplenty and even the odd moose too… so they say. Fiordland after the Roar is the place to be: there’ll be less people, more room, and still plenty of deer to hunt in magnificent surroundings. The stags will be partying-up, swapping stories of their conquests and how they survived another hunt, their guard will have dropped, and they’ll be more relaxed so that’s the time to pounce. It also gives you a second opportunity of securing a monster red stag for the wall or den. And then there’s the extras (not what you’re thinking) with abundant seafood for the catching: fresh cod, groper, crays, paua, and more, accompanied by some fine Fiordland back-strap on the barbecue washed down with a nice cool beverage or two, followed by a nice hot shower and a warm comfy bed. Couple this

with the good old southern hospitality on board the Tutoko and you have a getaway like no other. Why spend sleepless nights in the cold, wet bush when you can live and dine like a king? So, if you’ve been talking about hunting Fiordland it’s time to walk the walk; no more talk. Get some mates together, bring your partner, or come alone. Fiordland Expeditions caters to every need. There is no better time to inquire than while it’s fresh in your mind. Call TODAY 0508 888 656 or check the web www.FiordlandExpeditions.co.nz

16 HUNTING NEWS - MARCH 2017

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MEOSAR - leading the way for search and rescue technology The evolution of search and rescue technology has produced amazing technological innovations - including the creation and constant refinement of satellite-driven global networks. Whether on land, in the air, or on the water, these life-saving technologies are created with the same core mission in mind: to maximize accuracy, timeliness, and reliability in the event of an emergency. UK-based McMurdo Group has been at the forefront of this innovation. McMurdo has served as a prominent voice in the SAR community, investing its R&D, technological knowhow, and providing a perspective on the constant search for improvement and innovation: asking the question, "What Comes Next?" The latest innovation is an advanced next generation satellite-based technology that is reinventing search and rescue: The MEOSAR Network - the acronym stands for Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue. The McMurdo Group's leadership in the MEOSAR ground infrastructure is advancing the vision and capabilities of this new technology. From beacon to rescue centre, McMurdo's technical team strives to improve the positioning, navigation, and timing of search and rescue aids in emergency situations. MEOSAR builds on the earlier LEOSAR and GEOSAR technology found within the existing, free-use Cospas-Sarsat SAR system. It operates as an extension of a constellation of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), which comprises of three major International SAR systems: • U.S. SAR/GPS (Global Positioning System) • European SAR/Galileo, and • the Russian SAR/GLONASS With this global reach at its fingertips, MEOSAR has notably increased the speed, safety,

and security of search and rescue situations. Five innovations of MEOSAR from all Cospas-Sarsat contributors: 1. Expanded network of satellite coverage and frequency, with 72-plus global satellites 20,000km above the earth's surface. 2. Immediate real-time beacon detection, GPS positioning, and signal relay network, with the ability to independently locate beacons and transmit distress signals within 100m, 95 percent of the time, and within five minutes. 3. Efficiency and redundancy in distress signal retrieval to satellite ground response stations/MEOLUT's (MEOSAR Local User Terminals). 4. Return link alert signal capabilities providing direct confirmation from rescue authorities that help is on the way. 5. Remote beacon activation and false alert cancellation to ensure validity of emergency situation and avoid mismanagement of search and rescue resources and response teams. Not since the Cospas-Sarsat global SAR system became fully functional in the early 1980s has there been a change that compares to the introduction of the MEOSAR satellites. MEOSAR will accelerate rescue times, potentially shaving hours off today's average response time. To prepare for the change, government and response organizations around the world are engaged in the two-to-five year transition to MEOSAR. McMurdo has been part of the Cospas-Sarsat system since its inception, contributing at every step of the SAR process, from manufacturing distress beacons and ground stations, to

delivering command centres. McMurdo completed the installation of a New Zealand six antenna MEOSAR satellite ground station system located between Taupo and Rotorua in in late 2015 - the first implementation of MEOSAR in Asia Pacific. The project is part of a joint initiative with Maritime NZ and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

“Beacons can take the ‘search’ out of search and rescue,

The New Zealand MEOSAR ground station, in conjunction with another installed in Western Australia, cover one of the largest search and rescue areas in the world - from north of Australia/New Zealand to the equator and south to the South Pole, east to half way across the Pacific, and west half way across the Indian Ocean. The new search and rescue satellite system covering New Zealand had only been operating in test mode for three days when injured tramper, Wellington teacher Don Stevens, activated his

Personal Locator Beacon in the Tararuas. The distress signal from his PLB relayed by the nextgeneration MEOSAR satellite system to Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand in only four minutes - 50 minutes sooner than if the existing system picked up the same distress signal. McMurdo was instrumental in all phases of the rescue - from the McMurdo FastFind 220 PLB, to the McMurdo MEOSAR satellite ground stations, to the McMurdo Mission Control and Rescue Coordination Centre systems. "Beacons can take the 'search' out of search and rescue, and the MEOSAR system will dramatically increase the global search and rescue capability," said Maritime NZ Director, Keith Manch. There are 62,000 emergency distress beacons registered in New Zealand that, without any changes or updates, will be immediately usable by the new systems. It's estimated an additional 25,000 beacons are unregistered. Due to the high responsiveness of the MEOSAR system, Search and Rescue authorities strongly recommend beacon registration. This will help the unnecessary deployment of search and rescue resources due to inadvertent beacon activations.

McMurdo Emergency Beacons. Trusted for Life.

ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 15

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The adventures of Gurr, Little Gurr, and Bigger Gurr

Halibut for the hell of it Graham Gurr

alibut are giant flat fish that inhabit subArctic waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The biggest come from the waters off the Kenai Peninsula, with Homer and Seward claiming to be the home of the largest in the world. Our huge purpose-built twin outboard charter boat was pushed down the beach by a very large Caterpillar dozer and off into the surf; the beach shelved steeply and we were fully afloat ust a few metres from shore. Then a relaxing hour's cruise out into Cook Inlet to some pinnacles that the skipper wanted to drift over. Crewman ‘Bucket’ - rhymes with - you can work it out, gave a safety briefing, before getting the halibut lines ready: four pound weight and two hooks on parachute cord trace attached to seven foot boat rods with Penn reels loaded with 32lb mono line. Bucket explained the rules: we were allowed two fish each one had to be over 2 inches and one under. Once you had your fish you were finished. If you had been on a previous charter you were only allowed a total of four fish for the year. All licences were checked and recorded in the log and fish were later recorded against each licence. Penalties are tough, not just on the angler but the boat crew too. “Drop the weight to the bottom, then wind up 2 turns and hang on,” ucket explained. I asked for a rod harness but Bucket replied: “ on’t use em. If you can t hold the fish with your rod up, rest the the grip on the side of the boat AND don’t stop winding.” As we drifted we bounced our baits across the bottom, then motored back and did it again. ut we all had to wind up some 200 feet of line before we could re-position.

Winding up a four pound weight from 200 feet was a workout on its own. I became apprehensive about what it would be like with a halibut on the end as well. The skipper was in radio contact with other boats but everyone was having a slow day. “Time to move” he announced, so we wound up again and stowed the rods. He consulted a small notebook containing hand written GPS co-ordinates: no leaving the marks on the plotter, for another skipper to steal! We motored for another twenty minutes to somewhere almost out of sight of land in all directions, the Kenai Peninsula a smudge on the horizon, tops of volcanoes on the other. This time we anchored in 365 feet and Bucket shouted to get them baits down. One of the other party, Donald, was quickly into a good fish and ten minutes grunting groaning and heavy lifting got a good sized halibut of about 30 pounds to the boat. “ eep or release?” the skipper asked, as it was well over the 2 inch mark. “I’d recommend keeping.” “Ok, I’ll keep it," said Donald. It was heaved aboard, whacked on the head and slid into the biggest fish bin I’ve ever seen. My turn next! The bite started with a nod, nod, nod at the rod tip then a sharp draw down - all I had to do was wind; the circle hooks hooked automatically and then the work started. Ten minutes of grunt and grind and the skipper demanded: “ eep or release?” “I’ll put this one back,” I said. The skipper instantly grasped the hook and, with a flick of his wrist, unhooked and

Bigger Gurr looks on as a 'small' halibut comes aboard.

released the halibut. I would have liked a photo but they were more concerned with releasing unkept fish as quickly as possible. Re-baited, down my line went again but there was no nod, nod, nod: the rod tip just bent down at 0 degrees and ucket was shouting in my ear : “Wind, wind, wind.” Easier said than done: as hard as I was winding the fish was taking line. I tried lifting the tip of the rod to wind down on it but wrong move; the weight that came on slammed me against the side of the boat, the rod nearly slipping from my hands.

021 073 3374

Bait Cannon heralds new revolution The new bait cannon - the air powered surf caster - 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, walk down to where you want to launch the sinker and bait near the surf line, knock back the lever to shoot the line out approximately 200 to 250 metres and that’s it. Then sit back while you catch a fish. The unit weighs only kgs, is mm 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 waters edge and shoot it out 50 to 200 metres, go back, flip over your bail arm, and take up the slack. That’s it. The Surf Smasher is only 40mm 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 ait annons are sold as an 20 device, as it is not a toy. It has been manufactured in New Zealand using Marley high pressure fittings, rated 6 psi, and quality P stainless and brass fittings no rust . It uses a brass pressure release valve for added safety.

“Hold on old fella,” said Little Gurr as he grabbed me by the belt and hauled me upright. Bucket was making the wind wind noise again and I was trying to do just that. I had the front of the rod grip on the side of the boat and was pushing the butt down while trying to wind but the weight was moving to the side and still taking line. It was hard and I was losing. Little Gurr put his spare hand on the front of the rod grip and helped keep the rod at least parallel to the water -the tip was still pointing straight down. I wound and wound and, thanks to Little Gurr helping keep the rod still on the side of the boat, eventually started to get some line back.

Some might think having help with the rod is not really cricket but being nearer to seventy than sixty, with a hernia, I was grateful for the help. The bloody fish was killing me! After that initial powerful run it was mostly moving an enormous weight up through the water and after twenty minutes,I had recovered more than 365 feet of line. We had colour but no one asked if I wanted to keep this one! Bucket leapt onto the stern of the boat, a harpoon in his hand, and as soon as the barn door reached the surface he launched it into the back of the fish. Away it went again, this time towing a float attached to the harpoon. I got the wind, wind chant in my ear again as I wound the lost line back. The skipper pushed in when the fish surfaced again and shot it between the eyes: that took the fight out of it. In went a couple of gaffs and, with some cursing and heaving, the fish was pulled into the boat. (Part two next month).

TOP OF THE SOUTH

SALES & SERVICING FOR

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REPOWER OPTIONS

16 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Go-to lure for tinny salmon Ashlea Tainui

Ash with her first salmon from Engagement Bay.

This beauty was my very first salmon and caught at Engagement Bay! I love salmon fishing on the West oast. I started trout fishing three-years-ago and salmon angling two-years-ago when my hubby-to-be, Steffan, bought us a new fishslaying boat. It soon became my engagement present after he popped the question at the ake apourika Salmon ompetition th arch 20 5. The first test of our new boat was at the competition, a great event held by the South Westland Lions Club, and there’s always a great turn out of competitors. I work at the Wild Outdoorsman in Hokitika, so I stocked up on a lot of salmon and trout lures. Working in a fishing and hunting store, you hear many great fishing stories and about the lures people use. This was my first time targeting salmon: all morning, day and night, for two days. The boat was amazing, and I got addicted. However, the weather was terrible. Our tent leaked, and Steffan was acting very strange, nervous, and anxious. It was fast turning out to be a rather poor weekend. After I started cooking dinner, Steffan asked me a for a bourbon and to make it a ‘stiff one.’ Ten minutes later, when the weather had fined up, he took me to the edge of the lake. Stars were out, and he whispered sweet nothings in my ear and then popped the question. I screamed and threw my

bourbon in the lake by accident. We called it Engagement Bay! This made the weekend but, sadly, didn’t help us catch any salmon. We did get a nice haul of trout for the freezer though. Two weekends after the comp’, on Steffan’s birthday, we headed back to the lake. I thought for sure he would catch a birthday salmon. When we arrived, there were still people fishing for salmon who had been there for weeks and not caught a thing. We set up camp that morning and got the boat in the water. I decided I would try a different lure this time. Ten minutes on the lake and my reel went nuts, and my rod bent over the back of the boat. Steffan screamed, “You beauty, careful honey, nice and slowly!” “Shut up baby,” I tell him, “I’ve got this.” The battle was hard fought, with me gaining line to only lose it again to the power of the fish. inally, after twenty minutes it succumbed alongside the boat. And what a beauty! The other camper’s weren’t very pleased when I walked back with a 5.5kg salmon in my hands. I recall someone calling me, “Tinny.” That different lure has now caught three salmon over 4.5kg and many trout. It’s now my go-to lure. We are getting hitched th arch 20 . Yee-haaa!

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Kayaking

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other stretchy fasteners to secure their kayak to the roof. Always use non-stretch rope or straps to tie your kayak down. If you tie the front and/ or rear of your kayak down, also use non-stretch cord. Anything that stretches cannot be relied on to keep your kayak in place. Tying your kayak on safely isn’t at all difficult, but it is extremely important that it is done correctly. If you fall into either of the categories above, please take a look at how you transport and secure your kayak, so that you keep both your kayak and other road users safe. For Nelson readers, we will happily give you advice on transporting your kayak. Simply pop into the Kayak HQ and we can take a look at your transport set-up.

ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 17

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MOKAU

Muscling up a Grove Arm monster

GOES

Graeme Johns

OFF Steve McEwen

With the fickle summer’, conditions this year fishing on the West Coast have been very limited and opportunities have to be taken when the weather is right. A recent fishing trip in Mokau (a small village on the coast, one hour north of New Plymouth), where my mate Jeff resides, provided an extremely exciting morning’s fishing. e owns a small ac 360 and we regularly beach launch, as the Mokau Bar is very notorious. After picking a calm spot to launch, we were off. At about 2-3 km off shore and maybe 20m of water, we dropped anchor. With no GPS or fish finders we ust used landmarks. Old school stuff! Within minutes of dropping baits in the water fish were biting… no, I mean attacking our baits. We mainly strayline here with big baits and rely on catching the majority of our bait on homemade sabiki rigs with small mutsu recurve

Steve McEwen with a nine and ten kilo snapper.

hooks, which are extremely strong and deadly on anything. The next two hours were absolute mayhem. With only two packets of pillies between us, baitfish weren’t getting a chance to even have a look at our baits, the snapper were hungry and attacking anything we threw at them. We could only use one rod at a time as the Mokau monsters were everywhere. Even the sabiki rigs were hooking up 5kg snapper on a regular basis. Two hours later we were back on the beach with our 20 snapper, the smallest being

a 4kg baby, the rest ranging from 5- kg, with four good snaps in the - 0.5 kg range (not big by Mokau standards) but a hell of a lot fun! It was interesting to note that this was ebruary and most of these snapper had yet to spawn! Normally around here they would have spawned by early December. Seems like everything is late this year… even summer. *Footnote: the first marlin of the season was landed in New Plymouth 17 Feb…. maybe summer is coming after all!

BOOK REVIEW

Cradle and All

James Patterson Penguin Random House - $23 Reviewed by Lynnaire Johnston This re-release of an earlier Patterson bestseller has been edited to appeal to younger readers. Which it may well do, but for me it is six hours of my life I’m never going to get back! Perhaps the problem was in the editing and the original book was a winner because Patterson is billed as “the world’s bestselling thriller writer” with sales of 325 million copies. But to me he was clearly having an off-day when he wrote this. Not because it’s badly written – it’s not. But because of the subject matter. Now, I’ll put my hand up and admit I’m not a religious person. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t buy into the virgin births, angels in physical form and other manifestations of the divine – or satanic – that populate this book. Perhaps the kids this is aimed at can. After all, they’re big on vampires and their slayers. But, by all means, decide for yourself whether it is suitable for your youngsters. The story centres on two teenage girls, both of whom claim to be pregnant virgins. One in

the USA and the other Ireland. One wealthy, the other poor. One is believed to carry the new saviour, the other Satan. An unlikely collection of representatives of the Catholic Church are sent to divine pre-birth which is going to be which. Chaos, madness and unexplainable (as well as unnecessary) deaths ensue. espite its 30 pages, it is a very quick read thanks to the ultra-short chapters. Some as short as two pages. For no discernible purpose. Usually, chapters become shorter as a book progresses in order to engender a sense of urgency as the story reaches its climax. But from the first chapter of Cradle and All – just two pages you find yourself constantly turning the page – and not in a good way. It’s irritating in the extreme. But again, maybe that’s to appeal to younger readers. Still, Patterson is an acclaimed writer and fans will no doubt enjoy this thriller. I wish I could say the same.

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I’d never taken the boat out from Waikawa to fish ueen harlotte ound but this was a special mission. A friend’s son, Tahana ootes, is fishing mad and talks it up like there’s no other language. He goes out at least three times a week and is bloody mad, spending hours at the Diversion casting for kahawai. He wouldn't stop talking about wanting to catch snapper and, in the end, I had to tell him that sometimes you ust gotta do it. Once up on the plane, he instructed me to hang a left and go up into Grove Arm,. It was a stellar evening; not a breath of wind and the water was as smooth as the inside of a pair of silk stockings. We anchored, put out four stray-lines with half a pillie on each and sat back to chew the fat. We got through a tub of lard because it was a dead as a horse at the knacker’s yard, and I started to worry that we were too shallow at 4m.

However, I have learned that, with snapper, sometimes you just have to have patience and persevere. Two hours was persevering in anyone’s books but by hell it was worth it. My rod got literally monstered, bent double like a cripple, and line scorched off. It bloody near spooled me before I got it turned and then it put up a grubby fight. The bugger dug in and had me working up a sweat as the afterglow of a blazing sunset softened to a charcoal grey. After catching a thirty-plus monster this season I was going to let this one go, but Tahana threw such a fit I had to knock it on the head so he could take it home for bragging rights. It was an ugly bugger, with a bulbous bump on its head, but it got the young fella so fired up, he went out later in the week and caught three snapper of his own. Guess he’s got the bug well and truly now, but at least he’s added a few new words to his vocabulary.

Tahana and Graeme with the Grove Arm thumper.

18 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

In June 2016 we provided a snippet of the life cycle of the rock lobster, titled Rock Star. Since then, the monitoring of lobster settlement has become more important because the data is being used in assessment modelling to understand future recruitment in the fishery. But it is not all beer and skittles. Larnce Wichman explains the urgent need to…

Paint the perfect picture From the moment the puerulus settle inshore, we know it will take 5-6 years before it is mature enough to harvest. With better technology, computer power, and good settlement data, future abundance predictions can be made with reasonable accuracy. Whether truly accurate or not, they provide an indication of future harvest potential, allowing us to continue monitoring right up to when that settlement year-class can be seen coming through the commercial pots and recorded in the voluntary logbooks. Like recreational pots, commercial pots will capture lobster that are still two years away from MLS or recruitment in the fishery. Tagging information provides us with growth rates, whereby we can better estimate future recruitment; if you measure a male lobster at 48mm we know it will be two years before that lobster becomes a legal size of 54mm, based on a 3mm-a-year average growth rate across CRA 5.

A new puerulus collector will soon be providing valuable information to help future management decisions.

More settlement data needed Puerulus data has been collected regularly on either side of the Kaikoura Peninsula since the 1980, with not many months, if any at all, missed. CRAMAC 5 acknowledges that 37-years of data is a fantastic effort, and not many countries have such a long history of settlement data to use, but does it truly represent the whole of the CRA 5 fishery? We don’t know, so we began monitoring further afield with two new sites south of Kaikoura. They identified a different level of settlement than the Kaikoura Peninsula collectors, based on previous data. Encouraged by this, CRAMAC 5 has set about installing four more collector sites along the CRA 5 coastline. This comes at a cost of building the collectors, placing them, and then servicing them each month - a cost met by CRAMAC 5 because we see it as an investment in our future. Nature plays a huge role in puerulus settlement along our coast and CRAMAC 5 is committed in trying to retain abundance in this resource. Even with the huge upheaval of the earthquake, we know

settlement still continues. In the past year, CRA 5 coastline has experienced the best consistent settlement ever, so our future is looking good. However, we do know there are things happening along our coastline that commercial cannot monitor or manage: human population growth leading to increased recreational participation and increased illegal activity have an added impact on the fishery, yet neither of these are being adequately monitored.

... the reality is we have absolutely no idea of what’s happening recreationally.

New regs dodgy On 1 October this year, MPI is making electronic Catch Effort Landing Returns mandatory in the commercial fishery. This is a good thing but we have some issues with the level or amount of data MPI wants collected. This has yet to be settled. MPI have indicated every pot must be recorded as an event, which will double the time on the water for a commercial vessel, yet the data may be irrelevant if there is no specific use for it. The practical implications of this are huge. For example, 26 commercial vessels, averaging 100 pots each, have 2600 pots in the water, which would generate a huge amount of data, at considerable extra cost to each operator, but still give a skewed representation of what is happening in the fishery.

Why? If recreational fishing effort was equal to commercial, that would equate to 433 recreational boats fishing six pots each, but the reality is we have absolutely no idea of what’s happening recreationally. This is critical information: if we are to manage the fishery into abundance, we need to know the whole picture, and commercial cannot manage it alone. Recreational, like it or not, are part of the equation and need to be having the same discussions amongst themselves as we are. A good starting point would be to download the Fish4all app, which has been specifically designed for recreational fishers to have input, contribute towards, and strengthen their position in sustainable fisheries management. It’s fun to use, interactive, and meaningful, so check it out now.

CRAMAC 5’s position on MPI simply wanting more data from commercial does not make sense because that alone will never paint the perfect picture.

www.thefishingpaper.co.nz

Totaranui bug Jyles Lavington

I caught the Totaranui bug over the summer holidays and I’m not talking about the norovirus. Camping at Totaranui over the school holidays is becoming a family tradition, with our cousins up every year from Christchurch, we catch up and enjoy time together. Last year we didn’t get out on the ocean due to a fractured hub on the boat trailer. Dad put it in for a warrant a few days before leaving and it proved to have a cracked hub. Due to the age of the trailer, finding a replacement turned into a major event, so we had to leave the boat at home, much to Dad’s disgust. This year was nearly a repeat. The trailer passed its warrant so Dad loaded the boat with all our diving/ fishing gear and headed up to Totaranui. So far so good. Dad then put the boat in the water, cruised up the beach when suddenly the steering cable snapped for no rhyme nor reason. Luckily, my brother and I were still in Nelson so Dad gave us the SOS. My brother was sent off with orders to buy a new steering column, along with a list of tools we needed. We loaded the car and headed over the hill with that dreaded feeling we had forgotten something or brought the wrong thing. Upon arrival, we were greeted with much love from the cousins and great anticipation from Dad, who didn’t muck about. He stripped the old steering

That's what you call a bottler!

S TO R Y

Jyles caught a nasty bug over the holidays but he doesn't look too unhappy.

column out in minutes and looped the new one in. Success, the steering column was fitted we’d managed to bring all of the tools required. The look on Dad’s face was priceless. The following day we headed out towards Separation Point, put the long line in, then Dad and I geared up for a dive. The terrain was perfect. Within a few minutes we found a couple of crays. I tried to grab one but he shot back into the hole out of reach. Dad muffed his, nothing new there. A few minutes later I found this 6lb beauty. I waved my hands above its head and then, bang, grabbed him and hung on for dear life. He tried to lock himself in but, with sheer determination, I

managed to wiggle him out of the hole. Dad was carrying the catch bag so I tapped him on the shoulder. He got the fright of his life when he saw the size of my catch. After several attempts, bingo, he was in the bag. We carried on and managed to catch another two crays. We pulled up the long line but had no luck there, which didn’t matter because we had cray on the menu for tea. We had a great feast with our cousins and friends - a night that will not be forgotten. If you need any gear, any diving or fishing tips, or simply want a yarn, come in and see me at Hunting & Fishing Richmond. I’m sure we can help you out.

ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 19

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A SAVAGE alternative to HALIBUT

S TO RY

Marty Johanson

We headed in towards the shore to pre-determined waypoints, looking for the elusive halibut. The bottom sign is not too different from our hapuka, and the rig set-up is a similar ledger-rig but with metal rod extensions for the hooks. The arms swing with the current and present the bait like putting your hand out with it in your finger-tips. They use fresh salmon,which is weird for us; like tying $20 notes to the end of the line! Berley is also very important, as the currents are very strong and it doesn’t take too long for the message to get out. I was soon in, the slow but sure bend in the 24kg rod signalling a 50-60lb fish - a sizeable ‘flounder’. Working it off the bottom with the help of the SLX 2 speed reel, the halibut rose like a huge bath. These fish are powerful and can cause damage on the boat, so you may have heard they shoot the fish with a six-gun to quieten them down. That is illegal now, so they now use a harpoon with a good sized float tied off to a bollard. In goes the harpoon, over goes the float, and then the fish goes ballistic for about 3-4 minutes in its death throes. Cut the gills and over the side it comes - probably the hardest work. With one the limit, I went up to the bow and cast a new Savage Herring Shad around using a new Metaloid spinning reel. The skipper thought I’d be wasting my time - thanks Mr Positive! Second cast - wham! A bloody good fish I thought but I wasn’t announcing it until I saw colour. It looked a little weird so I called on our non-believing skipper. “Bugger me,” he said. “You’ve got a damn good ling cod

Marty (right) and the boys with a mighty mixed bag.

“Well I never?” said the man again.

there.” It weighed over 30lb and tasted nicer than the halibut! The guys in the back were into another halibut. The skipper grabbed the spinning rod, cast the lure way out back, and let it sink while attending to the fish in hand, which took about six minutes. Then wham, off goes the spinning rod again, much to the amazement of the nonbelieving skipper. I wound it in to find a small 20lb halibut attached.

The use of alternative gear wasn’t mentioned for the rest of the trip! At the end of the trip we were met by the land crew, who take the fish off, hang it, take photos for you, then prepare the fish into beautifully vacuum packed meal sizes to bring back to New Zealand. Yes, you are allowed to bring back 20kgs from either the U.S. or Canada! I fed family and friends for two weeks - well worth it!

Missed out in March?

HUNTING NEWS

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20 17

Photo by Gerald Fluerty.

20 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Sudden stop to silver bullet (front cover story) Jake Williams

STORY

Canterbury has had a lot of things going for it this season. There’s been steady trout fishing in the high country, a near record run of elephant fish and rig, and the kingfish are here in si e and numbers. o what’s left to be desired for the fishinghungry angler? The ever elusive silver bullets. For the second season running, salmon fishing has been slow in anterbury, more so from the weather preventing anglers getting on the water than a lack of fish. ut when nearly a whole fishing community is singing the same tune about salmon being in decline, it can be hard to find that inspiration to keep yourself on the riverbank. After I spent countless hours scouring up and down the Waimak’ in December and January without even having the stir of seeing a fish porpoise, and after a hard earned season last year, I was again feeling the mental, physical, and even emotional strain of hunting these river kings. It wasn’t until an old mate of mine decided we should take his boat for a run down the akaia in early ebruary that salmon fishing became clear to me once again. After pulling up to a likely lead in the middle of the river, I readied my gear, a Shimano Chronarch matched with a - oomis rod, and flicked my silver 22g silver zeddie into the milky blue flow like the thousands of times before. Tick tick tick tick... bang. And there it was. Sooner than I knew it, pounds of fresh silver salmon was lying at my feet after an erratic, rather sudden fight. Instantly, every lonely hour spent on the riverbed or every dollar to a lure lost to a snag doesn’t matter, as you’re sitting there amidst ecstatic shouts, rewarded

Jake’s choice of salmon gear.

with a trophy like none other in any form of fishing I’ve ever experienced. aving come such a long way itself and having survived the open ocean and a river of 0,000 hooks, it’s almost hard not to be in awe of these magnificent, strong, and beautifully silver fish. They really are like nothing else. So with daylight fading and my faith restored for what feels forever, I left the river probably the happiest angler in the world. Despite how our seasons go, and even if we somehow managed to lose these awesome fish from our rivers altogether, people will never, ever stop talking about them.

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Ásbjörn and Gertrude Federer, owners of Switzerland’s least fishing tackle store Die Toten Fische, enjoy their favourite read The Fishing Paper & Hunting News. Ásbjörn, third cousin twice removed of famous tennis ace Roger Federer, said he actually hates fishing but, lacking the talents of his younger cousin, failed miserably on the court because the crowd kept making fun of his knobbly knees, which distracted him to the point of missing every ball. He shrunk from the limelight and retreated to the Swiss Alps where he met Gertrude, a professional yodeller and former Miss Swiss Dairy Maid. The two married after a whirlwind fourteen year

courtship and set up Die Toten Fische, which specialises in selling quality fishing tackle and authentic cuckoo clocks to tourists. Gertrude saw The Fishing Paper & Hunting News online and instantly knew it would appeal to her husband because it is free. The paper has become so popular amongst the locals of Andermatt, Ásbjörn rents out the reading rights, which covers the cost to courier it each month from New Zealand and returns him a small profit. Ásbjörn hopes that one day he will overcome his fear of slimy scales and be able to catch a fish, because it is something Roger doesn’t have time for.

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ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 21

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STORY

S TO RY

From Sinker to Smoker Ron Prestage

Getting distance in casting ecently on the urfcasting and ockfishing acebook page top North Island surfcaster Chris Norris posted his thoughts for getting distance in casting. Chris has generously given me permission to share his tips with readers of The Fishing Paper and Hunting News. I have added my thoughts to the points Chris makes. ine si e - hris Now this really does make a huge difference. The thicker the diameter of your main line the more drag you will have and the less distance you are going to get. I’m using 30lb Suffix braid and 25lb mono. Ron: I use 20lb Spiderwire Stealth braid and a tapered leader. Bait si e - hris A small cube or a small strip bait will have way less drag as it is flying than a massive square chunk. I’ve seen guys pull in big snapper on small strip baits. Ron: A rig with a smallish single bait will cast that extra 15 plus metres further than a two bait rig.

Battling BIGGIES in the basin Dylan Booth

The canals of the Macken ie Basin have become legendary for the proliferation of big fish but some anglers still believe it’s not real’ fishing. The fact is, it is not a walk in the park or guaranteed and, while a lot of monster fish are being caught, those who are consistently successful put in an awful lot of time, have developed and refined techni ues to suit the style of fishing, and use quality gear. I fish the canals regularly and in mid- ebruary took a mate along, our first stop hau . We quickly got our gear setup and got fishing but for a hour or so without no oy. We moved to another spot. And I’m glad we did because on the second cast I was into a absolute brute of a fish that peeled line with ease. Large runs nearly into the backing on the Okuma Ceymar made me feel nervous and thinking

‘its another 30lber’, but it surfaced within a few runs and jumped about. It was cunning and tried all the tricks and tried shaking the hook multiple times. When the fish saw my headlight, it bolted again and that last tun tired out the beast. With a bit of coaxing he slipped right into the net. The fish it came in at 4lb yet another trophy rainbow trout. We took a few quick photos and released it, then were straight back into it. I cast my lumo and ‘WHACK', I was yet again in! This time the fight was less dramatic and I ended up with a healthy lb salmon for the dinner table. The setup I used to capture these fish was a IS -3kg two piece rod and a A eymar 000 sized reel, which also was spooled up with 5lb Berkley anofil, with a very long lack agic Tackle 6lb flurocarbon leader.

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Sinker weight - Chris: A big weight does not mean a big cast. It may even damage your rod. I find that a four or five oz breakaway sinker does the job. Ron: I always use streamlined 5 or 6oz breakaway sinkers. Practice - Chris: An open field is a great place to practise your cast and your accuracy. I still head up to the school field with my boys for a casting session. Ron: I too have spent many hours on a school field getting my technique honed. Rod - Chris: You don’t need a thousand dollar rod to get a good cast. ne of the biggest things is rod length. A 4 to 5 foot rod is probably a good idea. I use a 4 foot 6 inch Abu Garcia nano technology Veritas, Shimano Triton surf series and my new Kilwell Powerplay 222. Ron: My favourite rods are all fourteen and a half feet long. A home built Kilwell graphite glass, a Kilwell 222 long distance and a new Abu Garcia Veritas surf rod. Reels - Chris: Long cast reels are the way to go with the design features to assist long casting. Plenty to choose from in a range of prices. I find Shimano Aerlex reels great value. Ron: Most of my surfcasting reels over the years have been Daiwa. Rigs - Chris: A nice little short tight rig will go a lot further than a massive long loose flapping rig. I use a standard one loop ledger rig or a pulley rig. Ron: The compact pulley rig is my favourite for distance. Will often put out a clipped down two-hook ledger rig for closer in fishing. Thanks for sharing Chris.

Practising casting on a school field

22 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017

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Uniquely Fiordland

Marty Bowers: Senior Fisheries Analyst, Recreational Fishing Team

Cannibal catches ‘Ginga' unawares Tyler McBeth

aiapoi akes had been fishing well this year, with a lot of the perch two or three o average si e predating on the uvenile fish from their spring spawning. I asked my friend and fellow fisherman reg ilbert to oin me for an evening fish at the two deep lakes, which are riddled with perch. Greg accepted my invitation and headed on his way. The weather was warm, except for a slightly cool north east wind blowing over the murky lakes. This didn’t deter us, however, as our method of choice was to float-fish. n our arrival, the task was to gather enough live baits for a few hours fishing. We did that by using a small size 6 trout hook with a very small section of a worm on the hook under a light 2 float, and placed it in the margins. It didn’t take us more than half-an-hour to have enough small, angry 4 - 5cm perch trapped in my blue bucket for the fishing ahead. reg and I then set up our rigs to catch a few larger fish. We changed our setup by swapping to a 4 6 float with a larger hook, to give a positive indication and a good hook up once a stripy predator cannibalised the injured live bait. It didn’t take long before we started hooking in to some slightly larger fish, but they were only a few ounces. We had found a

shoal of these fish under the bank and were getting constant action until the shoal vanished Ten minutes later, when the bites came to a stop, I said to Greg, “Doesn’t seem like we will get anything above a couple of ounces,” before he suddenly struck and had hooked himself up to a perch around lb, which is well above average size for the venue. After a brief struggle, the fish was safely retained in the net and allowed to recover slightly before a picture. After that fish was released back to bully the uvenile tench and perch, the other perch went dormant and were not biting much at all. We made our way back to the overgrown causeway without much success, spending a minute or so in each little section before moving to the next spot. As we made our way back to the carpark, we had almost ran out of live baits and decided to call it a day. It was a good evening with plenty of small fish caught. Perhaps next time, a few more larger fish will show themselves.

Fiordland is an iconic area of New Zealand that provides a wealth of world-class outdoor opportunities. Visitors come from across the globe to participate in a range of once-in-a-lifetime sightseeing, tramping, hunting, scuba-diving, and fishing experiences. With the Roar about to begin many hunters will soon be heading into Fiordland, which is a good time to talk about the rules associated with this special area. The unique environment of the fiords is especially visible underwater, where water from the forest is stained brown by tannins. This darkens the water in the fiords and allows black and red corals usually found in the deep ocean to grow within diving depth. Fiordland is also the home of china shops – areas that are of particular biological interest to scientists that can be easily damaged by human activity. These long, narrow bodies of water are especially susceptible to pressure from overfishing leading to localised depletion. They have a relatively low productivity and so, once an area is fished out, it is much more difficult for fish to recolonise compared to the open coast. In order to protect this unique environment a group of concerned local Fiordland users and community members began meeting in 1995. They started with the philosophy:

“That the quality of Fiordland’s marine environment and fisheries, including the wider fishing experience be maintained or improved for future generations to use and enjoy”

Ginga meets cannibal.

Since then this group, representing recreational and commercial fishers, charter operators, Ngai Tahu Iwi, and environmentalists has worked to address and mitigate the impact of growing fisher numbers, escalating access and harvest levels on finite fish stocks, and vulnerable species within the fiords. The resulting conservation strategy and the package of tailored regulations arose from a negotiated ‘gifts and gains’ process between these user groups. Their hard work and perseverance paid off leading to the enactment of the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2005. This Act created the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area, extending from Awarua Point on the West Coast to Sandhill Point, Te Waewae Bay (see map) and gave formal recognition to the Fiordland Marine Guardians. The Guardians are appointed by the Minister for the Environment as part of a body to advise on the management of

The perch were shoaling at dusk.

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Fiordland is a unique destination with special rules

the Fiordland Marine Area. The management agencies responsible for managing the fiords with the Fiordland Marine Guardians are: Ministry for the Environment (MfE), Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Environment Southland (ES). The Act created specific recreational fishing regulations for the Fiordland Marine Area (FMA). This means there are four different bag limits for blue cod. There is a bag limit of one blue cod for the internal waters of Doubtful, Thompson, and Bradshaw Sounds, three for the internal water of the other sounds, and 20 outside the internal waters of Fiordland. It is prohibited to take or possess blue cod taken from within the internal waters of Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) due to low abundance and habitat productivity. The agencies also have a biosecurity presence in the area. In April 2010, a single mature Undaria Pinnatifida specimen was found on a mooring line in Sunday Cove. Undaria is a highly invasive seaweed that rapidly overruns native species and changes marine ecosystems. MPI, ES and DOC have joined forces to try

Jen Brunton about to dive check the ss Stella wreck for marine pests

and eliminate Undaria from Sunday Cove. Every four weeks, a team of six qualified divers survey the area. Divers look for any Undaria sporophytes (the juvenile form) that can range in size from 4cm to over 60cm long. The goal is to find Undaria before it reaches maturity. Any specimens that are found are removed by hand, carefully placed in a zip-lock bag, and destroyed back at the boat. This response has now run for seven years and will continue until no Undaria have been found for 18 continuous months. The response will then be changed to a monitoring programme to make sure that it has been removed. The FMA also contains ten marine reserves where all fishing is prohibited. The Department of Conservation (DoC) is aware of cases where heli-dropped hunters have unwittingly fished in marine reserves and asks that if hunters intend on fishing, they make sure they know where the marine reserves are first. Under the Marine Reserves Act (1971), penalties for taking marine life include up to three months in prison, fines of up to $10,000, and possible forfeiture of boats and fishing equipment. DoC also asks that if you do come to the fiords for the Roar, please make sure that you have a valid hunting permit for the area that you intend to hunt. You can apply online and it is quick and easy: https://huntingpermits.doc.govt.nz/huntingpermits/start DoC rangers regularly patrol the Sounds, as do MPI Fisheries Officers and Environment Southland compliance officers. DoC rangers have an important role in enforcing the Marine Reserves Act and raising public awareness of the reserves, MPI Fisheries Officers are responsible for educating people about fishing rules and apprehending offenders and helping with their successful prosecution, and Environment Southland staff check on resource consents and making sure that boaties adhere to the rules. The Fiordland Marine Guardians have developed the following recommendations for recreational fishers: • Fish for a feed; take only what you need for yourself and your family • Fish in the outer fiords whenever you can; they are more productive • Avoid anchoring when you’re fishing • Don’t set gear you can’t retrieve • Use the right method to catch the right fish • Use size 6/0 Kahle or larger size fish hooks when fishing for blue cod • Return undersize fish quickly and carefully to the sea

• • • • • •

Take no more baitfish than you will use, and make sure they are legal size Treat what you catch humanely Always grasp a rock lobster by its body, not its legs or feelers Leave egg-carrying rock lobster alone when diving and return them quickly to the sea when lobster-potting Leave undersized paua alone; they can bleed to death if their foot is damaged Know the regulations and report all illegal activities to the Ministry for Primary Industries on 0800 4 POACHER (476 224) or poacher@mpi.govt.nz

To keep up to date with fisheries issues in your area sign up for the recreational fishing mailing list. Email: recfishingteam@mpi.govt.nz for more information.

24 THE FISHING PAPER - MARCH 2017 Blue moki are great smoked but limit the catch as they are easy to spear.

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Harbour Views

Some mothers do have ‘em! By Dave Duncan

Dave Duncan - Harbour Master

I was stunned by the beauty of the day. The sea was calm, the winds light and the sun shining warmly on my face, as it rose above the hillside.

Dip into free-diving

It was game on. The first bite came as the light brightened and we started catching fish. To tell you where and what might lead to an invasion of a favourite fishing spot so we will call it the town hall.

Mark Roden

A spot of good weather has seen a late summer burst of activity, with lots of spearos and fishos out on the water trying to make up for the patchy summer weather. With a lot of fish pics ending up on social media, I get a few enquiries from people keen to get into free-diving, either with a speargun or a camera. Most interest comes from those who have already used a mask, snorkel, and fins, either at a local beach, river, or on a tropical holiday. If you want to take the next step then there are plenty of options. The first thing to remember is you want to do this for fun, so pick a nice day. If you’re at French Pass or Kaikoura and the water looks calm and clear, give it a go, but if it’s a bit rough and you don’t feel comfortable, don’t push it. Most of us have a buddy who has done these things before so talk him or her into showing you the basics, and make sure that buddy is with you when you take the plunge. You don’t need to invest a huge amount of money if you are just having a go. Grab an

old set of gear, maybe a shorty wetsuit and pop over to Kaiteriteri or somewhere where there is some clear calm water and have a swim around. Just lie down in some waist deep water and float for a while, getting used to breathing through a snorkel; you want to get to the stage where this becomes natural and you are totally relaxed. If you can stand up, you can adjust your mask for the best fit without any panics if it starts leaking. You really need to get the whole mask and snorkel thing sorted out before you venture into deeper water. This is the stage a lot of people talk to me. If you’re in Nelson, The Glen is a good spot if it’s calm and Cable Bay is excellent. There you can swim around towards the marine reserve and see all sorts of interesting things in, surprisingly, shallow water. And, of course, you will get cold and have to decide, if I want to do this I need better gear. Next month I’ll talk more about the gear. If you want to know more, have a look at the Spearfishing elson ad on this page and give me a call .

At the town hall we were approximately 20 metres from the rocks in over 20m of water and the fish were big. As expected, the tide turned and we started to drift back over the spot we had recently had great success in. Excited and totally distracted by the bend in my rod, I did not see just how fast the tide was moving now, nor did I see the rock wall as my prized possession collided, starboard side to, with it. With delayed shock and increasing horror I realised the tide and current has pinned my boat to the wall, was slowly forcing it to capsize due to the weight of all of us being on the offshore side. Too late did we start to move and, with a loud groan, the boat rolled into the oncoming rush of water. I’m not sure what happened to the other three, I just knew I should have had my lifejacket on. If I had had my lifejacket on, as did two of the others we had earlier teased, I would be floating on

the surface with them. I know I am not......... In another example of great seamanship, we recently witnessed a yacht turn in front of a large container ship. In this instance there was no collision but that was only because of the swift reaction of the ship’s master and the pilot. By-laws are there for a reason and good guidance, and you have a responsibility to ensure you know them. That yacht skipper was in for a telling off and over 400 in fines, even if he did get away with ‘Recklessly endangering the lives of others’. We will be out there on patrol again this coming month and our ‘no excuses’ campaign might start with you. Ensure you know the rules, ensure you are always aware of what is happening to your craft, and be safe. Come home safe. Safe boating

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ISSUE 138 - THE FISHING PAPER 25

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The day God didn’t save the queen Huw Thomas

shallow water gracefully engulfed a size 4 Parachute Adams, jaws like a crocodile emerging from the water, only for the strike to be met with no resistance. Too quick? aybe - these big South Island fish are in no hurry to turn and close their mouths, and the old advice to count to three or say “God save the Queen,” before lifting your rod to set the hook should be well heeded. We seemed to have the whole river to ourselves and fished for eight hours, spotting around 30 fish during the course of the day, none of which looked below four pounds. One particular fish held my attention for quite some time - it looked like a trophy but was sitting in fairly deep water with a difficult drift. Several changes of fly with progressively more weight failed to elicit a response. “Come on,” shouted my companion from across the river, “that fish will die of old age before you catch it.” eluctantly, I gave up on the ‘trophy’ fish and settled back into casting for ‘average’ fish of around 5lbs. ventually we made the difficult decision to stop fishing and head back to the truck. Arriving home we were exhausted but thrilled to have experienced a day when all the stars seemed to align in our favour. Such days need to be treasured and what a great way to cement a new friendship. uw was fishing with avid aynes who is a founding member of ‘The New Zealand Outdoors Party.’ Go to www. outdoorsparty.co.n for details.

The stars aligned for David Haynes, producing a spectacular run of fish.

ne of the peripheral benefits of being a keen angler is the opportunities it brings to make new friendships and renew old ones. A chance meeting at a pub in elson recently with another trout fisherman soon led to plans for a back-country trip. Work and family commitments, heavy rain, and an earthquake conspired to frustrate these plans but we were determined to get out and cast a line. When the appointed time came, a search on the internet revealed nearly all the local waters were in flood but one river seemed to have escaped the worst of the deluge and was flowing only slightly above its usual summer level. On the long drive out of Nelson we passed paddocks full of slowly receding flood-water and it was hard to imagine our proposed destination would be fishable. Arriving a few hours before nightfall, it was a huge relief to see our chosen

river was flowing full but clear, and there was further good news when we reached the hut and found it empty, with the log book indicating no-one had stayed there for a while. Our spirits buoyed, we settled in for dinner and enjoyed good chat over a bottle of whisky. The conversation drifted from fishing stories to music, and we discovered a shared passion for 0’s prog-rock! ellow Wishbone Ash enthusiasts can be so hard to find these days. The following morning things got even better when we spotted several large trout feeding in the first pool we came to. It wasn’t long before we both landed our first fish, taken using standard nymph and indicator tactics. Pushing on upstream and things just got better and better; the sun came out, there was virtually no wind and there seemed to be fish in every pool we came to. Later in the afternoon, we even managed to get the odd fish to take a dry fly - one large brown spotted in Huw revels in the New Zealand back country experience.

Crimpy’s Taste of Asia Early September 2017

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I love international travel and the thrill of discovering new places, often just off the beaten track. Exploring far-off lands, different cultures, and meeting new friends abroad is the essence of travel, but with a Crimpy twist it becomes a memorable and magical experience. I have personally handcrafted this trip to be unique and unavailable elsewhere, so you get to capture a sense of the explorer rather than just another tourist. Vietnam and Cambodia represent the perfect Asian contrast and, with the emphasis on food and having a great time, this package is a must-do experience.

For the full package. Call Crimpy now 021 472 517 • email: editor@thefishingpaper.co.nz Annette 021 028 73393 • email: annette@coastalmedia.co.nz

Join me for an exhilarating and unforgettable getaway.

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10,500 online readers. New Zealand’s LARGEST * Official audited monthly circulation. FISHING, HUNTING & OUTDOOR publication by circulation. It was Friday evening and that means surfcasting night! There had been a decent southerly blow through the previous few days and the sea had dropped ust enough to make fishing good. Arriving at my spot I met up with a mate who had already caught a few fish. Seeing him and another fellow nail one, I quickly baited up and cast out. Before I could get my second rod ready, all three of us were hooked up at once! Sticking to one rod, we felt it was going to be a fantastic night and we were right! After a few hours we had landed 42 rig, with only two kept, as they were hooked too deep. My previous personal best night was 2 rig. Some of the fish were in prime condition at 20-2 lb and only one or two would have been in single digits. The average fish was around 6- lbs, so not huge but

not small! I could have stayed all night and caught rig except I was getting too tired and had run out of bait. Fifty crabs, with them all at least catching a fish or getting smashed by fish. Funny thing was, I told a good friend where we got them so he went the following night with high hopes. His total was zero. He went again the next night, with very few fish caught. Guess it just goes to show - right place right time. I went to the same spot last weekend and managed nine for the two nights but they were all very small, with 3lb being the biggest - everything else was single digits. et out there and catch these fish while they are here Canterbury boys. Good to see more members of my surfcasting club getting out there and getting into them as well.

More tit than a motorbike Dave McDonald

I put a motor on my canoe on the weekend. It came just as a motor, with a propeller and two electric cables, so I made up a galvanized iron bracket and a rudder so I could have ‘hands free’ for fishing. When it was full tide at Point Chevalier, a beach on the Waitemata Harbour, I took the canoe and all the extras down to the boat ramp. I had a spare 2 volt battery out of one of my Jags and put it in the front seat of the canoe. There was a medium westerly wind and as soon as I got into the canoe and pushed the battery forward, the wind took me offshore. There isn’t much space in the canoe and I found I was sitting on the cables. Shuffling forward I got the cables out and attached the green clamp to the negative terminal. I was concentrating so hard on this, when I looked up the wind had taken me out about 40 metres from shore and the paddle was on the ramp along with my life-jacket. I was getting into deep water and my only way out of this was to get the motor started. I leant forward again and put the red clamp on the positive terminal. Talk about instant reaction! There was a spark flash and the boat took off with more acceleration than my motorbike. I was thrown back into the seat and as I looked up I was heading for the mangroves

flat-tack. Immediately I kicked the right rudder but the undersized rudder couldn’t handle the 50kg thrust the motor was producing. The canoe wasn't going to clear the mangroves, so I tried to lean forward but it was still accelerating at a hell of a speed. I grabbed the splash boards and pulled myself forward and reached out for the nearest clamp. I glanced up and saw the mangroves just metres away. I put my head down and threw myself at the clamp, knocking it off the terminal. The canoe stopped. YAHOOOOO! It works, it's fast and I was so happy. The biggest thing was my smile. All I need now is a bigger rudder. Prop with small black rudder behind it.

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