Kapiti Fly Fishing Club April 2018 Newsletter

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PRESIDENT REPORT

Well we only have 10 days left in this year’s season of fly fishing the Waikanae River and I have plans to at least

have one more flick before the river closes. When I retired I had plans to fish the Waikanae at least one day each

week but each time I plan to head out the ‘honey do this list’ take priority.

In this newsletter you will see a fly fishing article that has the taste of sault to it, over the past two years I have read

several articles on fly fishing for Kingfish. So, here’s a story for our members who head out into ‘less drinkable’

water and try their hand at fly fishing for a different species of fish. At our June meeting we plan to run a fly tying

session when members will learn how to tie the Grey Ghost (Whitebait lure) and then head out onto the Otaki

River and test out your creations.

Next Month on Monday 28 May we have our Annual General Meeting, this is the meeting when we elect the

incoming officers for the following year. There are three position that must be elected and approved at the AGM:

• President

• Secretary

• Treasure

Hugh Driver (Treasure) has indicated that he will not be available after the AGM, so we need someone to take

over his role, Peter Haakman is happy to stay on as Secretary but would be happy to pass on the Pen. So, can you

please give some consideration for ‘putting your hand up’ and become part of the Management Committee. This

is not an erroneous job, we meet once a month for 11 Months of the year and meeting normally last 1.5 to 2 hours.

Each meeting is hosted by a volunteer member of the committee, at this stage meetings are held on the first

Monday of the month, but we are flexible in terms of days. If you are interested, then please contact me or any

other member of the Management Committee.

This month’s club night is the Annual Quiz night followed by members having the opportunity to bring along

their favourite book on Fly Fishing that has had an influenced their enjoyment of our sport. If you wish you will

have two to three minutes to talk us about the book. I am still trying to figure which one I plan to talk to, but I

will have a few of my collection for members to view.

In the meantime, don’t forget to head out for your last fish on the Waikanae River, warm regards Malcolm

Front cover: Peter Haakman fishing Waikanae River photo taken by Aussie Perry

Any newsletters success is influenced by the contribution of others so please pass on any truthful or Imaginative

stories otherwise you may find ‘yourself’ as part of future tales from the river bank. malcolm1@xtra.co.nz

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FLATS KINGFISH – THE LATEST BY JOSHUA HUTCHINS

It’s been a few years since everyone went crazy about the news of kingfish on the flats in New Zealand’s South

Island. Yep, that’s right, the cold old troutie South Island had a world-class saltwater flats fishery. Some people are

still getting their head around that, although I’m astonished this fishery and others like it, have taken so long to

grow. Even in the North Island, where kingfish on the flats have been known about for nearly fifteen years, few fly

fishers have taken to this amazing fishery.

Twelve months ago, I was in the Seychelles (considered by many to be the best saltwater fly fishery left on earth)

fishing the renowned Cosmoledo Atoll for giant trevally. Yet even here, the guides – many of whom were South

African – were quick to turn the conversation to kingies on the flats. Nearly every time I met a guide, they’d say,

“Josh, tell me more about these flats kingfish in New Zealand.” There was barely a mention of New Zealand trout.

Instead, everyone wanted to know about the ray-riding kingies. It was exciting to realise just how much impact NZ

flats kingfish are having in the broader saltwater fly-fishing world.

South Island – Golden Bay

Golden Bay has been at the forefront of kingfish chit-chat the past few years. On our latest visit, a store owner in

the bay side town of Collingwood told me that the extra anglers have given a huge injection to the town, with local

accommodation, the supermarket and cafes all benefiting.

Endless flats, Golden Bay

Golden Bay local and kingfish and trout guide, Anton Donaldson, carried that vision from the beginning. The very

first day we met Anton, we found ourselves discussing the pros and cons of airing a new fishery to the world. The

thing he kept coming back to, and a central reason for opening the gates on his secret fishery, was to help the

surrounding towns and business owners.

On the right day, Golden Bay is stunning. In contrast to the much of the cool, mountainous South Island, Golden

Bay can feel like a tropical island, with its white sand, extensive flats and a relatively warmer climate.

The Golden Bay flats are easily accessible with a road following the bay’s entire shoreline. Even in the wind, Golden

Bay can perform – as long as it isn’t an easterly, which makes the flats dirty and unfishable. Such unfavourable

conditions from time to time help protect the flats and fish from being hounded every day, along with a Marine

Reserve towards the western end of the flats. (Having travelled to a number of top saltwater destinations around

the world, I can state that very few avoid being at the mercy of the wind!)

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Almost tropical…

Good Days…

So, what’s so hard about catching kingfish on the flats? Some days nothing! Mickey Finn and I headed off to the

flats one afternoon this February. With thick cloud cover, we could barely see a thing. After covering over two

kilometres of flats without a single stingray sighting, we were ready to give up.

Then our luck began to change. Blind casting in a small channel that divided two flats, Mickey picked up a solid

kingfish. And then, while the conditions still weren’t perfect – a 25 knot westerly was blowing – the clouds began

to clear. Suddenly, there were stingrays visible in every direction, each with between two and five kingfish

swimming on the back of them. (Kingies trail short-tailed stingrays for the food they stir up, but more than that, I

think they just like following them.)

Flats Kingfish-ing when it’s all going right!

Mickey and I had a ball catching king after king. Over the space of 90 minutes, it didn’t matter what we threw at

them: poppers, Clousers, crab patterns – they all got eaten.

And tough Days

That day, the kingfish displayed behaviour we would like to see regularly. Yet it isn’t always like that. On another

trip this season, we found the kingies to be much more difficult. Everything seemed right: the fish were there, they

were following the stingrays, but they just didn’t have the same enthusiasm. In the case of one particular group of

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kingfish, I first cast a popper, which they would chase but not eat. I kept following the kingies along the flat while

changing my fly. I threw a garfish imitation and once again they chased it without taking.

I continued stalking the fish; this time choosing a much heavier fly, trying to imitate a crab on the bottom. I made

a long cast well in front and waited for the kingfish to come closer before I gave the fly a slow strip. A kingie rushed

over, tailed vertically on the fly, and ate it immediately. Just goes to show it can really pay to try different flies and

presentations.

Changes

One thing we’re noticing is that, as more anglers come to chase kingfish, it isn’t so much spooky fish but rather

spooky stingrays that can be a problem. As the stingray’s cruise along the flats, they react earlier to human

interference, often changing direction and taking the kingfish with them.

Overall though, I’ve noticed little change in our catch rates on the South Island trips. Weather permitting, good

anglers will catch plenty of kingfish, although those who have a maximum cast of 40 feet will find it difficult. This

is a fishery to approach with the expectation that catching a single kingfish is a great day and anything extra is a

bonus.

Golden Bay flats fishing may have changed somewhat, but catch rates are about the same

North Island – Tauranga and Beyond

North Island, New Zealand is full of shallow water kingfish potential. Last year I decided to catch up with local salt

fly guides Lucas Allen and Matt Von Sturmer to see what was on offer. In particular, Tauranga Harbour is known

to be the first-place ray-riding kingfish were discovered and caught on fly. Clark Reid brought this to light in early

2007.

My first impression of the Tauranga Harbour was a good one. Lucas Allen and I caught up for a few days and landed

10 kingfish. We witnessed some amazing fish up to 20kg on the flats and even had a 30kg beast follow the fly all

the way to the boat from one of the channel markers.

Unlike Golden Bay, not all the flats and fishable areas in Tauranga are easily accessible on foot. While there are

plenty of places to fish without a boat, Lucas’ flats boat, rigged with an electric motor, gave us a much wider scope.

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Beautiful Tauranga Harbour

Flats Boats Fishing

This year I returned to Tauranga with a group of clients to see if we could repeat our success. For most of the group,

this was their first saltwater fly-fishing experience. Day one on the Tauranga flats was amazing. We spotted 30-40

kingfish, all cruising on the back of stingrays and easily enticed by a good cast and well-presented fly. Even for me,

it was the most kingfish I had seen in a day on the North Island.

Lucas Allen and Julian Danby were our guides for the week; they’re the only two guides in the area with Maritime-

approved vessels. Fishing from the flats boats made life easy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun running around the

South Island flats in knee to waist-deep water chasing kingfish. But having a boat not only gave us a height

advantage for spotting fish, but an easier approach when hunting them down.

The visual aspect of fly-fishing for kingfish is what keeps you coming back. On one occasion I was in Julian’s boat

with clients Alan Rogers and Brad Hassack. The day was just about done, but we decided to slowly cruise a shallow

flat heading towards the boat ramp. Mere metres from the end of the flat, we noted a fast moving, bulge in the

water creating a huge wake.

“Josh, what is that? A shark?” asked Julian as he repositioned the boat for the chase. “No, it’s about a dozen huge

kingfish!” I yelled over the motor. Julian put the engine into gear and we took off down the flat to get ahead of the

kings and plan our attack. “Guys, get ready,” Julian said as we nervously got into position. “I’m going to get in front

of the fish, but they’re moving fast so you’ll only get one shot.”

The boat stopped. “I’ve got a tangle!” Brad yelled out frantically. Alan made the cast.

Watching a dozen 10kg-plus kingfish charge his fly at once was a highlight of the trip. He hooked up and after a

long battle managed to land his fish, which was 102cm long. A grinning Alan announced that in 15 years chasing

kingfish on fly, this was his first over a metre. Not a bad effort for a 70-year-old!

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Harbour monster

Other Flats Species

The North Island is riddled with harbours and flats worthy of chasing kingfish on fly. I know in future years; the

action will spread further and further; in fact, it already is. There is so much on offer.

And not only kingfish. The excitement of catching silver trevally, large snapper and of course the humble kahawai

on the flats, is already a reality. The explosion of such a young fishery is a great thing to be a part of, so get over

there and explore.

These are exciting times on New Zealand’s ever-emerging kingfish flats fisheries. As more people turn their

attention to this, more amazing places will be discovered. I have no doubt this will bring even more international

visitors to these beautiful locations. Next time you are heading over the ditch to chase a trout or two, think about

packing the saltwater gear too.

FlyStream Facts – Catching Flats Kingfish

The gear is simple. I recommend an 8-10 weight fast action rod, floating or F/I line, and a reel with a decent drag

and lots of line capacity: 300 metres of backing is a minimum. Most of the time these kingfish have nothing to

break you off on, but don’t take your trout reel! Leaders of 20-30lb are the norm, but if you find yourself in the

midst of big fish, 40lb is handy.

There is such a big range of flies you could use, but ensure you have three types:

• surface poppers like NYAPs and Double Barrel Poppers,

• some slow-sinking flies like Pipers, Brush flies, Fat Boys and the like,

• Fast-sinking flies like weighted crab flies.

I find when the kings are being difficult, or you can see them tailing, fast-sinking flies retrieved slowly work best.

Bring crab and shrimp-style flies in 1/0 and 2/0. Also, the humble Clouser accounts for many fish.

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Some Kingfish flies

Aside from the crab and shrimp patterns, flies on 4/0 to 6/0 hooks are recommended. Personally, I’m not too

worried about fly colour: whites, tans, blues, pinks, chartreuse, yellow, and of course black all work. I have caught

kingfish on all combinations. If a colour or combination isn’t working, keep trying different options.

Retrieving a fly for kingfish is another important point. Many believe that the only retrieve as fast as humanly

possible! However as touched on above, while this works a lot of the time, when it doesn’t, try different approaches

like long slow retrieves or stop/start retrieves. Even with a popper it pays to give a couple of strong ‘pops’ then stop

completely. Lucas calls this very successful method the ‘pop & stop’; almost playing cat and mouse with the kingfish

until it finally pounces and eats the fly. And of course, when they do eat, keep the rod pointed at the fish and apply

a firm strip-strike.

With all pelagic species, good bite times can be based around tide shifting the most – often the hour or so before

and after the tide changes. This can certainly be true with flats kingfish, although at both North and South Island

locations, we’ve enjoyed some excellent fishing right on high and low tides.

Most of the fish you catch are likely to be ray-riders. The kingfish will literally be riding behind, in front of, or

swimming laps of moving or stationary stingrays. This makes them easy to spot and gives you a reference point for

your casts. Generally, try to predict the movement of the fish and stingray and place a cast at 45 degrees in front

of them, so they have time to see the fly coming. Just make sure you cast at least to the stingray or slightly past it.

Short casts often go unnoticed or are noticed by the fish too late and they lose interest.

Free-swimming kingfish are also common on the flats and move very quickly. They can be spotted by carefully

scanning the flats, or they’re given away by a bow-wave if swimming close to the surface.

Editor: We have a number of our members who enjoy fly fishing in the sea and when I received this article on fly

fishing for Kingfish I thought it might be of interest to all members. So this months From The Tyre’s Bench focuses

on one of the fly patterns in the above article, enjoy, I’m off to my vice.

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FROM THE TYERS BENCH – THE CLOUSER MINNOW BY CHARLIE CRAVEN FROM CHARLIES FLY

SHOP

Pattern Description

The Clouser Minnow was invented by Bob Clouser as a smallmouth bass pattern. It imitates a baitfish as well as

any pattern ever conceived and has taken more types of fish than any other pattern I know of. I use Clousers for

bonefish, bass, pike, trout and anything else that eats bait fish, which is everything! The lead eyes give the fly a

jigging motion when retrieved and invert the fly, so it doesn't snag on the bottom like other heavily weighted

patterns. Don't overlook this pattern, it IS very simple, but it really does work. It can be tied in a variety of colour

combinations. My favourites are chartreuse and white, tan and white, brown and white, all white and all black but

the range is only limited by your imagination.

Materials:

Hook: TMC8115 size 2/0 - 6 Thread: 3/0 or 6/0 white Eyes: Painted Lead Eyes – size to match hook size Belly of Fly: White Bucktail Flash, Gold Krystal Flash or colour of choice Back: Chartreuse Bucktail Nose Tag: Chartreuse tying thread

Step 1: Begin by forming a smooth thread base over the front third of the shank.

Step 2: Place a pair of lead eyes about three eye lengths back from the eye and tie them in with several X wraps going from the back to the front.

Step 3: Continue with more X wraps from the front to the back and alternate until the eyes are securely lashed into place.

Step 4: Post the thread around the base of the eyes by wrapping between the underside of the eyes and the hook shank. Think of these wraps as you would the posting wraps on a parachute wing. Add a drop of head cement to the thread wraps.

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Step 5: Straighten the eyes out on the shank so they are perpendicular to the shank.

Step 6: Select a clump of white bucktail (the amount is up to you, sparser on small flies and a little heavier on larger patterns) and measure it so it is equal to about two hook shank lengths. Do not stack this hair as the natural unevenness of the tips adds to the "fishy" silhouette of the finished fly.

Step 7: Tie this clump of bucktail down at the rear end of the thread base behind the eyes. Make a band of thread over the tie down area to secure the hair to the hook.

Step 8: Pull the butt ends of the bucktail back and move the thread to the front of the eyes by crossing UNDER them.

Step 9: Pull the butt ends of the bucktail forward again and tie them down in front of the eyes with several tight turns of thread.

Sept 10: Clip the butt ends off as close to the shank as possible, wrap the thread over the butts to create a smooth head.

Step 11: Invert the hook in the vice.

Step 12: Select four strands of Krystal flash and place their centres under the tying thread, double the flash around the thread and pull it down to the hook in front of the eyes.

Step 13: Wrap back over the flash so it lies over the top of the white bucktail.

Step 14: 21Select a clump of chartreuse bucktail about the same size as the white belly clump and measure it so that it’s the same length as the white.

Step 15: Tie in the Chartreuse bucktail between the lead eyes and the hook eye with several tight turns of thread. Clip the butt ends off flush and build a smooth thread head to cover the stubs, then whip finish.

Step 16: I like to make a "nose tag" on my Clousers to add a little highlight. This is purely optional but does add a finishing touch. Simply start a complimentary colour thread just behind the eye and build a narrow band of thread, whip finish and clip...ten seconds and it really adds something classy!

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Step 17: Add a drop of head cement all the way around the thread head and a little around the tie down area behind the back of the eyes.

The fly rides hook pointing up which makes it pretty much snag free.

FISH FIGHTS: KIWI ANGLERS COMPETE WITH TOURIST FOR PRIME SPOTS ON OUR WATERWAYS BY

AMANDA CROPP

Angling groups want restrictions on fragile trout fisheries suffering from intensive farming and climate change.

Millions of YouTube viewers watch New Zealand fly fishing videos, hooked on images of our stunning scenery

and famously feisty fish. Anglers travel half way around the world to stand in pristine rivers casting artfully tied

flies temptingly close to the jaws of big brown or rainbow trout. The fishery is estimated to be worth at least

$250m a year, but its popularity is raising red flags.

Lobby group Kiwi Anglers First is demanding an overhaul of freshwater fishing management to protect the

recreational rights of New Zealanders and restrict visitor access.

Last season at least 7000 of the 138,000 fresh water fishing licences issued went to overseas anglers. There have

been heated exchanges on riverbanks as Kiwi anglers compete with tourists, some of whom are ignorant or

dismissive of local fishing etiquette. Tourism New Zealand's website describes Heli-fishing as "a magic carpet" for

anglers, but locals don't appreciate being "jumped" on the river after walking all day to reach a favourite trout pool.

There are complaints of pushy guides aggressively demanding priority for clients paying upwards of $700 a day to

experience the so-called "Mt Everest" of fly fishing. There are complaints of pushy guides aggressively demanding

priority for clients paying upwards of $700 a day to experience the so-called "Mt Everest" of fly fishing.

At the other end of the spectrum "trout bums" are the fishing equivalent of feral freedom campers. Hunkered down

beside rivers for days or weeks on end, they sustain themselves by killing and eating trout instead of catching and

releasing them to preserve stocks. Dwindling fish stocks have helped magnify the impact of visiting anglers.

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By Al Nisbet

This tourism-related pressure comes on top of the growing number of waterways depleted by irrigation,

intensive farming, and climate change. Using surveys of fishers and data from the National Institute of Water

and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), the Federation of Fresh Water Anglers has mapped more than 100 "dying"

rivers that are now deemed un-fishable, or in serious decline.

How to arrest, and if possible reverse the damage, has been hotly debated on the pages of New Zealand fishing

magazines and in angling chat rooms. How to arrest, and if possible reverse the damage, has been hotly debated

on the pages of New Zealand fishing magazines and in angling chat rooms.

Freshwater sports fisheries are managed under the Conservation Act by 12 elected Fish and Game (F&G) Councils

that cover all but the Taupo fishery. Freshwater sports fisheries are managed under the Conservation Act by 12

elected Fish and Game (F&G) Councils that cover all but the Taupo fishery. Critics point out there is an obvious

tension between the department's role in protecting indigenous fish, while at the same time managing

introduced brown trout that are known to eat them and earning income from angling concessions.

About 7000 of the more than 138,000 fresh water fishing licences issued last year went to overseas visitors, a

number that has steadily increased since the separate non-resident category was introduced in 2013. DOC admits

the true number may be significantly higher because it does not collect residency data for the 10,000-plus day

licences issued annually.

F&G uses back country licence endorsements to monitor and manage pressure on 15 back country rivers, and it

also operates booking systems on popular fisheries such as Otago's highly regarded Greenstone River. Over the

past three seasons non-resident anglers accounted for more than half the 7800 back country endorsements and

snapped up 60 to 70 per cent of the 180 bookings available annually on the Greenstone.

Southland F&G manager Zane Moss notes growing resentment from Kiwis who can only fish at weekends and

arrive to find the banks clogged with tourists. "We want to manage the habitat and other aspects of the fishery,

not do crowd control, which is effectively what we're being forced into.”

It is illegal to actually sell trout, but the fishery is estimated to be worth more than $250m to the New Zealand

economy.

Angler angst

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Last October marked the 150th anniversary of the introduction of brown trout to New Zealand, a species that

thrived in Southland's Mataura River and is celebrated by the giant fibreglass trout in Gore's main street.

Kiwi Anglers First convenor David Linklater says trout and salmon were brought here with the goal of creating a

democratically-owned fishery belonging to all New Zealanders, in contrast to Europe where access was the

preserve of privileged landowners. His group, which was set up about 18 months ago in a bid to save the fishery,

has about 150 members.

Put simply, he says intensive angling ruins the experience because harassed brown trout feed at night and sulk out

of sight during the day. "No waterway, however small or formerly obscure, is now secure from the tourist

influx. There's been no consideration for the resident anglers at all, it's just been a free for all.”

Recreational anglers are not the only ones up in arms. Professional fishing guide Nick King came across three

young French men who had flown into a remote back country hut for a three-week angling stint, complete with

suitcases and tens of dozens of beers. As well as disregarding the convention of limiting hut stays to two nights, the

French party did not have hut passes or back country endorsements on their fishing licences, the latter a breach

carrying a maximum fine of $5000 and potential confiscation of their gear.

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"They don't realise that our fishery is exceptionally fragile and on certain rivers, eating one trout is like eating 1 per

cent of the fishery, " says King. "They have no idea they're stomping all over our culture. The worst offenders are

the Europeans and they've now been labelled Euro-trash on our rivers because they're that badly behaved.”

Trout bums who ignore hut etiquette and stay for days or weeks on end are deeply unpopular with local anglers.

Fellow guide Zane Mirfin says we are danger of "loving our rivers to death" and the guiding industry is not

blameless when it comes to dwindling fish stocks.

"I call it the sparrow effect. If you chuck a piece of bread on the ground, two dozen sparrows flock in and peck it

to bits; that's what happens to the rivers. "As soon as one guide catches a few fish somewhere, all these other guides

descend on it.”

He is disgusted at the ethics of guided convoys that deposit anglers the length of a river and return day after day.

"They don't think of the consequences of their actions, the harm they are doing to the resource.”

The New Zealand Trout App provides information about local fishing areas, and in its first two months online,

most of its 1585 users were Americans and Brits.

Out Fishing IP

Anglers are notoriously secretive about their favourite fishing places, but that intellectual property is

increasingly difficult to protect. Google has become the ultimate guide and use of drones to scout a river for the

presence of other anglers is not unheard of.

Fishing and hunting writer Peter Ryan has good reason for his policy of never naming angling spots in his

columns and books. "The moment a location appears on a chat room in Pennsylvania or Sweden, it's toast for five

years.” A tech-savvy angler on the other side of the globe can use a proud "look what I just caught" photo on

Facebook to find out where it was taken.

Fishing guide Mike Kirkpatrick, also a talented photographer, says smart anglers posting cell phone photos

online turn off their meta data so GPS coordinates are not recorded. He also avoids fishing shots with distinctive

geographic features in the background so overseas anglers can't use Google Earth to pin point the area.

Are we selling our fishery up the river?

Keen photographer and fishing guide Mike Kirkpatrick says anglers wanting to preserve favourite fishing spots

are taking care with the photos they post online. Under the Conservation Act it is illegal to sell trout, but their

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commercial exploitation occurs through sales of fishing gear and DVDs, professional guiding and fishing lodge

accommodation.

The fly fishing films and videos made by Te Anau-based Gin Clear Media get millions of views on YouTube. Each

year its RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival screenings attract 15,000 movie-goers in 16 countries. Founder

Nick Reygaert realises that in encouraging overseas anglers to come here, he is in a sense part of the problem.

But he is also frustrated that Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) and central and local government fail to recognise the

value of the trout fishery.

He says they aren't doing enough to protect it by helping fund F&G which survives solely on sales of fish and

game-bird hunting licences. "They absolutely have their heads in the sand.” TNZ could not put a value on

earnings generated by fly fishing but in 2011 DOC estimated the Taupo fishery alone was worth about $70m

annually, and F&G says the total for the country is probably at least $250m.

Despite its official newzealand.com website carrying more than 40 articles on angling, a TNZ spokesman says

they stopped "actively" promoting fly fishing several years ago, instead targeting "high net worth individuals"

who stay in lodges.

Carl McNeil co-owns the Swift Fly Fishing Company in Wanaka, a boutique producer of handcrafted fly rods, and

he says the big spending anglers are mostly Americans, with a growing number of Russians, and a sprinkling of

Aussies. "A gentleman who comes and purchase our rods paid his helicopter bill for flying around last season and

it was $70,000 alone.”

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Scenery like this attracts well-heeled anglers who don't blink at spending $100,000 on a trip here. Montana-based

Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures sends thousands of anglers around the world and programme director

Bessie Hudgens says New Zealand is on their "bucket list" once they've cut their teeth on less challenging South

American rivers.

Although she won't reveal numbers, since adding New Zealand to itineraries in 2015, bookings here have grown

significantly, and her clients find our rivers refreshingly uncrowded. "Honestly, compared to some of our rivers

out in the western US where a single boat ramp can see up to 50-plus groups on a hot summer day, New Zealand

feels truly primeval to most anglers.

However, she acknowledges our rivers also contain far fewer fish per kilometre, so it doesn't take as many anglers

to create pressure, and the fisheries therefore require a more sensitive approach. American civil engineer and

keen angler Chris Russell has made four guided trips here over eight years, the most recent in January.

He says the biggest change is the absence of Kiwi anglers on back country rivers, which appear to have been

largely taken over by tourists. Russell still reckons New Zealand offers the best trout fishing on the planet, but he

warns we need to be proactive in protecting our fishery as it gets more crowded. "I think the fishing outdoor

culture is slowly being lost because the unguided foreign anglers are unaware of the unspoken etiquette that

maintains the experience for everyone.”

Those DIY anglers are a real concern, particularly the so-called trout bums living on riverbanks and fishing

intensively for long periods. Kirkpatrick says dairying has done way more damage than overseas visitors, but that

budget-style tourism is unsustainable. "We'd rather we have one person coming spending $10,000 than 10 trout

bums coming spending $1000 each. It's earning the same amount for the country but has 10 times the footprint.”

Anglers who have foot-slogged their way to a remote river don't appreciate having Heli-fishers beat them to it.

Fixing our Fishery

Having researched Canadian attempts to resuscitate threatened trout fisheries, King's solution is to call time on

unfettered access for foreigners and commercial interests. He is promoting a plan that would see F&G classifying

at-risk rivers. Options could include residents-only fishing at weekends, guides banned from some stretches of

water, and tourists allowed into certain areas only if they were guided.

F&G charges non-residents $165 for a full season adult licence ($38 more than for residents) but King says that's

not nearly enough. He suggests visitor licences be limited to three weeks on a catch and release basis, and a

premium charge $1500 for wider access in line with what occurs in parts of North America. "This is about the

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long game, if we want to have something to be proud of in 50 years’ time, we need to make a move now and it

has to be dramatic.”

Enforcement is important too and King says in Alaska the French trio he came across would have been hauled off

to jail in handcuffs. "With a Fish & Game fine, once they leave the country, that's the end of it and they know

that. "Us New Zealanders are too soft … the social media chain goes back [saying] they never do anything,

they're pathetic.”

F&G does not have a central database and when Stuff/ asked for statistics on fishing offences it took weeks to pull

together figures held by its regions. Of 149 offences detected last season, 29 were prosecuted, and

a spokesman emphasised that warnings were given for minor infringements and court action was reserved for

serious offences.

King shrugs off suggestions he is xenophobic, and his ideas have won support from angling groups. "The rot is

now very far advanced," according to Linklater. "We need a totally new system to control tourist angling because

it's just completely broken.” He says DOC and F&G have failed to handle the increasing commercialisation of the

fishery through an explosion in guiding and tourism, and change is imperative.

Banning tourists from fly fishing at weekends has been suggested as a way of dealing with pressure on rivers. So

how would visitors feel about being hit up with higher licence fees and angling limits?

Sydney-sider Simon Milne has fished here regularly for 25 years and in a letter to Fish & Game New Zealand

magazine he urged against going down the protectionist route and pointed out bad behaviour was by no means

peculiar to foreign anglers.

"Treating [them] as pests at the bottom of the totem pole and discriminating against them in a range of ways as

proposed will put them off coming. Strict, fair and well enforced regulation will not.”

Chris Russell, on the other hand, would happily pay three or four times the current licence fee, which he says

worked out to be a small percentage of the total trip cost.

American angler Chris Russell would willingly pay a much higher licence fee to experience New Zealand's world

class fly fishing.

Catching and releasing trout is encouraged in to preserve breeding stock, but some argue the introduced species

is a menace because it eats native fish and should be eradicated.

The Game keepers view

PAGE 17

New Fish & Game chief executive Martin Taylor agrees the trout fishery is in a fragile state, and because of the

degradation of water quality throughout the country, some anglers had to travel further to get the same

experience they enjoyed a decade ago. He is satisfied with the service provided by the organisation's 274 mostly

volunteer rangers, and while he does not favour increasing licence fees for overseas visitors or limiting their

fishing, that could change.

"If the evidence is there that something needs to be done, then Fish & Game will do it. "We have public access to

great areas and that's something we should cherish and maintain.” "Countries like Canada and North

America have private property rights that would make your hair stand on end.”

"People can come in and buy whole rivers and whole stretches of rivers and we're lucky that's not the case here.”

President of the Federation of Freshwater Anglers Graham Carter begs to differ. He says access is being limited as

more property owners charge fees for fishing parties wanting to cross their land, do exclusive deals with guides,

or halt access altogether.

In his view F&G lacks political clout and the current structure is too fragmented with 12 autonomous

regions reporting separately to the Minister of Conservation. Like F&G, DOC recreation manager Richard

Davies is taking a wait and see approach.

He concedes that Kiwis accustomed to having remote areas to themselves are noticing increased use of

conservation land by both New Zealanders and internationals. "The extent to which is this a big problem, versus

just being a change is where the jury is out.”

Guiding guidelines

King and angling groups have a beef with the fact that the 130 members of the New Zealand Professional Fishing

Guides Association (PFGA) automatically come under a single DOC concession. On the grounds it was

commercially sensitive, DOC refused to reveal what the association paid for the bulk concession that covers up

to 180 guides and allows them to run trips for three days per river catchment at hundreds of locations

nationwide.

King, who is not an association member and holds his own individual concessions, says the bulk agreement is

like "letting the weasel run the hen house," and argues that other tourism operators, such as helicopter

companies, do not enjoy such wide access to the conservation estate.

PFGA president Serge Bonnafoux defends the agreement and says guide payments are based on their use of DOC

land. But one-point members of the angling community do agree on is the need for compulsory licensing

of fishing guides. The guides' association conservatively estimates up to 400 guides are working here, including

PAGE 18

overseas operators who quietly nip into the country and work illegally without appropriate visas or DOC

concessions.

Over the last two years DOC has received just four formal complaints about illegal fishing guides but there

wasn't sufficient information to take further action. In January Immigration New Zealand refused entry to

an individual who had previously worked illegally as a fishing guide but has not taken any prosecutions.

Bonnafoux says some overseas guides skirt the rules by pretending to be members of fishing parties, which is

unfair on Kiwi guides who have to pay tax and meet certain standards.

Association members must be New Zealand residents, have a current first aid certificate, an audited health and

safety plan, and public liability insurance. They carry an emergency locator beacon and take a maximum of two

clients per guide to avoid losing them in the wilderness (as has happened in the past). New Zealand's weather

and geography can prove challenging for those unfamiliar with it, and lack of knowledge about local fishing

conditions can also damage our reputation if clients return home dissatisfied.

Angler Peter Ryan recalls an approach from an overseas guide whose client hadn't touched a fish all day, despite

being festooned with $5000 worth of American fishing gear. "This guy was having trouble with the wind, they

were tricky conditions. He saw me catch a fish and basically marched up and said, 'how did you do that?”

Fish & Game says its 274 paid and voluntary rangers do a good job of keeping tabs on the trout fishery despite

the remote areas they cover. Former Conservation Minister Maggie Barry turned down a joint F&G and guides'

association request for a compulsory licensing regime because it failed to make a good enough case.

They were given 15 months to come up with an amended proposal and when it is ready DOC will

advise new Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage on its merits.

Carter for one hopes DOC acts quickly. "They say they're going to do something and it takes years - it's like trying

to push a kilo of butter uphill with a hot knife.”

Compulsory licensing of fishing guides is mooted to stamp out the cowboy element and prevent overseas guides

from working here illegally.

Editor: This article appeared in the Dominion Post a few weeks ago and on Stuff

A MORNING ON THE WAIKANAE RIVER BY PETER HAAKMAN

I decided to have a fish on the Waikanae River in the sunshine today, not having been on the water for 2 months.

I went in at Greenwood Park and walked down to the expressway bridge. Having fished to a very likely looking log

for some time, I was interrupted by Aussie, who was out strolling with his wife and had seen me from the bridge.

We stopped and chatted for a while before each continuing on our way.

PAGE 19

Not much further on I came upon a pool with a large shallow section beneath the willows, where I was entertained

by 5 or 6 large trout chasing each other around the pool. After throwing half of my Flybox at them for almost an

hour, I gave up and just watched for a while. It seemed apparent that it was a group of jacks jockeying for position

in preparation for spawning, with much splashing and large bow-waves going on. One of the fish would have easily

weighed in at 6 or 7 pounds.

I carried on upstream and 15 minutes later I spotted a small trout midstream in a shallow run. One good cast was

all that was needed to hook it. Just a 1.5-pound fish but was enough to make the day worthwhile.

Pete Sea-run Brown Trout

DIDYMO IN NEW ZEALAND: TEN YEARS ON

It’s now almost ten years since blooms of the stalked diatom Didymosphenia geminata – commonly known as

didymo, or “rock snot” – were first discovered in the Waiau River, Southland. Not only did the discovery trigger a

major biosecurity response here in New Zealand, but it also highlighted didymo as a potential threat to rivers

worldwide.

Didymo was known to have a wide distribution in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, with historical reports of

blooms in some countries (e.g., Norway and the UK). However, the New Zealand discovery led to a general belief

that we were dealing with an aggressive invasive organism being spread by humans. Certainly, the pattern of spread

of didymo in the South Island of New Zealand was consistent with that view. At the same time, no didymo has yet

been detected in any North Island rivers, despite ongoing surveillance.

Didymo blooms are unusual because they typically occur in rivers with low nutrient concentrations, i.e., low

supplies of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P); algal blooms are usually linked to high nutrient concentrations. In

New Zealand, this was a particular concern because it seemed that some of our most iconic and pristine rivers were

at risk. In suitable conditions, didymo produces thick smothering mats covering large proportions of the river bed.

The mats (comprising mostly a polysaccharide stalk material) can lead to changes in communities of invertebrates

and other algae on the river bed.

The blooms look unsightly and are a nuisance. They affect river users, interfering with angling, sporting and

recreational activities, and blocking water intakes. At the time of the NZ discovery only limited information was

available on didymo. Since then there has been considerable research on various aspects of the distribution,

ecology, and effects of the species.

A significant breakthrough in understanding didymo resulted from of a series of experiments and surveys in New

Zealand. Three findings were pivotal.

PAGE 20

• First, we demonstrated phosphorus (P)-limitation of didymo cell division rates in water from a river with

large blooms. In other words, adding P (as dissolved reactive phosphorus, DRP) caused cell division rates

to increase, even though large blooms were already present.

• Second, we showed that the polysaccharide stalks of didymo (which form much of the bloom material)

grew longer when DRP concentrations were low and light was high.

• Third, we showed that low DRP was associated with low cell division rates and high didymo cover in

rivers across the South Island: visible didymo was not observed at sites when long-term DRP

concentrations (e.g., 1 – 2-year average) were more than about 2 ppb.

All this led to the conclusion that the blooms are caused by low P concentrations. The mechanism is that when

DRP levels are very low, the energy that would have been used to make new cells is diverted into production of

carbohydrate stalks – it is the stalks that make up the bulk of the blooms. This realisation that blooms occurred

because of low P solved a puzzle that had, until then, been approached from another angle: that didymo was able

to form blooms in low P conditions through some mechanism of acquiring additional P.

Low P as the cause of blooms provides answers to a few questions about distribution. First, taking a New Zealand

perspective, why has didymo remained undetected in the North Island? Quite simply, dissolved P concentrations

in North Island rivers are too high. Many North Island rivers have average DRP concentrations greater than 2 ppb,

as a result of P-rich catchment geology, more intensive catchment development than in the South Island, or both.

A recent analysis of data from the National River Water Quality Monitoring Network (NRWQN) confirmed the

clear difference between islands. It’s less clear why not even a single live didymo cell has been detected in any

North Island river. After 10 years, even with efforts to prevent transfer via humans, it is unlikely that no cells have

been introduced. It has been shown in experiments that water chemistry, including high P concentrations, doesn’t

prevent initial attachment and growth (12, 13). Therefore, short-term survival might be expected. However, unless

concentrations of P decline significantly (to levels below 2 ppb), blooms will not form in most North Island rivers.

Second, taking a global perspective, what caused didymo blooms to suddenly appear in some regions of the

Northern Hemisphere in the early 1990s.

The low P – didymo bloom link supports a plausible hypothesis. Declines in P concentrations have been

documented in some northern rivers, and a range of processes may lead to such declines, from local scale (e.g.,

river impoundment) to regional-continental scale (climate change) (10). There are historical records of didymo

presence (but as a rare species) in many areas which are now experiencing didymo blooms. If conditions became

suitable (i.e., P declining to below 2 ppb, on average), then the blooms would follow (10).

At this stage, to our knowledge, there are still no data that clearly link the appearance of any recent didymo blooms

in the Northern Hemisphere to declines in dissolved P. But back in New Zealand, data from the NRWQN do not

show any general decline in DRP in South Island rivers in the years leading up to the sudden appearance of blooms

in 2004. We have no doubt that didymo is a recent introduction. There are no historical records of didymo in the

South Island, and only one (highly likely a case of mistaken identity) from the North Island (3).

A likely scenario is that didymo arrived in New Zealand following the transformation of didymo in the Northern

Hemisphere from a rare species with only occasional blooms in some locations to a common species with

widespread blooms. In an age of increasing tourism and air travel, the transfer of cells to remote locations like the

South Island – which also happened to have rivers with perfect conditions for blooms – was almost inevitable.

PAGE 21

Locations of all 77 sites in the National River Water Quality Monitoring Network. Relative concentration of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP, average of monthly data, 2005 to 2011) is shown by the size of the circles. Red circles in the South Island indicate sites where didymo blooms are present, and all have average DRP < ~2 ppb. Sites marked with blue circles have no didymo blooms. Visible didymo has been observed occasionally at sites with red and blue circles. Highest mean DRP (Tarawera) is 67.7 ppb, and lowest (Monowai) is 0.6 ppb.

JUST A FEW FLIES THANKS BY TONY ORMAN

Ever read the classic Englishman Franks Sawyer’s “Nymphs and the Trout”? Frank Sawyer in the 1940s and 1950s,

became the father figure of nymph fishing as a follow-on from the immortal G E M Skues of the 1920s.

Read Frank Sawyer’s book and you’ll be probably startled to see that Frank Sawyer used only four nymph

patterns - the Pheasant Tail, Grey Goose, Killer Bug and Bowtie Buzzer. Not 104 or 44, just four!

All of the four flies are basically simple creations. The Killer Bug for instance, is heavily weighted with a double

even covering of wire and the body simply darning wool of a pinkish - fawn shade wound around the hook.

The Pheasant Tail, well known in New Zealand is simple to tie made from cock pheasant herl and copper wire.

The Grey Goose uses a herl or two from the wing feather of an “ordinary farmyard grey goose” of “a lightest grey,

green, yellowish appearance,” ribbed with a gold coloured wire.

A good friend and exceptional Nelson fly fisherman the late Squadron Leader A G (“Smithy”) Smith, once told

me “ I consider that size and weight of a well-proven nymph pattern such as the Pheasant Tail or a Hare’s Ear, is

of more importance than a proliferation of patterns in a fly-box.”

And you can go further back even before Sawyer, to find successful anglers using just half a dozen patterns. Most

notable in New Zealand was Captain G D Hamilton who about 1900 fished the Manawatu River at Dannevirke.

He used just five flies which incorporated only “three colours of feathers and dubbing.”

PAGE 22

The other day I picked up a book on dry fly fishing by American fly fisherman Art Lee. He wrote that only a few

dry patterns were needed. “An obsession with matching the hatch and fly pattern rather than fly presentation

wastes hours of fishing time as devotees change flies every twenty seconds to find the right pattern.”

Trout after all can’t rise to flies they don’t get to see and anglers--are certain to have the devil’s own time keeping

flies on the water when a third of each outing is spent lopping off tippets and tying knots.

Then Art Lee in emphasis added “no fly is ‘right’ unless it’s fished correctly.”

In other words, “presentation” of the fly is of far greater importance than pattern.

While it’s foolhardy in trout fishing to have a closed mind in restricting yourself too tightly, the words of Frank

Sawyer, “Smithy” and others are worth keeping in mind - just a few patterns rather than a proliferation.

I have to admit, I don’t restrict myself to six patterns. I have one or two that I pull out when a fish inexplicably

refuses my favourites. But the basic message is don’t spend time snipping off and tying on flies and not fishing

your fly.

FLY FISHING TOUGH CONDITIONS – CATCHING TROUT DESPITE THEM BY AL

SIMPSON

Before I retired, I tried to fish two or three times a month. Working Monday through Friday and sharing a weekend

on-call schedule, I couldn’t afford to wait for an ideal set of fishing conditions. When I had a week-end day free, I

either went fishing and dealt with the conditions at hand, or I didn’t go fishing. I never viewed the latter as a good

option. Consequently, I have spent a lot of time fly fishing tough conditions.

Fly fishing tough conditions is certainly not a new problem. In fact, in 1590, Leonard Mascall wrote- “Ye shall

understand there be twelve manner of impediments or lets which causeth man to take no fish”. While four of them

were what we could call “fly-fisher deficiencies”, eight of them were due to seasonal stream conditions and poor

weather.

When I think of fly fishing tough conditions, unlike Mascall, I generally lump them into two major categories. The

first is what we often refer to as the “shoulder seasons”, and the second is inclement weather.

The Shoulders

The prime seasons for trout fishing generally include spring and fall. This is mostly dependent upon the weather

pattern and the resultant condition of the water in the streams. Spring, the first shoulder, often brings too much

water, either from snow run-off and/or heavy rains. Streams may therefore be very high and silty. In fall, the second

shoulder, the opposite condition often presents itself. This is usually the driest period of the year, and streams may

be low and crystal clear. Both conditions, high and silty or low and clear, present a unique set of challenges to the

hopeful fly fisher.

Fishing Spring

Let’s begin with the spring shoulder. When faced with high, silty water, the first rule-of-thumb is to hike to the

headwaters. The headwaters clear first and may be very fishable while the water downstream is still “thick as

chocolate.”

PAGE 23

A clearing back eddy in a blown-out stream

If the headwaters aren’t available, or the stream is blown throughout, look along the edges, and for long, slow runs

and back eddies. Fish move to these areas to get out of the raging currents. In addition, silt settles out as the water

slows, and these areas will be the first to clear. The picture below illustrates this, with a quiet, clear, back eddy in

the foreground. The remainder of visible stream is unfishable.

If I can see six inches or more through the water, I give it a go. But fishing these conditions requires a change of

tactics. It usually is not possible to wade, due to the fast, deep water. Therefore, the stream must be fished from

the bank. If fishing an edge upstream, I like to use a curve cast. This keeps the line out, away from the bank, and

avoids lining any lurking fish.

Another approach is to fish the edge downstream. With this approach, the line is fed out, matching the speed of

the water, presenting the fly as naturally as possible. When a fish rises, I have to mentally count to three, and wait

for the trout’s mouth to close over the fly. Many a’s the time I have “pulled the trigger” prematurely, pulled the fly

out of the trout’s mouth, and watched it disappear into the turbid water. When that happens, I have to count to

more than three before continuing!

One advantage the angler enjoys when fishing in these conditions is that the trout’s vision is limited by the silty

water. Thus, they can be crowded a bit, and fished with shorter casts than usual.

Fly selection should be carefully considered as well. It is unlikely that a hatch will occur in these conditions. If duns

are present, they will most likely be drowned. Thus, they will be in the film or farther down in the water column,

not on the surface. Terrestrials, if present, are often swept into the water, and may be present on the surface, or

drowned. As a result, the most productive approach is to fish subsurface.

To entice a strike, a fly must first be seen. Thus, I evaluate the visibility of different coloured flies. I drop two or

three flies of different colours into the water to check their visibility before making my decision. Most “experts”

recommend dark colours, brown and black. But I disagree. I think that tan is often a better choice. The picture

below reveals three streamers of tan, olive and black colours, in clear water against a dark stream bottom. While

all are visible, I think you will agree that the tan streamer is the most readily seen.

PAGE 24

Tan, Olive and Black streamers, in Clear Water

But look what happens in faster water that is moderately silty. Held only three to four inches under the water, only

the tan streamer is still readily seen. The olive streamer is no longer seen at all, while the black streamer is

somewhat visible an inch above the tan streamer.

Tan, Olive and Black Streamers in Silty Waters

But look what happens in faster water that is moderately silty. Held only three to four inches under the water, only

the tan streamer is still readily seen. The olive streamer is no longer seen at all, while the black streamer is

somewhat visible an inch above the tan streamer.

Regardless of the colour selected, a bit of flash incorporated into the fly will add to its visibility.

In addition to visibility, a fly must offer enough substance to make it worthwhile for a trout to expend the energy

needed to engulf it in these conditions. Therefore, I use flies a size or two larger than I would under normal

conditions.

Fishing in Autumn

The Autumn shoulder presents conditions just the opposite of the spring shoulder. Streams are usually crystal

clear and very low. Fish will move to riffles for cover and oxygen, or head upstream to higher elevations, if available.

There, the water will be cooler, and the steeper gradients will have carved out deeper pools.

PAGE 25

Lower and Clear, note the stealthy fisherman in the rocks

Under these conditions, fish are ultra-spooky, and quick to flee at the slightest provocation. Thus anglers must

dress in muted clothes, and use every bit of streamside cover to avoid detection. Every aspect of stealth must be

employed to have any success when fishing these conditions.

Casting and presentation must be precise. This is no time for sloppy casts or any unnecessary false casts. Long

leaders, twelve to sixteen feet, are the rule. I also like to use a rod with a soft or flexible tip, in order to lay the fly

down as gently as possible. Always remember, one cast is usually all the trout will give you.

At this time of the season, the aquatic bugs are generally small. Trico’s and midges will be the predominant

hatches on most streams. They require small imitations, no larger than size twenty hooks.

If heavy frosts haven’t occurred, terrestrials will be an important part of the trout’s diet as well. Ants, crickets, and

beetles are all good choices. Grasshoppers may work as well, although I think that pressured fish have seen so

many ‘hopper imitations that they are often ignored. They also seem to be more temperature-sensitive and

succumb to the cold before the other terrestrials.

Another option is to fish subsurface. Streamers are a fall-time favorite, but if the water is shallow, tight-line

nymphing with a floating line will be more productive and avoid more snags.

Fishing Inclement Conditions

In my mind, the most frequently encountered inclement condition is high wind. Wind presents two challenges to

fly fishers, casting and fly selection. There are several ways to cast on windy days. The easiest is to use the wind to

one’s advantage. If at all possible, cast from a position upwind of the targeted water. Then use a roll cast, pitching

the line a bit upward of the horizontal. The wind will carry the line, and unfurl it in the air, before it settles gently

to the water.

If a cast must be made into the wind, it will require greater line-speed. This is done by using the double-haul,

pulling the line with the line- hand on both the back cast and the forward cast. An additional help is to cast

sidearm. This keeps the line underneath most of the wind.

High winds change the availability of foods for trout. Aquatic bugs hatch less vigorously in these conditions. In

addition, they are unable to effectively mate and egg-lay. Thus, most of the action involving aquatic bugs is below

the surface. Nymphs and small woolly buggers are good choices.

In summer, high winds may not always be ill-winds. They may blow terrestrial bugs onto the water surface in great

numbers. As always, it pays to carefully evaluate the situation before deciding upon a tactic. Ants, ‘hoppers, beetles

or crickets may be just the ticket.

PAGE 26

The other inclement condition is precipitation, in solid or liquid form. A good rain changes both ambient and

stream-water temperatures. In cool weather it warms things up, while the reverse happens in hot weather. These

temperature changes often produce a hatch and result in gulping fish. During a rainfall, I usually fish a

dry/weighted-nymph dropper but switch to a dry with unweighted nymph or emerger when the rain slows or stops.

If fishing in waters that host white miller caddis, snow will often prompt a vigorous hatch. The trout feel safe from

overhead prey and come to the surface to feed with reckless abandon. Another aquatic bug that likes these

conditions is the blue winged olive. So, if fishing in late fall or early winter, when snow storms may occur, be sure

to have patterns for both of these flies.

Fly fishing tough conditions may not be the most pleasant time to fish, but if properly prepared, some exciting

fishing can be had.

Written by Al Simpson, March 2018

CALL FOR A CAP ON TOURISM NUMBERS IN NEW ZEALAND HIGH COUNTRY

Press release by Fish and Game on 18 April 2018

Fish & Game is calling on the Government to curb tourism numbers in the South Island high country, saying the

pressure is now so high, it’s harming the environment and Kiwis’ traditional outdoor experiences. The statutory

organisation has made its concerns clear in a submission to the Walking Access Commission’s report on South

Island high country access.

Fish and Game New Zealand’s Chief Executive Martin Taylor says enjoying the outdoors is a fundamental right

for all New Zealanders. But he says the pressure from high volume tourism is affecting that enjoyment.

Martin Taylor says these changes are being driven by uncontrolled tourism and he is calling for action to tackle

the problem. “We believe something needs to be done to reduce visitor numbers until the required infrastructure

to cope with them is built,” he says.

“It’s not appropriate to let the current demand stay the same or grow before tackling the negative impact

excessive tourism is having on both the environment and the average Kiwi’s traditional outdoor experience,” he

says.

Martin Taylor says there has been a continuing increase in visiting overseas anglers wanting to enjoy this

country’s globally-renowned trout fishing. "We are proud of our world-class angling but unfortunately it is often

in sensitive back country areas.

“While visiting anglers provide some economic benefit to the country, the pressure they put on the environment

and New Zealanders' own enjoyment of the resource can't be ignored.”

Martin Taylor says a new, more strategic approach is needed.

“At the moment we’re struggling to play catch-up. Like many things in New Zealand, we know something's

happening and then we just sit back and watch the problem grow for a decade before deciding it’s time to do

something.

“Sadly, this is what has been happening in tourism and the time for sitting back and watching is over.”

Ends

PAGE 27

Big thank you to the following contributors to this newsletter

• Joshua Hutchins – Flats Kingfish

• Charlie Craven – The Glouser Minnow

• Amanda Cropp – Kiwi Angler Compete with Tourist

• Pete Haakman – A morning on Waikanae River

• Tony Orman – Just a few Flies Thanks

• Al Simpson – Fly Fish Tough Conditions

• Martin Taylor – Call to Cap on Tourist Numbers

Event Contact person

28-29 April Hutt River Michael

12-13 May Wairarapa Rivers Malcolm

28 May Kapiti Fly Fishing Clubs AGM Malcolm

2/3 June Hutt River Michael

16 to 17 June Turangi Malcolm

21-22 June Otaki River Malcolm

28 to 29 July Turangi Pete H

I would like to remind members that Sporting Life are our sponsor and you are encouraged to visit their website or contact them when you are next looking for a fly fishing item to purchase, Graham will

give you a generous discount as a club member.

Please note: I if you have an item or items you would like to sell then please advise the editor and we can include your advertisement in the newsletter.

PAGE 28

Kapiti Fly Fishing Club

Purpose:

• To promote the art and sport of Fly Fishing.

• To respect the ownership of land adjoining waterways.

• To promote the protection of fish and wildlife habitat.

• To promote friendship and goodwill between members.

• To promote and encourage the exchange of information between members.

Club meetings You are invited to attend our club meetings that are held on the Fourth Monday of each month. The venue is the Turf Pavilion Sport Grounds, Scaife Street, Paraparaumu, Our meetings start at 7:30pm with fellowship followed by speakers of activities.

Contacts President: Secretary: Treasurer Past President Newsletter Committee:

Malcolm Francis: ph. 06 364 2101 Email: malcolm1@xtra.co.nz Peter Haakman 04 904 1056 Email: phaakman@xtra.co.nz Hugh Driver: ph.04 902 0177 Email: hugh.driver.nz@gmail.com Craig Gutry: Email: craiggutry@gmail.com Malcolm Francis: 06 3642101 Email: malcolm1@xtra.co.nz Peter Kettle: ph. 04 902 2892 Email: peterkettle@clear.co.nz Rob McMillan Email: r-mcmillan@clear.net.nz Kras Angelov Email: krasimir.angelov@gmail.com Michael Murphy027 591 8734 Email: mnkmurf@gmail.com.

Club Committee meetings are held on the first Monday of each month and the meetings are held at various member’s homes and start at 7:30pm.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Please remember that the club has two Five Weight 8’6” fly rods that members are welcome to use, just contact Malcolm Francis.