Download - NZ Fisher Issue 30
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ISSUE 30 November 2013
www.nzfisher.co.nz
RoctoberFISH
Congratulations to our Hooked Up prize winner for Issue #30!
Barrier Kings Fishing In Argentina Micro-Jigging
ALLNEW
GREENMACHINE
Honda’s brand new BF60 four-stroke EFI outboard engine combines exclusive Honda technologies in a lightest-weight-in-class package that delivers best-in-class performance.
The newly-designed, water-cooled, three-cylinder engine incorporates electronic fuel injection, Honda’s revolutionary Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST™) air/fuel ratio and ignition-timing technology, and lean burn control to deliver powerful start-up and acceleration together with outstanding fuel economy during cruising (ECOmo). NMEA2000 compatibility allows the BF60 to communicate with onboard marine electronics, while ultra-smooth operation and world-leading environmental performance combine to crown the new BF60: ‘Green Machine’.
BF60
www.hondamarine.co.nz0800 4 STROKE (787 653)
Honda_BF60_BC_FP.indd 1 18/6/2013 8:58:44 AM
ALLNEW
GREENMACHINE
Honda’s brand new BF60 four-stroke EFI outboard engine combines exclusive Honda technologies in a lightest-weight-in-class package that delivers best-in-class performance.
The newly-designed, water-cooled, three-cylinder engine incorporates electronic fuel injection, Honda’s revolutionary Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST™) air/fuel ratio and ignition-timing technology, and lean burn control to deliver powerful start-up and acceleration together with outstanding fuel economy during cruising (ECOmo). NMEA2000 compatibility allows the BF60 to communicate with onboard marine electronics, while ultra-smooth operation and world-leading environmental performance combine to crown the new BF60: ‘Green Machine’.
BF60
www.hondamarine.co.nz0800 4 STROKE (787 653)
Honda_BF60_BC_FP.indd 1 18/6/2013 8:58:44 AM
www.nzfisher.co.nz 3
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CONTENTS
editorial
ROCKTOBERFISH6 RoctoberFish 2013
SEASONALFISHING12 Barrier Kings FISHINGCLUBS16 Fishing Club Gets the Measure
SEAFOOD COOKERY18 Musselling Up with the Bradley
19 Reader Pics 22 Competition23 Video of the month
FISHINGTRIPS 24 Fishing in Argentina
HOLIDAYFISHING28 Christmas is coming
NEWTACKLE32 Micro-Jigging: the Next Big Thing
REELRECOVERY33 Reel Recovery NZ
NEWPRODUCTS34 The New Honda 250hp - Silver Bullet
The sweetest of the lot for Snapper straylining and general
bottom bouncing. A nice small arbor and light weight corrosion
resistent frame make it a pleasure to fish with all day. The
carbon drag is silky smooth and has massive stopping power for
those big Snapper! Matched up with the Cortez 6'6” medium
action 6-10kg rod 2 piece, this is a stunning all round setup.
CORTEZ 5 COMBO
The bigger brother of the 5, The Cortez 10 has all the same
features with a narrow frame and more line capacity making
it perfect for fishing those deeper waters for Snapper, Kingfish,
Cod and Pup puka. An all round gem for fishing deeper waters
with its fast retrieve 6.2:1 gear ratio and narrow spool matched
up with the Cortez 6'6” medium action 10-15kg 2 piece rod.
Another winner from Okuma!
CORTEZ 10 COMBO
Watch out West Coast! Massive line capacity with all the same
features as the Cortez 5 & 10. Perfect for fishing a heavier line
class for fishing the deeper waters of the west coast. Light
weight yet very strong. Teamed up with the Cortez 6'6”
medium action 15-20kg 2 piece rod, this combo unbeatable
value with amazing features... check one out today!
CORTEZ 12 COMBO
The perfect setup to get you out on the water jigging for
Kingfish and Hapuka this summer! This combo has been
designed for the Kiwi angler to tackle small to medium size
Kingfish but is still gutsy enough to handle that big one. The
most important features on the reel are the dual anti-reverse
system, stainless steel gearing and carbon drag. Teamed up
with the parabolic Cortez 5’ 300gm jig rod. A superb 24kg entry
level jigging setup at $299 - unbeatable value!
CORTEZ 10 JIGGING COMBO
For news, advice, offers & a good old laugh,
visit us at facebook.com/borntofishnz
Cortez 10ComboCortez 12
Combo
Cortez 5 Combo
Cortez 10
Jigging Combowww.cdrods.co.nz
eCorte
CORTEZ SERIESThe Cortez series has been designed for the inshore fishery capable of catching the popular species you will find around our coastline. Complete with stainless steel gearing, carbon drag, cast control and a dual anti-reverse system, these reels are good quality and housed in a corrosion resistant frame. The Cortez series gives you the tools to tackle those monster Snapper and inshore Kingfish, and is the perfect all round rod and reel setup for both theeveryday angler and serious fisherman.
hery capable
for 2014
HOT!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 5
SUMMER IS HERE, if not in name
then definitely in weather! With
warmer winds, warm water and
some nice breaks to get out, there
have been fish coming in from all
over the upper North. Kingfish
have already been frequenting the
Waitemata Buoys (legal ones too)
and the far North has, as always,
started producing a lot of snapper.
Roctoberfish 2013 was overloaded
with snapper in the mid-teens as
well as a few pushing 20lb. A recent
report from Raglan included a 36lb
snapper while those venturing out
over the Manukau have had bag-full’s
of snapper, gurnard and even open
water kingfish. So where to fish?!?!?
In this issue we look at a new
technique – micro jigging - and how
to best utilise your summer break to
get a feed or even the trophy you’ve
been after for years. Whatever your
plans, there’s fish to be had and great
times on the water with family can
only improve if you plan your trips to
make the most of limited times.
As always safety should be the
first priority – us Kiwis are getting
far to good at drowning ourselves
unnecessarily. If you are not already a
coastguard member, please take some
time to visit their site, sign up and
have a read of their very smart advice.
Whether you kayak, jet-ski or are
land-based or boat fishing; there’s no
excuse not to be a coastguard member
and carry the safety essentials.
NZFisher is publishing our Christmas
issue a week early in December, so
please send in your fishing photos
before the 6th December to be in the
draw for the Christmas Reader Pix
competition. On top of the awesome
trip on Diversity that we give away
every month there’s a $100 Go Fish
Voucher to the lucky winner who will
also feature on the cover of NZFisher
Christmas issue! Get sending now to:
to be in the draw.
This month we welcome aboard
Ben Assado, our newest contributor
based on the stunning Aotea/
Great Barrier Island. Ben’s a keen
fisho with a passion for the amazing
environment he spends his time in on
Great Barrier. We start with a story
this month from Ben about his first
land-based kingfish.
The weather forecasts for December
look very good; take some time to
enjoy the harbours near you before
the summer silliness begins – it’s
good for the soul!
Tight lines,
Derrick
//From the EDITOR
editorial
ABOUT /Short and sharp, NZ Fisher is a free e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forward-thinking fisher people.
EDITOR / Derrick PaullART DIRECTOR / Jodi OlssonCONTENT ENQUIRIES / Phone Derrick on 021 629 327or email derrickp@NZ Fisher.co.nzADVERTISING ENQUIRIES /Phone Richard on 09 522 7257 or email [email protected] / NZ Fisher, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZWEBSITE / www.NZFisher.co.nz
Cover pic: Matthew Ryan & his new PB, a 72cm snapper landed at ROctober2013
This is a GREEN MAG, created and distributed without the use of paper so it's environmentally friendly. Please think before you
print. Thank you!
ROCKTOBERfish
RoctoberFish 2013
WITH ANDREW HAVING late work
commitments in Australia for Roctober
this year, it was just a mate of mine,
Mark Cosgrove and I for the 2013
edition of Roctober. Mark is one of
the most successful land based fishos
I know, and this year alone has more
than half a dozen 20 pounders to his
name along with a number of really
good tournament results; so I was
looking forward to learning a few new
tricks. And with over 40 keen fishos
heading up, we knew that there was
going to be some stiff competition if
we wanted to get amongst the prizes.
Having fished the Whatuwhiwhi
peninsula a good number of times
recently, we planned to take the
opportunity to get out and fish a
couple of spots that have been on
my must-fish list for a good while.
Day one plan was to fish north out of
Houhora and if weather permitted,
Day two was to be a trip round past
Bergans point - a place I’ve been
trying to fish for years but have always
been kept out of by the weather.
Early morning Friday and there isn’t
a breath of wind – as predicted. But
with a forecast 10-12 knots we figured
that rather than launch from Rangiputa
and head across to Mount Camel -
we’d play it safe (we were providing
taxi drop off for another mate of mine,
Mark Mortimer from NSSC) and head
out from Houhora. The early drive up
was a slow one, fog lying heavy just
about everywhere and not a breath of
wind. Launching out of the campsite
at Houhora we could only navigate
using the GPS. Visibility was down
to just a few metres at time but at
least there was no swell and wind! We
made our way up the coast and found
a good looking ledge with room for all
three of us, got set up, got the berley
going in a couple of spots and started
fishing in the stillness as the fog
started to burn off. Up and down the
coast fishos had been reporting large
discoloured patches of water (algal
blooms?) and the water in front of us
had a definite tea-coloured tinge to it.
After a couple of hours Mark
Cosgrove had three or four nice fish
up to about five kg and I’d fished a
good long section of ledge with not
so much as a bite - so I did the decent
thing and came to fish nearer to see
what he was up to! Not content with
By Forsyth Thompson
6 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Amazing country
www.nzfisher.co.nz 7
ROCKTOBERfish
the berley going out (same berley as
I’d been using just 50m away), Mark
was constantly throwing little cubes
of pillies in. I’d do that when fishing
for kings, but not often for snapper
- especially when there’s so much
berley going out - but Mark had got
a number of decent fish and I had big
fat zero on the board. The other Mark
(NSSC) was trying the exact opposite
approach; taking a leaf out of some
of the SWF guys’ book and hardly
putting anything other than bait in the
water but he wasn’t having any more
success than me. Sometimes more is,
well, just better it seems.
Then, out of nowhere we heard a
massive splash and noise and a couple
of the boys (not naming names!) ran
back up the rock as a truly massive
male orca came right up out of the
water just a few metres directly in
front of us. We’d had no warning at
all, never saw him before this and
then there he was, right up close
and obviously looking straight at
us - checking us out. We’ve all seen
them many times out fishing but never
have I seen one that close and on the
rocks. Truly stunning and all thoughts
of fishing disappeared as we watched
him cruise by.
As the day wore on, the fishing died
off. We’d put a few more snapper in
the bag but nothing to write home
about since Mark’s early strong
start. So we packed the stabi up and
headed further north to try to find
some better looking water and a new
spot. Sure enough, a few kilometres
up the coast we found a lovely area of
broken ledges and really good clean
water and it was only minutes after
setting back up that we were getting
into the fish. And there were kahawai
too - the first livey finally going out at
about 3PM.
Mark Mortimer was first on the board
with a good 72cm fish which he made
the call to keep and weighed 7.72kg
- the exact same as his previous
PB. From then on we had a steady
stream of fish all in the two to four
kg range - feeding hard and fighting
hard - and as we were taking fish for
a mate of mine and his family, we put
a good number in the bag for them. I
wouldn’t normally keep any fish on the
first day of a trip, especially a catch &
release tournament but putting food
Fight on!
Catch and release was extremely popular with only a handful of fish needing to be measured at the final measure up
8 www.nzfisher.co.nz
on a mate’s table is only a good thing.
The fishing continued for a while,
several of the fish being sight-fished
from the berley. Mark C’s cubing
again keeping us amongst the fish far
more than Mark M who was on berley
only. Then, just like the first spot, the
fishing dried up and with light fading
we figured we’d call it a day. We had
caught some good fish (had a solid
72cm fish from the day) but figured we
were nowhere in the running.
Surely in these conditions, with guys
ROCKTOBERfish
able to fish anywhere, there’d be a
number of 20’s on the board? Getting
back to base it turned out not to be
the case; most guys reporting much
tougher fishing than we’d experienced
but there were a few goodies in
amongst them so we knew we had to
up our game for Day two.
Funnily the beers and cheeky rums
meant that Mark and I were up a little
later than planned and slightly slower
than usual to get going. But we stuck
to the Bergans plan and shot down to
Maunganui to launch from the ramp
at Mill Bay and headed off to Bergans
as fast as the new 30hp on the back
of the baby stabi would take us (we
clocked 29 knots at one point!).
I’ve never been able to get as far as the
point itself, let alone round it - and boy
was it worth the wait. There is so much
country through there for land based
fishos - you’re spoiled rotten for choice.
We were only looking at it for the first
time and I was already thinking about
when I could get back for another trip!
We decided on a stunning looking
spot, humped the gear up, got the
berley going and by the time the rods
were set up there were kahawai and
snapper feeding greedily on the cubes
Mark was throwing in. For the third
time in as many spots this use of loads
of berley plus heaps of cubes wasn’t
over-feeding the fish at all; it was
keeping them coming and feeding
with abandon.
First bait, I had a fish around the
4kg mark that I sight-fished and sent
straight back. Then another which we
kept. Kahawai were everywhere so we
deployed a livey and then a couple
of much better snapper cruised up
to snaffle the cubes which were still
www.nzfisher.co.nz 9
flowing freely. One disappeared and
then one I thought was ok came up
from under the weed and took the
half pilli I put in front of his nose.
Then it took off and I realised I’d
underestimated the size of the fish
quite badly. This was no three or four
kg fish at all and was peeling line at a
good rate, heading for ground. After
a really good scrap we got him close
and netted, at which point I realised
he was a pretty good fish. A quick
couple of photos on the measuring
mat and he went straight back in.
At 72cm it wasn’t any bigger than
Mark M’s from the previous day and
smaller than the leading kept fish.
But I had a feeling it was the biggest
released fish - so suddenly weigh/
measure-in got a lot more interesting.
The fishing continued in the same vein
as the previous day - plenty of three
to four kg fish almost all sight-fished
and then it just went dead. No matter
how much berley went in; no more
snapper showed up and we fished the
whole island with no more success.
So, like the previous day we moved
- found a very small rock with a lot of
bommies around it and started the
berley/cube routine all over again.
And again, exactly the same result;
Mark and I sight-fished snapper up
to four to five kg right up from our
feet and saw a much better fish that
we hooked and lost – certainly it
looked at least as good as the one
ROCKTOBERfish
Mark ‘Mr. 20lb’ Cosgrove & his best Roctoberfish
Mark Mortimer & his best of the trip
10 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Waiting, waiting, waiting...
we’d already released - but with time
running out we had to pull the pin and
head back.
As we got to Bergans, we could see
that the forecast was horribly wrong.
The seven to ten knots was a solid 15
to 20 and the sea was nasty. Mark’s
first words were “Forget about making
weigh in” but the new 30hp on the
back and the skipper’s determination
to see about a prize meant that we
made it to the Mill Bay ramp with
what looked like not quite enough
time to make it. But, with the joys of
Far North traffic (there is none) and a
heavy foot - we made it to weigh-in
with about three and a half minutes to
spare - just in the nick of time.
Bloody good thing too – the 72cm fish
I released was the biggest released
fish of the weekend. But with all the
work Mark had done keeping the fish
coming and a couple of the spots he’d
picked to fish being ones I’d have not
bothered with; I couldn’t take all the
credit, frankly! Not all of it anyway ;)
The prize giving, BBQ and final
evening of Roctober are becoming
legendary and this year was the best
yet. Enough food to sink a ship,
enough grog to float it again and
enough fishos swapping lies and
talking up a storm to keep me going
till the next trip away.
An absolutely fantastic weekend as
always, and huge thanks to Derrick
for all his hard work in organising it.
Bring on next year: if you’re into your
land based fishing at all - put it in your
diary now - you’ll be glad you did.
**Roctober 2014 will be held on the
weekend of the 16-18th October at
Whatuwhiwhi Top 10 camp – book it
in now! Ed
ROCKTOBERfish
Jason Chrisensen & his best from the beach. The full
moon and bright days made it hard for beach fishers.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 11
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12 www.nzfisher.co.nz
seasonalFISHING
I got up early again; eager for a
quick, early fish off the rocks. The idea
was to go hard for a couple of hours
and be back at the car at 9am. All my
gear was packed and I left home at
5am. The sun wasn’t up yet but there
was enough light to see where I was
going, although the sky was very dark.
The sea-forecast mentioned rain and
it sure looked like it could pour down
any minute. Half an hour later Rani and
I were walking on Medland’s beach, it
was dribbling a bit but was even warmer
than yesterday. No wind at all, much
more cloud cover than the previous day.
Good and comfortable conditions really;
By Ben Assado
Barrier Kings:
From the Rocks
my chances of landing a kingfish were
pretty good today.
I had a little bag of frozen berley and
low tide would be almost an hour
later, which would give me more
time to get things organized. Come
6pm and I was fishing off the ledge,
the berley was dispersing nicely and
there was a hint of a slight swell which
created some whitewater next to
me. I was fishing for kahawai with my
lightest rod, the strongest spinner
setup was rigged with a popper, ready
in case the kingis showed up.
The big live bait setup was rigged and
also ready to be deployed. My gaff,
a wet towel, bait, bucket with water -
yeah, all the things I might need, were
right next to me. It didn’t take long
for the snapper to go on the bite. I
noticed some trevally and another
similar fish. There was heaps of action
up close; the fish were more active
and bigger in size.
No kahawai though, so I casted the
popper for a few minutes and then
went back to bait fishing. Moments
later, I noticed splashing water in the
corner of my eye; a small school of
bait fish was approaching. They were
small, but fat, juicy kahawai. I spotted
four of them and watched how my
bait got swallowed. Boom - I had one
on the end of the line. Well hooked in
the mouth, thanks to the circle hook.
It was in great condition when it went
back into the water as live bait and
swam happily away.
I tried hooking more kahawai but,
to my surprise, they were gone. I
kept trying; it’s always good to have
a reserve live bait in the bucket. At
Ben Assado
www.nzfisher.co.nz 13
seasonalFISHING
around 7.30am things were going
really well, Rani was sleeping in the
background, the tide had turned
and was coming in, I had the perfect
position for the live bait rod; the kind
of position where your bait covers an
area and can come real close to the
rocks but won’t get caught up in white
water or in the kelp. It just did its
own thing and I didn’t have to touch
the rod any more and could fish for
snapper and closely watch the water.
The kingis were (over)due I was
thinking; they just have to show up
and I’ll hook one on the kahawai.
Perfect size, irresistible prey for any
kingi. Again, on retrieving bait from
the deep I noticed a fish coming up
- it looked like a kingi. It was casual
as, like real cool and stuff - as if it was
hanging in the background, feeding
on the berley at its own leisure. So I
casted out again and retrieved - this
time towards the live bait - and there
it came up again, a small kingi, all
on its own, no big commotion like
yesterday but when it noticed my live
bait, it decided to check it out more
closely. I had heaps of time to put the
bait rod away and take the live bait
Ben’s first legal king landed
A sideline species, but kept for the pan
rod out of the rod holder, taking a
higher position on the rocks. The kingi
kept circling the kahawai, the whole
action was around a meter away from
the rocks, the kahawai went alongside
the kelp, the kingi after it.
The prey was cornered, the predator
was sure of its meal, it just needed that
perfect timing to attack and swallow
the kahawai head-first. It tried and tried
and finally succeeded, feeling quite
happy as it started swimming deep,
taking the balloon with it. I waited,
waited and put the reel into strike
mode, waited for the line to tighten up
and struck - the fish was on.
Then it tried getting away around the
corner but had no chance against the
drag. It tried going deep, changing
directions. I played it, looked at the gaff,
then at the fish. Decided not to gaff it as
I couldn’t tell for sure whether it was of
14 www.nzfisher.co.nz
1
2
3
4
5
5 simple rulesto help you stay safe:
Life jacketsTake them – Wear them.
Boats, especially ones under 6m in length, can sink very quickly. Wearing a life jacket increases your survival time in the water.
Skipper responsibilityThe skipper is responsible for the safety of everyone on board and for the safe operation of the boat. Stay within the limits of your vessel and your experience.
CommunicationsTake two separate waterproof ways of communicating so we can help you if you get into difficulties.
Marine weather New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the local marine weather forecast before you go and expect both weather and sea state changes.
Avoid alcohol Safe boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water. You need to stay alert and aware.
For more information about safe boating education and how to prepare for your boating activity, visit www.adventuresmart.org.nz
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The Boating Safety
Before you go boating on our seas, lakes and rivers, get familiar with New Zealand’s Boating Safety Code, no matter what kind of boat you use.
CODE
www.adventuresmart.org.nz
The Water Safety The Outdoor Safety
CODE CODE
Also available:
Great Kingfish countryseasonalFISHING
legal size. It was clearly shorter than a
meter, perhaps borderline. So I went
down to grab the leader - my terminal
tackle was 120 pounds - and I lifted
the fish (after it tried bitterly to gain
at least some distance from the rocks)
by the leader up onto to the rocks and
had a better look.
It turned out that the kingi was really
a borderline call, about two and a half
times my shoe, which would be 75
cm but it wasn’t as long as my full-
stretched arm. Hey, I landed one, I can
land another, so I torpedo-ed this baby
back. It only looks that calm in the
picture because I put it on a wet rock
and covered its head with a wet towel.
Finally, a kingi off the rocks! I was
stoked and since it was just after 8pm,
I chucked the rest of the bait into the
water, emptied the berley and watched
as some bigger snapper came up from
the deep and started munching away
casually in less than a meter of depth. It
was easy enough to land two of them
within the next five minutes.
I was back at the car by 9pm, the
drizzle turned into light showers. I
was really happy about the snapper
in my pack and it was good to finally
land a kingfish off the rocks here on
the barrier. Only a rat; couldn’t put up
a fight but nonetheless I caught it on
a live bait. And not by chance. And
since I targeted kingis this morning, I
can gladly say: Mission accomplished.
This is part I, let’s see what follows.
And by the way, I enjoy early morning
fishing, when you’re finished it is still
early in the morning…
And by the way, I
enjoy early morning
fishing, when you’re
finished it is still
early in the morning…
www.nzfisher.co.nz 15
1
2
3
4
5
5 simple rulesto help you stay safe:
Life jacketsTake them – Wear them.
Boats, especially ones under 6m in length, can sink very quickly. Wearing a life jacket increases your survival time in the water.
Skipper responsibilityThe skipper is responsible for the safety of everyone on board and for the safe operation of the boat. Stay within the limits of your vessel and your experience.
CommunicationsTake two separate waterproof ways of communicating so we can help you if you get into difficulties.
Marine weather New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable. Check the local marine weather forecast before you go and expect both weather and sea state changes.
Avoid alcohol Safe boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water. You need to stay alert and aware.
For more information about safe boating education and how to prepare for your boating activity, visit www.adventuresmart.org.nz
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The Boating Safety
Before you go boating on our seas, lakes and rivers, get familiar with New Zealand’s Boating Safety Code, no matter what kind of boat you use.
CODE
www.adventuresmart.org.nz
The Water Safety The Outdoor Safety
CODE CODE
Also available:
16 www.nzfisher.co.nz
fishin clubs
Fishing Club Gets the Measure
INSPIRED BY THE NZ Fishing
Competition (www.fishingcomp.co.nz),
an on-line national measure and
release competition, Nelson-based
Dawn Breakers Fishing Club recently
voted to do away with weighing fish
for club competitions, pins, trophies
and leader boards.
The initiative was a response to
concerns that many of the fish club
members were taking were large
specimens and prime breeders,
particularly in the Marlborough Sounds.
“With our members releasing fish
more and more often and a growing
awareness of the value of our fragile
resource, we’ve changed the criteria
for measuring fish for any club events.
Instead of weighing fish, club members
must now measure them from the nose
to the v of the tail. From here on, all
club records will be noted in length, not
weight,” explains committee member
and past club president, Troy Dando.
“The new regulations mean our
members can release fish unharmed if
they so wish, supplying the club with
a digital photo of the fish lying on the
measure as proof of the catch. For the
catch to be eligible, they have to show
the club card in the photo alongside
the measure.”
www.nzfisher.co.nz 17
fishin clubs
Grandaddy Hapuka
Each year club members will be issued
with a new club card so there’s no
confusion about which year a fish
was caught in. The move to measure
length instead of weight reflects
what’s happening in sportfishing
around the world. In many forms of
competition fishing (especially where
fish must be released unharmed back
into the water to score points), length
measurement is routine. It’s also an
increasingly common practice amongst
game-fishers (who measure billfish and
tuna in the water alongside the boat),
fly-fishers and others who routinely
practice catch and release fishing.
Nelson’s Dawn Breakers Fishing
Club use a simple formula to award
points per centimetre, with A, B and
C categories for each of the main
species targeted by club members.
The measure not weight policy applies
to all eligible fish species, except
crayfish which are still weighed in by
club members.
Dawn Breakers club members also
have their own leaderboards on the
NZ Fishing Competition website,
providing a real time overview of each
species in the club competition.
“The new policy and website
leaderboard has been well received by
club members – we think it’s actually
boosted interest in the club this year,”
enthuses Troy.
Last season Dawn Breakers boasted
115 active members, but this year
membership has lifted considerably
and Troy thinks the final roll call will
reach 150 members.
If any other fishing clubs around the
country are interested in setting up
a similar catch measurement system,
they can get in touch with Grant Blair
on 021-996-955 or email
Troy Dando
18 www.nzfisher.co.nz
seafoodCOOKERY
THIS MONTH I’M GOING to share
a very simple yet very satisfying
entrée option that compliments
any summertime cook up – smoked
mussels Bradley Smoker style!
Mussels are found around most
coastlines, supermarkets and
in restaurants the world over
and recently extracts have been
discovered and are being used in
relieving the effects of arthritis,
gout and other inflammatory health
issues, so the humble bivalve are not
only great ‘chewing’ but also aiding
medical science to.
The fact that mussels are also a prime
candidate for aquaculture is also
pleasing, as wild stock are not greatly
impacted up on when harvested
for domestic or international
consumption and the mussel farms
themselves also provide habitat for
many juvenile species of fish like
snapper and trevally.
Mussels also make for awesome bait
and burley for most inshore table fish
like snapper, trevally and blue cod.
If you are going to be gathering your
own mussels then be sure that you
understand the local recreational rules
and regulations.
So as you can see from the above
the Mussel is rather versatile….
Anyhoo….on with my Bradley
Smoked Mussel recipe:
Musselling Up with the Bradley
www.nzfisher.co.nz 19
PREPARATION
Collect around 80-90 medium 1.
sized mussels (this amount will fill
a six rack Bradley Smoker).
Steam until the shell just begins 2.
to open in boiling water – this
step is just to make the shucking
process easier not to cook
the mussel.
Shuck the mussel meat, de-beard 3.
and check for any unwanted crabs
in to a sieve or colander – retain
one half of each shell.
Allow the mussel meat to drain off 4.
excess water in the refrigerator
for at least an hour.
Place mussels back in to their half 5.
shells and then on to the Bradley
Smoker racks.
Pour on about a teaspoon 6.
worth of your favourite sauce
or marinade on to the meat
and work in to the meat with
your fingers or a chef’s brush – I
personally like standard run-of-
the-mill BBQ sauce and Thai
Sweet chilli (separately – not
together!) but have also had
great success with garlic butter
and garlic soy. Plain is also a
great option for those that enjoy
mussels just the way they are. If
doing a full 6 racks I will mix up
the flavours.
seafoodCOOKERY
SMOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Set your Bradley Smoker to 88 1.
degrees
Place the Bradley Smoker racks in 2.
to the smoker.
Start the smoke generator with 3.
either Special Blend, Pacific Blend
or Apple flavoured Bisquettes for
1 hour and 40 minutes – all are
excellent options in my opinion,
so just experiment to find which is
to your liking.
Shuffle rack position around every 4.
30 or so minutes to give an even
distribution of heat and smoke.
Have an icy cold beverage or two, 5.
chat and laugh awhile with your
family and mates – important step
this one! Be sure to repeat plenty
of times during the Christmas and
New Year’s period!
Remove Bradley Smoker racks 6.
and call in the ravenous hordes to
partake whilst they are still hot!
Tasty smoked mussels straight from
the smoker are a real treat and are a
big hit at our get-togethers and I’m
sure they will be at yours also.
If you are catering for just a small
gathering and not likely to devour
all of the racks of mussels at once
simply turn the oven back down to 60
degrees and bring out the racks as
you require them – effectively using
your smoker as a warming oven.
Just on that point – the Bradley
Smoker make for awesome warming
ovens for large gatherings when
hotplate or kitchen oven space is at a
premium which it can be at this time
of year – once you’ve served your
mussel entrée to your guests you
can then put the snags, chops, garlic
bread etc in until the steak and salads
are ready to be served.
For more information on Bradley
Smokers and a heaps more recipes
then visit:www.bradleysmoker.co.nz
20 www.nzfisher.co.nz
READERpics
Aaron McDonald with his new PB, a 22lb Hauraki Gulf Snapper.
Reader Pics
Camden Andrews with his new PB, a 60lb Oakura Kingfish
www.nzfisher.co.nz 21
READERpics
Graeme Heapy’s crazy diving mates with a bag of pre-frozen, fresh fish!.
WINNER: Paul Skilling with his big silver trevally. Caught landbased in the Far North
Janet Bowman with her new PB, a 27lb snapper from Oakura
Darren Kilkolly and his new PB 14lb Snapper caught off the Hibiscus Coast.
Nicky Taylor with her first ever Kingfish, landed at Rough Rock, Rangitoto Channel
Paul Armishaw & his new PB, a 17kg king from the Kayak on a jig
Sea Ox & the ‘Skiwi’ with their spring snapper haul.
22 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Win a Trip on Board Diversity with Tackle-It & NZFisher!
JUST POST A PIC of you with a fish to
our Facebook page and you’re in the
draw to win day trip aboard Diversity
care of Damo and the team at Tackle-It.
Every image you enter has a chance
to win the big prize. The more and
sooner you enter, the better your
chances so get fishing and posting
those images to Facebook!
WINNER: Paul Skilling with his big
silver trevally. Caught landbased in
the Far North.
COMPETITION
www.nzfisher.co.nz 23
HERE’S AARON SHOWING us the
best ways to move stickbaits through
the water for Kiwi-fish.
Once you’ve got it sorted, this is
what you’ll need to be ready for –
apologies for the Aussie commentary!
The Yeehaa boys show there’s good
king’s locally too.
Or how about some REEL action like
this on stickbaits!
VIDEO
Fishing Video of the MonthThis month the top-water fishing around the North Island has been hot & getting hotter. Here are a few videos to help both technique and motivation!
24 www.nzfisher.co.nz
MY FRIENDS HAVE sometimes
said that I get as big a buzz from
researching and planning a fishing
trip or campaign as I do from actually
catching the intended quarry. I guess
that’s true, particularly at the moment
as I’m trying to pack enough tackle
to tame another of those bucket
list species - the wonderful golden
dorado - and still come in under the
totally unreasonable 23 kgs weight
limit on the flight to Argentina. This
time I’m a passenger not an organiser.
That role falls to globe-trotting
adventurer and sometime editor of
Classic Angling, Keith Elliot, who
kindly invited me on a long-planned
trip to La Zona on the Uruguay River.
This is the place where the majority
of world-record dorado are caught -
huge fish up to 60lbs plus - and where
white knuckle, reel screaming action is
the norm rather than the exception.
Consequently, Keith, Mark, Jason
and I are in the grips of a monster
fish frenzy with emails flying back
and forth about lures, braid, wire and
unfeasibly large flies. My dining room
table has resembled a tackle shop for
several days now but finally the traces
have been made up, the lures and
flies selected and packed and various
specialist rods and reels bought,
borrowed or acquired.
I’ve never made any secret of the
fact that I retired from Parliament to
‘spend more time with my fish’ but
originally I thought that was more
likely to mean roach, tench, chub
and barbel rather than anything
particularly exotic. Spending 15
months in Australia changed all that
and gave me a taste for hooking big
Fishing in Argentina
Seeking El Derado
Matt Harris with a stunning looking fly caught golden doradoFISHINGtrips
www.nzfisher.co.nz 25
beautiful beasties in the sunshine
- usually on surface or sub-surface
lures. I still love fishing in the UK and
even look forward to those damp
winter days when the river will be
carrying a tinge of colour and my
trotted breadflake will have a good
chance of tempting some fine fish in
peak condition.
But, and it’s a big but, I’m afraid
it’s not enough anymore and while
I’m fit enough and still earning
I’m determined not to miss the
opportunity to add to that fisherman’s
bucket list and charge up the memory
bank against the day when I’ve neither
the health or the funds to go on these
Boy’s Own fishing adventures.
Mind you the wanderlust started well
before I had my fishing sabbatical
Down Under. In 1976 I dropped out
of college and went to work on a
building site to save up enough for
my girlfriend and I to travel around
Europe. We limped that old minivan,
complete with a twisted sub-frame
which gave it a crab like trajectory,
all the way through France, Italy,
Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey. It
wasn’t a fishing trip as such but a
couple of rods were packed and for
some strange reason we invariably
seemed to find ourselves camping
beside some fishy looking water. I
didn’t catch a great deal, you rarely
do when holiday fishing ‘on spec’ but
it did make me determined to return
to foreign climes on some properly
planned trips.
Like many English anglers of my
generation I took regular trips across
the Irish Sea to take advantage of
the absence of a coarse fishing close
season. In the 70’s maggots were not
easy to come by in Ireland and we
hadn’t yet worked out how to chill
them down in polybags and carry
them over in cool boxes. The game in
those days was to load up with a few
gallons of wrigglers and sneak them
onto the ferry, in pillow slips, would
you believe? We then had to compete
with other anglers to find a suitable,
well ventilated hiding place, usually
inside the lifeboats, until the boat
reached port. Those Irish trips were
great fun, and, with proper research
and planning and sufficient bait they
produced some staggering catches of
roach, bream and hybrids and made
a major contribution to tourism in the
Emerald Isle. But God help anyone
needing a lifeboat on the Irish Sea !
The first real exotic trip came my
way in 1996 when my good friend
Mike and I decided to go on one of
Dave Plummer’s early trips to India’s
River Cauvery in search of the mighty
golden mahseer. I was lucky enough
to land a cracker of 76lbs along with a
good few more over 20lbs.
This was exhilarating fishing - sitting
on a rock in the middle of a fast
flowing river, miles from civilisation,
surrounded by all manner of
dangerous creatures and waiting for
a bite that could see you dragged
half a mile down river by one of the
most powerful freshwater fish on the
FISHINGtrips
26 www.nzfisher.co.nz
planet. A battle with a mahseer leaves
you bruised, sore and sometimes
bloodied but my goodness do you
feel alive. That’s why two years later I
was back on Cauvery and the lucky run
continued with a cracker of 92lbs - the
largest mahseer caught anywhere in
the world that year.
This 76lbs mahseer from India’s River
Cauvery in 1996 set off my love affair
with far off fishing adventures
Keith Elliot with his Texan alligator
gar....he does love those toothy
critters!
Funnily enough, Keith Elliot also has
a love affair with the mahseer and is
chairman of the Mahseer Trust, which
aims to preserve these incredible and
endangered fish. I asked him how he
developed his own fishing wanderlust
and here’s what he said.
Keith’s capers
“My first real wild trip was to Ecuador
in 1990, though I did fish Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef two years before
that. My favourite places are the
Outer (and very wild) Mongolia;
the Bushbetta stretch of the river
Cauvery in India; Great Slave Lake in
the Canadian North-West Territories;
and the River Thames at Maidenhead
where it all began for me. My most
memorable fish were taiman in
Mongolia, alligator gar in Texas and,
of course, the mahseer in India
A million madness’s and adventures
are what these trips are all about.
One was going to Arunachal Pradesh
with the fishing writer John Bailey. We
were the first white people to enter
the country since Victorian times and
our guides took us to a village where
girls came out and danced for us, the
headman made a speech and said:
“We had heard there were people in
the world who weren’t like us. We see
that you are very developed people.
We would like you to tell us how we
should lead our lives.”
Unfortunately we got there just
too late. The villagers were taking
down their fish traps (a bit of a clue)
and fishing was very hard. Though
everyone had a fish or two, including
a rare chocolate mahseer, the fish had
already dropped back into the main
Brahmaputra river. I, on the other
hand, spent a couple of days walking
the river and looking for good spots.
A big mistake for that’s when most of
the fish were caught.
I did hook a mahseer for about 10
seconds, and typically, it came off.
Because I didn’t want to have travelled
all that distance and be skunked, when
FISHINGtrips
www.nzfisher.co.nz 27
we got back to Calcutta, I got up at
3am with a top joint from my spinning
rod, some breadpaste filched from
the dinner table and caught a goldfish
from the hotel pond. Job done ! I’ve
loads more stories, like the fer de lance
in Ecuador, the bird-eating spiders, the
leopard in India...and who knows what
we will experience in Argentina?”
Preparation is key
One thing I’ve learnt over the years
is that much of the best fishing to be
had on this planet is in far off places
where the mankind has yet to screw
up the environment and where the
‘men with nets’ can’t, or won’t, get
there. In fact, I’m at my most happy
when the only route into to these
fisheries is by some rickety light
aircraft or a long boat journey through
a barely inhabited wilderness.
These places often hold great fish
but almost never a tackle shop so
preparation is everything. Some
companies, such as Fox, have really
tried to cater for the travelling angler
with a comprehensive range of travel
rods designed to cope with virtually
any fish that swims. Check out their
Trek travel range at http://www.
foxsportfishing.com/index.php.
There’s something for everyone here
and because they break down to four
or five sections there’s no need to
be humping bulky rod tubes around
anymore. I’m taking their sailfish spin
rod to La Zona teamed up with the
light but powerful Fox Diablo 550S
spinning reel and 80lbs braid. This
outfit is designed for light game
fishing at sea but will give me the
power I need to keep a 50lbs dorado
out of the rocks - hopefully !
Although my fly-casting is somewhat
agricultural it is a fun way to catch
fish so I’m packing a 10 wt and some
awesome flies tied for me by my
friend Martin Webster who now runs
Selectafly. There’s not much Martin
doesn’t know about catching sports
fish on the fly - in fact one of his
regular customers, Matt Harris, has
just posted a stunning picture of a
recent fly caught Bolivian dorado on
the Selectafly website.
Having the time and resources to
make these trips is of course essential
and it’s also handy to have mates
who can loan you the odd bit of
gear that you might never use again.
However, there is no substitute for
doing the homework and finding
out what is catching now and not
ten years ago when the book or
magazine article, that first caught your
eye, was published. There are plenty
of specialist fishing and adventure
companies that will offer to organise
that trip of a lifetime. I’ve been with
Aardvark McLeod and Dave Plummer
and can’t speak highly enough of
both of them. This time we are going
with Steve Townson from Amazon
Angler who is a real south American
specialist. And you can, if you’ve the
time and determination, do your thing
and plan your trip from start to finish
on your own. There are obvious pitfalls
but the information is out there.
The interweb now means that all
this info is just a few clicks away. The
temptation is staring at you from
behind your screen. My advice is to
give in to it as often as you can. But
then I’m writing this in the grips of
yet another fish frenzy of excitement
and planning and you should
probably ignore me....until, that is,
you see the pictures!
The interweb now means that all this
info is just a few clicks away. The temptation is staring at you from
behind your screen. My advice is to give in to it
as often as you can.
FISHINGtrips
28 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Christmas is Coming
But where do I fish?by Neil Wagener
holidayfishing
EVERY YEAR THOUSANDS of Kiwi
families head off on their Christmas
breaks, family & tents in tow, with a
hope for an hour or two to wet a line
between barbeques and sandcastles.
Sadly though, most of us struggle to
catch a fish – even if we do break the
shackles (sorry wives & husbands out
there!), how the hell do you catch a
fish at Christmas?
Every year I hear stories from
depressed fishos who’ve finally gotten
away to their secret Eldorado and
soaked baits for HOURS only to return
with stories of seeing massive kingfish
swim by without stopping, the only
bites coming from starved Moray
eels or sunburn lines for the ages. So,
what’s the secret? Is there one? Or is
this time of year just a write off?
My answer – stick to the obvious.
It’s my experience that the best times
of day to land fish are the fringes
of daylight, both dawn and dusk.
At Christmas and New Years when
there’s a lot of boating activity going
on, the benefit of fishing these times
of day is extenuated. By fishing the
margins, you increase your chances
and impact less on family time by only
concentrating on the high value times.
You can further increase your chances
by selecting the most probable
www.nzfisher.co.nz 29
Christmas is Coming
holidayfishing
locations - places where current &
food sources are closely aligned.
In the case of snapper, this would
likely be just inside headlands over
shallow reefs where fish are unlikely to
be during the brightest times of day
but where food is at its densest.
If you have the time available, a bit
of burley (no need to fill the ocean
with it) into the current that leads to
your chosen spot might be exactly
what’s required. A handful of pilchards
broken into very small chucks and
tossed out into the water might be all
it needs to lure a hungry snapper to
your baited line.
The weather is unpredictable but if
you have a very clear weather pattern
to contend with, landbased or boat
fishing will benefit from lighter line
and no weight when bait fishing. The
more natural your offering, the better
the response from your quarry. While
snapper are not terribly discerning
about what they eat, they are much
more difficult to deceive in bright
lights and calm conditions. Over
recent years we’ve moved to fishing
almost exclusively with fluorocarbon
leaders; I have no doubt that this has
helped with our conversion rate in
brighter weather.
If you’re determined to fish for
kingfish (from the shore), time on the
rocks is really the only answer and
you’ll need a world of Burley! While
the parameters for finding Kingfish are
fairly standard, whether they turn up
or not is completely unpredictable.
Experience tells me that around
Christmas time there are greater
concentrations of kingfish around
harbour and estuary entrances that
necessarily the headlands of bays
– I’ve learned this through many
sunburnt days fishing both and only
succeeding about one trip in three.
If you don’t have livebaits, go home
– there can be no better advice
for successful fishing for kingfish in
summertime. There’s generally a lot
of food at that time of year so they’re
picky – they might occasionally chase
a popper, hit a dead bait or snaffle a
spinner, but I’d say your chances are
30 www.nzfisher.co.nz
about 80% better with livies. Get livies
& get kingfish – painful advice on days
when livies are not playing along!
If you are lucky enough to have access
to a boat or kayak, again stick to the
obvious. Work-ups are the easiest
target and often the most reliable
source of targets in the height of
summer. Unlike inshore fishing, work-
ups can be fruitful throughout the
day with most being most profitable
later in the afternoon. Perfect for the
fisherman who’s enjoyed a tipple or
two the night before.
There is a lot of info out now on
fishing work-ups and most techniques
will work – IF the fish are feeding.
Good old fashioned hex-wobbler style
spinners are a great starting point.
You’ll catch anything from kahawai to
trevally and often fluke a kingfish or
snapper, especially if you let the lure
sink before retrieving. This may sound
un-conventional in the modern times
of Inchikus & slow-jigs but there are
not many boats out there that don’t
have a spinner on board!
If you are into the newest and
greatest things, I cannot recommend
highly enough some of the new
Micro-jigs available. Most of us have
had success with 100gm+ jigs on
snapper & kingfish, but it will blow
you away what will hit a 25gm micro-
jig fished amongst a work-up.
Remember, when you see birds
working a bait school you need to
approach cautiously and do what
you can not to disturb the schools of
fish below working the baitfish up.
Approach from the side (not from up
wind, or up-current if you can help
it) and watch which way it’s moving –
while having an exploratory cast.
If you’re not getting anything on lures,
get yourself in the track of where
the work-up has been and float an
un-weighted half pilchard or similar
down the water column. It’s often up
to 10 minutes after the work-up has
moved on that the following school of
snapper will eventually arrive.
If you’re in a new area and have no
idea where to fish, there’s no denying
the benefit of booking a trip or
two on =a local charter boat.. Most
charter skippers have fished their area
for years, if not decades and know
the best times, tides, locations and
techniques to get the most value
from your precious fishing time. The
Fishing Website has a great forum
dedicated specifically to discussing
good charter boats. I recommend
spending a bit of time looking at
this before you head away and make
arrangements to get out on the water
with them – it’ll take weeks off your
learning curves!
In the next issue we’ll have a closer
look at some of the charter boats
around the upper north.
If you stick to the basics and focus
your efforts on the most profitable
times of tide and light, your chances
will be increased; but fishing being
fishing you just never know what will
happen or when!
holidayfishing
www.nzfisher.co.nz 31
Know whatyou’re doing
Phone 0800 40 80 90 or visitwww.boatingeducation.org.nz
Core Courses Specialty Courses RYA Courses
Wide range of courses for all types of boating available nationwide
Ocean Yachtmaster
Day Skipper
Boatmaster
Maritime VHF Operator Certificate
Coastal Skipper
Radar
GPS Operator
Engine Maintenance
Marine Medic
Sea Survival
Sea Kayak and Waka Ama
Club Safety Boat Operator
Bar Crossing
PWC
Powerboating
Sail Cruising
Motor Cruising
32 www.nzfisher.co.nz
THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY a lead lure,
about the size of your little finger. The
hook got turned around a while ago,
so it’s now on the top on most modern
jigs. Butterfly style jigs are making an
appearance. Imagine running over your
finger-sized jig with a steam-roller. Your
jig is now flat, with a fluttery movement
and a thumping action as it drops or
falls: “butterfly action”.
Power Jig was first on the NZ
scene, in early 2011, with the hot-
forged brass/chrome butterfly jig.
It’s proven popular and effective,
for both top-workup dropping and
sea-floor fluttering with a high lift and
unimpeded fall action.
Daiwa have released the Slow Knuckle
this spring in a lighter 20-60g, with
80g and 100g due in early summer.
Depending on the drift, heftier jigs
will be better for our heavier Auckland
currents on windy days (depending
also on the physical size).
Overhead reels suit best as you are
constantly working the lower water
column, in-gear/out-of-gear style.
Use 6-10lb braid and a soft, slow
taper rod, slow-jig, or light jig-style
rod (you probably have the right rod
already). Dump the jigs into a workup
or drop them to sea floor and then
lift the rod-tip high, before dropping
the tip quickly so the lure falls freely,
then point the rod tip at the lure
in a straight line and hang on! Last
summer it was one lift, two lift, three
lift and bam!: snapper.
Modern micro jigs which start at a
diminutive 3.3 grams, new brands
like Zetz, Maria Japan, and ever
fruitful Power jig Jager and shirasu
jigs now fill the walls. Micro jigs are
usually rigged with the jig hanging
on a split ring, ancillary to the direct
contact with the hook. This type of
lure attachment (or lack of it) not
only provides more lure movement
than traditional jigs, which means
more bites, but the main benefit is a
stronger/direct connection between
your line and the fish.
Larger jigs for kingfish have been
rigged this way for a long time, now
their micro cousins are following suit.
For the new butterfly jigs and micro
jigs this is the best way to rig them.
The cord (often mistakenly called
and sold as Kevlar) is a poly-aramid
material. 55-80lb is fine for the little
guys. Hooks need to be small, about
size 2, 4, 6 or 1/0 (16, 17, and 18 in
Japanese sizing).
When the fish are shy on biting, the
best hooks are lighter gauge, because
the hook up rate goes down as the
hook gets thicker. Split rings need
to be size #5 or #7; solid rings size
5.0mm or 6.5mm. The octopus skirt
is compulsory on an inchiku, but the
butterfly and micro could use the
addition if it suits their size and action.
The total length of an assist rig is
about half to three-quarters the length
of the jig/lure body.
Readymade assist rigs are available in
all sorts of variations, but making your
own is very popular now, so you can
get it just right.
Greg Hill, is an importer and purveyor
of all things awesome in the world of
fishing tackle. Check out Greg’s range
at www.gofish.co.nz
newTACKLE
Micro-Jigging; the Next Big ThingSmall jigs have been around for a long time but they are evolving and shrinkingBy Greg Hill, an importer and purveyor of all things awesome in the world of fishing tackle.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 33
REEL RECOVERY WAS founded
in the USA in 2003 by a group of
avid fly-fishers, inspired by their
fishing buddy’s ongoing battle with
brain cancer. Witnessing first-hand
the beneficial impact fly-fishing
provided their friend; they created
Reel Recovery to provide the same
opportunity for other men battling
the disease.
Reel Recovery is now established
in New Zealand. Reel Recovery is a
national not for profit organization that
conducts free fly fishing retreats for men
recovering from all forms of cancer.
Men suffering from cancer do not
have the same range of support
programmes available as women and
are generally unskilled at tapping into
the support that is available. And men
being men are often reluctant to ask.
Retreats are offered at no cost to the
participants and are led by expert
fly-fishing instructors. A maximum of
ten men are invited to participate, to
ensure the quality of the instruction
and to create a powerful small-group
dynamic. This enables a unique
environment conducive to relaxed,
open interactions.
Though only three days in duration,
a Reel Recovery retreat can be a
life-changing event for men battling
cancer. The program blends outdoor
activity with one-on-one fly fishing
instruction, a practical guide to
reading a river, rod and reel setup,
knots and basic fly tying. The
organisation provides men with all
forms of cancer a unique opportunity
to share their stories, learn a new
skill, form lasting friendships and gain
renewed hope as they confront the
challenges of cancer.
One participant in an American retreat
said “.one of the best parts of being
at a Reel Recovery retreat is it reminds
you of how fun and healing it is to just
be one of the guys again—instead of
being a guy with cancer.”
The first Reel Recovery retreat in New
Zealand will be held between the 14th
and 16th of March 2014.
The venue is Castle Rock,
approximately 20kms south of Te
Awamutu. This ideal location is very
reelrecovery
near to the Puniu River. The Puniu
holds many rainbow trout and the
local landowners have made access
easy for retreat participants.
Each participant will be fully kitted
out. This includes waders, boots,
fishing vest, rod, reel, lines and flys.
The only cost to participants will be
their own travel to and from the Castle
Rock accommodation.
As Jeff Entringer eloquently wrote in
his poem, “That Moment in Time,”
In our brief existence that is called life
It is not what happened yesterday
that is important,
And we must remember that
tomorrow may never come.
Today is the only day in which we can
make a difference.
If you, or someone you know would
like to attend a Reel Recovery retreat
please contact the organiser,
Craig Caldwell
183 Newman Road
Te Awamutu, RD 3
Phone 07 872 2686
Mobile 027 279 6766
Email [email protected]
Reel Recovery was incorporated under
the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 on the
18th of July 2013. The registration
number is 2583862.
Reel Recovery is a charitable entity
and the registration number is
CC49558
If you would like to support Reel
Recovery with a donation please
contact Craig Caldwell as above
Reel Recovery NZ
34 www.nzfisher.co.nz
newPRODUCTS
Reel Life Dwodqhdmbdr’ get repowered
The New Honda 250hp - Silver Bullet
www.nzfisher.co.nz 35
IF YOU’VE EVER had the pleasure
of repowering your boat or buying a
new outboard for the new rig, you’ll
know the excitement balanced with
fear that you’re making the right call.
Multiply that about 10 fold and you
might get an idea of how Captn. Phil
felt when he was repowering Reel Life
– the seven metre White Pointer in
need of a new powerhouse – the heart
of the Reel Life Experiences charter
operation out of Whangaroa. Phil had
run a Yamaha Outboard for 10 yearsand was considering all options,
including the newest 4-strokes from
all brands but he settled on the new
Honda 250hp Silver Bullet.
The Honda 250 was released in
2012 to raving reviews but it’s not
until the likes of Captn. Phil give
it the thumbs up that you take the
feedback seriously.
Honda Marine sent their technical
team north to help Phil, a more than
qualified mechanic, fit the new Silver
Bullet but their eyes were more on the
horizon than the transom! That’s the
problem with living on the back-door
of a fisherman’s paradise - you can’t
keep your mind on the job!
That said, Steve & the Honda team got
Capt. Phil’s new Silver Bullet hooked
up & they set out to run her through
her paces. Anyone for a quick fish????
The Honda team were treated to
a short and memorable glimpse of
Northland King fishing at its very best.
Ian Biddick, Honda Sales Manager got
the best of them on the day but the
whole team walked away with longer
arms and bigger smiles!
The NZFisher team is joining Captn.
Phil over the next few weeks and
we’re looking forward to telling a few
more fishy stories and following up on
the settling in and performance of the
new Honda.
newPRODUCTS
The New Honda 250hp - Silver Bullet
36 www.nzfisher.co.nz
COULD IT BE YOU?
Congratulations to our Hooked Up prize winner for Issue #30!
HOOKED UP! Every issue, all NZ Fisher subscribers*
go in the draw to get hooked up with some fantastic prizes courtesy of generous NZ Fisher supporters. To find out if you’ve won simply check this section in each issue to see if your name has been drawn and then email us before the deadline to claim your prize. Sweet as!!!
*To be eligible to win stuff in the Hooked Up section you need to be a confirmed email subscriber to NZ Fisher e-Magazine and be a resident of New Zealand at the time of the draw. A big thanks to our Hooked Up sponsors! Please support them!
Bruce Morgan is the winnerYou’ve won this month’s awesome Hooked Up prize pack including:
Your choice of mens or womens ReelWear T courtesy of • Reel Adventures
A $50 voucher to spend online or instore from • GoFish.co.nz
A super tough 3-tray tackle box from • Flambeau (contents not included)
Plus two 500ml bottles of • Tackle-It Odour Eliminator from PureAir to keep those fishy smells at bay!
To claim your prize you simply need to email [email protected] before 5pm Wednesday 20th December, 2013. Easy!
HOOKEDUP!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 37
COULD IT BE YOU?
Congratulations to our Hooked Up prize winner for Issue #30!
Have you subscribed to NZ Fisher? It’s free!Simply visit www.nzfisher.co.nz to get a copy of NZ Fisher
delivered straight to your inbox every month!
regionalREVIEWSNEXTmonth
In next months issue: - Ben Assado's next kingfish mission- Strip Strike Club's first outing- Micro jigging in action - how & where they work best