nz fisher magazine - issue 44
DESCRIPTION
Love fishing? NZ Fisher is New Zealand's free monthly online fishing mag. Subscribe at www.nzfisher.co.nzTRANSCRIPT
www.nzfisher.co.nz 1
ISSUE 44 February 2015
www.nzfisher.co.nz
Yellow Fin On!
Tired of Catching Small
Getting sorted for offshore Yakking
facebook.com/borntofishnz
introducing the brand new metaloid reel• 6061-T6 Machined aluminium frame and sideplates• CRC - Corrosion Resistant Coating process• Cold forged, Type-II anodized, machined aluminium spool• 4 BB corrosion resistant stainless steel bearings• Ergo grip handle knob with anodized aluminium handle arm• Rigid 1 pc frame and left sideplate construction
- cedros and metaloid -
The andros series features• 2 speed, 6:4:1 High / 3:8:1 Low• 6-pcs ABEC 5 rated EZO Japanese Ball Bearings• External Adjustable Casting Control System• Ratcheting Lever Drag for precise settings• Carbonite drag system with Cal’s drag grease• Integrated recessed reel foot for low profile rod fit
• Max drag at Full with complete freespool is 24lbs• Max drag at strike with complete freespool is 15lb• 17-4 grade stainless steel helical cut gearing• One screw right sideplate for external access• Ergo grip handle knob with anodized handle arm
the ANDROS series keeps growing!
FULL CATALOGUE ONLINE NOW!www.cdrods.co.nz
cedros - cutting edge star drag reels at new lower prices!• 6061-T6 Machined aluminium frame with forged side-plates• 17-4 grade precision helical cut stainless steel gearing• CRC - Corrosion Resistant Coating process• Carbonite dual force drag system featuring Cal’s universal drag grease• Custom designed thrust bearing alleviating side load on heavy drag settings• 4 pcs ABEC-5 precision Sapporo stainless steel rubber sealed ball bearings
Two years ago we introduced the Andros 5II speed with huge success. And last year we saw the new 5NS and narrow reels being single speed but of the same construction. This year another new one is out, being the bigger brother Andros 12S - larger capacity (510 of .42, 380 of .48, 290 of .55), up to 13 kgs of drag, TDC drag cam for gradual drag curves and high speed gears at 6.4 to 1.g
FULL CATALOGUE
Andros 5NS Andros 5II Andros 12S
New
NewNew15 High speed
model
Models available:Cedros 10 high speed 6.1, Cedros 12 high speed 6.1, Cedros 15 high speed 6.1
Models available:Metaloid 5and Metaloid5 Narrow
$299.99RRP
www.nzfisher.co.nz 3
Contents
6.. The Mercurial Yellowfin Tuna
8.. Legasea Update February
10.. Great Barrier Island Kingfish Off the Rocks
16.. The NZACA - A strength in numbers
18.. 2015 SFFNZ Rod & Reel Manawatu Regional Championships
20.. Reader Pics
22.. New Products
26.. Competition
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 Paull
GROUP EDITOR / Richard Liew
ART DIRECTOR / Jodi Olsson
CONTENT ENQUIRIES /
Phone Derrick on 021 629 327
or email derrickp@NZ Fisher.co.nz
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES /
Phone Jennifer on 09 522 7257
or email [email protected]
ADDRESS / NZ Fisher,
C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell,
Auckland 1151, NZ
WEBSITE / www.NZFisher.co.nz
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!
facebook.com/borntofishnz
introducing the brand new metaloid reel• 6061-T6 Machined aluminium frame and sideplates• CRC - Corrosion Resistant Coating process• Cold forged, Type-II anodized, machined aluminium spool• 4 BB corrosion resistant stainless steel bearings• Ergo grip handle knob with anodized aluminium handle arm• Rigid 1 pc frame and left sideplate construction
- cedros and metaloid -
The andros series features• 2 speed, 6:4:1 High / 3:8:1 Low• 6-pcs ABEC 5 rated EZO Japanese Ball Bearings• External Adjustable Casting Control System• Ratcheting Lever Drag for precise settings• Carbonite drag system with Cal’s drag grease• Integrated recessed reel foot for low profile rod fit
• Max drag at Full with complete freespool is 24lbs• Max drag at strike with complete freespool is 15lb• 17-4 grade stainless steel helical cut gearing• One screw right sideplate for external access• Ergo grip handle knob with anodized handle arm
the ANDROS series keeps growing!
FULL CATALOGUE ONLINE NOW!www.cdrods.co.nz
cedros - cutting edge star drag reels at new lower prices!• 6061-T6 Machined aluminium frame with forged side-plates• 17-4 grade precision helical cut stainless steel gearing• CRC - Corrosion Resistant Coating process• Carbonite dual force drag system featuring Cal’s universal drag grease• Custom designed thrust bearing alleviating side load on heavy drag settings• 4 pcs ABEC-5 precision Sapporo stainless steel rubber sealed ball bearings
Two years ago we introduced the Andros 5II speed with huge success. And last year we saw the new 5NS and narrow reels being single speed but of the same construction. This year another new one is out, being the bigger brother Andros 12S - larger capacity (510 of .42, 380 of .48, 290 of .55), up to 13 kgs of drag, TDC drag cam for gradual drag curves and high speed gears at 6.4 to 1.g
FULL CATALOGUE
Andros 5NS Andros 5II Andros 12S
New
NewNew15 High speed
model
Models available:Cedros 10 high speed 6.1, Cedros 12 high speed 6.1, Cedros 15 high speed 6.1
Models available:Metaloid 5and Metaloid5 Narrow
$299.99RRP
Cover Image: Steve Futter with a chunky YFT from the
mighty Highlander skippered by Aaron mcDonald
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
www.nzfisher.co.nz 5
EditorialWOW! I’VE HARPED on about the weather
being rubbish for so long, I’m embarrassed
to admit I had started to look longingly at
my family’s photos from the Gold Coast,
luring me across the ditch! Thankfully the
wind died and the sun came out and ye gods
has it been hot, hot, hot, and I’m not just
talking about the weather.
The floodgates opened from the tropics,
from the days before Christmas there were
shortbill spearfish, mahi-mahi and yellowfin
tuna – YES, yellowfin tuna are back! We’ve
been lucky to get a look into these mercurial
fish from Blue Water Marine Research’s
John Holdsworth, on behalf of the NZ Sport
Fishing Council. While it’s not an indication of
their permanent return, it sure is nice to see
them around again – and in good numbers!
Fingers crossed that they continue to return
again, and again…
Last month I wrote that I’ll be attending the
Beach and Boat, especially due to the change
in rules encouraging catch and release. This
stance drew a bit of flack, but more so in
relation to the catch & release aspect of the
competition. There have been a fair few calls
online recently form anglers who feel that
we should only catch and keep legal fish for
food; disregarding the sport aspect of our
pastime and strongly advocating for keeping
fish you catch if they’re legal, and no longer
releasing fish. I’m not sure what the angle
is, but I’m pretty sure this is the wrong
message to be sending. I’d like to state
publicly, I’m a staunch supporter of catch &
release fishing, providing the angler treats
the fish with respect. It seems absurd that
anyone would be so short-sighted on this
issue. Yes, fish are great food, but to suggest
that it is wrong and you should not return
fish if they are legal. I bet the commercial
fishing industry would love for us all to fall
into that line of thinking too.
See you at the Beach & Boat! We’re still giving
away a $150 Okuma tackle voucher every
month to the best of our readers pix sent in
each month. This month’s winner is a young
lady, Jamie Corkill,who spent a week aboard
a friend’s Southern Boat, Highlander. Jamie
landed her Bluenose in the pic but also a
few kings, gemfish and other goodies. Her
skipper, Aaron McDonald, raved about her
skills and she seemed like an obvious choice
and got drawn from the hat. Send us your
pix, big or small and be in the draw.
Take advantage of the great weather, enjoy
your fishing and keep safe.
Tight lines!
Derrick
6 www.nzfisher.co.nz
The Mercurial Yellowfin
SPO
RTS
FISH
ING
TunaIT HAS BEEN A while since yellowfin tuna
were available in any numbers in New
Zealand waters. In the first two weeks of
2015 more yellowfin have been caught by
NZSFC club members than in the last four
full years combined (48 yellowfin recorded
in the Council yearbooks). Will they stay for
long and will they be back next year? It is
encouraging to see the small and medium size
fish (10 to 30 kg) return.
These are mostly one to two year olds,
and if conditions are favourable some may
return next year as two and three year olds.
There is evidence from the NZ gamefish
tagging programme and the NSW Fisheries
tagging programme of yellowfin returning
to areas where they had been tagged in
previous seasons. So, is it better international
management, increased spawning success
or favourable oceanographic conditions
that have helped yellowfin reappear in
New Zealand waters? It is probably too
early to speculate on the reasons for their
reappearance, but in reality it is probably a
combination of all three factors.
MANAGEMENT: Since 2009 the Western
and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
have banned the use of Fish Aggregation
Devices (FADs) by purse seine vessels for
three or four months a year in international
waters to help protect the juvenile bigeye
and yellowfin tuna from being taken as
bycatch in the skipjack fishery.
Also, some of the distant water fishing
nations have reduced the number of
longline vessels fishing for bigeye.
Commercial catch in the SW Pacific, south
of 10 ° S Latitude, has been stable, without
the large increases seen in other areas. The
New Zealand commercial catch of yellowfin
was never large and it collapsed at the same
time as the recreational fishery.
By John Holdwsworth, Bluewater Marine Research on behalf of the NZ Sport Fishing Council
www.nzfisher.co.nz 7
RECRUITMENT: Yellowfin are a remarkably
productive species. Most yellowfin are
mature by the time they are two or three
years old and seem to spawn whenever the
water temperature is above 26°C. In tropical
waters yellowfin spawn year round. Nature
has a way of making the most of favourable
conditions and we may be benefiting
from a year or two of good recruitment.
A new stock assessment for yellowfin was
completed in 2014. It shows the spawning
stock biomass of about 40% of the unfished
biomass and current catches (600,000
tonnes) are about the level of the maximum
sustainable yield (MSY).
Most of that catch is taken in the western
equatorial Pacific, thousands of miles away
from New Zealand. Oceanographics: There
have been good patches of oceanic water and
catches in January 2015. So far this season
there has also been some small marlin (60
to 80 kg) and small bigeye tuna caught by
recreational fishers. It seems that these fish
are venturing further south than usual this
season. Certainly they are not here every year.
Maybe this year we will see the occasional
wahoo or even the first sailfish taken on rod
and reel in New Zealand waters. Now that
would be exceptional.
HISTORICAL CATCHES: For 30 years
yellowfin tuna was an important target
and bycatch species for recreational fishers.
Particularly in East Northland, Bay of Plenty
and occasionally as far south as Hawke Bay
on the North Island east coast and Kawhia on
the west coast. Yellowfin size and abundance
used to fluctuate from year to year. The
NZSFC produces a yearbook with New
Zealand line class records and catch tallies for
their 56 affiliated clubs. These national tallies
show trends in catch by season.
Combined catch records of clubs affiliated to
NZSFC recorded more than 1000 yellowfin for
12 out of 13 seasons between 1987–88 and
2000–01. Over 2000 yellowfin were landed in
the three seasons from 1994–95 to 1996–97
(Figure 1). Anecdotal information suggests
that many more yellowfin are landed but not
recorded in good seasons. Many of these
would be under 25 kg and considered small.
Recreational catch hit an historic low in
2008–09 and got progressively worse over
the next five years.
This led some fishers to doubt if we would
ever see a yellowfin fishery in New Zealand
again. Recommendation: If yellowfin turn up
in reasonable numbers in 2015 fishers should
consider tag and release for fish in good
condition, to help scientists and managers
keep track of where they go and who is
catching them when they are leave here.
Figure 1: The annual landed catch of yellowfin
and albacore tuna by NZ Sport Fishing Council
clubs from 1994 to 2014.
8 www.nzfisher.co.nz
www.legasea.co.nz
LegaSea FI
SHER
IESM
AN
AG
EMEN
T
CRAYFISH MANAGEMENT UNDER
THE SPOTLIGHTCRAYFISH ARE A PRIZED catch and
important ecologically so it is critical
we protect the fishery from over-
exploitation. The Ministry for Primary
Industries has just issued proposals
for the future management of several
fisheries, including the northern crayfish
stock called CRA1. LegaSea again objects
short consultation timeframes, this time
we only have 18 working days to review
the proposals and submit. Despite the
tight deadline we will be responding.
If you want to be kept informed of the
latest developments please register
online at www.legasea.co.nz.
CRA1 extends from north of the Kaipara
Harbour out west, to around Waipu on the
east coast. Commercial catch is recorded
and attributed to sub-management
areas so localised abundance can be
monitored. Compared to other stock
around the country CRA1 is in relatively
healthy condition. A recent study reveals
the best size and numbers of crayfish
caught commercially were taken at the
Three Kings Islands and North-Western
coast. Most recreational catch is taken
in the Whangarei region and Bay of
Islands. Overall, recreational catch for
the 2013-14 year was estimated to be
around 41 tonnes.The Ministry propose to
either retain the current total allowable
commercial catch (TACC) of 131 tonnes,
or increase it by 6.6 tonnes. This review
obliges the Minister to set aside an
Update February 2015
www.nzfisher.co.nz 9
annual, overall allowance for customary
and recreational fishing interests, that’s us.
They propose a customary allowance of
either 10 or 20 tonnes and a recreational
allowance of 50 tonnes. Any new
allowance made for non-commercial
interests needs to take into account
current catch trends and allow for future
growth. Past management of our North
Island crayfish fisheries has caused
unnecessary controversy and conflict in
coastal communities.
For example, short-term concessions
allowing commercial fishers to take
undersize crayfish around Gisborne are
still in place after 22 years! A submission
from you describing your family’s
collective interests in having an abundant
crayfish will help ensure the interests of
recreational fishers are taken into account.
Most of the advice the Minister receives is
focused on maximising commercial returns
so it up to us to provide some balance.
We need to have a say now so future
generations can access fresh crayfish.
Over the holiday period there has been
positive feedback of crayfish catches
from some northern areas. Maintaining
and increasing abundance is important
because the retail price of crayfish is
already beyond many families’ budget.
And, in future it is inevitable that more
people will seek to catch their own
crayfish for that special occasion.
LegaSea is the public face of the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council. The Council has an experienced fisheries management, science, policy and legal team. On behalf of the
Council LegaSea provides public-friendly information about a variety of processes that are important to the sustainable management of fisheries for future generations.
Call 0800 LEGASEA (534 273)
Email us [email protected]
Subscribe at www.legasea.co.nz
Read more at www.facebook.com/legasea
10 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Great Barrier Island Kingfish Off the Rocks
IN MY YOUTH, I aspired to be great at
table tennis, arguably the sport they play in
heaven, but ultimately, I spent heaps of time
in gymnasiums. I only thought about my
choice of sport more consciously (years after
playing actively) when a flatmate asked why
anyone would want to spend a lot of time in
a closed, unnatural environment and chase
a ball with a racket? Duh, it’s the sport they
play in heaven, do I need say anything more?
Imagine, however, mixing some of the
things you enjoy most (nature, fresh
air, the sea, walking, fresh food), spicing
them up with adventure, excitement, and
if you like, danger, the unknown factor,
physical activity and, wait for it, yes, to
make it a sport, discipline. One of the most
sustainable forms of fishing is of course
land-based and fortunately, we are still able
in New Zealand to catch a feed from the
rocks. However, this article is not about
just catching a feed, it is about walking
the extra mile so to say, to target not only
big, high quality, hard-fighting fish, but
his majesty himself, the, at times, elusive
yellowtail kingfish (Haku). Is there a more
adventurous way to target kingfish?
There is a sense of feeling mesmerised
when hiking down toward a suitable
ledge on a good day, the combination
of vast and beautiful coastlines, the
uninterrupted views, the warmth of the
sun, the salty sea breeze, they all lead to
a pleasant anticipation.
LAN
DB
ASE
DFI
SHIN
G
About 30 pound. We did everything right that day. Well, mainly get up early and fish the low tide with a live kahawai under a balloon.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 11
My friend Paul might have a different take
on this though – he is old and not that fit
any more – but the important thing is that
he is a dedicated land based game-fisherman.
Here are some links on his achievements
on Great Barrier Island (Great Barrier Island
Kingfish – Rock fishing, Kingfish Off The
Rocks Part II, Part III). Finding new fishing
spots should be an integral part of landbased
fishing. After all, once you get serious about
your fishing, you can never have too many
accessible spots. However, finding new spots
can be difficult sometimes.
Unless you are introduced to a spot in some
way or another by another fisho, the only
option you have is to hike into the area you
want to fish and give it a go. However, there is
the obvious question, do you walk in with or
without your fishing gear? The next question
is: How many rods should you take?
I remember looking for a new spot last year
with my mate Paul. He chose to take no
gear at all, I had a small pack with frozen
pilchards, three to four pre-tied rigs, a rod
and small reel. We found an accessible
spot and I landed a five pound snapper
that day. A couple of weeks ago, we drove
to Harataonga and went for a coastal hike
carrying heaps of gear, including kingi gear,
in search for a new land based fishing spot.
New to me that is.
On top of the first hill, I walked to the
end of the peninsular to take pictures. It
seemed to me from there that we won’t be
able to access the ledges on the southern
side of the peninsula ahead. We walked
to the next peninsula, enjoying the views
thoroughly, and et voilà, there was a paper
track which seemed to lead to the end
of it. The confidence I was feeling gave
me a burst. After about half an hour of
battling the bush in a fruitless effort to
find a route or any way to reach the end of
the peninsula and how to get down; the
aforementioned confidence transformed
into disbelief. There must be a way down!
I’ve fished that area once and keen to do it again
12 www.nzfisher.co.nz
The bush was so dense that you just could
not look ahead, let alone battle your way
through it with a big pack. We decided to
head back, perhaps we missed another
path that forked off this one. Another
disappointment, we hadn’t missed anything.
I took some more pictures… Reluctantly,
I followed my mate heading for the next
peninsula, the one who’s ledges looked the
most promising.
There was no evident track on the ridge
at all, very dense bush again, but we
managed through the less dense tea tree
forest. Well, up to a point that is. The ridge
became very narrow, no more walking
along-side it, and neither of us enjoyed
scraping our way through the bush. We
arrived at an opening on the ridge and
what I saw ahead was not assuring. Denser
bush combined with loose, small rocks
and a large decline. Paul decided to go a
bit further and have a look, I stayed back,
being pissed off with the day so far.
I could have packed heavy and walked up
the hills on BENIsLAND at home with my
fishing rods. So I decided to enjoy the rest of
the day, especially when not many people
have been sitting here enjoying these views
lately. I was also exhausted and didn’t feel
comfortable going further. I mean, this is not
a frequented area, certainly no one can hear
you if you yell out, there is no cell phone
coverage, even a sprained ankle could lead
to drastic consequences.
LAN
DB
ASE
DFI
SHIN
G
We wanted to get down to this ledge, but just couldn’t find any useful access
I’ve fished that area once and keen to do it again
Looks like an awesome ledge to fish.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 13
A land based fisho knows or will learn to
know that conditions change, the question
is as always, how well are you prepared for
challenging circumstances?
Anyway, Paul was somewhat adamant that
we could have climbed down to the ledges
on the other side of the peninsula, then
again it wasn’t that trivial, other wise he
would have persuaded me to follow. We
headed back, carrying our bags, defeated
and disappointed.
Of course, we still had bait and burley and
we certainly wouldn’t go back home without
at least having a go at catching a feed. Two
thirds back on the coastal track we headed
to a bay that seemed accessible; this too was
hard going and the closer we got the beach
the more it dawned on us, it will just be
freaking vertical at the end.
Long story short, we found a way down
and after a few more compromises based
on the terrain, we fished probably the least
productive area of that bay, but managed to
land a feed.
The day after, we went to an easily
accessible spot on the East Coast. A very
dangerous spot in any swell though. It
was early in the morning, there was half a
metre of swell out there, too much wind,
and it wasn’t comfortable at all. Then
it began to rain, Paul was not in a good
mood. We fished a ledge, where it was
virtually impossible to land a kingi and had
to relocate.
However, my mate’s mood changed
dramatically after being presented with a
very lively kahawai, which went out under a
balloon as a live bait. Less than an hour later,
we watched a kingi trying for a long time
(about 5 minutes) to eat the kahawai. The
live bait jumped out of the water, pretending
to being a flying fish. Paul remained very
calm though: “Aah, let’s just wait, it’ll find a
way to swallow that fish.”
There is a white man on the cliff, hoping to get down onto the rocks…
14 www.nzfisher.co.nz
A small consolation for all of the hiking and beating in the bush, but I do like the fact that I catch fish more than most of the times.
LAN
DB
ASE
DFI
SHIN
G
Boooooom, moments later, and he was
on. I thought about getting the camera,
but watched Paul instead. The kingi wasn’t
getting much line out, so I decided to grab
the gaff and be ready. It didn’t even take
5 minutes and a very green fish was in
gaffable reach, so I went for it and secured
the fish further up on the rocks. Yeeeehah!
It was about 1000 in the morning, just after
low tide and I was preparing to go back
home, but Paul had another idea: “Hey,
we’ve got those other kahawai in the rock
pool, I’ll send another one out.” Hmmm,
okay, why not?
Another 10 minutes, and yet another
strike. This kingi fought a bit harder, but
was unfortunately gut-hooked and so we
took it as well.
Paul with two nice kingfish caught off the rocks on Great Barrier Island
www.nzfisher.co.nz 15
Two kingis in one morning. Paul was
pleased and after taking a shot of him
holding both fish, he was extremely
pleased. Now, he had a picture of himself
with two nice Great Barrier Island kingfish,
just like a famous picture of John Lennan
with his two fish.
P.S. I advise anyone to trust their gut-feeling
when it comes to new fishing spots. Your
buddy might say that it is really easy to get
down there, but same buddy might opt out
in a different spot that you find very easy
to climb. Don’t get yourself into a situation
where you can’t climb up nor down…
16 www.nzfisher.co.nz
FISH
ING
OR
GA
NIS
ATIO
NS
I SPEND QUITE a few years on the board of
the NZACA (New Zealand Angling and Casting
Association), years spent either banging my
head against the wall or causing others to do
so. I joined the board as a young, green and
idealistic fisho who wanted to do his bit for
his sport. I came across an organisation in
what felt like deaths throes.
That’s not to say it wasn’t functioning or not
well loved, but the management structure
belonged in the previous century and few of
the old salts wished to make changes; “It’s
how we’ve always done it and its worked for
40 years, so way change?” could be heard
just about every time a new idea was tabled.
I cannot say I was the most constructive
member, by bringing new ideas I often came
up against a wall of objections; some so
objectionable the motions were withdrawn in
a flurry of sour words and pointless debates.
In 2012 there were a few new faces on the
ACA exec, notably Karla Tardeiu, Jim Yeoman
and James Benge who joined myself, Brent
Rolston and a few others. What changed
though was a level of professionalism,
passion and desire to bring relevance to the
organisation through positive change.
Later in 2012 there was a catalyst for change
thrust upon the executive by way of a
challenge to change or fail, and a pathway to
do so, from Chad Prentice. Chad proposed a
stark and sweeping change to the way the
executive did business, but most importantly
how the NZACA National Championships are
run. Chad’s proposal was comprehensive and
well thought out.
He’d garnered good support online, utilising
the NZACA Facebook page and his own, NZ
Surfcasting, page to build support, accept
advice and debate the best format to run
the competition. A change of the Nationals
cannot be the reason why the organisation
has regained their relevance. They’ve done so
in such good time, but it can be seen as the
point where the younger generation (and
by younger we mean those under 50!) make
The first national fishing organisation has revamped, reassessed and revived – their strengths in catering for the smaller clubs may well see the become the
glue that holds our regional clubs together
The NZACA A strength in numbers
www.nzfisher.co.nz 17
their intentions known and had the numbers
to make changes necessary to keep the
organisation first afloat, then on the mend.
Since then, the first National Champs have
been successfully held in the Bay of Plenty.
The executive have solidified further
and the future looks somewhat rosier.
Current President, Jim Yeoman, took over
the reins last year and has begun a well-
received pilgrimage travelling around the
North Island meeting with association
clubs, former clubs, prospective cubs and
individuals who you would call detractors
or even enemies of the former ACA board.
It takes a lot of determination, conviction
and patience to engage individuals and clubs
who have built such resentment and distrust
over such a long time.
By fronting up, Jim is confronting the issues,
answering the questions, and making those
detractors often reconsider their position.
He often ensures the clubs they represent
are actually informed about the actions and
decisions made by their executive.
All too often a club secretary who doesn’t
like what they’re being told doesn’t pass
on the info to the membership and the
communications become unnecessarily
laboured, causing more misgivings between
clubs and the association. Among recent
changes there has been the adoption of the
International Casting Federation rules, voted
in at the 2012 Feilding Nationals.
The rules are now standardised, all members
at all clubs have a standard to cast against
and the result is a better structured
organisation (Casting is a major sport
internationally and growing strongly in
NZ again). This change concerned a few
clubs and individuals, but Jim Yeoman’s
efforts to get around the clubs has had a
great effect on informing, (re)opening the
communication channels and educating
about the reasons and why they will work.
There’s been a lot of hard work by a good
number of executive members just to get
to this point. The NZACA released their
strategic plan in late 2014 and it’s ambitious,
but well grounded. The Strategic plan can be
viewed here.
From what I can see, it’s Jim’s drive
and passion that is engaging the clubs,
building trust and bringing more on board.
Jim recently confided his goal is to triple
the current membership by the end of
the year, but even a doubling would be
sensational. The detractors can hardly
argue with the results Jims already bought
to the association; a doubling of last year’s
membership, a successful (and profitable
Nationals), a stable executive and more
clubs lined up to join or re-join. ●
18 www.nzfisher.co.nz
CHEERS FOR THE REPORT and pics Cory and
well done on another win mate! This past
weekend saw the latest Sport Fly Fishing
New Zealand competition on our calendar go
down on a very low and hot Manawatu River.
Reports prior to the comp pointed toward
tough fishing and this became evident after
session 1 with many fish showing no interest
in feeding with fish absent from the glides
and all sitting nose down in the riffles or deep
holes. Cory Scott won session 1 followed by
Mark Clasper in second and Tim Rich in third.
After initiating a ‘Dry Fly Only’ session last
year in an effort to build our anglers’ dry
fly skills and become competitive in this
discipline internationally it was decided to
stick with the format after much discussion.
This 2nd session was super tough with
many unresponsive fish letting the dries
pass by without a thought, yet three anglers
managed to pull up a few browns.
Lloyd Struthers won this dry fly session
with two fish, followed by Craig Anderson
with one and Cory Scott with one. Sunday
dawned another hot day with next to no wind
and Session 3 kicked off, with a little early
morning cloud cover there were a few browns
seen cruising the glides that had not been
there the day before.
Once the sun hit the water they disappeared
into the shade of the willows; several anglers
made use of their appearance, sight fishing
them with tiny nymphs before they headed
for cover. Session 3 was won by Cory Scott
followed by Paul Baker in second and Steve
Brown in Third.
FLY
FISH
ING
2015 SFFNZ Rod & Reel Manawatu Regional Championships
Manawatu River
www.nzfisher.co.nz 19
Podium honours went to Gisborne’s Cory
Scott in first defending his 2014 title,
Hawkes Bay’s LLoyd Struthers in second and
Wellington’s Paul Baker in third.
Many thanks must go out to sponsors Rod
and Reel for once again supporting this
event, to the controllers who gave up their
valuable time to help out, to local angler and
event organiser Craig Anderson for all your
time and efforts, and to the local fisherman
for allowing us to fish your river over the
weekend. Also to Brendon Lyon for tabulating
the scoring in between competing time and
time again, and to all the competitors in
attendance. Many thanks! ●
The Manuwatu in all it’s glory, even if running a little low.
20 www.nzfisher.co.nz
REA
DER
PICS
Aaron Mcdonalds boat mate, Brendan, with a horse of a Gemfish from the Garden Patch in January.
Barry Corkill with a decent Bluenose aboard Highlander.
JPG
www.nzfisher.co.nz 21
Highlander Skipper Aaron McDonald and his best Bluenose for the day. Jamie Corkill aboard highlander with a huge Bluenose
Safia Sabbir with his new PB Snapper of
15lbs, landed at Kawau Island in January
Winner!
22 www.nzfisher.co.nz
We loved the F16 side console so much there was little need to convince us the new 18 foot
Hard-top F18 would be right up our alley.
NEW
PRO
DU
CTS
The all new Frewza F18
- NZFisher Boat
By Derrick Paull, Editor purchased the Frewza F18 & was not paid to review this boat.
www.nzfisher.co.nz 23
THE F18 IS BUILT ON Frewza’s proven hull
design; solid, dry riding and soft riding,
especially designed for rugged south Island
waters. There’s simplicity that we find
other manufacturers have continued to
look past in search of more features and
gimmicks to lure their clients with. I don’t
want to suggest the Frewza is Spartan, it’s
still nicely appointed, but there’s no chaff –
nothing that isn’t necessary.
A prime example is the dash. The set-up is
slim, easy to access (both front and back) but
doesn’t take up half the cockpit; leaving more
room for the more important stuff. The cabin
(which is something of an overstatement)
can come fitted out with ‘bunks’ but we
again went with the naked hull which offers
flexibility to throw some squabs in for the
kids or stack it with gear on big trips.
Already we’ve tucked two sets of dive gear
and jigging/top water gear for four anglers up
there and there’s more room if needed. The
side rod pockets accommodate rods to seven
foot and about six each side. That paired with
the optional Nacsan rocket-launcher, we’re
good for 18 rods, which should prove to be
plenty (but I’m willing to push it!).
Another change we made was to leave out
the factory pedestal seats. We want room
for anglers, gear and fish-bins so it was an
easy decision. We’ve been securing a 100L
Icey-Tek on the passenger’s side to serve as a
seat when fishing but is movable depending
where it’s needed. With the seats removed
and the nature of the dash/cock-pit layout
we’ve got more fishing deck than the
competitors 6 and 6.5m rigs, from a 5.7m.
As always, we’ve powered the rig with a
Honda, this time running with the new-
in-2015 BF100 (1.5L 4 cylinder). It’s still new,
and really just running in, but we’re already
getting superb economy in the region of 14
litres per hour at 20 knots and under four
litres an hour at trolling speeds.
The all new Frewza F18
24 www.nzfisher.co.nz
We went for hydraulic steering this time
and it’s been a dream. I was expecting heavy
set-up times and a few refills to get it right
but the systems been fine from day one
and was surprisingly easy to install with the
experience of Honda’s Steve Johnson on
hand to keep me on track. The Honda guys
have been brilliant, especially considering we
turned up the week before Christmas to get
the rig fitted up!
The electronics were a bit more of a talking
point. While we’ve gone with Lowrance once
again, it was the model and extras that caused
come consternation. There’s such an offering
of product out there and the move is towards
bigger, brighter and better definition. I’m
probably a bit behind the times so I wasn’t
too sure what CHIRP actually was, or why for
that matter do I need it?
Liam, my contact at distributor Navico, put
me on the right track. So, what is CHIRP
and why did we want it? The word itself is
an acronym for Compressed High-Intensity First Blood
Pimped
www.nzfisher.co.nz 25
Radiated Pulse –so what? Instead of
sending just one single frequency, CHIRP
sends a continuous sweep of frequencies
ranging from low to high. CHIRP sonar
technology then interprets frequencies
individually upon their return. Since this
continuous sweep of frequencies provides
CHIRP with a much wider range of
information, CHIRP sonar is able to create
a much clearer, higher resolution image.
This means to you and I that we see more
detail, better definition and a cleared picture
of what is beneath us. So we went with a bit
of a hybrid system running the HDS-9 Gen II
Touch which drives an Airmar 1kW standard
transducer as well as the Lowrance Structure
Scan HD transducer. The system isn’t CHIRP
native so via a sonar Hub we’ll input a CHIRP
signal from a third 600w transducer. The
transom is PIMPED!
The first trip out was meant to be a quick
tester, but my ever keen boy, Oscar, wouldn’t
have a bar of it. This is a fishing boat, so we
go fishing! If you can remember back to
before the great January weather, the end of
December was a bit rugged so we headed out
to the Navy base on the Waitemata Harbour
– just a few minutes across from where we
launched at the Westhaven marina.
The weather was average but I was extremely
pleased the boat went well, getting up on
the plane quickly, riding the chop well and
keeping us dry – after an open boat for years
the hard-top is such a pleasure. We look
forward to reporting more back as we put her
through her paces. ●
Rigging the donkey
26 www.nzfisher.co.nz
Com
posite D
evelopments
(NZ) Ltd
3 Piermark Drive, Albany Industrial Estate,
Auckland 0751, New Zealand
PO Box 302 363, NHPC, Albany,
Auckland 0751, New Zealand
P +64 9 415 9915 F +64 9 415 9965
Freefax 0800 SKIN FISH E [email protected]
www.cdrods.co.nz
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2015catalogue
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Share an Awesome Photo and Be in to Win!
Share an awesome photo this month andbe in to WIN a $150 Composite Developments Voucher!Share an awesome photo of you with a
fish to our Facebook page, or email it to
[email protected] by 15 March and
you’ll be in to win an $150 voucher from
Composite Developments to spend on
anything you like from their 2015
catalogue - click here
to view.
This months winner is Jamie Corkill aboard
highlander with a huge Bluenose. She has
won a $150 Composite Developments
voucher, happy spending Jamie ●
CO
MPE
TITI
ON
S Competition!
www.nzfisher.co.nz 27
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