NZ TROUT FISHER · HOOK IT & COOK IT Trout Saltimbocca with Zucchini and Tomato Salad created by...

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www.nztroutfisher.co.nz 147

Two Whoppers

Heavenly Angling

A Matter Of Ethics

The MILION METRES Project

WATER QUALITYRRP $9.90

NZDecember 2014/January 2015

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Welcome to ISSUE 147 of NZ's only dedicated trout fishing magazine

Kiwi owned and produced, it promotes the sport in the spirit of public ownership

CONTENTSHEAVENLY ANGLINGTony Walsh makes a campervan trip out west . . . 2

WARMING UP/COOLING DOWNTalking Plenty with Peter Storey . . . 4

GONE DIRTYTodd Storey hits a local stream . . . 5

BACK ON THE WATEREastern Bay of Plenty with Dave Barrett . . . 10

READERS WRITE . . . 13

TALKING TAUPOWith Andrew Christmas . . . 14

TACKLE TALK . . . 16

A MATTER OF ETHICSJohn Giacon's Angler's Chronicles continue . . . 18

HOOK IT & COOK ITTrout Saltimbocca with Zucchini and Tomato Salad created by Stephan & Brigitte Baumberger . . . 20

WATER QUALITYAn outside view from Geir Sogn-Grundvåg . . . 24

THE MILLION METRES STREAMS PROJECTBy Claire Warren . . . 28

THOUGHTS ON A TROUT STREAMBy Tony Orman . . . 30

WEIGHING-IN WITH TUNGSTENBehind the fly tying vice with Russell McKendry . . . 34

THE GREEN, GREEN BANKS OF HOMENew CSI columnist, Tony Smith, is also a chef . . . 38

TROUT FISHING IN SOUTHLANDNew Southland columnist, Maurice Rodway, with a few holiday opportunities and a mass of YouTube clips . . . 42

SUMMER WITH HARRIETGarrett Evans finishes up . . . 45

ISSN 1173-1761 (PRINT) ISSN 2230-6420 (DIGITAL)

No part of this magazine, in either form, may be reproduced in any way without prior permission of the publisher. Articles bearing (©) also require permission of the author. Spot-coloured text is an active hyperlink in the eMag.

COVERMerry Christmas . . . (David Lambroughton)

HERE. . . and a Happy New Year (Robyn Packman)

NZ TROUT FISHERAll enquires to the Editor & Publisher:

Peter Storey 1 Ronald Road RD 5 Rotorua 3076 NZ

[email protected] 07 (+647) 3628 914

0274844494 (text only for Tarawera)

http://www.davidlambroughton.com

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Minimise to Maximise

The election sent a pretty clear message to the government regarding the economy, I thought. So with positive signs from both politicians and

business leaders since regarding the need to balance developmental and environmental needs hereon, I am feeling far more hopeful about NZ's future.

One thing I'm quite certain of is the notion that maximising dairy cow numbers from sea to snow will somehow benefit all New Zealanders, is not only stupid but environmentally unsustainable. Why, I ask, so much emphasis on dairy in the first place. Todd and I consume little dairy product each day in comparison to bread, vegetables, meat, fruit and fish. Are we that different to anyone else, anywhere? I keep hearing this 'feed the world' tag and equally, cannot work out why the world suddenly needs milk powder more than any other agricultural product. I hope NZ has not been degrading so much of its freshwater over the last 20 years just to satisfy vanity . . .

Positives, Storey! Agriculturally it's my belief that countries this size should logically aim for quality not quantity and high end market rather than low. (It's the only sure way forward globally too as far as I can see.) We've got the will, the ingenuity and by and large, the climate. Let's kick this turn-everything-into-intensive-dairy addiction, get back to producing the highest possible quality product from whatever the land is best suited to and sell it at a price that makes the effort involved worthwhile. Minimise to maximise.

Tourism has much to offer our economy but this industry also needs refocusing. Maybe it was just another knee jerk of the 80-90s monetarist mind set but here too we've been chasing quantity rather than quality, degrading resources that are quality plus. Where is the sense in packing tourists onto our iconic landscape, Queen Street-style? Leaving aside the question of how the customer feels having travelled half way round the world to get away from crowds, maximising any human activity within the Conservation Estate defies the meaning of conservation if not contradicts it.

Which brings me onto trout fishing. Here too I feel NZ has been chasing the wrong end of the stick. Not so long ago freshwater anglers bought separate licences for each region and thought nothing of it, because the system not only made sense but worked—we paid members of the public to take care those bits of public property we used most on our behalf. Overnight 'maximise angler opportunity' arrived unchallenged by us and those caretakers had to do exactly the same job with considerably less income. Is it any wonder so much freshwater is under threat 20 years on. Who's to blame? By default we are and it's high time we too bit the 'minimise to maximise' bullet and in answering the upcoming national angler survey, resumed our responsibilty for some of the best and cheapest public trout fishing in the world.

May the rise be with you in 2015 . . .

Welcome to ISSUE 147 of NZ's only dedicated trout fishing magazine

Kiwi owned and produced, it promotes the sport in the spirit of public ownership


2 NZ TROUT FISHER 147

HEAVENLY ANGLINGBy TONY WALSH

I’ve just been watching the antics of a tomtit as he flits from twig to twig in the mingimingi. He’s following the path that Sam the dog took moments before. We are camped beside the Manganui–A–Te–Ao river in the Raetihi district under some tall old beech trees. Through the campervan window I can see the boulder-strewn bed of a deep tannin-stained pool. Frequently,

large floating rafts of white foam are drifting by.We arrived at this Ruatiti Domain yesterday afternoon down a long twisting metal road from Raetihi. Fortunately we met no vehicles as there’s few places to pass and often a precipitous drop to the river below.

This must be a major tributary of the Whanganui. It’s big, boisterous and bouldery, making for uncomfortable walking. It’s noisy too, twice the size of our local Waioeka with fast swirling runs leading to deep dark pools. I’m afraid I won’t be crossing it.

Yesterday afternoon after we arrived I fished downstream casting a Woolly Bugger across the river and allowing it to swing back through the current. I began at a pool beside our camp. From the papa cliffs opposite a shower of drops fell through the fern and kiekie splattering into the dark surface.

Where the smaller Ruatiti stream joins the Manganui there is a vast black pool that must be almost an acre in extent. Below a boulder’s shoulder a rainbow took my cast with a savage jerk. Off he sailed downstream, leaping as he went. Line stripped from my reel way down to the backing. Standing waist deep on the slippery boulders it was all I could do to hold him. There my fish settled to using the weight of the current to his advantage. He leapt twice more bringing my heart to my mouth and then the leader parted company, snapped, and my fish was gone.

I persisted, now casting into the Ruatiti where its dark brown flow percolated the clearer waters of the Manganui. Once again I was rewarded with a fierce lunge at my fly, so fierce the 4 pound trace broke and left me forlorn, thinking of what might have been. Taking no further chances I replaced the light leader with an eight pound trace and of course the only luck I had thereafter was with fish of about one to one and a half pounds. They breed some big sharks in this river.

Manganui-a-te-ao photo courtesy Nick Taransky


Tony Walsh has published two books on hunting and fishing, The Black Singlet Brigade and Boots 'n' All, featuring stories set in back country NZ throughout both islands. Available through Trade me under "Books" and Nationwide Books: 03 312 1603 or [email protected]

Two days later we took our campervan exploring up a narrow metal King

Country road off the main highway just south-west of Pio Pio. Our route followed the upper Awakino river in its twisting meandering passage through native bush and steep sheep country. Each glimpse of its waters portrayed a deep pool at the end of a frolicking run, each sight enough to make any angler drool at its perfection. Access posed somewhat of a problem though, the shoulders of the road between our vehicle and the river often a dense mat of blackberry. Soon we came across a lichen-encrusted sign protruding from this thorny mat. It proclaimed “Classic NZ Fly Fishing Waters”. I couldn’t wait to try them.

Shortly we came across a fencer ramming posts for a roadside fenceline with three huntaways and an eye dog lying peacefully and patiently beside him. We paused and chatted before moving on to the very end of the road. Here a homestead stood on a prominent knoll beside its attendant sheepyards and woolshed. I walked up the driveway to request permission to cross the land to fish. No one was home so after putting my gear together I went anyway.

I chose to start in a series of riffles flowing into a shallow pool. My second cast produced my first fish, a fine silvery rainbow of about twelve inches. I returned it to its home to grow old gracefully and crossed the stream to where the bush edge reached its fringes to the riverbed and there I found the local garden, pig rooting as fresh as the afternoon, the upturned soil not yet dry in the warm afternoon sunlight. I wondered if he’d watched me cross the pasture.

The next two pools and runs yielded small fish, fun to play with but a bit of a nuisance disturbing what looked like interesting waters. A pool below a beech tree beyond an island divided run looked interesting and a torpedo shape followed my fly from the shadows below the further bank until it decided it looked suspicious and turned away.

Two young nannies and a kid goat ambled into the cover of the bush ahead of me seemingly used to humans. After I’d passed I looked back and they’d ventured into the open again, grazing the river bank.

The river then lazily flowed into a shadowy corner and a longish pool, the rocky further bank falling away into the depths providing cover and shelter, classic trout water indeed! There just had to be a fish in here I felt.

Cautiously I dropped a fly alongside the current its drift bringing no return. Again and yet again I cast and maybe this third try was better designed. A strong take rewarded me and I set the hook. My fish leapt amidst a rainbow of sparkling drops, cavorted the length of the pool before settling for the depths and the current to continue his fight. The eventual landing on the fine gravel completed a marvellous never-to-be-forgotten afternoon.

Heartened and happy I trudged up the hillside towards the road a mob of nosey heifers dogging my footsteps. I climbed the fence to the roadside and made off for Noreen and the campervan until my aching knees reminded me I had left my walking stick beside the river where I had landed my fish. My steps were reluctantly retraced for the unfortunate conclusion to a heavenly outing.

Awakino photo courtesy Ben Wilson, Manager, F&GNZA/W (The colour and 'cloudiness' of the water is a natural feature of King Country limestone rivers. Ed.)


One month into 2014/2015 and things are . . .

Warming UpTALKING PLENTY with PETER STOREY

Todd and I visited the local stream which featured in the last issue mid-October and while it's good to be able to say the aquatic invertebrate population still looks much

the same as 2012, there was considerably lower water clarity both times with no rain. It looked more like silt than effluent to me and there's forestry upstream but whatever, it always makes me angry to see freshwater treated with contempt.

Anyway, I keep hearing people say that spinning is the easiest way to get kids interested in fishing and maybe that's because most parents start them out on big water or in the sea. Personally I believe it's easiest for anyone to get a basic understanding of fishing on a small stream like this. Here the whole picture is laid out in miniature and it's easiest to show what's involved; what fish feed on, where and how. It's like picking up a pocketbook on the sport rather than an encyclopedia. Just what a beginner needs, whatever age.

As this was Todd's first serious outing onto a river I showed him how to fish wet fly first. Why? Because wet fly fishing is angling in its simplest form. Anglers have been 'wet anything' fishing from the first time someone tied a hand line onto a rod, after realising that not all fish feed on the bottom of the stream but in the water column and right on the surface. The method would not have been restricted to trout and salmon either. So many other common freshwater species surface and drift feed in the northern hemisphere. Some, Chub for instance, make trout look puny too.

The combination of flyfishing tackle and a small stream's flow makes wet fly the simplest and most natural way to begin fishing I know. Presenting the fly without any other tackle in the line of sight, it's also one of the most effective and exciting ways to hook both ends of the line at once.

That day was pretty disappointing to be honest. This stream has a large population of small, hungry trout and I expected Todd to be into fish quickly. It took nearly three hours to hook three in the first place most would target, but I saved for last. It's tempting to say it was the silt but, personally, I think it was the combination of poor water clarity and a full moon. Nonetheless, a gold bead Green Caddis tied by Clayton Nicholl certainly did the trick in that pool head.

It's now early November and both trout and smelt have been in the shallows for nearly three weeks, when normally they

would be just beginning. The reason's simple—the lake is warmer than it was this time last year. After another mild winter and a pretty warm October it's already showing signs of stratification, where temperatures in shallow lakes like Rotorua or Rotoehu are pretty uniform top to bottom and warmer still.

As a result whenever surface temperatures have reached 15 degrees there's been some excellent shore-based sight fishing available—why 15 and not the +14 it's mostly been is beyond me but the difference in trout activity is plain. On one particular 15 day with a westerly airflow I hooked 5 from the grass just walking down to shake off the effects of sitting at a computer for an hour or so (tough work but . . .). On one visit there were multiple trout in view, just 10 metres from the edge. Next day another southerly got up and no other since has reached the same level. This is actually good news, because it means smelting is still not fully on and that good surface sport should still be available when this issue goes on sale.

The bad news, of course, is that by the holidays it will be over and I expect to see a band of steeply cooling water on the Lake Tarawera monitoring buoy. It does not matter what method or tackle you use once the thermocline has formed. What matters is that you fish inside it. If you don't have internet access that generally means around 70'/20m.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the condition of the fish I've been catching. We get a lot of smaller, inshore-feeding wild fish around here but without question, the average 2-year-old hatchery fish Matt Osborne highlights overleaf leaves them for dead. So while I may be questioning hatchery operations, that represents a clear indication of the value of selective breeding. There have been a number of LP/Ad May 13 releases around here over September and October and their condition has been superb. Autumn releases tend to be more salmon-like in build for some reason—rangy, torpedo-shaped fish with exceptional fighting strength. Great sports fish.

Another good bit of news for holiday-makers is that there's been very little angling pressure on the lake since opening day, so there are plenty of fish around. I suspect this is

http://monitoring.boprc.govt.nz/MonitoredSites/cgi-bin/hydwebserver.cgi/sites/details?site=298&treecatchment=26


Gone DirtyTOMORROW'S STARS with TODD STOREY

One Sunday we went fishing a small stream near Rotorua where the water was a challenge. First I learnt to cast

a fly fishing rod downstream at a spot where dad caught a brown trout. Nothing bit this time, so we decided to move on.

Next bit of water we thought we had a fish attacking the fly. Then my dad showed me how to fish upstream which I found to be really hard, yet it got easier. The moving water made it hard to control the line and there were trees that made it even harder to cast.

We kept moving up stream, trying to find a place where the fish would hit but it was no use. All the time the water was getting dirtier than before for some odd reason. The sun started to set and it got a lot cooler but we didn't give up we kept moving up until we hit a pool where dad had been before and where he last saw lots of hungry fish ready to eat.

Here we cast the line into the pool head and let the fly drift downstream. At first nothing happened but then we got attacked by a trout and it started to get interesting. We put the line back in the same place and another fish attacked. It ran, swimming, jumping and splashing but we landed this one and you can see it's a nice fat little rainbow trout.

We eased the fish back into the odd-looking, dirty water and decided to hop in the car and head back home. On the way we looked at the river where it passes under the bridge and it was to hard to tell if the water was clean or if it was dirty, because the shadow of the trees covered the river.

Find Mum CompetitionIf you're under 16 and find my Mum in this photo, tell us where and you win a copy of the next issue. This first one's easy . . .@todd8765 or TODD@NZ TROUT FISHER

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It does not matter what method or tackle you use once the thermocline

has formed. What matters is that you fish inside it . . .

http://monitoring.boprc.govt.nz/MonitoredSites/cgi-bin/hydwebserver.cgi/sites/details?site=298&treecatchment=26

because, with Lake Rotorua much cleaner for a while at least thanks to the alum released into its feeder streams to reduce enrichment, anglers are returning to its much easier fishing. Maybe this year's angler survey will show this more clearly.

Catching more than three trout a day here is exceptional in my opinion. Whatever level its trout population is kept,

Tarawera produces multiple day spells when they hardly seem to feed at all. That's why I think Fish & Game could pull the stocking level back a little and try to improve the catch size, to balance things up. If the Green Lake is growing double figure fish from the same gene pool at the top end of Te Wairoa, so should Tarawera at the bottom. (Page 8 . . .)


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A dAy fishing for or with me cAn involve cAsting Anything from A #18 dryfly or nymph to A 4 inch long ArticulAted streAmer. It’s not always practical to carry different rods for each situation. Fishing these styles can be made easier simply by changing your line. Let’s take the popular 6 weight as an example. When presentation is a big deal, you can’t go past the RIO Trout LT. When the wind blows or you need to cast some “heavy stuff” or a large wind resistant Dryfly, the Rio Outbound Short makes this task easier. When extra depth is required, I carry a Rio 24ft Sinking Tip line. Extra spools or reels are easier to carry the rods.One of the main things I love about Rio lines is that there’s a line for every situation.– Peter Carty

Rotorua Lakes Opening Day SurveysAnglers turned out in good numbers to herald the opening of the trout fishing season on the Rotorua lakes. The 'Big 3' trout fishing destinations in the Rotorua region Lakes Tarawera, Rotoiti and Okataina are open to boat fishing for 9 months of the year from 1 October. This creates a high level of anticipation and excitement amongst anglers keen to target fish that have been left undisturbed for 3 months. Many angling families and fishing friends congregate to share in the experience.

This opening day coincided not only with school holidays but also some unfortunate windy weather, making boating and fishing conditions challenging. This led anglers to congregate within sheltered sectors of the lakes and limited their angling effort.

Fish & Game staff and helpers have been collecting opening day angling statistics for nearly 50 years on selected lakes. This is done through ramp and boat-based angler interviews seeking catch rate statistics for each angling method used, along with information on trout caught including length, weight and age from hatchery clips or tags, plus angler compliance with regulations.

Catch rates from all 3 lakes surveyed were higher compared with the 2013 opening day and better than the average of the past 20 years, even given the weather conditions of the day. Lake Okataina was clearly the stand out performer with a quick harvest calculation of 2.23 fish per angler. Lake Tarawera produced 1.24 fish per angler and Rotoiti 0.99 fish per angler.

Opening day and summer catch is dominated by 2-year-old hatchery fish as these are the most commonly occurring fish of legal size available. Lake Okataina produced the best 2-year-old fish at 506mm and 1.57kg average size. These were improved from the 2013 opening day catch. Both Lake Rotoiti and Tarawera 2-year-olds were smaller on average than the 2013 opening catch coming in at 493mm, 1.47kg and 486mm, 1.34kg respectively. The largest fish weighed in at each of the surveyed lakes was; Rotoiti 3.48kg, Okataina 3.35kg and Tarawera 3.17kg.

The change in liberation program to Tarawera, Rotoiti and Okataina which commenced in spring 2012 has resulted in a slight drop in the average size of fish caught. However spreading releases across more months has lead to increased growth of earlier liberated fish and maximised survival of later liberated fish. The increased survival of these fish will translate to better catch rates for both boat based and winter shoreline anglers.

Matt Osborne, Senior Fisheries Officer, F&GNZ Eastern.

Below: Eastern's new manager, Andy Garrick, beside the Ngongotaha hatchery stream.

http://www.flytackle.co.nz


With Lake Rotorua above 14 degrees top to bottom right through October, I've been keeping an eye out for my

main source of local sight fishing entertainment between the spring and autumn smeltings out here.

Once rising temperature in the lake forces them to seek cooler water, the Ngongotaha Stream becomes home to the largest local population of brown trout I know. After rain, in some areas of the stream numbers are so great they look and behave exactly like a run of sea trout before settling into stream life. Averaging over 2kg they're also some of the largest I know. So I check the stream each time I bank and eyeballed my first one towards the end of the month.

Eyeballing is a fitting way to describe the kind of sport the Ngongotaha provides. It's so heavily overgrown in places you can often get close enough to touch these fish by design; and all too frequently, by accident.

You can tell those which are fully adapted to the stream by where and how they sit. Those lying deep under the main flow are most likely new arrivals and have to be treated just like the sea trout they resemble—or a Tongariro rainbow. The rest, usually twice as many as you can see, will be tucked away in a quiet side flow off the main current and frequently, right up against the bank. These fish—and any which you can see doing so in open water of course—are those which feed throughout the day and therefore, those most likely to take a well-presented fly. Because there are so many around and those which are most obvious frequently the least receptive, you have to be constantly alert. Everything involved with fishing this stream should be slow and deliberate.

Here's a good example. A rather skinny hen about 2.2kg in the McLean, she's sitting in about 20cm of water. Besides the drift that reaches her regularly from the main current in the darker area, there are terrestrials falling from the bank

and trees above. This is just as well because as you can see, she's not really approachable with nymph or lure. I've just walked around a slight bend and there she is, 5m away max. Anything on the other side under the brambles will spot me once I cast at her but the Ngongotaha is somewhere you have to make target decisions like this all the time, knowing there will be more brown trout round the next corner. So personally I just pick my best bets and then work out how to take them. It can take quite while too—there's nearly half an hour between this photo and the net—and I spent most of it making sure there wasn't something much larger under the brambles. After three seasons' concerted fishing the stream my maxim is: the denser the cover and the shallower and better lit the water leading into it, the larger the fish inside will be . . .

What do they feed on? Mayfly nymphs and caddis larvae when surface activity isn't obvious. A #10-14 chocolate or black Coloburiscus is the most obvious nymph, which speaks well for water quality in the stream, as do the plentiful Horn Caddis. Besides #8-12 Woolly Caddis there are quite a lot of 6-10 size, green free-swimmers (Neurochorema?) too.

Tackle wise you need a rod that loads extremely easily and can hold a 3kg or more fish. I've used quite a few now and the best advice I can give is to put emphasis on short range presentation with as much butt strength as you can find. One thing I'm absolutely certain of is that it's surprising just what graphite will stand. I've broken two rods falling over and had more than a few tippets bust in snags but so far, no fish has broken either while held. That speaks very highly for the #6 Xantu I use most often but then again, I've landed nothing over 3.4kg with it as yet. Size isn't critical here. Some of these fish play like sacks others like salmon and it's all a question of reaction time keeping either under control.

Ngongotaha Browns: here's looking at you . . .

Cooling Down

http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/AbtCit/ei/EcoWtr/macroinv/neurochorema.asp


On 10 October I had the pleasure of taking Rosemary Sloman from Otakiri out with me for a day on the water. It had been a good six months since I had

a client or fished the area and I was looking forward to it. Rosemary learned to cast a fly rod for the first time exactly one year earlier and caught a small trout.

In Issue 144 of NZ Troutfisher I wrote about “Fishing on the Edge.” This style of stillwater fishing from the canoe has long since been my absolute-favourite and I want everyone to try it. The name came from an Aerosmith song and I find it funny to quote a band that I thought had lost its mojo once the 80’s arrived. Ha ha, now it will be stuck in your head too. Rosemary got the very first and simplest instruction found in that article. I understood she was bringing her ‘pink rod’ so I packed the Sonik and a spinning rod as backups. Her's turned out to be a spinning rod with a Zebco reel that did not work. It came with a story of inheritance from an old fella who had collected a museum full of gear over a life time; we all know the type. When his TV stopped working he would buy a new one and place it in front of the old one. It took Rosemary a while to figure out why he had four of them. Anyhow, the sentimental value came along as a good luck charm. Not the TV.

It was mostly sunny and calm around 10 am when we got on the water. Actually, it was euphoric; the weight of the world was replaced with colour and tranquil scenery. I have been there many times and can only imagine what someone new sees as we gently float down through the gorge with the sun illuminating the water and new foliage. Birds were singing, ducks exploding from the bushes, a kingfisher landed in a tree next to us, and even the pine trees perched precariously on rock faces appeared as though they belonged. The shags, well, not so much.

I strung up the Sonik with a floating line and a bead head olive Krystal Bugger and began the process of explaining how to present a fly to the edge. I knew the damsel nymphs would be on the move given the time of year and sunny conditions and even spotted a couple of adults. “The first hour or two will be all about practice as it is very important to get the fly in close to the edge yet far away enough from the canoe to be effective.” After an hour of training I explained that it was time to get busy and focus on the fish. I warned her that I get excited when I see a take and be ready for the “STRIKE!” and to give it all she had to set the hook.

Exactly 1.5 hours later her rod was bent and I completely missed the strike. Rainbows are great like that, tending to hook themselves. A medium-sized, maiden rainbow was a perfect way to work out how to play and land her first fish of the day. The browns, and there were quite a few, were much more difficult to hook and Rosemary was a little soft in the strike department. ‘But I didn’t feel anything,’ she said. As the day went on the wind came up then eased and a peculiar phenomenon occurred which seems to happen to most anglers in the middle of the day. People completely forget how to cast for a while, just like a school kid day-dreaming after

lunch. Rosemary was no exception. For about two hours she lost the ability to cast but I kept with her and explained it was very common. We kept working on it and she then developed a roll cast all on her own which worked well. Luckily, a couple of browns did hold on long enough with some yelling and quick paddling. She landed 11 trout and on the paddle out, picked up two more with a spinner.

Rosemary is a breast cancer survivor participating in Casting for Recovery. CR, started in Vermont in 1996, provides improved quality of life for breast cancer sufferers and survivors through fly fishing. On this weekend there was a group of women participating and being guided out of Kawerau. The guides were many and varied from all around NZ who volunteer their time for the cause. Rosemary was

Back on the waterEastern BOP with DAVE BARRETT


guided last year and was to be a volunteer this year. She is a mate of Mawera’s and I took her out a day early so she would have a couple of hot-smoked trout to serve up. That was the mission and it was a success. I’m still unsure who had more fun.

In late September I was lucky enough to go on a rafting trip on the Clarence River from Hanmer Springs to Kaikora.

There were six of us in two rafts. We loaded up with more gear than you could imagine including lots of guns, a pot belly stove, and even a couple of fishing rods. I got some practice with the oars as my crew hunted. When we got to the first big rapids, Blair took over. I was in such awe of the river that I did not even think about putting a rod together on the first day. I did spend time looking for fish without success. Our first camp

was in a wide open creek bed after a white-knuckle day in the rapids, soaked and cold just before dark. The wind and snow that followed saw us camped up for the next two nights. I did cast a spinner in front of the camp while it was snowing and saw a large brown follow. That was a good sign. When we got back on the water I spent a bit of time casting a spinner as we floated and saw a rather large brown follow—another good sign. In my imagination I was going to cast a fly from the raft all day, every day; it was not going to be like that.

Then the drama began. One of the rafts lost its bottom and was deflating rapidly. We made it to Palmer Hut, barely, and camped up for two nights as Blair from Waimarino Tauranga cut the bottom out of the raft and patched the fist-sized hole in it. By this point it looked like the seams would not hold out


so we started hashing plans to take one raft out and pick the others up by helicopter. These two days gave me a chance to fish. I walked a long way looking for suitable water and there was not much. It was all fast and deep. I eventually found a slower edge and nymphed with a PT under an Epoxy Bomb. I hooked then lost a large brown then missed a few other strikes. I moved on and found a large boulder with a small pocket below. I managed to hook and land a silver brown that jumped all over the river. With the help of my Mercator, I filleted it, boneless, added salt and Mawera’s Big Red seasoning, then fried it up for the boys. A real treat. I fished more that day and the next without success.

With the raft doubtful, bottomless, but appearing to be holding air, we embarked on the river again. This time all of the heavy gear and four men went on the good raft. Blair and another skinny guy straddled the damaged raft like an inner tube with minimal gear on the frame. Little did I know that I was to become skipper of the good raft with all the gear. I am good in a canoe, scared senseless by heavy rapids, and had only ever once before this been in a raft as a tourist on the Tongariro. With the oars put away and all four men paddling, it was a lot like a canoe, a two-tonne canoe.

It was not a relaxed trip for me in that sense but what an adventure. I fished for another whole day without success but did not care. After 11 days, we made it out and that river provided a challenge all the way. The wounded raft finished the trip, the hunting was excellent, the scenery better, and the fishing is a challenge I hope to face again next year and every year after that. Apparently, the Clarence has Didymo but I saw no sign of it. What I did see were a lot of Canadian Geese and goats.

Happy summer fishing!Dave Barrett www.aimslimited.co.nz

CLARENCE RIVER INFO

The lower and middle sections of this river are silt laden for much of the year but do clear at times in the summer or mid winter. The salmon run in the Clarence is small but consistent with fish size averaging 12 lb. Most are caught at the mouth where angling pressure is light. The middle section of the Clarence can be accessed with difficulty by jet boat or 4WD through the Bluff Station with their permission, and through Remuera Station with the permission of Ainslee Green. Most angling occurs from the Acheron River confluence upstream where there is good road access.

This section of river is often clear and holds plenty of small to medium sized trout that love dry flies and spinners. The occasional large trout and salmon are caught. Lake Tennyson holds good numbers of medium sized trout with high numbers of small trout in the first 2km of the Clarence River below the lake outlet. The Acheron River and its tributaries hold larger trout with miles of rivers to explore. Foot access is available all summer and vehicle access along the Acheron only when the Molesworth road is open to the public in December and January.

F&GN Nelson/Marlborough

Clarence River photo by Colin Edwards


A photo for your interestGreetings from the South of England (where I need a second mortgage to afford to go fly fishing!). Thought you might like to see this . . .“After his wife and daughter-in-law have vacated the scene to raid the bank account and indulge in some retail therapy, Granddad placates Emily (2) (and himself) with latest edition of NZ Trout Fisher magazine.”Brian Bell

You're supporting the Tributaries of the Whitestone River projectThanks for joining the Million Metres Streams Project and helping restore the lifeblood to New Zealand’s waterways. Your donation has been allocated to the Tributaries of the Whitestone River project in Southland. Every metre adds up, and it won’t be long until that project is fully funded. Meantime, remember to check back on our website for the details of other projects being listed. Together we’re all making a difference to the health of our waterways.

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Settled weather is creeping in, providing anglers with some stunning spring days leading into summer. Winter is behind most of the country and many of us have

already adjusted our approach in where, how and when we tackle different lake or river systems. I always look forward to winter after a long busy summer guiding but must admit I welcome the summer fishing. This season which will see me pushing further a field in hope of finding and seeing some unique fishing.

My Winter season in Taupo was a bit disappointing with poor runs of fish into the bigger rivers and I think most anglers will agree. The previous two years were very good, especially on the Tongariro, and I wonder if over pressure has resulted in a poor season this year? If so, the Hine will be due a poor season in the future as this river received insane pressure this year, being the standout performer for most. I hope this is no trend for our future or something drastic will need to be applied. In saying that, DOC assure anglers the best is still to come and November should see some of the biggest runs coming into the Tongariro—I hope so.

Lake Taupo has produced some great fish over the past few weeks, when conditions have allowed anglers to get out and try a few methods. With water slowly warming fish can regularly be caught while harling at first light and late into the afternoons, while they push to the surface chasing smelt. I seem to go back to grass roots and keep tying on Yellow Ladies, Woolly Buggers and white-bodied Rabbits.

Jigging will fire up over the next month and no doubt again be very popular with boaties right through to March, catching fish seeking perfect feeding conditions in the thermocline. Size #6 Jack Spratt, Ginger Mick and Silicon Smelt will all find a place on my boat. I am not a fan of jigging but I do see the positives in getting everyone involved in the action. With it's simple execution you almost cannot do this method wrong, so it's perfect for beginners of all ages!

Until then (and after) deep trolling with down riggers or 10 colours of lead will account for most fish trout during the day. They seem to be in good condition too with plenty of smelt, bullies, koura and other critters in their stomachs. So it seems the fishery is healthy.

We have had a great start to backcountry fishing with many of the main rivers at great water levels for early

season. Taupo is famous for its lake and winter river fishing but with a little digging and local knowledge some of the best fisheries in the North Island lie within an hour's drive.

Like most, with back country river systems the more you explore the better the fishing will get. Of course there are plenty of rivers which will always produce a trout at the car park pool but getting up into the heart of a system will always provide some of the best fish and better sport.

I find in many ways the best time to fish these fisheries is from opening day through to the week before Christmas. Over the years 'where, how and when' information has become very easy to access due to magazines, google and websites just like mine but it has made some rivers very popular with fisherman and campers over Christmas and New Year. A double-edged sword you might say. Backcountry resident fish are sensitive to fishing pressure and that's why I find the best fishing to be the start and end of the season.

I try not to kill any trout for eating in these waters and take a lot of care while handling and releasing fish. In my opinion spinning should be canned all together, just as it is in Taupo. Treble hooks and lumps of lead are lethal to smaller trout. Not to mention drowning a worm.

You may have noticed I have not mentioned any fisheries which I have been heading to lately and doing really well but trust me, they are very public and closer than you think. Already I have caught fish on the surface, especially in the middle of the day, and soon I will be only fishing a dry fly with a nymph underneath. After a winter of fishing heavy nymphs and Glo Bugs it's a welcome change to again be thinking about indicator size, leader length, fly patterns and where to place that vital first cast.

That first cast into a new piece of water is so important. I ask all my clients to make the first one count as so many trout are caught with a good first cast. Take your time, concentrate on the drift and put it in the honey hole!

One of the biggest things that you may notice while off the beaten track at this time of year will be hopefully no cars or anglers. It's quite surreal coming from a fishery like the Hine in Taupo where you have to keep moving to the next car park, to actually just stopping in the first access you find. Of course fishing mid week will always better the chances of a clear run but I realise not all of us have that luxury.

Achieving good backcountry access comes in different levels. Some anglers can afford to fly into remote locations and even more can hire a guide and raft for the day to access hard-to-get-at places, but if your like me your humble legs will be all you have. In all my years of fishing some of the best fishing, by myself and with clients, has been achieved through the desire to see what's around the next corner and test your personal limits safely on any day out. Sure, helicopter access can be amazing, but quite frankly it can be bloody hard if you decide to go in after February and fish waters with cheap short flights, which are regularly used by lodges and guides taking in guests. Remember these fish are sensitive and will only be caught a few times in any season.

As you can gather there are plenty of options for all methods locally here going into summer. So get out and

explore what we are truly privileged to have on our doorsteps. Fish with family and friends; and stay safe on the water.

Talking TaupoWith ANDREW CHRISTMAS


Lake Taupo has produced some great fish over the past few weeks . . .


Tackle TalkWhat's New?

BLOOD KNOTS MADE EASYThe E Z Tie System was awarded The Best Fly Fishing Tool for 2014 earlier this year by OUTDOOR CANADA magazine in their Top Ten Best New Fly Fishing Gear issue. E Z Tie captured the number two spot of the 10 items selected by OUTDOOR CANADA as one of the Best Fly Fishing Gear for 2014.

Every year, after viewing new items introduced to the fly fishing market, OUTDOOR CANADA selects ten items they believe as the top internationally. This year number one was The Best Tying Material followed by EZ Tie as the Best Fly Fishing Tool.

E Z Tie is a 5/8 oz blood knot tool designed to easily and simply connect existing leader to new tippet. It is made in USA and constructed of aluminium, brass and stainless steel springs. It comes with both written and graphic instructions. A video is available on the web site – www.eztiesystem.com

KEEP THE SUN OFF & MORE ....The new AFTCO Fish Camo sun mask is an awesome addition to your fishing gear. It can be worn as a fishing buff around the neck, or to cover the bottom of your face and ears, or to completely go over your face and head (so only your eyes will be showing). If you are fishing in the sun, the sun mask is the answer to keeping that burn off. For all of you fisherman that forget to apply sunscreen, this is your ticket to UV protection. It is also great for keeping biting insects off your face. Quick dry, anti-microbial, 100% polyester. Fish Camo fabric gives this fishing mask a cool look. RRP$49.95

Made by AFTCO. Distributed by Kilwell - www.kilwell.co.nz

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NEW!MaxFloat Tip

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In my lIne of work I get to try a lot of dIfferent fly lInes but I prefer the rIo gold fly lIne for Its great balance of power versus presentatIon.This makes it the first fly line I would reccomend to any of my customers no matter where or what rod they fish.

– Grant AshtonFly fishing specialist, Allan Miller’s H&F Dunedin


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RIO InTouch Gold floating lineIndustry-leading manufacturer of fly lines, leaders and tippet material, is proud to announce the launch of the new InTouch RIO Gold trout line – blending RIO’s best-selling line taper with award-winning technology.

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In addition to the above technical features, each line has an Easy ID Tag for quick line identification, MaxFloat Tip and MaxCast technologies for the ultimate in performance, and features rear and front welded loop for easy rigging. Available from WF4F through WF8F. www.flytackle.co.nz

Sage ACCEL Fly Rod SeriesRenowned fly rod manufacturer, Sage, brings medium-fast action single-hand, switch and two-hand fly rods to the market with the ACCEL series by reinventing proven Generation 5 technology.

Adding a graphite hoop core and axial fibre material in the new Generation 5 technology allowed for a lighter, ultra-responsive, and livelier blank with a narrower shaft. “The ACCEL permits anglers to feel the rod load for optimum casting control. Action wise the ACCEL Series fits perfectly below the Method and the One with slightly deeper bend but still fast recovery.

The ACCEL comes in an emerald green blank colour with olive green thread wraps with garnet and black trim wraps. Fuji ceramic stripper guides and hard-chromed snake guides and tip top complete the blank. Freshwater rods from 3-6 weights have a rosewood insert with stealth black anodized aluminium up-locking reel seat and a snub-nose, half-wells Flor grade cork handle. Heavier models from 6-9 weights feature a stealth black anodized aluminium up-locking reel seat and a snub-nose, half-wells cork handle. The switch and two-hand models have a cork grip on both the fore and rear grips.

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AN ANGLER'S CHRONICLES By John GiaconChapter 5

I would like you to meet Preston Camp, who first contacted me about fly casting tuition for a forthcoming trip he had been invited on by his good friend Mark. Apparently Mark’s invitation was on the condition that he learnt to cast properly, hence the lessons and Preston learnt quickly. Next he went shopping and outfitted himself in the very best of gear. He sent me a photograph of himself with his first fish and I can tell you that he looked as though he had walked straight out of the latest fly fishing catalogue! Actually Mark telephoned me to tell me Preston had caught his first fish, but there was a long story about it and he would let Preston tell me. Out of curiosity I emailed Preston and got this response, “Hi John, thanks for your email, it seems the world of angling has big ears and loose lips! Yes, I did lose my first fish in the Tongariro and this is my story about it . . .”

A Matter Of ETHICS(Contributed by Preston Camp)

I caught my very first trout, a beautiful brownie on the Mangawhero not far from the Waimarino Golf Club. This really was a beautiful little fish that took my nymph and got some nice ‘air’ as I reeled it in to the steep bank on which I was standing.

I had been trying to cast under some willows without getting fouled and to be honest had not given any thought on what to do if I hooked one. First lesson – think about how to get a hooked fish up a two metre bank and through a clump of willows intervening between me and a nice sandy ‘beach’ about 20 metres away.

Somehow I overcame the obstacles and duly landed the fish. Actually the experience provided an excellent lesson for me in that I now always think about what I need to do if I ever hook another one.

It was a gorgeous little brown trout that I felt I had to do what popped subconsciously into my brain – I recalled you telling me – “give your first fish back to the river for good luck”. So I did, and was pleased to see it recover and swim away to live for another day. The fact that the fish was under sized was neither here nor there! I also learnt another valuable lesson that day; if your mate doesn’t actually see the fish you catch, he thinks you are telling porkies!

Now I knew the Tongariro River was the really big magnet for flyfishers, so I went down for a couple of days fishing on this majestic river with my mate Mark. He’s the one I blame for getting me into this game, one I find has an irresistible force. If it’s not being on the water, it’s reading fishing magazines and visiting various tackle shops to add a bit more gear to my collection.

Incidentally, I’ve found it advisable not to tell my wife about my most recent purchases and I now just tuck them away with my ‘fishing things’ in the cupboard. I learnt to do this because recently I told her I wanted a new multi compartment fishing bag in which to store my stuff and was strongly advised that it wasn’t necessary as we had plenty of old bags already!

Back to the Tongariro; after a day of unsuccessful attempts for me, and what seemed like a score of hook ups for Mark, including quite a few releases, we set out again early on Sunday morning. We stumbled our way in the dark up to the Hydro Pool where there were only two other anglers fishing so we waded in. Mark was a hundred metres up river from me and it was transparently clear that he was spooking all the fish down to my part of the river as I only had one take but was not quick enough to hook it and keep in contact.

After an hour or so I noticed another angler who introduced himself into the river between Mark and me. He waded right across the river towards the far bank. It seemed he was trying to get the water level up to his armpits. I watched him casting for some time as he had a beautiful action and seemed to have two kilometres of line in the air with his loops unfolding in beautiful graceful curved arcs.

I watched him as he worked his way down towards me and I recognised him as one of two chaps we had met the night before at dinner. We had enjoyed a few drinks together and things got rolling along on the one and only subject that can be talked about at a Lodge on the Tongariro River. It was clear that these two had just about fished every river and stream in the region and had caught fish the size of which you couldn’t believe. They knew stuff I didn’t have the faintest inkling about. They had tied flies that were unbelievable, they had fished whole days long without a break, not even for a pee!

Well this chap out near the far bank was one of the fellows we had met the night before, and he didn’t seem to be having any luck at all. Every time Mark caught a fish he would move upstream to check out Mark’s tippet, how long it was and what


breaking strength, what fly was being used, how much the fish weighed and so on. It was while Mark was releasing his third fish I actually had a take and managed to remain in contact with the fish! It seemed I had achieved a good drift of several metres and had fooled a trout!

So I only just managed to keep my pulse rate under 150 beats per minute and carefully – ever so carefully worked this big beauty towards the bank without falling backwards over any of the large underwater boulders. Finally, after what seemed like 20 minutes but was probably only three, I got my fish into the shallows and beached it on a little sandy recess. Then I got my line back on the reel and parked the rod and reel safely amongst the blackberry bushes that crowded the bank above the waterline.

No sooner had I got this rainbow trout that was in fabulous condition onto the shore who should come along but our drinking mate from the night before. I can tell you I was feeling pretty exhilarated and proud of myself with this little baby and had just managed to free the hook. Unfortunately the fish had a bit of sandy mud on its side and my newfound ‘mate’ said, “you had better wash that mud off”. So being the novice that I was, I used my tail hand to do the job. You would never believe it – the trout just swam away just as I was making it presentable!

Well that incident taught me a whole lot of new stuff about fly-fishing. Not everyone you meet is your mate and always make sure you are actually holding your fish when you wash it – whether the fish is ready for a photo shot or not – just hold onto it!

So my story to others who don’t know better is that I was following the code of ethics that says you must sacrifice your first (3 Kg) rainbow trout to the gods of the river. That’s exactly what I did! It must have worked too because I later on caught a brown trout using all the knowledge I had gained that day. (Photo enclosed.)

Just between you and me, when I think on how I lost my first real trout I quietly shed a tear or two.

The Trials Of A Tyro by L C Mitchell: "What do I do next, Sonny?" "Py korry! I think you climb up an' get him, eh?"Supplied by the author with Copyright of New Zealand permission


HOOK IT & COOK ITWith STEPHAN & BRIGITTE BAUMBERGER

Saltimbocca translates from Italian into “jumping in the mouth”, meaning that the combination of flavours is so exciting that one experiences a harmonious blend of

taste sensation at the time.

This recipe is a mouthful in more than one way. Traditionally this Italian classic is made with veal loin medallions or sometimes pork as a substitute. It is flavoured by placing a fresh sage leaf on each piece of meat which is then covered with a thin slice of prosciutto. When the meat, or in our case the fish is seared face down with the side of the prosciutto, it seals and bonds the delicate ham and fish.

Some people may suggest that the sometimes salty taste of the prosciutto and furthermore the presence of a powerful herb like sage may prove too strong with the combination of fish. Well, lots of adventurous creations are possible in the culinary field, the main thing is to keep things in balance and respect the harmony of the chosen ingredients.

Happy cooking!

Trout Saltimbocca with Zucchini and Tomato Salad

1 trout fillet – skinned & boned

Fresh sage leaves

Thinly sliced prosciutto

½ small red onion, diced

2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 heaped tbsp parsley, chopped

Salt

Pepper

2-3 small zucchini

12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Cut the fillet on an angle into about 10 mm thick medallions. Lay them out flat on a board or tray. Place a couple of sage leaves on to each fillet and then cover with a slice of prosciutto. Using the palm of your hand gently press down to bond the ham with the fish. Due to the natural moisture of the fish the prosciutto should stick to it. Alternatively use toothpicks to secure the two together. Cover and set aside.

Place the onion, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, mix well and allow infusing.

Meanwhile top and tail the zucchini and cut into half slices or cubes. Quickly blanch in salted boiling water and drain.

Add the tomatoes and zucchini to the bowl and gently combine all ingredients.


HOOK IT & COOK IT

Heat a fry pan to medium heat, add a little olive oil. Quickly fry the trout medallions ham side first, reduce the heat, turn them and cook the second side.

Arrange the salad onto plates and serve with the pan-fried fish.

Makes two portions


WATER QUALITYAn outside view from GEIR SOGN-GRUNDVÅG, NORWAY


To me, New Zealand is paradise. It is the place I daydream the most about in my non-New Zealand time (most of the time), helping me 'survive' boring work and

harsh winter storms at home. My dreams are all related to the 100% purity and beauty of the land – such as the large wind-swept plains like the McKenzie and Maniototo surrounded

by snow-covered mountain tops, or the lush rainforests of Te Urewera and Fiordland. Common to all my dreams – and the different types of scenery which I have come to love so intensely – is the omnipresent crystal-clear water in rivers and streams winding their ways through the landscape – as well as the many lakes filling up old craters and crevices.


Since my first visit to New Zealand in 2001, my dreams have been fulfilled every year or second for a few hard-earned

but invaluable weeks. I readily admit it was the large trout that first brought me here. But over time and with experience (age), the trout fishing – which I believe is the best to be found on earth – has become but a part of the ”package”. Now I enjoy just as much to sit by the river and watch the clear water flow by; observe birds that feed on hatching mayflies; feel the cool and humid air of the rainforest or a warm summer breeze blowing across the plains; and to share such life-giving experiences by the campfire at night.

However, during my trips to both the North and South Island, where I have visited more-or-less every part of New Zealand, I have witnessed the reduction in water quality in lowland rivers particularly with mounting concern. This seems closely related to more intensive farming practices that have been adopted and especially the high rate of conversion from sheep to dairy.

According to Statistics New Zealand, the population of dairy cattle increased from 5.16 million in 2002 to 6.48 million in 2013 (+26%). Last year there were also 3.7 million beef cattle, implying a total of 10.18 million cattle. The number of sheep fell from 39.57 to 30.79 million (-22%) in the same time period, while the production of milk products increased more than 300%. These numbers reflect the higher profitability of milk production compared to sheep farming over that period.

This would have been fine had it not been for the environmental consequences of the intensified dairy farming. The potential for pollution in terms of waste output to waterways, lakes and groundwater is substantial and well

recognized. Each cow produces as much waste as 14 people, which means that the waste output of the New Zealand total cattle herd of 10.18 million is equivalent of that of 142 million humans. Most of this waste is deposited directly on to pasture and a good part of it is washed into waterways and lakes. Substantial amounts of fertilizers are also used to grow all the grass needed to feed the cattle and some of the nutrients ends up in water.

Due to the sharp decline in freshwater quality in recent decades many native fish species are close to extinction and 90 per cent of New Zealand lowland rivers and half of all lakes are classified as polluted, many are unsafe for swimming. Intensive dairy farming also requires an enhanced need for irrigation which means that large volumes of water are extracted from lowland rivers and ground aquifers. This has sucked the lifeblood out of several excellent and scenic trout rivers which are now more or less dried up in the summer. This can for example be seen very clearly when driving south along the coast from Christchurch. Further expansion fuelled by $400 million of new irrigation subsidies will make things worse.

The scientific evidence in support of deteriorating water quality seems unequivocal. Yet, prominent representatives of the authorities as well as farmers associations deny the facts and apply simple suppression techniques. In 2011, when interviewed by the very recognized BBC program Hardtalk, Prime Minister Key was asked about New Zealand's clean, green image and how that sat alongside comments by leading

Rivers will continue to degrade . . .


environmental scientist at Massey University, Dr Mike Joy, who said “We are delusional about how green

and clean we are”. Key responded: “That might be Mike Joy’s view, but I don’t share that view,” The interviewer didn't buy this and replied “Whether you agree with Mike Joy’s figures or not, you’ve clearly got problems of river pollution, you’ve clearly got problems with species which are declining, threatened with extinction.” The interviewer then pointed out that Joy was a scientist and would have based his comments on research, to which the Prime Minister replied: “Well he’s one academic, and like lawyers I can give you another one that will give a counterview”. In that one statement he reduced the value of science to mere opinion that is easily challenged. Significantly the Prime Minister has not been able to find a single scientist to provide this counter view but there are many, including the Government’s own Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Jan Wright, whose own findings largely support Joy’s and clearly show rivers will continue to degrade given present practices.

Living in a Western European country where environmental issues are now taken seriously, the low and declining water

quality in New Zealand is appalling. The only thing that seems to count is economic growth. Cows produce milk, which is converted to valuable milk products such as milk powder for profitable exports to China and others. This is certainly not to say the economic growth in itself is a bad thing. Here in NZ, however, the environment is seemingly not a part of the equation and the important interplay between economic and environmental sustainability, completely outdated.

Water pollution was also a big issue in Europe a few decades ago. The cost of cleaning up rivers and lakes has been huge and mostly covered by tax payers. Due to the recognition of the fact that it's much more effective to set strict regulations up-front instead of cleaning up afterwards, this has resulted in the EU Water Framework Directive of 2000. The mantra underlying the framework, which involves very tight regulations, is described as follows:

“Water is life! It is a precondition for human, animal and plant life as well as an indispensable resource for the economy. Water also plays a fundamental role in the climate regulation cycle. Protection of water resources, of fresh and salt water ecosystems and of the water we drink and bathe in is therefore one of the cornerstones of environmental protection in Europe.”

Interestingly, an important aim of the EU directive is that freshwater should be drinkable and swimmable. This stands in stark contrast to the New Zealand National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management (NPS), which should be fully implemented by 2025 and aims to: “Manage freshwater bodies so people's health is safeguarded when wading or boating.” There is certainly a difference between wading/boating and drinking/swimming.

New Zealand and its dairy industry seem to be following a low-cost strategy. This strategy obviously becomes more effective when the costs of complying with environmental regulations are low. In the short run this strategy is successful in terms of profits, but in the long run it is not a viable strategy because both the environment and the reputation of New Zealand is at stake.

. . . given present practices.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/index_en.htm


On the positive side I see many if not most farmers do care for those public waterways within their property and

have, for instance, fenced livestock out of rivers and planted riparian strips on riverbanks. All important initiatives, but in the total picture it's not enough to reverse the decline in water quality due to the totality of converting huge areas into dairy, the sum of runoffs into waterways and the amount of water drawn off for irrigation. The government should have both set much more strict regulations and contributed a lot more to help farmers to effectively do something about the problem. So all in all the government's response to declining water quality is inadequate and the future cost for cleaning up will be huge.

I am a keen trout fisher who loves the fabulous fishing New Zealand has to offer. But water quality is more serious than the well-being of the trout. For me, and probably most angling visitors and other tourists alike, muddy waters as well as the hypocritical '100% Pure' branding strategy affects my

perception of New Zealand negatively. Who wants to visit a country that does not care about the scenery the tourist comes to see?

In my opinion, the Government and the dairy industry is on a road to effectively ruin lowland rivers and lakes, and consequently the viability of the '100% Pure New Zealand' brand. This seems very likely to hit back on the very important New Zealand tourism industry.

I can only hope that the people of New Zealand get their priorities right: Water is life! Take good care of it!

"The problem (farming's impact on the environment) is collectively owned by anyone who has eaten anything produced on a farm, which pretty well covers all of us, including a banking sector with deep and abiding ties with agriculture in New Zealand."

"We should also show a collective interest in the huge amount of policy thinking and action already in place around water quality, such as the Government's recently-announced initiative on the fencing of streams on farms, and the Million Metres Streams Project.

"And we should show an interest in how individual businesses, in the dairy sector and elsewhere, are already responding to the challenges and opportunities, by think differently and looking for innovative ways to tackle the problem."

Bank of New Zealand chief executive Anthony Healy, addressing a Trans-Tasman Business Circle function, 23 October 2014.

http://millionmetres.org.nz/


“Our ability to feed those extra mouths is something that is going to be a huge challenge. There will be environmental issues - particularly around water. Feeding the world is a real risk but for a country like NZ, also provides a massive opportunity . . . In essence, though, climate knows no national boundaries. We are subjected to global climatic patterns and they are changing. They have always changed but certainly I and Federated Farmers believe that human activity has accelerated that change . . . How we farm in the future is very much going to depend on how we tackle this issue.”

Federated Farmers chief executive Graham Smith, 'Megatrends will affect farming', FW+, 23 October 2014. (Full version: http://agrihq.co.nz/article/megatrends-will-affect-farming?p=19)


New crowd-funding website helps all kiwis clean up polluted waterways . . .

New Zealand’s first environmental crowdfunding website, launched at the start of Conservation Week, makes it easy for all New Zealanders to help clean up polluted

waterways. The Million Metres Streams (MMS) Project, which aims

to help restore one million metres of New Zealand waterways, funds riparian (stream bank) planting.

Created by the Sustainable Business Network in collaboration with Enspiral, and led by Rebecca Keen, the MMS website (millionmetres.org.nz) will list stream projects the length of New Zealand, in urban and rural areas and on public and private land. All New Zealanders – individuals and businesses alike – can fund trees for these projects, by purchasing a metre or more of riparian planting.

The MMS initiative was prompted by the shocking statistics about the state of our waterways. 62% of our rivers are unswimmable due to pathogens (1); 44% of our lowland lakes are eutrophic or worse (2); and 74% of our freshwater fish are classified as threatened (3).

Freshwater scientists agree that riparian planting is key to the health of our waterways, as vegetation prevents sediment, faecal pathogens and phosphates from entering waterways. It also provides fish and aquatic invertebrates with shade and habitat so they can more easily survive. With water quality predicted to get worse over the coming decades, something needs to be done quickly to slow down the decline.

While riparian planting is important to water quality in New Zealand, it’s not the whole solution. We as a nation also need to address the whole water system, including nitrate leaching and urban runoff, to account for the many factors that are contributing to the decline in water quality. The Million Metres Streams Project is an important step towards this.

The MMS website is intended to build on the considerable restoration work already being done by conservation groups, landowners and councils throughout the country. It does this by providing funds for native plants suitable for riparian planting, such as sedges, flaxes, and pioneer forest species like cabbage tree, mahoe and coprosmas.

A counter on the MMS website tracks progress towards the project’s target of a million metres of riparian planting. Although a million metres is a very small percentage of the 208,250 km of lowland waterways in New Zealand, the intention is to exceed the goal.

With entire catchments showing interest in being listed on the website MMS is off to a good start. All it needs now is plenty of website visitors donating a metre or more of riparian planting. We all need to step up and take responsibility for the decline in our water quality. The environment – our climate, soils and water – provides everything we use, so the cost to keep it healthy is a cost we should all be prepared to pay. This website makes it easy for all New Zealanders to contribute.www. millionmetres.org.nz

The MILLION METRES Streams Project By CLAIRE WARREN

Riparian planting is key to the health of our waterways in both rural . . .


New crowd-funding website helps all kiwis clean up polluted waterways . . .

Q & AWhat is eutrophication?Eutrophication is the process whereby excess nutrients in water spur the growth of algae, which in turn depletes the oxygen in the water, killing both the algae and any aquatic organisms in the waterway. This leads to stinky, slimy waterways, especially in summer.What are faecal pathogens?These are the bacteria and viruses associated with human and animal excrement.How does vegetation prevent sediment, phosphates and faecal pathogens entering streams?Vegetation stops soil, and the phosphates that come attached to soils, washing into streams. The plant roots not only hold river banks in place, they also provide habitat for our native fish and invertebrates. Additionally, with farm animals excluded from streams, faecal pathogens are prevented from entering water. Once vegetation reaches a reasonable height, it provides shade to keep streams cool – important as cooler water holds more oxygen.What do nitrates do?Nitrates are an additional nutrient that causes algal blooms (and eutrophication) in our lowland lakes. According to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, the major source of nitrates entering our waterways is cow urine, whereby urine patches bypass the grass root zone and enter the ground water and subsequently our streams and rivers.The main causes of excess nitrates are not only dairy intensification (excessive stocking rates), but also the extra 40,000 hectares of land that is being converted to dairy farms each year (4).

SOURCES1. Draft Regulatory Impact Statement: Proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011.2. Lake water quality in New Zealand 2010: Status and trends. Verburg et al. (2010), NIWA, Hamilton.3. Goodman et al. (2014), Conservation Status of NZ Freshwater Fish, 2013. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 7., Department of Conservation, Wellington.4. Water quality in New Zealand: Land use and nutrient pollution. November 2013. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. Data for 2008-2011.

For more info:-Claire Warren, Communications Manager, Million Metres Streams Project021 024 97633, [email protected]

The MILLION METRES Streams Project

. . . and urban areas.


Thoughts On A Trout StreamBy TONY ORMAN

If you chance to drive the old Paekakariki Hill Road just north of Wellington, your route heading north from Pahautanui Inlet follows a valley with occasional glimpses of a little stream below the road. It is the Horokiwi, once the subject of a study

entitled "A New Zealand Trout Stream" done by scientist Kenneth Radway Allen.Recently I drove to the stream. It looked good but empty, yet when Radway Allen

surveyed trout were numerous. I fished it in the mid 1950s and it was full of small, scrappy trout.

Radway Allen came to New Zealand in 1938 to work for the Marine Department, which managed all fisheries in New Zealand apart from freshwater angling. The latter was administered and managed by acclimatisation societies, now fish and game councils. The Marine Department was often at loggerheads with acclimatisation societies, more so because of the department's bureaucratic stubbornness, lethargy and disinterest in any fishery unless it was directly commercial.

In 1951 Radway Allen published a booklet on his Horokiwi work. His further involvement in New Zealand was significant. By the 1960s he had become research director at the Fisheries Laboratory of the Marine Department. During his New Zealand career, he was a founder of the New Zealand Ecological Society and its first president, but in 1964, utterly frustrated by senior bureaucrats in the Marine Department, Radway Allen left for Canada, eventually becoming director of the fisheries research station in Nanaimo, British Columbia. In 1972, he shifted to Cronulla, New South Wales, as Director of the CSIRO Division of Fisheries and Oceanography, a position he held until retirement in 1977. The man was obviously very competent but not appreciated by government or bureaucrats. A repeat study of the Horokiwi Stream showed the trout population was virtually zero, "owing to the effects of the management of the stream’s catchment", said scientist the late Bob McDowall.

The Horokiwi study has significance in two ways to anglers. Firstly it gives an insight into trout food, a subject of prime importance to the trout fisher. After all we basically use flies or lures to imitate the food of trout.

The study showed “the bottom fauna is at all times much the most important source of food for trout in the Horokiwi. It forms about 95 percent of the weight of food eaten by trout in their first two years and about 75 percent thereafter.”

Mayfly nymphs were the predominant food in the first year but it varied in later years with cased caddis larvae, mayfly nymphs, snails and parnid beetles in December and January.

Hence this underlines the importance of nymphs to the fly fisher and in particular imitating mayfly and caddis nymphs. The Deleatidium mayfly nymph was common and it’s probably the Pheasant Tail nymph which best imitates this. The horn caddis is rarely imitated. I gave one in my 1974 book “Trout with Nymph”. The pattern is simple—it has to be if I’m to tie it!

Hook size 16.

Tying thread: black

Body: underlay of fine dark red copper wire to provide weight and ribbing, covered with three herls of grey goose or seagull wing feather. Herls are wound from halfway around the bend of the hook to just short of the hook eye. Rib with remainder of fine dark red copper wire.

Head: Two or three turns of ostrich or peacock herl with two ends (3- 4 mm) left protruding.

Horokiwi Stream and Radway Allen







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You can throw a whole bunch of science into a flY line, and rio have, but at the end of the daY it comes down to how a line functions when cast with a flY rod of choice and a flY attached to the end.In the Grand, Rio have listened to anglers and delivered the line we asked for. This is the perfect fly line for New Zealand’s demanding trout and often demanding conditions. The Rio Grand marriages perfectly with todays modern fast action fly rods, loading both short and long casts seamlessly while providing a smooth and directional transfer of energy to where it is needed, the fly, meaning more precise presentations, even in the wildest Northwesterly wind. I demand the best and the Rio Grand is the fly line I rely on.– Dean BellMember NZPFGA, Te Anau



The other angle to the Radway Allen study is that a river once “teeming” with brown trout, now seems barren.In those days, acclimatisation societies liberated heavily—

often too heavily. Radway Allen said “the average number of fry liberated in the Horokiwi is about 15,000 annually. In a normally fine year the quantity of fry produced naturally is about 50,000 or more than 3 times the liberations.” Radway Allen suggested liberations were a waste of time and licence holders’ money. This view was also held by the late Bob McDowall, who had a strong influence on liberations being abandoned in rivers-lakes excepted. It’s all open to debate.

However what does concern me is that if natural spawning produced 50,000 fry a year, why have the trout disappeared? Remember earlier I quoted Bob McDowall saying the Horokiwi’s trout population was virtually zero, "owing to the effects of the management of the stream’s catchment".

Why should that happen if back in 1950, trout were successfully spawning to the tune of reproducing 50,000 a year? What are “the (ill) effects of the management of the stream’s catchment" that McDowall referred to?

Most of all fish and game councils should know. Obviously, available food for trout is the key. Do fish and game councils know of trout food availability in their streams and rivers? Annual bottom fauna samples—so easy and relatively quick to do—would give valuable data. Importantly they would show trends. Has the Horokiwi’s decline in trout been because of a decline in bottom fauna?

The Horokiwi case is not isolated. I know other streams that in the last 20 years have alarmingly declined in trout numbers. Admitting trout numbers are decreasing won’t help sell licences, of course, but if eventually there’s very few or no trout, no one will want to go trout fishing. Therein lies a conflict, balancing selling licences and generating income to properly manage trout fisheries. In fairness, I believe the problem is far bigger.

Country GemsWe recently took a trip to the North Island during which I revisited old haunts of decades ago and explored new ones. The Tutaekuri and Ngaurororo in Hawkes Bay brought back old memories.

I like nothing better than being in the country and we stopped for a snack at the Tikokino Hotel in Central Hawkes Bay on State Highway 50. A room costs somewhere about $70 and the food we sampled was great. I must return and explore some trout streams such as the Tukipo and Waipawa.

Another spot we chanced upon was in Taihape where the Taihape Motel, off the main highway by the railway station was exceptional value, very clean and a warm welcome. Near Taihape there’s the Rangitikei, Kawhatau and Hautapu rivers. It’s “funny” that anglers from Wellington and Palmerston North hot-foot it to Taupo, bypassing some lovely waters with good trout fishing and solitude just half the distance from home.

Early season, locally, I found brown trout were as usual partial to a dry fly, especially a small one. I’ve taken a few nice fish on the parachute dry pictured. But a very good one took off with a tremendous wallowing run into my backing. Unknown to me, the backing had got tucked in under other turns on the reel. The fast running fish hit the jam and bang went the tippet. Just how does the line get in under itself like that! After all the reel and line is just sitting in your fly vest or bag? I don’t know and never will.

A small parachute-styley

Brown trout are partial to a dry fly


http://www.springcreekpublishing.com


Weighing-in with

TUNGSTENBehind the tying vice with RUSSELL MCKENDRY

This new season started well. Over the first few days, the fish that David and I caught in both lake and river were in great shape. Nearly all were heavy at the shoulder

and around the tail, and had heaps of strength to spare. When we released them they all went off like rockets. Now we wonder what they will be like by the end of summer and we certainly look forward to finding out.

Had they all been feasting on mice? Who knows, but they were certainly concentrating on insects when we caught up with them in heavy river current. This one brought up its lunch before it went back. It certainly hadn’t been selective and was caught on something completely different from the half-dozen species that we could see it had been eating.

The main reason it was hooked therefore seemed to be not that the nymph used was a match for anything in particular. Apparently the main thing was that it was well enough weighted to quickly get down deep into the heavy current.

Thanks again to tungsten...And thanks again to the slotted style of the beads which

allowed the heaviest loading of small hooks. Large spherical beads tend to jam at the bend in smaller sizes, but here’s a view of how the slotted teardrop bead solves the problem.


I can make out two stonefly nymphs, a snail, either two woolly caddis larvae or one and a creeper, a horn caddis, a green caddis and maybe a cranefly/daddy longlegs larva in this

mouth—certainly quite a wide variety though given the horn caddis, it's somewhat surprising there's no obvious mayfly

nymph. (Ed)


No surprise then that I’ve recently been focusing again on weighing in heavy by tying more nymphs with slotted

tungsten. Here’s a recent one. Its colours could be varied in many ways around this very basic theme...

The first view shows the slot beneath the thorax, filled with UV resin.

You will probably spot a little bubble of air that I managed to include. In a size 12 or 14 you can see that neither a spherical bead nor a heavy layer of lead would create as much density as this slotted tungsten bead. Had I wanted to go to extremes I could have also wrapped the shank in lead.

Rotating the vice it’s easy to see that there’s an underbody of sparkling mylar. This one is a holographic greeny-gold colour but you might choose something quite different.

The main idea is to provide a glow through the stretched

skin, for a bit of translucency. For that reason I like to use clear monofilament as the rib, especially if there is no need to use wire for extra weight. The rib takes the skin most of the way round the body but leaves a glimpse of eye-catching glitter as the nymph tumbles in the current...

The top of the thorax is easily represented by the fluorescent chartreuse “Body Stretch” material that I call ‘skin’.

The rest of the tungsten bead is left naked. It’s fine as it is and reflects a modest pinpoint of light from almost any angle. The teardrop shape of this bead is so good...

On top the legs are splayed to each side by the skin as it is tied in at the head.

You will see that, when I finished the head, I didn’t even try to hide the skin that was folded back. Sometimes I exaggerate the fold-back to represent an opening wing case, but this time I want to keep it simple, and swiftly sinking...

The legs, which are the softest barbs from the base of an olive hen hackle, don’t brace against the water so that also helps with quick sinking.

They will possibly move in the current too, adding a sense of life. Because nymphs curl in on themselves when they drift, I like to dress the body well round the hook curve. Nylon monofilament makes a good strong rib and it can be pulled quite hard to provide a slightly bulgy, segmented effect without dulling the translucency as can be the case with wire.


So here’s the recipe . . .

• With the slotted tungsten bead on the hook, mount it on the vice in the inverted position. Applying a bead of U V resin to the slot, hold the bead in position while you apply the U V light. If you are cleverer than I was you will first use a needle to remove any bubbles and ensure that the hook shank is coated too. There should be some space left behind the eye of the hook to allow for tying in the skin, folded back on itself.

• Start olive thread behind the bead and take it well round the hook bend. Tie in monofilament, skin and mylar on the outside of the bend, in that order. Return the thread to the bead.

• Dress the body with mylar and secure and trim at the bead.

• Stretch the skin over the outside curve of the hook, tie it in at the bead and leave enough for the thorax. I like to whip finish here, for safety.

• Firmly rib the skin, making raised segments, tie in with a whip finish and trim the nylon at the bead.

• Start the thread again just in front of the bead. Tie in soft hackle. I like to tear a clump of soft barbs from the base of the stem and tie them in like bunch of deer hair.

• Spreading the hackle barbs to each side, bring the skin forward and tie it down, doubling it back for security.

• Whip finish and varnish, have a sip of tea or something, and do it all again several times because you will need replacements for those that find a snag or are taken to one by a determined fish...

What, then, is this fly? I don’t know. Dressed green like

this it is reminiscent of a net-building caddis, but with the legs and thorax of a mayfly nymph without a tail. Dressed darkly it could be taken as a mayfly.

Anyway, the fish took it without explaining. It’s their policy, it seems, to never explain and never to apologise. But I think they took it mainly because it was there. That’s what it so often comes down to...


‘The Green, Green Banks of Home’Watercress (Nasturtium microphyllum, kowhitiwhiti)

By TONY SMITH

As a cook and reasonable fisherman, many more hours at the former, I am always on the lookout for ideas and connections of nature. Over time highlights of

past fishing experiences can be remembered as something worth bearing in mind for recreating or being aware of, an opportunity that may present itself again.

So when I wander up the rivers I frequent early summer, one sight I really enjoy is the freshness of the new season's watercress. It is as much a sign of a rewarding summer ahead to me as tulips in the spring.

Now I do understand that watercress is considered a major problem by some conservation groups and can seriously choke waterways in some areas. Watercress was introduced like so many river species and as is the case with many of these they tend to get out of control. This plant though did certainly provide a nutritious green in a land limited in its choice of ‘salad greens’.

There can often be an arm's length of fresh vibrant green watercress out from the bank of a river flow and this provides a

trout with a nice run in which to feed; the blanket of river salad herb providing a cover from which to feed, relax, feed, relax in it its forever highly strung alertness.

One memorable fishing moment of an hour or so was when I stopped off for a quick flick in the Temuka River, home town, South Canterbury, mid November. The river was in good nick so I popped down to a spot everyone in Temuka knows about, the Manse Bridge, named so as it is the site of a grand old home ‘The Manse’ which sits amongst the trees 100 metres or so from the river bed. Later on this area become a popular swimming hole for the local kids and family picnics but for a couple of months after opening a great wee pop-in spot for after work fishing. Anyway, I digress somewhat, needless to say a nostalgic spot from my youthful years there.

This particular day I was casting up the bank on the main river flow just a short way down from the bridge. I could certainly see some trout, but as often is the case sometimes seemingly promising conditions are the hardest—not to worry, a great day on the river. I observed an elongated island had

http://www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data/canterbury-region/opihi-river/temuka-river-at-manse-bridge/


been formed leaving a small channel that ran thirty metres or so and then rejoined the flow back into the main river. It had been there some time as the spring growth throughout the island was waist high, so without crossing there was no way to see what was on the other side. Curiosity got the better of me so I waded over to the bottom of the run, spooking a nice fish as I did so. Climbing onto the tail end of the island and looking upstream, laid out was a fly fisher’s perfect image—a straight run, lined both sides with thick tight bunchy watercress, a current speed enabling easy mending of line, clear cast behind and three really nicely conditioned brown trout weaving in and out of the feeding line.

No need to rush; calm, no wind, such idyllic moments are why we choose to fish with a fly aren’t they?

Dry or nymph? One fish was certainly breaking the surface, so I chose to start with a small Dad's Favourite. I find if I have previously caught a trout on a dry fly, that fly becomes my favourite for the next few months at least, at that time Dads Favourite held favour. Long fine tippet, a tiny indicator of

‘fence lamb’s wool’, water depth estimated length up the leader. Organised, I stepped into the bottom of the run that flattened out into a shallow rippled fan before rejoining the main waters. Concentrate on the closest fish, a couple of back casts, happy with line and length, a lot to be compared with cricket at times. Fly coming back, perfect speed, ignored. New cast, yorker, closer, good again, ignored. The trout’s nervous senses aroused and the fish slowly moved up and under the cress.

No worries, two to go. Take your time, plenty of self coaching filtering through, change fly, nymph, nothing clever, Hare and Copper, small, second fish probably the larger of the two. Two more casts same result, change fly, smallest Pheasant Tail I have in the box, one cast taking care not to show too much line, three metres past, a little to the right, plop, nice feel, mending steadily, should be running close along the cress, yep, trout darts to the right, has to be, indicator hesitates, on, in under the cress then out, briefly straight back at me, turns, back under the green, then the game slows, a few minutes later I am netting a nice plump red spotted brown,

http://www.flyfishingfromscratch.com/blog/introduction-dry-fly-fishing/


he is released and cruises back up a metre or two before merging into the green. Remarkably the third trout is still there, same feeding behaviour. I watch him for a while, enough for today, I leave him in peace. Next time, maybe.

I have enjoyed this ‘Cress’ banked cress fishing a few times, always able to cast directly upstream to trout that seem comfortable feeding with instant cover available in a tail flick. Another success was at a Temuka feeder river, the Waihi, a farm ditch ran at right angles into the river amongst the willows. This was quite a deep small creek, crystal clear with a good trout rising, again a lovely picture framed by vibrant green. This one came up for my small Royal Wulff first cast, only had him on for 10 seconds or so, a surge down under the cress, gone. A lot of fishers are disappointed with the ones that get away but for me, I am happy that I have added a nice moment of angling to memory.

There have been many other times, other South Canterbury rivers, the Opihi, the Kakahu, often a watercress

experience. Sadly all of these rivers have serious modern water quality contamination issues and as such, care needs to be taken if gathering cress for consumption.

However I am always the optimist and like many of our provincial areas I note there is plenty of work going on in South Canterbury to counteract and improve this rather sad situation. I will certainly be volunteering myself to some of this work as I free up time.


Watercress sauce for fishMakes 2 cups

2 shallots, diced a little olive oil2 cups water1 small potato, peeled and grated salt and white pepper½ bunch watercress, thick stems removed¼ bunch spinach, stems removed20g butter¼ cup creamfreshly ground nutmeg, to taste

Very similar to the soup recipe on the adjacent page. Make it in two stages, with the watercress cream added to the sauce just before serving to ensure its vivid green colour is preserved. It is very good with trout and salmon.

Fry the shallots in the olive oil, add the water and potato, and simmer for 15 minutes.Blend with a hand-held blender, season with a little salt and pepper, strain and keep aside, chilled, until required.Wash the watercress and spinach, dry in a clean tea towel or spin in a salad spinner.Heat a stainless-steel saucepan, add the butter, then put in the watercress and spinach. Cook, stirring well, until the moisture has evaporated, around 5 minutes. Test by rubbing a little of the watercress between your thumb and forefinger; if it purées it is cooked.Purée with a hand-held blender, rub through a sieve and return to the saucepan. Add the cream and cook for 1 minute. Put the watercress purée into a small bowl and chill until required.Heat the potato mixture and, when ready to serve with fish, stir in the watercress purée. Check the seasoning and finish with a grind of fresh nutmeg.

A RIVER RULES MY KITCHEN by Tony SmithFood styling and photography by Deborah Aspray

Tony Smith was born in Dunedin, educated in Temuka, Alexandra and Gore, and has been a chef for more than 40 years. He is a keen outdoorsman and conservationist, who loves trout fishing and small game hunting, and sees himself as a typical Kiwi bloke – a fan of rugby, BBQs, beer and wine, with a penchant for New Zealand’s Pinot Noirs.

This is one of the best cooking books I've come across. As this extract clearly demonstrates, if you subscribe to the philosophy of self-sufficiency the scope of Tony's 302 page book will astound; if simply into cooking, it will inspire. Regular readers will have noticed he knows plenty about trout as well . . . (Peter Storey, NZ Trout Fisher magazine.)

RRP $59.99 | Hardback and full colour throughout | Published by HarperCollins NZ | www.harpercollins.co.nz

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Trout Fishing in Southland Spring/Summer 2014-15

The winter has been pretty normal in Southland, knee deep snow for weeks on end, penguins in the street!! Really!

No, actually it’s been pretty mild—although we have had our typical south westerlies, hail and rain since the start of the fishing season.

August was wet and we couldn’t do any spawning surveys in the Waituna system but earlier, in July, Stu Sutherland was able to complete most of the surveys we do in the inland streams. Tributaries, such as the Tomogalak and Nokomai in the mid reaches of the Mataura, and those in the headwaters of the Aparima, revealed typical numbers of spawning trout, indicating that the adult trout population in these rivers is stable. Our drift diving in the late summer tells a similar story.

There needs to be a severe climatic event such as a prolonged drought or a serious flood to knock out a trout population in a river. Obviously pollution is also a major threat but, even though some of our lowland streams have higher than desirable concentrations of nutrients and sediment, trout seem to be coping pretty well there too.

Early season the smaller streams are the best places to fish, although when the main rivers get to average or below normal flow they are productive too. The cold south westerlies, that make living here a bit of a challenge, provide the best fishing conditions in the spring. Mayflies in particular seem to relish these conditions, and therefore trout do too.

Southland now allows anglers to use soft baits in nearly all waters, except the Eglinton where there is a fly fishing only rule. These are best when the water is a bit turbid. Ideally they should be fished along the bottom, bumping on the stones as they drift down, then allowed to wriggle back upstream—especially beside a deepish edge where clumps of grass have fallen in and lodged, making an ideal place for trout to lie and wait. There are many different colours and those that look like real fish are not necessarily the best!

Spin fishing with conventional lures such as black and gold Toby is pretty reliable but they also need to be fished near the bottom to be effective.

In estuaries there are good opportunities to fish with natural bait, such as smelt, and combining this with some white baiting is a great Southland tradition.

We are expecting our usual influx of Aussie anglers soon, some will be here already and while some have been grumpy at having to pay more for their licence, mostly they appreciate the great trout fishing resource we have here.


Unfortunately the Southland District Council is still pursuing its goal of building an 80,000 cyclists-a-year commercial

cycleway down the upper Oreti, which will severely degrade this marvellous asset we have fought so long to protect. We have a good bunch of anglers willing to fight for it though so hopefully we can get the application turned down again. Getting them to use the Mararoa valley instead would be more sensible, where didymo has now ruined the fishing, where the weather is better, there is easier access, and the scenery is just as nice.

Maurice RodwayManagerSouthland Fish and Game Council.

For enough Southland trout fishing ideas to fill a lifetime, Google Maurice Rodway YouTube

Upper Oreti - soon to become the playground of 80,000 mountain-biking tourists?

Overlaid: what's up there, courtesy Fiordland Lodge

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_evUYpP8c0bXXgxDSlD1Q


TROUT-BOOKS.COMNew Zealand trout fishing books and DVD's

Gore, Southland, New Zealand. Phone 03 208 4352; web: www.trout-books.com

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Summer With HarrietBy GARRETT EVANS

That last trip to the vet isn’t particularly pleasant.There were visits everyday—then there was the last one.I’ve just come back to Mosgiel from Dunedin where we put Harriet

down—she was pretty sick. I’d tried everything and hoped she’d rally. The trout season was about to begin. I’d hoped she might at least rally and have another summer but she perked up for only a day after the operation. We’d walked, fished and shot together going on twelve years.

The Greeks were wise to say that ‘death is life’s greatest gift.’ Perhaps I should have had her put down a week or so earlier but wanted to pull out all stops and give her a fighting chance. The vet and I thought it might just be an obstruction, a bone or something.

Her last minutes went off well enough. She thought we were going home and wagged her tail a little twice, then her head just went heavy as she was injected on the vet’s table while I was holding her.

I went out, looking back to see her lying dead on the vet’s table. I sat in my SUV and could hear the tears striking my shooting coat.

It’s a bright sunny cloudless day and I sit here with death in my heart. But then there were the good days too.Once we fished and swam together on a fairly hot summer day, a few

summers ago, far up the Taieri near ‘Coconut.’ We’d swim and splash in the shallows and then dry off on a pebble bar there. I had two fine small trout for our dinner that night, caught on a Hare’s Ear. We swam some more and chased rabbits along the river bank. We had a hell of a time. It was one of the best of all our shooting, fishing and wooding trips.






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[email protected]

Most of the fishing i do is at close range. so if i’M going to trust a line to load My rod and delicately put a fly down at 20 feet i’M going to go with the rio gold every tiMe.No other line casts better or floats higher. Presentation is everything – it’s what New Zealand trout deserve.– Anton DonaldsonNew Zealand Trout Adventures,West Coast, South Island


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Please begin my subscription with Issue

TO HELP FOCUS THE MAGAZINE . . .

How long have you fished for trout? Yrs

Which fishing methods do you use most?Dry Fly Nymph Wet Fly Salmon Lake Fly Boat Fly Float Tube Harling Trolling Spinning Jigging

Given the choice, would you stalk average trout or fish blind for a trophy?

Where do you fish?Locally Island-wide Nationwide Taupo Rotorua

What are your main information needs?Reports Predictions Methods Fly Tying Tackle New Locations New Ideas Background

SEND FORM & NZ CHEQUES TONZ Trout Fisher 1 Ronald Road RD 5 Rotorua 3076

NZ BANK DIRECT CREDITS TOThe New Zealand Troutfisher, ANZ Bank, Ponsonby, Auckland, NZ, Account #010295 0081097 00 (Swiftcode is ANZBNZ22). Mail this form as above if using this facility.

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTSPlease debit my VISA MASTERCARD AMEX card

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CLASSIFIEDSText-only at $1.00 a word, + GST

ACCOMMODATION . . . JACK & DI’S LAKE RESORT NGONGOTAHA ROTORUA.

We have a 100% record of all our guests catching a trout in the lake or Waiteti Stream right in front of us. Great rates 0800 522 526 or [email protected]

ORUATUA LODGE

Tauranga-Taupo by lake and riverside. Fantastic fishing base. Traditional bach sleeps 9.Email: [email protected]

WILDERNESS FISHING CABIN

The only river-side cabin on the remote head-waters of the Whanganui River, Central North Island.Rustic built accommodation with all amenities.Main cabin plus double sleep-out with ensuite.4 x 4 access only (provided self drive Suzuki jeeps)Self guided or guide available on request.Contact: Danny Hemopo Ph: (07) 896 6884, email: [email protected] Web: www.gobush.co.nz

RUAKITURI RIVER, WAIROA, 'THE HUT”

Anglers accommodation on the river bank. Hard fighting Rain-bow and Brown Trout. Sleeps 4 comfortably. Easy car access. Guide available. Contact: Davis Canning 4 Kentia Place Havelock North 4135 Ph/Fax 06 877 1696; Email: [email protected]

KOHEREPO STATION, RUAKITURI RIVERNORTH HAWKES BAY

An exciting EcoLodge, right on the river, modern accommoda-tion with private ensuites, in room Wi-Fi and SkyTV, meals, mini-fly shop with flies/accessories/fly tying. Extensive local knowledge. Quiet setting with great views on 450 diverse acres – fishing, hiking, hunting, over a kilometre of river frontage. New room configuration options. Let us help plan your trips to the area.Contact: Jim Hanley (best reached by email)NZ Tel: (06) 838 8324Email: [email protected] our website: www.koherepo-station.com

RANGITIKEI TARATA FISHAWAY ACCOMMODATION & GUIDED OR UNGUIDED FISHINGSituated in the remote Mokai Valley where the picturesque Rangitikei River meets the rugged Ruahines. Unique trout fishing right at our doorstep. River Retreat, Spa Bath, Rafting, Spotlight Safaris, Clay Bird Shooting.Your hosts: Trudi & Stephen Mattock. Ph: (06) 388 0354; Fax: (06) 3880954. Email: [email protected]; Web Site: www.tarata.co.nz

WAIRAU RIVER ENCHANTMENT BLENHEIM

River boundary farm homestay for flyfishers. Located Hillerston in the Wairau Valley. Contact: Duannette Stigter Enchantment 3782 SH63 Blenheim 7271 Ph/Fax 03 572 2885

TACKLE . . .

KiwiNymphNZ Leaders & Indicatorshttp://kiwinymphnz.wix.com/kiwinymphnz

http://kiwinymphnz.wix.com/kiwinymphnz

NZ TROUT FISHER · HOOK IT & COOK IT Trout Saltimbocca with Zucchini and Tomato Salad created by...

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