Whitebait and Cold Beer

Whitebait stands on the Okuru River. The name Copperhead Stream was invented to hide the real spot. Photo: Allan Burgess.

Whitebait and Cold Beer - "A Semi-True Story from South-Westland " By Chris Humphreys The bait had been running in South-Westland. Scores of people had been flocking to the local river mouths in burnt-out cars and rusted utes to fish the riverbanks with scoop nets, set nets, or screens. Where they were allowed, ramshackle registered…

New Zealand Sea Fishes

Snapper caught from Northland's Ninety Mile Beach. This is the fish every surfcaster wants to catch. Photo courtesy of Denis Moresby.

Snapper Fishing Guide NZ: Best Rigs, Baits & Seasons

Brent LeBherz with a 13.5-pound Marlborough Sounds Snapper. Snapper - Pagrus auratus - Fishing Guide NZ: Best Rigs, Baits & Seasons Snapper are found in the North Island and upper South Island, with a few stragglers caught further south By Allan Burgess Snapper is by far New Zealand's most popular fish. It is the premium fish…

Pilchard - (Sardinops sagax). These two pilchards have been previously frozen. Fresh specimens are more vibrant in colour. Their tails are also slightly damaged.

NZ Pilchard Guide: (Sardinops sagax) – Bait Fish Facts

NZ Pilchard Guide: Sardinops sagax Bait Fish Facts Pilchard is also called Mohimohi, Sardine, and Picton herring By Allan Burgess Looking for the ultimate New Zealand baitfish that consistently brings home snapper and kingfish? The New Zealand pilchard Sardinops sagax, locally known as mohimohi or Picton herring, is a powerhouse in our coastal waters. Whether you…

Marlborough Fishing Opportunities

Mouth of the Wairau Diversion looking north. March 2026. Drone photograph, Allan Burgess.

Wairau River and Diversion, Marlborough Salmon and Trout Fishing

Wairau River and Wairau Diversion, Marlborough Sea-run trout, rainbow trout, salmon - plus whitebait, kahawai, red cod, and mullet in the lower rivers and river mouths The Wairau River runs for 140km. The lower and middle reaches are braided over a wide shingle bed. For most of the year, only about 10 per cent of…

Lance Gill with a big Lake Argyle rainbow trout, Marlborough, New Zealand. Photograph courtesy of Lance Gill and Fish The Drift NZ.

Lake Argyle – Trout Fishing – Marlborough – New Zealand

Lake Argyle - Well-Stocked Trout Fishing Lake - Great for Kids By Allan Burgess Rainbow jack trout taken on a soft bait worked close to the edge. Lake Argyle, Marlborough, New Zealand. Photograph courtesy of Lance Gill and Fish The Drift NZ. The soft bait is a Savage Gear Craft Cannibal, available from most good…

How to Catch Trout and Salmon in the Twizel Canals

Doll fly tied with a luminous body made from Aurora skirt. These thin soft plastic strips are wrapped around the body and tied off. They hold the torchlight very well and glow brightly.

Luminous Trout Flies – Doll Fly – Malcolm Bell video Night Fishing the Canals

Luminous Trout Flies for Night Fishing Luminous Trout Flies. Fishing at night with luminous flies and lures allows you to get the most from a full day of fishing. There is certainly no doubt that…

Managed to nail a prime eating salmon over the weekend, pretty stoked with that! May 2022. Twizel Canals 2022 Fishing.

Twizel Canals Winter Fishing Tips

Twizel Canals Winter Fishing Tips By Allan Burgess Winter in the Twizel canals offers prime opportunities to land monster 30lb trout by targeting spawning fish with egg-rolling techniques, soft baits, and proper cold-weather gear. This guide provides essential, expert-driven strategies to maximise success during the challenging, freezing conditions. Twizels Canals Winter Fishing Tips. The canals…

Hapuka Estuary Walkway Westland: Whitebait & Bird Watching Guide

Whitebait stands on the Okuru River. The name Copperhead Stream was invented to hide the real spot. Photo: Allan Burgess.

Whitebait and Cold Beer

Whitebait and Cold Beer - "A Semi-True Story from South-Westland " By Chris Humphreys The bait had been running in South-Westland. Scores of people had been flocking to the local river mouths in burnt-out cars and rusted utes to fish the riverbanks with scoop nets, set nets, or screens. Where they were allowed, ramshackle registered…

New Permanent Public Access to the Whakapapa River Celebrated

Minister for Hunting and Fishing James Meager (left) and Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game Council Chair Nigel Juby at the Whakapapa River, Stone Jug Road.

New Permanent Public Access to the Whakapapa River Celebrated

New Permanent Public Access to the Whakapapa River Celebrated Source: Fish and Game NZ A significant milestone in protecting public access to New Zealand's outdoors was celebrated on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Hon James Meager, joined project partners for the opening of a newly created public access point to the internationally…

Harling Lake Dunstan: Best Fly Colours & Line Setups

Orange Woolly Buggar harling lure similar to that which Cliff Halford called B.O.B.s or Big Orange Buggers.

Harling Lake Dunstan: Best Fly Colours & Line Setups

Harling Lake Dunstan - Expert Advice so you Can Catch More Trout Harling on this Famous Otago Fishing Lake  by Peter Lemin The main angling methods in Lake Dunstan have been trolling, fly fishing and thread-lining from the shore. During January, the fishing slowed down considerably, no doubt partly due to the angling pressure the…

Youtube video
Fish Screens Fish screens are meant to prevent juvinile salmon from being taken from our Canterbury salmon rivers along with the water used for farm irrigation. By any measure these screens are a failure and cause the loss of young salmon contributing to the destruction of the salmon fishery. Here Phil and Paul from the New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association take a look at one of these old fish screens. In this case the screen isn't even in operation. This description has been written by Allan Burgess.
Youtube video
Adult whitebait making their way upstream 2km from the mouth of Canterbury's Waimakariri River. Inanga are one of five different galaxiid species that make up the whitebait catch. The others are banded kokopu, koaro, shortjaw kokopu, and giant kokopu. This video shows a small shoal adults swimming close to the bank at McIntosh's Rocks, 12 March 2016.
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