How to make hi-viz rod holders by Allan Burgess Here is an inexpensive way to make your surfcasting rod holders stand out in the dark. Not only will it be easier to find your rod in pitch darkness it also makes it less likely that you will leave your rod spikes behind at the beach.…
Fuzzy Wuzzy is a trout egg imitation fly The Fuzzy Wuzzy was created by the late Fred Fletcher to imitate freshwater crayfish (koura) in Lake Taupo. Fletcher was the original builder and owner of the Waitahanui Lodge he started way back in 1932. The simple bach-like lodge situated next to the Waitahanui River, which flows into the eastern…
Black Phantom Trout Fly The Black Phantom is the most handsome of night flies, particularly…
Kilwell No.1 Originally created by Frank Lord of Rotorua, and known as the Tarawera Killer. It was later tied commercially by Kilwell Sports in Rotorua, and its name changed to Kilwell No.1 Perhaps surprisingly the Kilwell No.1…
by Allan Burgess Making a shadow-box to display your trout flies by hanging them on the wall is a great little project. They look super cool in your office, lounge, or "man cave". They are easy to make provided you take your time and don't rush it. Keep in mind the old builders' motto of…
Taxidermy Fish with Monty Wright Photo (1) Denis Brundell’s 16.5lb (7.5kg) brown trout. Each time we head out fishing we all dream of capturing that large fish but in many cases are poorly prepared if it does happen. What should you carry with you to be prepared? One of the first things should be a…
Catch and Release - Exquisite Moment at Larry's Creek - also known as the Awarau River, Near Reefton by Graeme Smith It happens in that one exquisite moment, that moment we wait for, are watching for, yet usually miss. One instant it's there, the next instant it's not. Catch and Release. Like watching a magician,…
Whitebait Streamer Fly for Sea-Run Trout Fishing by Chris Tonkin The first of the smelt runs appear in South Westland rivers about mid-October, adding a further dimension to some very interesting tidal fishing. River mouths with adjacent shallow tidal areas have provided great sport for the few anglers exploiting them. There is really nothing to…
Catch and Release - Exquisite Moment at Larry's Creek - also known as the Awarau River, Near Reefton by Graeme Smith It happens in that one exquisite moment, that moment we wait for, are watching for, yet usually miss. One instant it's there, the next instant it's not. Catch and Release. Like watching a magician,…
Havelock Snapper Ecstasy - A fishing charter run by a snapper guru The aim of the holiday was to catch the big ones, snapper and kingfish. We went around beforehand and spent heaps on all sorts of little gadgets supposedly perfect for targeting the prize of the average saltwater…
By Monty Wright Being on holiday Colleen and I woke at a respectable hour. We had stayed overnight at Makarora House which is a farm stay facility in the Makarora Valley. From our bedroom, we could look right up the Wilkin River Valley - a beautiful sight for anyone to behold first thing in the…
by Peter Lemin - Harling Lake Dunstan Part 1 The main angling methods in Lake Dunstan have been trolling as well as fly fishing and thread-lining from the shore. During January, the fishing slowed down considerably, no doubt partly due to the angling pressure the lake received over the Christmas holiday period. I felt sure…
By Monty Wright The habits of various kinds of trout differ considerably. Even though transplanted to new surroundings they still maintain their individual ways. The majority fish which we angle for in the South Island are now in their own individual right a wild strain. These fish were introduced originally by the old Acclimatisation Societies…
Taieri Mouth by Chris Dore Taieri Mouth map courtesy of Google Earth. Taieri Mouth - quiescent fishing community south of Dunedin - has always to me been a place a relaxation. "One can disregard all vexation and sit back and luxuriate in the tranquillity." Anglers, on the other hand, remain active and revel in the…
Glenorchy Fishing, The Anglers' Eldorado Glenorchy, The Rees and Dart Rivers, The Diamond System - Diamond Lake, upper Diamond Creek - Reid Lake, and lower Diamond Creek - and Lake Wakatipu by Dick Marquand Without a doubt, one of the most interesting and productive areas that I have been privileged to fish for trout is…
Dunedin Wharves Salmon Fishing Rig by Chris Dore A salmon being lifted up to the wharf in Otago Harbour. If you tried to lift…
Lake Hayes Trout Fishing Secrets by Dick Marquand From the high bank overlooking the bay, I had a good view of the big brownie hen as she cruised her beat along the edge of the littoral zone. Her tail erupted a…
by Allan Burgess One of the controversies that surround fishing in the Twizel Canals relates to the percentage of trout that survive after being caught and released. Some of the big trout captured and let-go back into the canals clearly don't survive. Evidence of these being sightings of dead fish floating past "belly up." In…
Sockeye Salmon - Oncorhynchus nerka - only landlocked stocks are found in New Zealand Most New Zealand freshwater anglers will have never seen a sockeye salmon. They are only found in the Waitaki River catchment, especially in lakes Ohau and…
By Tom Fraser The Tongariro can be an intimidating river and sitting in the pre-dawn gloom with the frost settling on me, it dawned upon me just how easily someone could approach this river, be overawed and have very little success. We were excited to be finally fishing the world-famous Tongariro River Trout fishery that…
Marlin - Mt Maunganui - Astrolabe Reef - Happy 60th Birthday by Andrew Padlie What do most people do for their 60th Birthday? Well, have a party of course. You get heaps of presents from loved…
Catch and Release - Exquisite Moment at Larry's Creek - also known as the Awarau River, Near Reefton by Graeme Smith It happens in that one exquisite moment, that moment we wait for, are watching for, yet usually miss. One instant it's there, the next instant it's not. Catch and Release. Like watching a magician,…
"A good game fish is too valuable to be caught only once." Lee Wulff Advice on Catch and Release to give your big trout the best chance of survival The coolness of the approaching evening signalled the end of another glorious day in paradise. I had covered many kilometres of the Caples River, a…
By Monty Wright The habits of various kinds of trout differ considerably. Even though transplanted to new surroundings they still maintain their individual ways. The majority fish which we angle for in the South Island are now in their own individual right a wild strain. These fish were introduced originally by the old Acclimatisation Societies…
West Coast Marlin with DJ Moresby The coast to the west of Te Kuiti is genuine New Zealand "West Coast". The Tasman sea rolls in as two-metre high waves on a calm day to…