NTFC September Mag 2017

Nelson Trout Fishing Club Issue -159 September 2017Read the newsletter online at: WWW.nelsontroutfishingclub.com

Visit our website To sign up As a VIP Member And receiveMonthly newsletters, And more Ph 03 3383131 59 Lincoln Rd Email: [email protected] Web: www.fishermansloft.co.nz

Club ContactsExecutive:President Michael Stevenson 5469632 [email protected] President: Maree Peter [email protected]: Jean Willis 547 6432 [email protected]: Maree Peter [email protected] Breakspear CommitteePeter Lawler 5419050 [email protected] Jemson 5489753 [email protected] Richards 027 544 0274 [email protected] Clementson 0274349165 [email protected] Howell 5448867 [email protected] Furrows 5443069 [email protected] Sowman 0275519002 [email protected] and Greet New Members: Ray Day and Pete LawlerFishing trips: Looking for somebody to run this job Fly Tying Convenor: Michael StevensonClub Librarian: Cameron Reid 547 1197 [email protected] Editor Magazine : Richard Breakspear Newsletter Distribution: Brian RichardsTrophy Master Looking for somebody to run this jobClub Sponsorship & Newsletter Advertising: Needed Club Speakers: Committee members Club Night Tea/Coffee: Maree Peter Past Presidents:03-06 Richard Boyden 6-08 Lester Higgins 08-09 Ross Walker09-11 Dennis Ealam 11-13 Ray Day 13-15 Tony Entwistle15-17 Maree Peter MGP NELSON TROUT FISHING CLUBMeets once a month at: Fish and Game Offices, 66 Champion Road, Richmond. Normally the 3rd Wednesday of the month 7.00pm. Please phone 5224166 if unsure. Any views or opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the committee, or club editor. www.nelsontroutfishingclub.comCover page: …… Jake 12 year old learning from the Master. By Gebhard

President’s Report OctoberOpening Day is now behind us and I hope everyone has had a chance towet a line and maybe even catch a fish or two (or ten). I have heard ofsome members doing well in the early days but was warned off askingwhere. The heavy rain that started on the 7th will put some plans onhold but with a bit of luck the sunshine will return and we can hit therivers again.One of the risks in getting off the road is the wet soil, especially crossinga paddock, is very slick and even if your vehicle doesn’t get boggeddown, it could be too slippery to get traction. If that happens, pleaseconsider the farmer and don’t continue to spin your tyres. Instead,contact someone to get a tow out. Maintaining the goodwill of thosegranting access across their land is vital to our enjoyment of our rivers.Now for something completely different. For those that enjoy a bit ofgardening, be sure to deadhead withered blooms but don’t trim off theremaining leaves just yet. Removing the blooms means the plant won’tbe using up energy to produce seeds and the remaining leaves willcontinue to produce food and store it in the bulb resulting in betterhealth and stronger flowering next year.Here’s a tip for members to keep track of what the local river flows are.For the Marlborough region, check outhttp://hydro.marlborough.govt.nz/environmentalFor Tasman go tohttp://www.tasman.govt.nz/environment/water/rivers/river-flow/You will need to chose the river you are interested in to see the graph.Finally, I would like to alert all our members, especially the newer ones,to a hazard that many may not be aware of. Jet boats occasionally usethe lower Pelous and Motueka rivers. Cont.

These vessels operate at high speed and produce a significant bow wave.If you are out in the water, that wave can knock you off your feet andput you in a seriously dangerous situation. Be warned! The operatorsoften will not slow down for you even if you try to wave at them to slowdown. If you are in the water and one or more jet boats approach, get toshallower water and/or brace yourself to withstand the push.Tight linesMichael North Island special Tongariro MGT All mechanical Repairs All service by Qualified Technicians New tyres W.O.F for cars, trailers, motorbikes, tractors, dumpers Restoration work undertaken - Courtesy car available Also selling Retro Tin Signs Ellis Street Auto Repairs 104A Ellis Street Brightwater 03 5424035

Draft 1 for Glas Y Dorlan December 1998.Habitat Improvement as a viable and sustainable tool toenhancing salmonid stocks.Reports in the angling press often spell gloom and doom for salmonid stocks,with dwindling catches of salmonids in some rivers. This has particularly beenthe case for spring salmon and to a lesser extent grilse, sea trout and browntrout. More often than not, one of the suggested remedy for the low catches isto stock fish. This has been widely practised for many years, and can besuccessful when used as an appropriate tool. However, a considerable amountof research has shown that stocking is not always the best solution. In manycases stocking may result in ‘money down the drain’ and may even cause todamage to the health of the wild stock.An additional and sustainable tool to increase stock densities is throughimprovement of habitat. Habitat improvement as a tool for increasing fishstocks is gaining wide support this side of the Atlantic. Prior to the work of theIrish Central fisheries board since the 1980s, little had been carried outside ofthe USA. In recent years, many schemes within the UK have proved successfulon both chalk streams and spate rivers.In order to understand some of the mechanisms behind habit improvement it isimportant to know something of the factors limiting the stock. Adult salmonidsproduce more juveniles than the habitat can support. This results in relativelyhigh mortalities of juvenile salmonids, particularly at the fry stage. The highmortality is often seen as waste.However, it is through this process that the fittest fish are selected for the riverand has resulted in genetically distinct stocks evolving, suited to their particularriver environment. The juvenile stock is thus, reliant on the carrying capacity ofthe river habitat. This is a key point and particularly important today as most ofour river habitats have suffered under the influence of man, particularly throughmodern agricultural practices and land drainage. The result has been a reducedcarrying capacity in many juvenile rearing habitats with knock on effects to theadult population. :cont

Stocking in this situation is not the appropriate remedy; since, if ‘wild’ fishcannot survive, captive reared stock fish will have less chance and may onlyincrease competition for limited resources with remaining ‘wild’ fish. Here theanswer is to improve the holding capacity of the river, which is achievedthrough implementation of an appropriate habitat improvement scheme.The habitat techniques deployed are dependent on the limiting factor(s)present. For example, one of the most common problems in Wales is erosion ofriver banks cause by live stock. This can cause a host of other problems, all ofwhich impact on salmonids. These include: - bank erosion, over widening of thestream bed, siltation of spawning gravels and a lack of available in-streamcover.A simple solution to the problem of livestock can be to prevent access to thestream using fencing and perhaps hedge planting. The full benefits may takeseveral years to achieve as natural processes restore bank side vegetation.However, the benefits are numerous, bank side vegetation prevents erosion offines into the river, provides cover for juvenile and adult fish, causes naturalnarrowing of the river leading to increased scour cleaning of silted spawninggravels, and an increase in availability of invertebrate food items. In addition,shaded cover provided by overhanging vegetation helps to prevent excessivetemperatures that can be a problem to salmonids during the summer months inrivers that are too wide and shallow without shade. Providing there are no otherdetrimental impacts, such as water quality, and there are sufficient adultsavailable to spawn an increase in the number of juvenile salmonids will soonfollow.Appropriate habitat improvement schemes have proven a sustainable and costeffective alternative to stocking in the UK and Ireland. The main advantages area one off annual cost, which through accumulated returns of wild fish can bemore cost effective than stocking with benefits lasting 25 years or more. Thefish produced are natural with a high level of fitness, and better adapted tosurvive the rigours of the wild.Furthermore, there are wider benefits, to species other than salmonids, such as,stream invertebrates, dippers and otters, as well as to the aesthetic value of theriver.Thanks for this Dave

Report of the Nelson Marlborough Fish and Game Council meeting held at Richmondon the 10th October 2017The meeting was addressed by scientists Rasmas Gabrielson and Robin Holmeswho are fresh water and salmonid species researchers, from the CawthronInstitute,They gave an over-view of research as it effects Fish and Game, and they notedthat funding for research for Trout and Salmon is for various reasons hasdeclined over recent years.The reasons for this decline are of concern.  A lack political will, which is because it brings uncomfortable truths  Anti non-indigenous (read Trout) views within DoC , local bodies, Iwi and government.  Freshwater fish research being too effective, thus hampering expansion of intensive agriculture and other land uses.There is no funding for Conservation Research, what funding there is if forexpansion of the economy, how to get more out of the rivers and surroundingenvironment.A video showing research into river flow and how the existing model todetermine minimum flows was flawed as it failed to account for salmonid feedrequirements. In reality, we need more water flow in the river than the currentregimes allow. The message is, the science needs constant updating and retesting. We need to fund the research.Current research includes improving the knowledge of the carrying capacity ofthe river, and minimum flows required.Robin Holmes gave us brief over view of some of research he is undertaking aspart of his PhD with the University of Otago and The Cawthron Insitute

He talked about limiting factors on NZ streams making the points: Cont Temperature Flow (flood flows, low flows) Recruitment Instream fish cover Water quality Angler usage Are significantHe also pointed out that people tend to go for the simple solutions to complexproblems, but the simple solutions are very rarely the answer.Highlights from the meeting  The lack of progress by Trustpower on the Fish Pass on the Branch River/Argile pond scheme was noted, Deadlines agreed by Trustpower to implement the fish pass have been missed. A letter to be sent to Trustpower seeking and explanation and timetable for action.  Trout/Salmon Growth study. It was noted that of the seven salmon otoliths tested from the Wairau River five fish were of hatchery origin.  Fisheries enhancement/investigations. July to September 540 rainbow trout 300gms released into the Tinline River 110 brown trout 1.1Kgm Takaka River 44 brown trout Anatoki River 4000 eyed over into Coal Creek Wangapeka catchment (NTFC assist) This tally does not include the releases in the Marlborough area.  Nelson City Freshwater Management Plan.

A degree of anti-introduced fish sentiment seems to have reflected back to the NCC on its early consultation phase of its freshwater plan. This is of concern. : Cont  Riuwaka River access. The council voted $2000 to secure access to 920m of the South branch. This is Fish and Game’s share of a joint application with the Walking Access commission and TDC.  Waimea Wetland Enhancement Agreement in principle from TDC reserves staff that 50% of the next gravel extraction area to be developed as a fish out pond open to all license holders. This is an opportunity to create fishing opportunities for all license holders close to Richmond and Nelson. Councillor F&G Jean Willis________________________________________________________________29 September 2017RE: CANCELLATION OF KAHURANGI NORTH 2017 BATTLE FOR OURBIRDS AERIAL 1080 PEST CONTROL OPERATIONEarlier this year I wrote advising you of the possibility of heavy beech seeding(mast) in 2017in parts of north-west Kahurangi National Park that would cause rat and stoatnumbers to escalate. This potential mast was indicated by both climatemodelling and by beech seed sampling carried out in February 2017. Weneeded to plan to carry out an operation to control these pests if this mastoccurred.This Kahurangi North operation has now been cancelled. However, an area ofapproximately 1,600 ha at Kahurangi Point (eastern boundary at Big River) hasbeen retained and will be carried out as part the DOC Kahurangi West Battle forour Birds operation (managed by DOC Westport). This decision is based on

ongoing monitoring of rat numbers and analysis of the predicted predationimpacts on the vulnerable native species in the area. :ContAn area of approximately 80,000 ha was initially identified early this year for theplanned Kahurangi North operation. In June 2017, the area was reduced toapproximately 40,000 ha based on rodent monitoring results within the area.This showed the 2016 Battle for our Birds programme had successfully kept ratnumbers at extremely low levels in the areas where pest control took place.In August 2017, another rodent survey was conducted. At four of the fivemonitoring sites within or directly adjacent to the reduced Kahurangi North area,rodent numbers had stabilised. This suggests that the predicted variability of the2017 beech mast had not generated the widescale seeding and additional foodavailability to enable rodents to keep breeding over winter.This shows the value of the extensive rodent monitoring network that DOC hasestablished throughout the Battle for our Birds sites. This monitoring enables usto identify where rat numbers have reached levels at which predator control isneeded to protect at-risk native species and also where control isn’t required.DOC contracted OSPRI New Zealand, which runs the TBfree programme, tomanage the planned operation. OSPRI proposed an addition to the DOCKahurangi North operation at parts of the western boundary (Whanganui Inlettowards Kahurangi Point) as part of their ongoing TB control programme. Thisoperation was proposed because of the cost saving efficiencies in combiningthis with the larger DOC Kahurangi North operation. With the cancellation of theDOC Kahurangi North operation, this additional OSPRI possum control plannedfor this year has also been cancelled.Vector Free Marlborough Ltd, the contractor carrying out the DOC KahurangiWest operation, will notify adjacent landowners and other affected parties aboutthis operation, which now includes the 1,600 ha area at Kahurangi Point.If you would like more information on these changes then please do not hesitateto contact me at the address below.Kind regards.Steve DeverellRanger –[email protected]

Top 1st for the season. Below Brians Nice Brown

Meet Claud Dons pet BrownCasting school master class 2017