NTFC Newsletter_May

CLUB CONTACTS Executive Don Clementson 027 437 6019 [email protected] Barry Howell 544 3069 [email protected] President: Jean Willis 547 6432 [email protected] Past President Secretary Chris Clenshaw 544 5276 [email protected] Treasurer Committee Richard Breakspear 541 9050 [email protected] Kevin Nansett 545 2007 [email protected] Peter Lawler 548 9753 [email protected] Tony Entwistle 544 4565 [email protected] James Macdonald 540 3520 [email protected] Neil Anderson 539 4941 [email protected] Allan Ballard 544 1735 [email protected] Web Master Peter Lawler 548 9753 [email protected] 547 1197 [email protected] Club Librarian Cameron Reid 545 2007 [email protected] 027 437 6019 [email protected] Trophy Master Kevin Nansett Club Sponsorship Don Clementson Club Speakers Committee Members Club Night Tea/Coffee Committee Members Newsletter Editor James Macdonald 540 3520 [email protected] Life Members 1982 Chappie Chapman 2007 Jean Willis 2018 Richard Boyden 2021 Tony Entwistle Past Presidents 06-08 Lester Higgins 08-09 Ross Walker 09-11 Dennis Ealam 03-06 Richard Boyden 13-15 Tony Entwistle 15-17 Maree Peter 17-18 Michael Stevenson 11-13 Ray Day 19-20 Barry Howell The Nelson Trout Fishing Club Meets once a month at: Fish and Game Offices, 66 Champion Road, Richmond Normally the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm Please phone (Don’s phone #) if unsure Any views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the committee, club or editor Webpage: www.nelsontroutfishingclub.com Follow us on Facebook Cover: Past President Barry Howell in the early days around Christchurch

President’s Flyline Nelson Trout Fishing Club May 2022 Greetings Club Members. Welcome to the May Newsletter. Well it wasn’t a bad fishing season after all. Even up until this recent rain and cold spell the Motueka river was fishing very well. There seems to be a mixture of sizes out there this year. From 1 - 2 pound fish in the Motueka to 8 - 10 pounds in some streams close to town and main roads. So you didn’t have to go to the back country to get a trophy. Don’t forget our mid-year dinner at the Anchor Bar and Grill on the 12th of June at 11.30am. Our guest speaker will be Ray Grubb. He is the Chairman of the National Fish and Game Council. We said no politics and he was happy with that. We will have plenty of good spot prizes and there is a Rio fly line that we will be raffling so bring some cash along. All I need is a rough idea of how many might attend so if you can email me on [email protected] or txt 0274376019. Also in June we will be holding three fly tying sessions for beginners. They will be held on the 14th, 21st, and 28th so if that sounds like you, come along.

Buy & Sell 1. For Sale Sea Nymph Sea Rider 19 ft fibreglass runabout with 150 hp V6 Yamaha 2 stroke motor only 153 hours ,7.5 hp Mercury auxiliary. Single axle trailer, auto anchor, marine ship to shore radio, Humminbird fish finder and GPS, stainless steel rocket launcher for 6 rods, road cover, battery charger, demountable canopy and side panels, underfloor fuel tank, power cut out switch,and many other extras. All in excellent condition Offers over $39,000 Phone or text Chris 0274377630 2. Club Member Rick Usher would like to get in to Flytying. Would any members have some gear they would like to sell? Rick is a novice; he needs everything to make a start to flying simple flies in the Nelson area, mainly nymphs or drys. He will also need a vice. He is happy to loan and return as I have not done this before. Suggestions for links to YouTube would also help. Thanks Rick Ussher Contact Rick at [email protected] or 020 4168 1042 3. 12 foot Portabote for sale This polyethylene folding boat easily carries two adults, is very stable in the water and is light

enough for one person to carry when it is folded. Bought in 2016 from the NZ dealer. It can be stored on a wall when not in use and carried on a roof rack as it folds up to resemble a surfboard.A set of removable wheels , oars with rowlocks and a back support are included . Instructions for setup are included but watch the experts on www.portabote.co.nz ( we take nearly 10 minutes ) The boat seats are stored in a home-made bag which we also carried on the roof rack. We used a 2 HP outboard motor which gave a speed of approx 15 k/h . At half price, we would like $2000 ono for this versatile dinghy. Please contact Alan Ballard to view on 03 5441735 evenings

N.B. Price does not include the lady ……….



Originally published in New Zealand Outdoor, September 1953

Fish and Game Council meeting 17th May 2022 by Jean Willis The council recommended: - • The back -country designation on the Wairau River be moved from the Wash Bridge to 6 Mile (i.e. ~5km upstream) • The allowable catch in Lake Rotoiti and Rotoroa be reduced to two fish. I expect these recommendations to the regulations will be approved The Council also made the following recommendations, which need to approved by the National Council and the Minister’s office • The Adult whole season licence be $145.00 • the non-resident license be increased to $250 • The back country designation be removed • The term specified water used to designate high use waters • That non-residents, in order to fish designated waters will have to buy an endorsement at $250 in additional to their license ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Salmon recruitment The annual survey of the Rainbow side Creek undertaken in May had a record count of 524 salmon, on a site which generally records between 80 and 400 salmon, with an average count of around 200 fish. It is also noted that the fish were noticeably larger than previous counts. Interestingly a discussion with North Canterbury manager indicates a similar trend on all East Coast salmon fisheries this year presumably as a result of favourable sea conditions for the last two years. Drift diving Drift diving counts were made at various sites across West Coast, and Nelson Marlborough, Motueka, there were six sites drifted, Branch river two sites drifted, Leatham river one site. Riuwaka three sites, Lea river one site and the Wangapeka 2 sites. The highlight of these dives was the longer Wangapeka with the highest count results in 30 years for this system being recorded particularly in the lower site above the Motueka confluence. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fish and Game reorganisation. The re-organisation of Fish and Game involves regions merging, to improve governance outcomes for the organisation. Decision making is taking too long due to the large number of councillors and the need to consult widely. It is thought by reducing the number of regions the decision-making process can be made more efficient. The number of Fish and Game regions is to be reduced from 12 to 7, the number of elected councillors per region to be reduced to 4 plus two paid councillors appointed by the minister. It is proposed that North Canterbury, Nelson Marlborough, and West Coast merge to form one region, with four elected councillors and two councillors appointed by the minister. The bases for deciding regional boundaries is licence sales, meaning each region is approximately equal in power? (income. staffing influence) . I have real reservations about the proposed merger between North Canterbury, Nelson- Marlborough and West Coast. It takes no account of geographic boundaries. Regional Council boundaries Iwi rohe and the predominant Fish and Game activity in the area.

For example Canterbury deals with ECAN, its problem is trying to recover destroyed environment, West Coast Nelson-Marlborough is trying to prevent loss of its environment. I personally believe the regions should be based on resource not on licence sales. By resource I mean trout, salmon, birds. My other big concern is I do not believe four elected unpaid councillors and two appointed paid councillors can fairly represent such a large region. Small towns and regions will not get the service they deserve and project such as the Para Para swamp, the Waimea berm lands fish out ponds would not be supported. I am absolutely delighted that Corina Jordan has been appointed CEO of the National Fish and Game Council. She will lead the National Council in a period of change Jean Willis Councillor Nelson Marlborough Fish and Game

My Fly Fishing Journey by Barry Howell Well, unlike most of my fellow club members, I am more a dabbler in Fly fishing than our more serious members. Fishing for me first started as a boy in Christchurch. My Dad and I would go fishing around Christchurch. We started small in the Estuary of the Heathcote and Avon rivers, and I can still remember my first big catch, 4 herrings on my new rod. Fly fishing for me started when living in Havelock North. A friend took me for my first experience on the Tuki Tuki River, using a borrowed rod and reel. How hard could this be, I thought ………….. chuck out a line, pull it in, chuck it out again…….. By the end of the day, the trees, rocks, fences had a thrashing, but the fish!!!!!...., live to swim another day. Hell, it’s f!#$%# harder than you think. While living in the Bay, I also tried fly fishing around Taupo with a mate, Pat Wynne who lived there. We mainly fished around the edges of the Waitahanui and Torepatu streams, and along the edges of the lake. I slowly began to improve my casting average slightly and the fish strikes verse tree strikes gradually began to balance out. Pat also owned a charter launch, and we had many great days and nights on the lake with our families. While living up north, I would also visit Lake Benmore every Labour Weekend with my brother in law and a couple of his mates. Fly Fishing around the edge of that lake was a wonderful experience and bought varied success. We also spun fished off his boat on the lakes western edges. Barry – Fishing in the early days

We moved to Nelson in 2006 where I initially focused on sea fishing, but after reading about the awesome rivers in the area, I invested in a new Airflow rod and reel. I joined the Nelson Fly Fishing Club not long after that and was quickly taken under the expert mentorship of Michael Stevenson. I enrolled on Tony Entwistle’s, Beginners Guide to Fly Fishing and cannot speak highly enough of that course. I still re read my notes from then and attend every second year when he runs these. Michael spent many hours on the river with me, yelling or praising and trying to knock the many rough edges off me. We fished parts of the Motueka, Wangapeka and Pelorus. My first trout landed in the top of the south was on the Pelorus with Michael. I knew I was on to a new adventure. Barry’s first trout in the Nelson Region. I've never been one to photo my catches, preferring to just get them back in the water as soon as possible. I do a lot of fishing on my own, which also accounts for few pictures. I enjoy seeing our club prosper over recent years and the membership increase. I've been happy to serve on the Committee for the last 5 years, with 2 as President. I am delighted to see the younger members coming on board and hope that they can make sure the club continues in the future.

The End of the Season by James Macdonald I had missed almost the last third of the 2021/2022 season as I had to return to the UK because of a death in the family. I got back to NZ in the middle of April and decided I needed a bit of a fishing fix before the season ended. So I decided to head down to Hanmer Springs, hire a guide and a chopper and check out some of the back country streams in the area. I fished the Hope, Waiau and the South Branch of the Hurunui during the last three days before the beginning of May. I caught a good number of 5.75-6.0 pounders and even one that made 8.5 pounds. I was guided by Paul van de Loo (see https://www.fishingguides.co.nz/fly-fishing/nelson- marlborough/paul-van-de-loo; [email protected]) and we flew with Alpine Springs Helicopters (Pilot Bill Hales; [email protected]). Many thanks to both Paul and Bill. Waiau South Branch of the Hurunui

Hope