NTFC Jan set up 2018

Nelson Trout Fishing Club Issue -162 January 2018Read 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.com Cover page: …… Stream lines (old publication)

President’s ReportWith the heavy rain having ruined fishing for almost two weeks, it lookslike the rivers will finally settle down enough to hit the water the lastweekend of January. There have been reports of cicadas finally makingtheir presence known too.I was pleased to have so many club members attend the annualbarbecue and casting competition. I want to extend a special thanks toJean Willis (our amazing Secretary) for his outstanding efforts to makethe day a success. From what his records show, the annual prize givinglooks to throw up a surprise.I would remind those members who are willing to act as mentors tocontact Jean Willis so that other members looking for some help can getthe assistance they need to improve their fishing. This is an importantpart of the Club’s activities to keep members active and involved into thefuture.Rumour has it that the kingfish have been turning up in Golden Bay sinceDecember. For those wanting a powerful fish to challenge their skills andthe strength of their gear, a trip after the school holidays thins out thecrowds might be worth considering.Stay safe out there.Michael Stevenson

Does Angler Pressure Preclude Catching FishA group of South Island freshwater anglers have formed a group calledKiwi Anglers First.The group is concerned at the decline of angling in the back countryrivers and the building of a fishing lodge by foreign owners exclusivelyfor foreign fishers.What is Fish and Game position on this?The suggested hierarchy or versions of it have been bandied around forsome time and is one of the reasons for the promotion of the fishingguides licence and a more formalised guides structure which Fish &Game have been trying to develop with DoC and the Guides Association.Unfortunately it goes back and forth with more and more consultationand no finalisation.The group is promoting a four-step plan first mooted by Nick King, anangling guide who has witnessed at first-hand the pillaging of ourfisheries.The plan is simple, indeed self-explanatory. It depends upon a ranking ofinterests within the New Zealand freshwater fishery, and thedevelopment of management strategies in accord with this order ofpriorities.It is not, by any measure, an extreme approach: it does not seek a banon commercial guiding, or the indiscriminate exclusion of overseasanglers.But it does require that limits be set, in accord with the interests of NewZealanders.The Four Step PlanPicture the component parts of New Zealand angling in order of status.Once identified it is a matter of understanding that if any part lower inrank negatively affects anything above, new restrictions would apply.:Cont1. The Fishery.2. Citizens and Residents of New Zealand.

3. New Zealand Commercial Guides.4. Non Resident Anglers.It is a basic, fair model that’s impossible to refute the hierarchy. It issuggested that the nuts and bolts to make this plan work would bedeveloped by Fish & Game in consultation with kiwi anglers, as have allthe other rules that we have in place today.But anglers are a strange bunch. They set up an egalitarian anglingmanagement system in NZ to escape from the ‘Private Waters’ of Britainand Europe, and as soon as their favourite spots get fished by otheranglers, they propose emulating it!There is something very Presbyterian in the anglers psyche. They wouldmuch rather buy into the Fish & Game management disease of managingthe fishery by managing what anglers are (or more often, are not)allowed to do, despite abundant research demonstrating that even in theworst case scenarios, anglers will only catch about 10-12% of the fishpresent. They will blame anything rather than acknowledge that factorsother than fishermen have the greatest influence on fisheries, andperhaps they should get off their bums and do something about it!Does angler pressure preclude catching fish? No, it does not! Similarly,do I think that creating an elitist NZ fishery will make fishing moreenjoyable, or improve the ‘quality’? No I do not!One of the greatest lessons I have learnt on riverbanks is not to seeother anglers as a threat, but an opportunity. I try and make a point ofengaging with other anglers whenever possible, and to be as helpful as Ican. It has made fishing a far richer experience.All that having been said,one aspect of fishing that I agree does needurgent attention is the commercial guides.The rudest, most obnoxiousfishermen that I have ever met on the water, :Cont have been commercialguides with clients. Their behaviour, and their practice of buying accessto create private fisheries, needs addressing urgently.The egalitarian ethos and thus laws, are meant for NZ ’s society, i.e.Kiwis.





The Electric Blue BrownBack in October, I was out with a friend fishing the upper reaches of themajor tributary of a local river. We were in luck that it was a nice daywith little wind unlike last year (The Season From Hell). We spotted a fishsoon after getting to the river and I got first go. Several drifts withoutsuccess and the fish decided to sulk. There was another smaller fish justupstream and my friend hooked it on his second drift. Back down towhere my fish was and then below that. It wasn’t that big and we agreedit was probably foul hooked. Sure enough when the 4 pounder was in thenet, it had thrown the hook but was unlucky to have it hang up in itsbody.We fished for several hours sighting a few but not having any furthersuccess. It didn’t matter that it was early in the season, those big brownswere tough. At one point we were crossing the river when my friendwent down and found that his waders would leak in the big hole at thetop. While he dried off I looked upstream and found a fish feeding on thefar side. I returned to wait for him to get sorted and then waded across.snuck up behind the fish, dropped a good cast only to blow the strikeand have it scoot off.By now we are approaching the end of our day and hoping for anotheropportunity. We got it on a hole with two fish feeding. We were gettingready to fish for the downstream fish when it moved up parallel to theother one but on the far side. It was my turn so I started casting to thefish closest to our side of the river. It took several drifts and a couple ofchanges of fly but it finally took. LIFT! YIKES!! it took off like it had abottle rocket up its nether regions. I have no idea how I got it stoppedbefore it went shooting down out of the hole. As it was the rest of thestruggle took place at the edge of the outflow. I was concentrating sohard on handling the fish that all I kew was it was a good one but whenit finally went into the net I was flabbergasted at how fat it was. It has tobe the best conditioned brown I have ever landed. The numbers provedit. Only 58 cm (23”) long, it weighed 7 pounds!.

Prize in net.Then we saw just how beautiful it was with iridescent blue on its cheeks And even many of its scales winked electric blue.

It was an honour to return it to the water.The other fish? Oh yeah, my friend caught it and showed me how toproperly handle a big fish. His was 65 cm and 8 pounds. A very good fishbut even though mine weighed less, he said it was the better fish.

The first fishThe 16th of December, a day to remember. Fly fishing on the Peloruswith my Fishing Club Mentor Michael Stevenson.Three months ago I attended a casting clinic held by Tony Entwistle. Ihad been spin fishing and thought that was what I would be helped withbut O my surprise, there were only people wanting to perfect their flycasting. It was suggested to me to try one of the club spare rods, thatwas the beginning of a desire to learn this more demanding technique offishing.I have had the flies whizzing all around me in my attempts to gain somekind of cast that was able to catch a fish. Knots and tangles galore, onlya few that I was able to sort out. Thank goodness my mentor solvedthese tangles with amazing patience. As I practiced often during theweek on my own, more time was initially spent with tangles than actualcasting.Saturday would come around again and sleep on Friday night became fullof excitement and anxiety. Could I get good enough in my casting tocatch a fish? My not being able to hear properly meant Michael had totalk loudly and his efforts to get me to not drop my back cast made methink he often needed a Valium at the end of a day. I bet the fishwondered what was happening above the river. I reckon with all thefussing about, they responding by disappearing but all I wanted was toget good at casting. At that stage catching a fish was not that importantuntil about four weeks ago when I hooked two fish, not landing thembecause I automatically clamped down on the line. I had to train mymind to remember not only would I loose the fish but also the flies.It took three weeks of hooking two or three each time out to get it rightand then on the 16th I caught three lovely rainbow trout. The first wasonly 25 cm long but I was thrilled to break the jinx. Then to my joy I:cont

hooked another fish on my next cast and it was just over three and a halfpounds! The last one was about 30 cm but Michael didn’t catch any(probably because he spent so much time helping me). I feel so proudand am thankful that with Michael’s guidance I was able to finally land atrout on a fly rod.My thanks to My mentor whose patience and instructions wereunending. His favourite saying seemed to be, “Why did you do that whenI told you not to?” Yes Michael, I finally listened and learnt.Mary Boland Well done Andrew ,Great Job

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