Xmas gift guide

Nick jones falls down the proverbial slippery slope.

Recently, i found myself in the gaping chasm that one inadvertently falls into while scrolling social media on the couch at the end of a long day. In this dark place, there was no shortage of naysayers casting recreational anglers as sadists, scumbags, and even murderers.

I received a phone call from the team at shimano: “would you like to go surfcasting with chad prentice and damien sinclair in the far north and test some new product?”

It is the time of the year that gamefisher across the new zealand look forward to all winter long- the warm water is making its way towards the country, bringing with it the annual pelagic visitors to our shore that many anglers regard as their favourite fish to target: marlin

Many people are surprised to learn i’m happy to use softbaits in 40-50 metres. Indeed, i’ll even fish them in depths over 70 metres if necessary – and have often done very well, too!

Three diverse groups have joined forces to fight against bottom trawling in new zealand waters – and they’re doing it with a chopping board made from fishing nets and postconsumer packaging and plastics.

Team red snappers – garry townley, neil lunt, greg and matt bell were the champion team in the recent nz fishing news hosted 19th vava’u international, with matt taking out individual line honours.

The blue marlin that travelled the furthest as part of the igfa’s great marlin race covered an impressive straight-line distance of 4,149 nautical miles from the united states’ east coast to waters off brazil.

Ultima’s new 3.0 electric outboard comes with an even more powerful battery, giving an impressive, almost 50% increase in range.

Spinlock’s new deckvest nemo+ is a combination lifejacket and deck harness designed specifically to keep younger crew members safe and comfortable on the water.

‘I never win anything’ was nineyear-old toby barry’s lament, until he was told he was now the proud owner of the nz fishing news 2023 mercury take a kid fishing (takf) boat prize.

Coastguard is the charity that helps keep kiwis safer on the water – whatever your waka. They are the only marine search-and-rescue organisation in new zealand delivering vital lifesaving services.

The freshwater fishing season began on october 1, and included in the license categories is one for designated waters.

When te aroha’s hazelton family learned they had won the 2022-23 export nz fishing competition’s prize boat, they were excited on a number of fronts.

The Export NZ Fishing Competition Update. As we sail through December and towards the end of another year, longer days with warmer weather provide great angling opportunities. However, the morning missions can sometimes be hamstrung by the end-of-year functions and late-night Christmas shopping!

It was a bucket list trip of a lifetime – heading to canada to fish for salmon, halibut and sturgeon – that got off to a less than auspicious start.

When a recently returned friend from canada offered us some halibut for our dinner, i jumped at the chance to reunite my taste buds with this piscatorial delight. While halibut look like our flounder on steroids, the flesh although very white is quite different in texture – somewhere between snapper and kingfish. And like kingfish, it is best not over-cooked. It is a firm flesh which makes it ideal for dicing up for curries and cut into even smaller pieces for the dumpling/ m

Serves 4

Makes 24

Cooking with cobb

The kai ika project is a non-profit initiative bringing communities together to share previously underutilised fish parts, to reduce waste and feed the community while conserving fish for future generations.

Nose to tail recipes

Recipe by: chris scott

The goal of marine protection is to help enhance and protect ecosystems for future generations. Our children’s children deserve to enjoy an abundant and diverse hauraki gulf.

A battle is being fought between prioritising the health of the hauraki gulf marine park for future generations, and degrading the seafloor for short term gain of commercial interests.

People are a vital part of the marine ecosystem. We can influence changes in both positive and negative ways. conventional marine protection separates us from the environment, creating a disconnect between people and conservation efforts.

Fishing can represent many things to different people: a chance to escape the pressures of life; a way of enjoying quality time with friends and family; a never-ending pursuit of the next trophy fish; or a craft in a constant state of evolution and improvement.

A couple of years ago i made good on my long-term escape plan, selling up and moving out of auckland, semi-retiring and settling in a coastal township further north. After thirty years based in the big smoke, i had had enough of the stresses of an increasingly sprawling, overcrowded, unliveable city. I married my longtime partner and we are loving living in a small town with its slower pace of life. I can launch my modest tinny a few minutes from home and have good, handy fis

@Sam_boothroyd

A’20-pounder’ is considered the benchmark as far as snapper fishing goes and like many others, it had been a goal of mine to one day join the club. Previously, i had been close with a few models in the ‘high teens’ but hadn’t quite cracked the 20-pound mark despite many years of trying.

Unlike most other pacific islands, niue rises from the deep blue sea like a calcified mushroom with a green jungle topping. It has just a few delightful small coral beaches and a narrow band of reefs.

Recently, while looking for some new trout water near alexandra i found myself parking up at the end of graveyard gully road. Yes, there is a small historic graveyard named pioneer cemetery located here, and yes, it sits in a gully that runs down to the manuherikia river. From here i walked down a boundary fence which gave me access to the river. The rocky knobby range towered behind me.

While you might not call it quite a ‘midlife crisis’, after 12 years working in the horticultural industry, bay of plenty’s ryan hampton started looking for options more in line with his passion – fishing.

■ new zeland fishing news

The well-established penn brand is synonymous with quality fishing tackle, so i jumped at the opportunity to give their mid-range fathom ii jig set a hoon.

Downriggers are one of the most versatile but underutilised bits of kit available to recreational fishers.

The two downriggers i am most familiar with are the scotty electric 1101 depthpower and the manual scotty compact 1060.

Having run charter boats specialising in slowjigging around the hauraki gulf for more than six years, it’s not often i come across a new lure design that gets me excited. Enter the hayabusa jack eye kunekune. The name may be a bit of a mouthful for human beings, but these lures have no problem ending up in the gobs of fish.

New zealand fishing news

Greg@troppofishing.com

Paulpasisicharters@gmail.com

Whether you catch fish for a feed or buy it from your local market or fish and chip shop, there’s one thing that’s clear – we all want to know that our seafood comes from healthy fisheries that will continue to provide delicious kaimoana for future generations.

Archer franklin (7) caught his biggest snapper (65cm) in the hauraki gulf over the school holidays. A huge moment for archer, who lives and breathes all things fishing.

We had been threatening to go for a late afternoon strayline for some months, my neighbour phil and i, and were waiting for the right opportunity.

Find all 7 freddies hidden in this issue! Scan the qr code to submit your entry. November issue closes on december 31, 2023. The first correct entry drawn will win a 6-month print subscription.