7 From the Helm

Nick Jones bids a fond farewell to a stalwart captain of the journalistic seas.

8 An Interview with an Editor

We interview the retiring Grant Dixon about fishing and… you guessed it, editing a fishing magazine!

18 El Niño Summer

Musings from Sam Mossman about the angling implications of this season’s climate pattern.

26 Marlin DIY (Part 2)

Stickface wizard Ben Brown continues to chronicle his spells for us.

34 News

Catch up on all the latest happenings in the watery realm.

52 Science

Marine ecologist Irene Middleton exposes the rare tropical and subtropical vagrants to our shores, including some new-to-NZ species.

60 Export Spot X (Part 1): The Hauraki Gulf

The first instalment of Export’s Spot X series is a crash course on the fishing playground that is the Hauraki Gulf.

70 Export Comp Update

Find out who’s leading the charge in NZ’s best free online fishing competition.

74 Knife Tips

How to get the most out of your blade, courtesy of our mates at Victory Knives.

78 Recipes

Seafood recipes to impress your tastebuds (or the guests at your next ostentatious dinner party).

82 LegaSea Update

Our good friends at LegaSea cover the latest fisheries management issues.

84 Fair Chase

Greg Morton discusses fishing with baitcasters for trout.

86 Destination Whakatāne

Experienced angler Chris Firkin showcases the opportunities available from his home fishing port.

94 Canada: An Offshore Adventure (Part 2)

Grant Dixon wrangles monster sturgeon on the other side of the world.

100 Soft on Kings

Veteran softbaiter Mark Kitteridge covers kingfish.

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106 Off the Sand at Muriwai

The surfcaster and kontiki one-two punch bears fruit for Jason Neute out west.

112 Spearfishing Fiji

YouTube sealebrity spearo Ollie Craig ventures to the tropics.

118 Blokes & Boats

We cover Josh Darby and his new lure fishing weapon – a Kingfisher 570 Powercat.

126 Boat Review

Grant Dixon checks out the new Buccaneer Six Fifteen hardtop.

134 NZFN Project Boat: The Engine

Nick Jones extols the virtues of the Yamaha F250 DES and Helm Master EX aboard the NZ Fishing News ride.

136 Product Reviews

Starting on page 136, we review the YGK Co., Ltd XBraid range, Halco Madeyes softbaits, and the Fishes of Aotearoa book.

144 Ministry Notebook

An update from the Ministry that oversees our salty resources.

146 Around the Traps

Get the latest info from around the recreational fishing industry.

152 New Toys

Check out the latest fishing bling… go on, treat yo’self!

154 Little Sprats

A fun fishing fable for the wee ones from writer Mary-anne Scott and illustrator Lisa Allen.

158 One Last Cast

Grant Dixon’s valedictory op-ed.

What holiday fishing is all about! Luke Beesley and James Arkell proudly show off their impressive snapper catch before it was released. Photo: Alistair Arkell.