Club Night : May 18th - May 2021 - Canterbury Anglers Club
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May 2021
Established in 1949
NZ Registered Magazine
Canterbury Anglers’ Club (Inc.)
PO Box 16-778 Hornby
CHRISTCHURCH 8441
Club Night : May 18th
1
Canterbury Anglers Club Inc.
Executive
President Andrew Wells 021 771-600
Vice President Dave Sherriff (03) 337 2657
Secretary Liz McDowell (03) 355-7709
Treasurer Barry Swaney (03) 310-6834
Immediate Past President Ian Joseph 021 259-4042
Committee
Fred van
(03) 358-2223 Graham Cargill (03) 358-2129
Slooten
Bill Bennett (03) 356-3461 Chrissy Ormandy 027 337 0070
Dave Sherriff (03) 337 2657 Mark Taylor (03) 359-3442
Garry Hill 027 4177958 Gary Batchelor 021 0236-1004
Dave McDowell (03) 355-7709
Convenors
Activities Mark Taylor, Fred van Slooten Hut Bookings Yvonne and Graham Cargill
Building Dave Sherriff, Chrissy Ormandy Magazine Editor Garry Hill
Club Archives Fred van Slooten Membership Dave Sherriff, Andrew Wells
Club night Bill Bennett Trophies Gary Batchelor
Fish of the Month Garry Hill Welfare Officer Graham Cargill
Out of committee convenors
Life Members
Alan Lynn Bryan Coulter Graham Cargill Ken Twyman Len Isitt
Richard Marles Ted Gilliver
General club meetings: 7.30 pm on 3rd Tuesday of each month except December & January
Meeting venue: Waimairi Lions Club, 338 Avonhead Road, Avonhead, Christchurch 8042 (the cricket club/
tennis club entrance).
Committee meetings: The Committee meets on the Tuesday following the Club Meeting at the community room at
Avon Life Care facility on Stanmore Road. There is also a Committee meeting on the last Tuesday in January.
Club Trips, Events
Trip Based at Date Convenor
Sea Fishing Dive Club Kaikoura 7th - 9th May 2021 Mark Taylor
Alf Palmer Brass Monkey Lake Benmore 5th—7th June 2021 Mark Taylor
Floundering Weekend Duvauchelle 2nd—4th July 2021 Peter Collins
Brass Monkey Lake Coleridge August 2021 Mark Taylor
??????? September 2021 Mark Taylor
Richard Marles Benmore / Aviemore 1st, 2nd, 3rd October 2021 Mark Taylor
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The (Anglers’) Angle May 2021
The Official newsletter of The Canterbury Anglers’ Club (Inc.)
Index President’s Report
Club Trips & Activities 4 Well that was the summer season over and done with. I finished the
Club Night, Committee Meeting 5 season with a long walk up a high country river – 14.5 km, some
Lake Brunner Fishing Trip 6
Programme Eel 7 18500 steps and all I have to show for it was a blister and no fish to
Stand Up & be Counted: Facebook Sign up 8 the net. All bar two fish totally ignored our offerings or took off after
Men are Just Happy People 9 a false move. They might not have had a horde of overseas anglers
Pete’s Time Warp 10
Recipe Corner : Zman Softbaits 11 chasing them, but they sure as anything saw a ton of Kiwi Anglers
The Art of Softbaiting 12 this season. The closest I came to catching a fish on the last weekend
The Mother of all River Clean ups Saturday 8th May 13 was a fish that rose to take my nymphing indicator – should have
Club Trophy Focus 14
Club Trophies, Hut Fees, Hut Rules 15
used a large dry instead I guess.
Fish of the Month Entry Form, Sea Perch 16
I attended the public session of our local F&G Council meeting two
weeks ago and came away full of admiration for the work done by
Editors bit council since they were elected in 2018. The strict measures put in
place by the management team, have resulted in the bank balance
Oh dear, I wonder how many calories there are in a HUGE
being much healthier than a year ago. Several initiatives are under-
helping of humble pie? Clearly my recall from my previous
Editor’s Bit was not quite as clear as I thought. Thanks to way to enhance salmon spawning, as well as a review of ranging ac-
the many members who pointed out the error of my ways tivities and the usual environmental battles. At a regional level, li-
at the last club meeting! At least I can assure myself that cense sales are up on budget (114%), and this also holds true across
some are reading my articles!? Of course the meeting was all NZ regions. Hopefully, this will result in more junior anglers and
held at Malcolm Bell’s house, The Complete Angler not at
returning anglers staying with the sport. That was one point in the
the Fisherman’s Loft. I do apologise if I have upset anyone
with my gaff, but there it is. recently released Fish and Game review.
The committee still grapples with the age old mystery of So – about that elephant in the room… Like many, I read the media
why people individually join and enjoy being a part of our beat-up of the Fish and Game review as I downed a morning coffee
club? The club trips are an excellent opportunity of getting last week. It left me with more questions than answers, some of
out and experiencing different sorts of fishing with a really
which were answered by a friend on a F&G Council – not North Can-
good cross section of club members. Mark Taylor puts an
enormous amount of effort into organising these trips and terbury or CSI I hasten to add. I found a copy of the report 2 days
has done so for many years. ago, and it makes for an interesting read which answered all my
questions. Is the review good or bad you are asking? I do not wish to
Speaking of folks who have put in many years of work
behind the scenes, as I look around at meetings, I listen comment but will let you make your own mind up. You can down-
and observe these people, some still working, some not load the report from here: Final report of Fish and Game NZ.pdf. We
and wonder at how lucky we are as a club to have these have Rasmus Gabrielsson the CEO of North Canterbury Fish and
people doing good stuff for us all. I’m from the school of Game coming to our next club night, and hopefully we can persuade
what you put in you get back and so it is with our club.
him to give us a bullet point session on the review.
How about you!? Don’t be shy, what with the AGM on the
horizon, have a wee think about stepping up and putting a Remember that the club AGM is around the corner, and we are look-
bit more into your club. It all comes around! ing for new blood to join the committee. No one on committee is
Even if it is that you have been sitting on a good idea, getting any younger with all of us well past the big 50, and we would
speak up, share and make our club a better place . welcome some new members. Please have a think about giving back
to the club.
Garry Hill See you next week at club night.
Editor
Andrew Wells
President
Next club meeting: Canterbury Anglers Club
Tuesday 18th May 2021 at 1930hrs. Closing date for articles and info in the next issue:
1st of June 2021
COVID-19 level 2 Rules.
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Club Trips & Activities
Club night program February
May – Rasmuss Gabrielson the head of Fish & Game here in Canterbury is going to come along to our May meeting. This will be
an evening with a difference. We are going to give Rasmuss a list of questions and we’d invite you to submit any questions
you’d like him to respond to via Andrew Wells—come along and hear what he has to say.
June— Our speaker from last month IVAN Wilson will be here to inform and entertain us on fishing matters from the West
Coast. Bill Bennett
Club Trips
May 2021
A sea fishing trip to Kaikoura staying at the Dive Club. 7th—9th May. Cost is $75 for the two night’s accommodation. Planning on
doing fish and chips on the Friday night and a hotel meal to watch the rugby, on Saturday night. We have room for at least
two more people to join us on this sea fishing trip. Dust off your sea fishing tackle and put your name forward to book a spot.
We’ve already got a number of boats registered to go with various skippers so there’ll be plenty of spaces for a ride and even
more competition for catches of note!
June 2021
Alf Palmer Brass Monkey, Queens Birthday Weekend at Lake Benmore and surrounds 5th,6th and 7th June 2021 Based at
Otematata. This weekend is our biggest fishing weekend for the club, fishing against several fishing clubs from Christchurch.
I have booked accommodation at the Lodge at $30 a night. Bring sleeping bag and pillow etc, Food for your Breakfast and lunches
and we will have meal at the Club and a meal at the Pub on Saturday night.
15 people have put their names down and we have 6 boats going as well. Plenty of room to go on a boat with various skippers.
If interested Please put your name in the events book or ring me 0211254242
July 2021
Flounder weekend at Duvauchelle 2nd—4th July. Accommodation will be at the Duvauchelle Camping ground. This is a really
social weekend with quite a haul of fresh Flounder to take home and filleting classes for those who want to know. Pete Collins is
the master of ceremonies. At the moment I have 10 names of people who have shown interest to go for the weekend.
August
Brass Monkey Lake Coleridge Competition with some fishing clubs from Christchurch
September ?????
October Richard Marles weekend at Lakes Benmore & Aviemore on weekend of 1st, 2nd, 3rd October 2021.
Fish of the Month
We had a number of good entries for Fish of the Month this month which is great stuff! We hear tales of monster fish being
caught at favourite angling spots but these same people who entertain us endlessly with their fishing prowess but no entries!??
This month’s winner of the FOM award is Andy Sheppard at Lake Sheppard – 5lb rainbow
Some discussion took place at the committee meeting about how to encourage people to enter into the Fish of the month – we
didn’t really come to any conclusions but some new ideas might be tried. One for the best fish for a first timer and one for the
actual best fish even if you have won before.
Garry Hill
New Canterbury Angler’s Club Members
New members –
For the first time in a very long time, we have no new members to welcome this month.
It is with regret that we accept the resignation of Gerald Frengley—tight lines Gerald
If you know of anyone who may want to come to a club meeting, even for a look-see, they’ll be made very welcome!
Dave Sherriff 4
April Club Night
Our April Club night was not off to a very good start when it was revealed that our guest speaker had failed to materialise
because of a misunderstanding with reference to dates—a little far for him to race over from the Coast when the mistake was
discovered! Bill Bennett in characteristic fashion laid the foundations for another thoroughly entertaining evening where a
number of our members told of their fishing exploits from the past month or so. We really do have a wealth of knowledge with in
our ranks and prompted to do so, some people stand and entertain and inform at the same time.
It really was an interesting evening and just grand to listen to those around with so much knowledge which they’re happy to
share.
Bill Bennett
Committee Meeting
We had a really good turnout of committee members attending the meeting held at Avon Life Care on Stanmore Road. The usual
matters of business were taken care of including the financials of the club well presented as usual by Barry Swaney.
Conversation took place about the Cass Hut yet again.
Fred has installed an led light and will present us with an account. The stove is being looked at as being in need of being
replaced because it is dated and difficult to fix.
Barry suggested that we have a working bee at Cass to tidy the section up and replace lost / damaged “tent tops” off the septic
tank.
There is a new insect screen on the front door – thanks to Garry Atkins.
Barry wants to remove the fence near the swamp area so he can run some more livestock and build a new fence in a different
spot – we may have to pay for some of this. Winter closedown is being put in place in preparation for the cold weather to come.
There are no smoke alarms. We’ll need to purchase and install these.
Rakaia: Concern about how this Lodge is not attracting any club members to stay because of the sad state of the fishery. There
was interest in a person outside the club who wanted to rent it for a number of months, however it was too long a drive for him..
Bill is going down to Rakaia with a carpet layer to put the carpet down. That will tidy things up nicely.
Clearwater – The facing timber of the deck is peeling away from the deck and needs to be fixed. Combination has not been
changed yet. Some things seem to be missing from the kitchen. Black polythene on the tank needs replacing. The McDowell’s are
going up to turn off the water and do some of the small jobs.
Trophy information & rules were talked about by Gary, Andrew, Liz and Garry at a meeting. They set out a number of changes.
Some of the trophies needed a bit better definition of the criteria for these trophies. We want to eliminate the Conservation Cup.
Alf Palmer winners were ring fenced so as to give a better spread of availability of members to win trophies. We also need to look
at the gender bias and the relevance of some of the trophies. This needs a resolution at the AGM. Food for thought indeed.
Welfare:
Barry has been to see Len Isitt– he seems a bit brighter and is eating again. For anyone who wants to pop in to see Len, he in Apt
40 at Park Lane Retirement Village on Whiteleigh Avenue.
Liz and Graham have both talked to Richard Marles and he seemed good – going up to Cass with Andrew.
Graham also saw Heather Pierce who is recovering by incremental steps.
Andrew went to the Fish & Game meeting last month – they kicked the visitors out for most of the good parts!!! No stocking of
the high country lakes – Fish & Game think that the best use of their money would be to purchase some land in the high country
and use it as a spawning area. They seem to have quite a lot of money. With this in mind, perhaps a few well thought out ques-
tions for Rasmuss at our next meeting would offer insights to what they are doing with your money..
Liz McDowell
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BRUNNER APRIL 2021
Lake Brunner was decided upon for our April trip partly because an associated Club was running the “Jack Elcock Memorial” fishing
competition. The Hornby Club run this annually and open it to all the other Christchurch Fishing Clubs but also - why not go to the
mighty West Coast for a weekend?
Her Indoors informed me that the weather forecast was as bad as you could get – BUT – until you get there you never know. Work
commitments meant a later start from Christchurch and an afternoon fish was unlikely. On arriving, our accommodation was checked
out, and we could plainly see the rest of the group were out on the lake in very calm conditions. Heading down to the Registration
Centre to register with the Hornby Club we met a huge contingent of supporting fisherfolk from the Papanui – Woolston – Brighton –
Kaiapoi – Ferrymead Clubs. After socialising with all the members we headed back to our house for a meal ………. surprise, surprise, we
found it had started to rain! During tea the rain firmed up, and during the night it bucketed down.
Saturday dawned with intermittent rain, and no sight of the hills. We were joined on our boat by a fly fisherman (Craig Rome) who, due
to both the weather looking dubious (and his crew still in the sack), accepted our offer to take him boat trolling. Almost all boats were
on the water by 7.30 to 8.00, with their sun tops acting as rain tops. Out on the water
there is plenty of time to discuss all things fishing - including when a fish was caught on a
treble hook, why we as a Club encourage people to change to single hooks. One in the bin.
Whilst fishing on Lake Brunner gets harder as more people fish it, enough were brought to
the boat to keep the interest up. Coming to the end of the day with 15 minutes left, it was
suggested that the next fish caught could very well be the competition winner – AND at
that same time our skipper (who was very light on fish caught) yelled “fish on”. Indeed this
giant brown trout went on to clean up the competition.
Photos courtesy of Craig Rome and trophy courtesy of the Hornby Club.
Putting the boat on the trailer we realised just how wet the gear, the boat, and the fisher-
men were – but not a complaint was heard. While the rain fell it was still quite warm and our saturated clothing did not worry us. An
enjoyable evening at prize giving, with a meal following at the hotel, went so quickly that we missed the televised rugby game.
Walked home IN THE RAIN!!
Sunday dawned the same as Saturday but our skipper, buoyed up with winning the trophy, said it would be churlish not to go back out
– and anyway everything was already wet. Whilst a few fish were enticed onto the boat the conditions were not all that favourable,
and we had to be back at the house by 11.00 to check out.
Nine people went to Brunner and the weather had NO effect on the proceedings as a great time was had by all. Our thanks go to Mark
Taylor for organising yet another brilliant trip, - coming so soon after our week long trip to D’Urville Island.
To say it AGAIN, if you can get away for a weekend and you enjoy reading
the trip reports, put your name down - and come along! ALL members are
welcome on trips. Positions on boats are included.
Gary Batchelor
6
Programme helps eels make 5000km journey to breed
Otago Daily Times
By:Kerrie Waterworth
Catching slimy longfin eels slithering in the bottom of a boat and bag-
ging them is the hardest part of Contact Energy eel fisherman Tony
Hishon's job.
Since December Hishon, of Te Anau, and fellow eel fisherman Chris
Ramage, of Invercargill, have spent 40 days on lakes Wakatipu,
Hawea and Wānaka, trapping and transferring large longfin eels
wanting to leave the lakes for the Clutha River and eventually out to
sea to breed.
Hishon used to be a commercial fisherman but now operates an elec-
trical business in Te Anau.
Four seasons ago he was approached by Contact Energy to take over
its eel trapping and transfer programme and last season he was joined by Ramage.
"I suppose you could call it mitigation work," Hishon said.
“The eels that we catch in these lakes for transfer could be up to maybe 100 years old and in that time the Roxburgh Dam has been
built, so instead of migrating out to sea they would get chopped up by the dam turbines.”
The eels travel 5000km to breed in a region of the Pacific known as the Tonga Trench, between Fiji and New Caledonia, before they
die.
The larvae reach New Zealand by drifting on ocean currents and change into the more familiar eel shape before they enter fresh water.
Contact Energy eel fisherman Tony Hishon helps longfin eels make the 5000km journey from the Southern Lakes to the Tonga Trench.
Contact Energy's Head of Hydro Generation Boyd Brinsdon said the juvenile tuna arrived at the face of the Roxburgh Dam during the
summer months and were safely transported upstream, beyond the dam to parts of the upper catchment under a release plan
prepared in consultation with stakeholders including Ngāi Tahu, commercial fishing interests and the Department of Conservation.
He said the downstream passage of adult and migrant eel was helped by Hishon, who set around 800 nets across the Clutha's
headwater lakes and rivers to capture eels from December to March.
Any eels over 4kg in weight and ready to spawn and migrate were re-
leased at several locations below the Roxburgh Dam to continue their
natural life cycle and return to the sea to breed, he said.
In the 2020 season Hishon caught nearly 500 large migrating eels across
the three lakes.. https://advertising.nzme.co.nz/
After finishing this season on Lake Wanaka, he said it would probably be
closer to 400 caught and transferred this year.
"Every day is different. Some days you get nothing but a good catch is
between seven to eight eels in a net.
“One day we caught 45 eels, each one was about 6.5kg and the biggest
was 10kg.”
Hishon said it was very hard to get photographic proof of the size of the
eels as they were always moving and never lay straight.
Tony Hishon (left) and Chris Ramage have spent 40 days trapping and
transferring eels on Lakes Wakatipu, Hawea and Wānaka.
Photos / Kerrie Waterworth
He said there was often a "bit of a mess" in the boat when both he and Ramage had to catch the
eels to put them in a bag for weighing before they were transferred to a holding tank on shore.
New Zealand's longfin eels have been classified as "at-risk declining" by the New Zealand Threat
Classification System, and faced pressures from ongoing habitat loss, commercial fishing, mi-
gration barriers and mortality at hydro-structures.
Research carried out by Te Wai Māori Trust and Niwa found climate change could potentially
compound the impacts already being experienced by all of New Zealand's freshwater taonga
species.
Brinsdon said the dams were built by the Government of the day without providing for native
fish passage, and "we can't undo history".
However, Contact had a great programme (and) 'over time we hope to see the numbers of eel in
the upper parts of the river increase", Brinsdon said.
7
Step by Step Guide to Joining Facebook 3. There should now be Canterbury
Anglers Club (has a goldfish face)
Facebook For Canterbury Anglers Club Private
Group
1. Go to your Facebook and search Canterbury
Anglers Club in Search Facebook top left-hand
corner
4. Click on the friend request button.
Once approved you will get an invita-
tion to join The Canterbury Anglers
Club private group. Click accept.
All posts, pictures, messages and notifi-
cations will be done via this page and
can be seen by members only.
2. When results come up ensure you select the
People tab or you won’t find us. Tabs are along Chrissy Ormandy
the top if you are searching on your cell phone.
Stand up, be Counted and make a Positive Difference!
In last month’s President’s Report, Andrew made reference to getting some new “blood” for the committee.
With the AGM rapidly advancing upon us, it really is time to give serious consideration to making a positive contribution to the
Canterbury Angler’s Club by way of putting yourself forward or convincing a person who you think has some great ideas to allow
themselves to be nominated to be a part of the next committee.
From a personal perspective I’ve found the experience of being a part of the committee to be very rewarding and the interaction
between all the members is extremely satisfying. Please give it some serious thought and be even more a part of our club.
Would you believe my neighbour was knocking on my door at 2.30am this morning???
Luckily, I was still up playing my bagpipes!
8
MEN ARE JUST HAPPY PEOPLE
This needs no explanation - and is a fun read, no matter your gender.
“Men Are Just Happier People! “ What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all
yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white
T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this
one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress
- $5,000. Tux rental—$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds -- flat. You
know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your
underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face
and neck. You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes - one colour for all seasons. You can wear shorts
no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache. You can do Christmas
shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes. No wonder men are happier!
NICKNAME If Laura, Kate, and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah. If Mike, Dave and John go
out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba, and Wild man.
EATING OUT When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them
will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their bill, outcome the pocket
calculators.
MONEY A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these
items.
ARGUMENTS A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
MARRIAGE A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she
won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get
the mail. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
OFFSPRING Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best
friends, favourite foods, secret fears, and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY. A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!
So, share this with the women who have a sense of humour .... and to the men who will enjoy reading.
Thanks to Tony Hallams for sharing his insights!
9
From Peter’s Archive of Newspaper Articles from waaaay back when …..
At our latest Club meeting Pete Dwight brought in these
newspaper clips to show us all. I think that it’s well
worth sharing the perspective of long ago.
There’s Pete with his winning catch—I’m sure that
everyone will recognise him ….. Perhaps add a beard?
Can't resist a Rainbow over the
launching ramp at Lake Brunner.
10Recipe Corner
Crispy Parrot Fish
• For the Fish:
• 5-6 pieces of parrot fish
• 1 piece of ginger shredded
• 4 garlic cloves shredded
• 1 green baby chili mashed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cumin, curry, paprika, black pepper,
cardamom powder
• 1 flat tablespoon salt
• For Salad:
• 1 green part of a big fat spring onion
• 1 small red onion
• 3 red big tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon lemon
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Crispy Skin Parrot Fish—something a wee bit different • 1/3 teaspoon of each cumin and black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Mix the marinade into a paste, then apply inside the fish and in
incisions made in its body like ring marks and outside the fish’s body
after washing removing gills, innards, and draining the fish totally dry of
water in a strainer. Heat your oil to max temp and fry each side for 6
minutes then put fish on paper towels to drain extra oil.
• 2 mix all spices and liquids of the salad into a dressing and dress
these over the cubed vegetables and mix with dressing right before
serving.
3 plate the fish next to plain short rice and the salad.
Try this recipe as you’re bound to catch one of these off the coast of
Kaikoura on our fishing trip.
Here is just a small selection of
Zman softbaits as per the article
below. Many of them are scented
and all are very robust construction
making them extremely durable.
11The Art of Softbaiting
Softbaiting appeals to many anglers because it is like “hunting”. You aren’t sitting in one spot in the boat waiting for fish to come to
you, but actively drifting and working your softbaits over a reef, sandbank or even up in the super shallows. You are seeking out fish
and there is something about arriving to a remote bay or reef and quietly drifting in after killing the outboard and you make that first
cast. The twitch of the rod as you wind in the slack and work the lure along the bottom, often it gets smashed on the first cast. It is
rewarding when you land a solid fish that put up a good fight on the light softbait gear.
Softbaiting would be my favourite method when fishing off the boat, casting ahead of your drift and covering ground working your lure
back to the boat. The strike is often hard and brutal as the fish tend to be bigger that grab softies. I would argue this as bait fishing
attracts a lot of smaller, under-sized fish and you spend too much time unhooking and releasing these fish. While softbaits tend to
attract bigger fish that have honed their predatory skills to chase down bait fish, so a softbait looks like their quarry and they hit it
hard. Softbaits are effective at tricking snapper and all the other popular Godzone species such as kingfish, trevally, Kahawai, gurnard,
john dory and even blue cod.
Best Softbaits:
There are a few options available on the market now and I have tried them all, but my go-to softbaits that handsdown always out
performs all the rest is Zman.
Zman softbaits are tough and just seem to last forever, some days we only use one softbait the whole day and it is still in good
condition having caught plenty of fish. They also have a great range of styles and colours that seem to appeal to all our Godzone fish.
We all have our favourites but if you told me I was allowed just one type/ colour to take in the boat, it would have to be the Atomic
Sunrise 5” Jerkshadz. It never fails and has caught so many big snapper and kingfish on our trips. We all have our favourites and if we
catch a big fish or our limit on a certain colour, then of course we are going to pull it out on the next trip on the water.
Founder of Ocean Angler and local Godzone agent for Zman, Paul Senior has been impressed and grateful to Kiwi anglers who have
taken to using and supporting Zman for their softbailing with such passion. “I’m constantly amazed by the positive feedback and
photos of big fish that Zman softbaits produce. They offer great value for money and with so many colours, sizes and styles to use on
all the favourite Kiwi species.” Paul also advised they had input into the colours of the Bruised Banana and Atomic Sunrise which Zman
adopted for their worldwide sales and are now top sellers here in Godzone.
Deep Water:
Fishing in deeper water (over 20mtr) with softbaits means going up a size with jig heads. Softbaits swim better and look more natural
with less weight, so when fishing the shallows (under 15mtr) and casting using jig heads under 1/2oz, then this is fine. However, when
you move into deeper water then you need to use heavier jig heads from 5/8oz, 3/4oz and even 1oz to be able to reach the bottom.
Ocean Angler’s Light Bulb jig heads are also excellent and provide a high hook up rate. I also use these exclusively when softbaiting and
matched with Zmans, they are lethal. I often softbait at the Kaipara graveyard which has strong currents (over 4-6 knots) and we need
to add a ball sinker above the jig head to help reach the bottom. This handy trick works well and keeps the lure in the zone longer to
hook up on fish.
Fishing in deeper water using softbaits usually requires a drogue or sea anchor, so invest in one if you don’t own one. With current
and wind working against you drifting too quickly, you must slow your drift so deploy the drogue and always cast well ahead of the
boat. Keep an eye on your line as your softbait drops to the bottom as it will often get hit hard mid-water by fish.
Technique:
I have witnessed so many ways that anglers have hooked fish using softbaits, some on the drop, most fished hard on the bottom,
others when just left in the rod holder as we drifted along! I prefer to get down on the bottom and steadily move the lure back,
jerking and twitching the line occasionally, sometimes stopping. You try everything some days to see what works best. If the bottom is
sandy or muddy, you can slow your retrieve right down as risk of getting snagged is low. However, if you are fishing over reefy or rocky
terrain, then you will need to move the lire quicker to keep from getting snagged and breaking off. It can be trial and error until you
figure it out, but the most important thing to remember is don’t stop casting! You are going to need to cast all day sometimes, you
won’t be sitting down and the more you cast and the more ground you cover, the more strokes and fish you will put in the bin.
Softbaiting is an active, non-stop style of fishing and it does become an artform for avid anglers. You will develop better skills as a
fisher if you can master “the art of softbaiting”. It is an enormously satisfying day when you take people out who haven’t tried it and
you come back to the boat ramp with a bin full of fish and see the smiles on their faces, you know they have been converted to the
softbait way.
Thanks to Matt Hewetson of Fishing in Godzone for his thoughts on Softbaiting.
12The Mother of All River Clean Ups!: Saturday 8th May
You may have heard of this event – indeed some of you have participated in the past. The Mother of All River Clean Ups is a
community based event to remove all manner of litter from the Avon and Heathcote River banks through our fine city, and is
YOUR CHANCE to give something back.
The event this year is the day before Mother’s Day, Saturday the 8th of May. If you want to help with your local event keep an eye
on your local Facebook groups or the website https://www.ohrn.nz/events-river-news/mother-of-all-clean-ups for more info.
Each local group sets its own timetable for their section of the river to be cleaned up.
In the past, the team running the event on the section of the river in Ferrymead (Forest and Bird) have struggled for numbers, so
you could throw your effort in behind them. They meet at 9:30am off Ferrymead Park Drive and the meeting site is sign posted from
Bridle Path Road.
General rules for anyone helping is to wear sturdy shoes and bring gloves and a fork or similar.
The Ferrymead event finishes by 12:00 noon if not earlier, and you are welcome to come to Cassel’s at the Tannery for a ‘thank you’
barbeque after the clean-up. The barbeque is sponsored by Cassel’s and is located in the back of the Tannery on the river side.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information.
Regards,
Andrew Wells
13I spent the weekend down at Omarama. In the lakes I landed 8 fish, plus I
got broken off by two hard hitting rainbows and had a hook straightened
by another. All fish were over 3 lbs, four were over 4 lbs. And the best
was 5 lbs (photo attached on the left - he was kept).
All caught on a floating line from the shore in about a metre or so of wa-
ter, using Rex's dragon fly nymph, during "office hours" (10.30 - 3 pm). I
never had to wade past knee depth.
The 5 lb fish was 55 cm long and had an ungutted girth of 28 cm.. He was
full of small snails. All the fish were rainbows.
Cheers
Rex
Club Trophy Focus
ANNIVERSARY TROPHY
Photography Competition Rules
1. All entrants must be current financial members
of the Canterbury Anglers Club (Inc)
2. All photographs must be taken within the
period of the competition, being 1st May to 31st
April each year.
3. All photographs must be colour prints of
approximately 150mm x 100mm in size.
4. All photographs are to be dated and to be
accompanied by an adequate description,
including a signed statement giving details as to
when, and by whom, the photograph was
taken, and what camera was used.
5. All photographs must be submitted to a Com-
mittee member as soon as possible, but no later
than the 31sy May.
6. Photographs entered will become the property
of the C.A.C., and may be added to the Club
albums, used in Club promotions, or returned to
the photographer, at the discretion of the Com-
mittee.
7. A photographic adviser appointed from time to
time by the Committee shall decide the award.
These outlined rules for this trophy are dated and
will be revised to reflect the day of the
digital camera and cell phone camera.
14Club Trophies
The annual trophies competed for by financial Club Members are:
Adams Brown Rooster The heaviest fish caught by a junior, on a club trip
Anniversary Trophy The best photograph taken by or of a club member (see convenor for full rules)
Ashby Berg Cup The best conditioned rainbow trout, caught by a male member
Benmore Trophy The best-conditioned fish caught on the Alf Palmer Memorial Trip
Bryan Coulter Trophy The heaviest fish on rod & line, on a Club Boat Trip
Canal Trophy The heaviest fish caught in the Waitaki Hydro Canals
Coleridge Brass Monkey Trophy The heaviest fish caught during the Coleridge Brass Monkey Competition
Conservation Cup For conserving the fish population on the Alf Palmer Memorial Trip
C.R.Ogier Cup The heaviest salmon caught by a club member
Cromb & Merritt Shield The best conditioned brown trout, caught by a male member
D.C.Wilson Shield The heaviest fish caught in surf, on rod & line
Drewery Cup The heaviest trout caught by a club member
Fly Anglers Shore Trophy The heaviest fish caught by a shore based angler on a fly, on the Alf Palmer Memorial Trip
Junior Delegate’s Trophy The junior member who catches the heaviest trout, on Junior Day
Kevin Lynch Trophy The member of the Alf Palmer Memorial Trip Team, who caught most fish
Lady Isaac Trophy The heaviest Salmon caught at Rakaia whilst staying at the Don Brown Lodge
Marles Benmore Trophy The heaviest trout caught on the Alf Palmer Memorial Trip
NZ Farmers Cup The best-conditioned trout caught by a lady member
Richard Marles Challenge The most fish caught on the Richard Marles Challenge Weekend
P.G.Ellis Cup The best-conditioned trout caught by a junior member
Salt Water Lure Cup The heaviest fish caught on a fly, in the sea
Secretaries Trophy The heaviest rainbow trout caught by a club member
Spackman Cup The heaviest trout caught on a Club Trip
Hut Fees
Fees for the Club huts are as follows:
Members Flat rate: $20.00 per person per night if you are willing to share with other members. To book the facility
exclusively for yourself, or your group, then refer below. The rate for children is: Under 5 yrs. free, 5 -
18yrs. - $10 (accompanied and booked by a senior member)
Accompanied non-members As for club members
To book a hut for yourself: Clearwater and Cass = $50.00 per night (maximum)
Rakaia = $100.00 per night (maximum)
Caravans/campervans on site: Casual = $15.00 per night, plus $10.00 for each additional person
Long term = by arrangement with the Committee.
Hut Rules
1. Huts may only be booked by financial members of the club.
2. Bookings may be made, no more than 90 days in advance.
3. The Club member who makes the booking must be in residence when the hut is used and is responsible for the behavior of guests and any
damage, should any occur.
4. Only one hut booking can be made at any one time.
5. Any damage must be reported immediately.
6. Empty gas bottles must be returned to the booking convener for refilling.
7. At peak times – Christmas to 15th January and all long weekends hut bookings shall be considered exclusive, but will be subject to a ballot
if more than one party wants to book. The ballot shall be held 60 days prior to the occupancy date.
8. Through the balance of the year bookings shall be on a first come basis.
9. Bookings can only be for a maximum of seven days.
10. All hut users to take note of specific instructions on the safe use of equipment in the huts as detailed in the manuals provided in each
facility.
11. Intentions books are placed in each hut, please use them, it may save a life.
12. If the lawns need mowing when you are staying at any of our lodges, it is expected that you mow them. Fuel cost for the mower will be
reimbursed. The reward for mowing them is that you can shout yourself a beer when they are done.
15Application for Membership
Please tick the appropriate box:
Are you A new member Or An existing member
Type of membership (tick one) Fee: (All less $10.00 if paid prior to the 1st September)
Junior (under 16 years) $40.00
Intermediate senior (16 to 20) $45.00
Senior (over 20 ) $70.00
Family (principal adult/partner & dependant junior children $75.00
attending secondary school up to and incl. Yr. 13)
Magazines will be distributed by email, please confirm your email address below unless the following applies:
- Require magazine by mail as I do not have a broadband internet connection (tick the box)
- Require a hard copy of the magazine - $20.00 surcharge for this applies to the above subscription
(tick the box)
Name:
Address:
Post code:
Phone: Fax: Mobile:
Email ad-
dress:
Family members: (please list partner’s name, and dependant children’s name and D.O.B.)
Which of the following types of fishing do you do?
Trout - spinning Salmon - spinning Sea - boat
Trout - fly Salmon - lure Course fishing
Trout – trolling/ harling Surfcasting White baiting
Payments: Please return this form and remit with appropriate amount to the Treasurer at a club meeting, or post (cheque only) to:
Canterbury Anglers Club Inc., PO Box 16-778, Hornby, Christchurch 8441, or email to:
Direct credits can be made to: 11-7800-0048004-11. Please include your name for reference.
Don Brown Memorial
Lodge at South Rakaia.
Still available to all club
members to pop away
for a few restful days of
R & R in a peaceful place
where it is acknowl-
edged that Salmon have
been a tad scarce over
the past few seasons,
but to do a bit of surf
casting or just go for a
relaxing walk?
16Canterbury Anglers Club (Inc.)
Fish of the Month Competition Entry Form
Name: Date of catch:
Address:
Species caught:
Trout Salmon Other F/W
Brown trout Quinnat (Chinook) Perch
Rainbow trout Land-locked Tench
Brook trout Sockeye
Salt water
Details:
Location:
Club trip Angler signature:
Shore fishing
Boat fishing Witness signature:
Canal fishing
• FOM entries can be emailed directly from your phone to
• Download a copy of the FOM Entry from our Web Site onto your phone for ease of making an entry each month
• Entries for FOM must be in the hands of a committee member before or on Club night each month
• Entries for the current season close on the 3rd Tuesday in June
• Any individual can only win FOM once in each financial year
• All entries are potential Trophy winners even if they are not FOM winners for that month
Off on our Club trip up to Kaikoura on the week
end of 8th & 9th May.
Everyone going through will be looking to fill
their fish bins with Blue Cod, I’m sure.
This species however is sure to feature as well.
The act of pulling one (or two ) up from the
depths is always a bit of an anti-climax consider-
ing the work involved in reeling them in—nice
eating though!! Sea Perch / Maori Chief.
17You can also read
