I’ve just got back from a couple of days in Whangamata. We were joined on Thursday afternoon by a retired family friend who has just left the work force and was looking to learn how to spin fish. The plan was to fish for a couple of hours before dinner, follow with a meal of fish & chips and watch the local comedy shows on … Continue reading MUDFLAT MISHAP
Sometimes I just can’t be bothered to do the ‘best’ thing. I’d been thinking about trying a spot more live baiting for chub and perch but what with fiddling about catching and carrying baits and carting along an extra rod for bait-fishing I (lazily) opted for a spot of spinning. However, just to try something a bit different I thought I’d give an early morning … Continue reading CHANGING DOWN LURE SIZE – MIKE LADLE
Alan remembers an Autumn escape to Fiji back in 2011….. Our first stop after clearing customs at Nadi airport was the Radisson hotel on Denarau island. Despite the distance being a paltry 12.7 kilometres, it took 45 minutes to get to our accommodation due to the atrocious condition of the road and the inclement weather. The road was a sea of mud in places and … Continue reading SPIN FISHING IN FIJI
The last time we had a warm, settled summer and autumn the kahawai started to appear in the northern estuaries around the end of April. When you get gin clear water, a chilly start to the morning and the promise of a nice sunny day this is what will likely happen….. “The strident alarm clock broke the early morning silence at 6.00 am and I … Continue reading KAHAWAI MAYHEM AT DAWN
About 30 years ago Sam Mossman wrote a seminal book on angling in New Zealand called Saltwater Sportfishing (ISBN #0 7900 0095 4). It was a ground breaking book that was years ahead of its time. Many of the things Sam discussed, and the techniques he suggested, are now common place whereas back in the day they were considered radical and innovative. He was a … Continue reading SAM MOSSMAN – SPINNING WITH SOFT PLASTICS
“Author Tony Bishop” link: http://www.bishfish.co.nz/main/about.htm “Many years ago we stumbled across Tony Bishop’s book “Fishing Smarter for Trout” and were really impressed at the systematic and scientific way that he approached fly fishing. All of his books are written in the same thoughtful and easy to read style. One of the things that Tony highlighted in his subsequent books was the importance of knots. He … Continue reading HOW TO TIE FISHING KNOTS PROPERLY AND SECURELY
Stalking the flats – Part 4 – Lure size and general comments on lures Before embarking on a discussion about the types of lures suitable for estuarine spinning and how to use them, I’d like to briefly discuss lure size. Over the past twenty years I’ve used lures of various sizes in my favourite estuary and meticulously recorded success. Based on an analysis of the … Continue reading FLATS LURES – THE BASICS
Heres “Part Three” of Sam Mossman’s “Lures” There are many ways to fish a lure and many different types of retrieve which can be used Surface fishing Floating lures, either poppers or sliders, are used for this type of fishing. These lures have flat, angled or concave faces and create a disturbance when worked across the surface with sideways sweeps of the rod. The idea … Continue reading Sam Mossman – Lures – Part Three
In Stalking the flats – Part 2, I discussed what to look for when walking across the flats. I mentioned that “I am always on the look-out for freshly dug depressions in the sand and shell, roughly 0.5 – 1 metre in diameter. These depressions are often easy to spot as entire areas will be pockmarked with them and they are surrounded by piles of … Continue reading STALKING THE FLATS FOR SNAPPER
Text: Alan Bulmer Lead image: Mark Hoffman Rod handles – Which is better Cork or EVA foam and why? The two main materials used in the fishing rod handles are cork and EVA foam (also called Duplon). Each material has its advantages and disadvantages but which is better? Cork handles tend to be lighter than foam ones and also maintain residual heat in cooler temperatures. … Continue reading ROD HANDLES – CORK OR EVA FOAM
Active Angling New Zealand 