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For many years now I’ve noticed that catch rates are affected by the optical clarity of the water. Generally I have greater success if the water is optically clear than when it is murky or cloudy and full of suspended sediment. It is still possible to catch fish when the water is murky but it requires a change in tactics. More about that later. Turbidity … Continue reading HOW TURBIDITY AFFECTS FISH BEHAVIOUR
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Recently I was asked to test an Ocean’s Legacy Dream Cast DCL-S882L Light Shore Game spinning rod to see whether it was suitable for estuary fishing in NZ. I’ve used it now for over a month and to be honest it is a truly remarkable rod. Before testing any spinning rod it is critically important to select a spinning reel that best matches the way … Continue reading Rod Review – Ocean’s Legacy Dream Cast DCL-S882L Spinning rod
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Master NZ fly tier Steve Grace created the stunning Pandemic Popper to keep himself amused during the COVID-19 lockdown. He very kindly shared the pattern and tying instructions with AANZ: – Place a hole on your popper head with a hot bodkin. I heat mine with a lighter. Push the hook eye through from the back of the head and super glue in place. Set … Continue reading THE PANDEMIC POPPER
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I’ve been looking for a slightly heavier rod suitable for targeting larger fish, especially kingfish, on the flats for some time. My aim was to pair the rod with an IRT 400 spinning reel and have a combination that could stop almost anything I’d encounter relatively quickly. I decided that the rod needed to be 9’6″ long, two piece, have a test curve of around … Continue reading Rod Review – Jackson Ocean Gate Shore Jig JOG-906ML-K SJ
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Just received a copy of Mike Ladle & Steve Pitts new book “Angling on the Edge”. It is a stunning book which covers the exploits of anglers from all around the world. Perfect for the coffee table or when you need some inspiration to pack up your tackle and head overseas for a change of scene. Divided into sections covering Indian Ocean, Central America, Transatlantic Relatives (USA), … Continue reading BOOK – ANGLING ON THE EDGE
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About 18 months ago I was asked by Kilwell to field test a new Toby colour prototype that they had developed. It was code named Emperor as it looked vaguely like a penguin. Kilwell have been proudly making Toby lures in New Zealand on equipment originally specified by Abu for well over 50 years. Not copies of the Abu design but the real thing manufactured under licence, stamped … Continue reading HAIL THE EMPEROR!
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Lead image: Paul Smith For some time now I’ve been fascinated by the claim that fish feeding behaviour is largely influenced by changes in barometric pressure. The fascination started when I read Ronald Reinhold’s book “Predicting the Bite” (ISBN 978-0-578-04734-8) which discusses how to predict when fish will be feeding based largely on changes in barometric pressure. Reinhold is convinced that barometric pressure is responsible for fish … Continue reading THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE MYTH
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Lead image: Grant Bittle (https://www.catchfishing.pro/) Recently I was contacted by a good friend and asked if I could help explain a feeding phenomenon he had observed. It was a spring tide in Dorset and millions of helpless seaweed fly maggots were being washed into the ocean with every crashing wave. Bass were clearly visible gorging themselves on the maggots and it appeared that they were … Continue reading FISH DIGESTION AND HOW IT DRIVES FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
Regular AANZ blog followers will know that over the past few years I have completed the switch from short to long spinning rods, especially those over 2.6 metres in length, as they are ideal for shore-based estuary fishing. The main reasons for this are explained in: – THE BENEFITS OF LONGER RODS In New Zealand the issue, especially when fishing small hard bodied lures and … Continue reading ROD REVIEW: LOX Ambassador 810MT-4 spinning rod
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Lead image: Game Fishing Asia One of the most frustrating things that an angler using lures can experience is losing a solid fish due to a hook breaking or pulling out. Why do hooks break and is there anything that can be done to reduce the likelihood of hooks breaking? Aside from casting damage, the two most common reasons that hooks break are work hardening or stress corrosion … Continue reading HOW TO STOP HOOKS BREAKING
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