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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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Lead image: Henry Gilbey (https://www.henry-gilbey.com/) Recently Dr. Mike Ladle was asked by Robin Bradley of the BASS club if he had any evidence to prove whether or not bass anglers’ catches have declined over the years. After giving it considerable thought this is Mike’s response. “I guess, on the face of it, this is a simple question; do I (and my pals) catch more bass now … Continue reading ARE BASS STOCKS REALLY DECLINING?
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Text: Mike Ladle Lead image: Henry Gilbey (http://www.henry-gilbey.com) In order to successfully target bass with lures and flies it is essential to gain a detailed understanding their feeding behaviour. The southern and western coasts of the British Isles are almost at the northern limit of distribution of bass although this is slowly changing due to global warming. Bass in this area are slow-growing and large specimens of … Continue reading BASS FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
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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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Most anglers like nothing better than to show off their lure collection and generally it is an eclectic mixture of lure types and colours. Collections are very personal and most of the lures were purchased for a specific species or reason. However, irrespective of how many lures an angler owns, it is likely that the great majority never get used and when they occasionally do … Continue reading THE SINGLE LURE EXPERIMENT
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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