Recently I happened upon two pieces of information, an article and a catalogue, which got me thinking about how difficult it can now be to choose a weight forward fly line to match a particular fly rod, especially the newer fast action models. The article was “Line ’em up” and it was written by the late Hugh McDowell for Fish & Game NZ back in 2002. It is … Continue reading MATCHING FLY LINES TO RODS
Soft plastics, or soft baits, were not readily available in New Zealand until the early 21st Century. Since then the growth in popularity of these lures has been phenomenal due to their success in catching a wide variety of fish species. I started using them in the late 1990’s when I imported some Sassy shads from the USA. They were an immediate success, especially on … Continue reading HOW TO FISH SOFT PLASTIC LURES
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Text: Alan Bulmer Lead image: Sport Fishing magazine Gel Spun Polyethylene (GSP) fishing lines get their strength from the weaving or laminating of many polyethylene fibres. True braids, as their name suggests, achieve this by ‘braiding’ fibres together while fused braids use a proprietary form of ‘heat welding’ the fibres together. Fused GSP lines are generally cheaper, stiffer and thicker than braid of … Continue reading AVOIDING WIND KNOTS WITH BRAID
Text: Alan Bulmer & Tony Bishop Featured Image: Paul Smith Indicator nymphing, especially as it is practiced on the Tongariro River in NZ, can be a tricky art to master. Due to the large volume of water typically flowing down the Tongariro, the typical nymph rig for the turbulent, deep runs is a couple of tungsten bead head nymphs suspended below a yarn indicator. Often the … Continue reading DEMYSTIFYING INDICATOR NYMPHING
Ivan Bulmer, Alan’s late father, was a bait fishing expert. He lived in Whangamata and used to help out as “boat boy” on many of the charter vessels based there, especially MV Te Ra and Astraea. Most weeks he would help out on two or three charters and over the summer he’d be on board one of the boats almost daily. It certainly kept … Continue reading THE LEDGER RIG JIG
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For several years I’ve had a growing feeling that fluorocarbon monofilament simply does not live up to the marketing hype. It is twice as expensive as nylon monofilament but is it twice as good in terms of performance? The short answer is No and this piece will explain why. Recently I lost a large kingfish from the shore after a torrid 20 minute “no holds barred” … Continue reading THE FLUOROCARBON MYTH
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Text: Alan Bulmer Lead image: Sportquest Recently I read a chapter on drag systems from the 2007 book “Fishing Techniques” by Steve Cooper (ISBN 1865131067, 9781865131061). It really got me thinking as it raised some excellent points. Cooper stated that “drags should be set at 25% of the lines breaking strain with a full spool of line. To make sure that the setting is correct use an accurate … Continue reading WHY YOU SHOULD ADJUST THE REEL DRAG DURING THE FIGHT
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Text: Alan Bulmer Lead Image: Sport Fishing magazine Flounder are present in many estuaries worldwide and NZ is no exception. In NZ very few people try to catch flounder using a rod and reel, preferring instead to target them with a spear, drag or set net. While flounder may not be renowned for their fighting qualities, they are delectable on the plate and definitely worth … Continue reading FLOUNDER ON A BAITED SPOON
Fly casting techniques have changed markedly over the past hundred years and this in many ways has been influenced by rod manufacturing developments. In the early part of the 20th century when fly rods were predominantly made of cane the fly casting mantra was to use the wrist more than the arm, straight up and down, 10 to 12 on the casting clock with the … Continue reading HOW TO FLY CAST BY FEEL
Going bibless – Why should you? There are many different types of lures available to shore based, saltwater spin fishermen. In New Zealand, metal spinners and bibbed lures are by far the most commonly used. Blade spinners (Mepps type) and weighted metal blades have historically been used in freshwater but they are steadily growing in popularity in the salt. Trout fishermen, in particular, find it … Continue reading USING BIBLESS LURES
Active Angling New Zealand 