Month: May 2012

Don’t Put Your Fishing Gear Away Too Early

There’s still plenty of productive trout fishing to be had around the country (NZ) in spite of the onset of winter and the closure of some lakes and rivers to fishing. 

Fish & Game NZ is urging anglers not to put away their gear but to broaden their horizons – try the lakes and rivers that remain open over the winter months, different methods of shoreline fishing, and even sampling what other regions have to offer.

Anglers should consult their Sports Fishing Regulation booklet, or visit the Fish & Game website, where they’ll discover a wealth of fishing opportunities available over the cooler months.

More on where to fish over winter in both North and South Islands.

Posted by Tony Bishop in Fishing Travel, fly fishing, trout information

Think that public access is a problem in New Zealand?

Have a look at this video from Montana, where despite legal access anglers are sprayed by irrigation hoses, set only to spray over the water – oh, and the barbed wire across the stream every 1/8 mile.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing, weird fishy stuff

Distance Schmistance.

One of the South Island of New Zealand’s best known guides, Chris Dore, offers some sound advice about getting more distance, and the benefits of being able to do so. This is especially true in New Zealand where casting in a wind is a very common requirement.

“I tire of hearing people bagging distance casting. "its not needed here in NZ" and most commonly "all my fish are caught within a few rod lengths" are common justifications.

Well mate, that’s because you can only cast a few rod lengths. And how do you go in windy conditions? You don’t? I wonder why…”

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing, fly fishing how-to, fly fishing tips, New Zealand Fishing

5 new fishing quotations and sayings: 12 May 2012

And still they keep coming, now 1070, latest numbers 1065 1070:

“One can think of life after the fish is in the canoe.”

– Polynesian saying  (1065)

"The river", corrected the Rat, "It’s my world…What it hasn’t got is not worth having…"

– Kenneth Grahame ‘The Wind in the Willows’   (1066)

"Fishing" is what happens while you are waiting to catch fish.

– Unknown author   (1067)

“The outdoors, the beautiful environment, both in fresh and salt water. And the thing that concerns me is the amount of kids that stand on street corners, or go into pinball parlours, and call it recreation.”

– Rex Hunt       (1068)

Just change ‘pinball parlours’ to computer games to bring quote up-to-date, and not be surprised how some things do not change.

“Me, I’m spiritually retarded, I need to be knee deep in water with a fly rod in my hands, that’s about as close to God as I get.”

– Steve Earle   (1069)

“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.”

– James Leisenring, from his notebooks   (1070)

Believed to be a comment that there is no ‘right’ way to fish, just fish in the way that gives most pleasure.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fishing quotes

Tenkara :the good, bad and ugly

There is a lot of noise around the Tenkara system of fly-fishing. Some of this noise could have you believe it is the brave new world of fly-fishing.
It is not. Not by a long way.

My view after using a tenkara rod for around 8 months

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing