Fish with Bish in New Zealand logoimage link to web logNZ Snapperbish with good rainbowBish with NZ Snapper







Who is Bish?

Bish is Tony Bishop and that is me. I have fished for over 50 years in salt and fresh water – in New Zealand, Australia, the South Pacific, UK, Europe and USA.

I started fishing for trout at around 5 or 6 years of age, around Christchurch, NZ before travelling further afield, around the South Island. In between I fished for Kahawai and Salmon at the mouth of the Waimakariri River just north of Christchurch.

6.3kg (14lb) Brown trout

In my mid-teens our family moved to Auckland NZ, where I became much more involved in saltwater fishing, to go along with fly fishing.

Despite working in the lunatic world of marketing and sales management, in NZ and overseas, and helping to raise 3 boys, I managed to fit in plenty of fishing around the world.

Finally opting out of the corporate lunacy, I opened Just Fishin’ which became NZ’s most well-known tackle shop, till I sold it after 10 years in 1996.

Bish with his first Striped Marlin about to go  back in the water

I write for New Zealand fishing magazines and articles for overseas publications, and have done so for more than twenty years. I have made appearances on TV and radio programmes on fishing.

A selection of my articles are available on this site.

My book, ‘Fishin’ Smarter’, on saltwater fishing in New Zealand was published in August 1997,  and has been reprinted at least once every year since. ‘Fishing Even Smarter’ an complete rewrite and update to the original book was released in November 2005.

My second book ‘Fishing Smarter for Trout’ was released on November 15 1998, and again has been reprinted every year since.

‘Tips and Tricks to Catch More Fish’ on saltwater fishing was launched November 2000.

‘Starting Smarter’ on saltwater fishing was released in August 2002, and has been reprinted each year since then.

Starting Smarter – Trout Fishing was released in August 2004.

This site is created, written and managed by me, and you can email me here.

Maori Hook ornament in Greenstone ( NZ Jade)