Well the winter trout fishing is well underway in the
Central North Island. Well underway in most of the rivers, except the
Tongariro. All sorts of reasons are being postulated for the poor runs
of fish in the big T – perhaps the most plausible is the damage done
to the fishery two and three years ago after the ash that got into the
river after the big volcanic eruptions. The timing is right.
But all the other rivers are fishing very well, with some beautifully
conditioned fish coming out.
Actually the condition of many of the fish is too good I reckon I am
only landing somewhere around 1 out of 3 fish hooked, and my experience
seems about the norm. These fish are very fit! Have managed to get a
couple of fish over the nine pound mark, still waiting for the magic
ten!
Have I gone mad, am I seriously suggesting losing more flies when winter
fishing the big rivers of the Central Plateau on New Zealand’s North
Island. I might have been able to get away with that sort of advice
when I had my tackle store, but now? There is a method in my madness.
Stating The Obvious
A recently in the New Zealand Herald newspaper there appeared a report
on the findings of a New Zealand study on the run-on effects of over-fishing.
The study was conducted in the areas inside and outside the Goat Island
Marine Reserve.
In the Reserve snapper numbers are way above the numbers found in areas
outside the reserve. Do not have to be a scientist to work out why.
But the other factor of note is that in the areas outside the Reserve
kelp beds and forests are being severly depleted as a result of exponentially
increasing depletion by kina (sea urchins). The absence of snapper,
has led to a huge growth in the numbers of kina.
OK so what’s the problem with losing a bit of weed and kelp, damn stuff
just snags our lines anyway.
The trouble is that kelp beds are the prime areas for protection and
development of much of the sea life in inshore areas. As kelp diminishes
so does the fish life that it supports.
The scientists state that the study ‘confirms anecdotal evidence of
recreational fishermen’. Maybe they might start listening to what
we say more often and give us more credence. We can but hope.