New Zealand Fishing News

2008 Hunt & Fish Expo reluctantly cancelled

The 2008 Hunt & Fish Expo has been cancelled. Although potential visitors were enthusiastic, the organisers advise there was site insufficient exhibitor interest to meet deadlines. so they have reluctantly decided to cancel.  The aim was always to have a top quality Expo or not to proceed with the event. Public concerns about the current retail and economic environment also influenced the decision.

Every household needs a farmer

The President of Federated Farmers, Charlie Pedersen says too many New Zealanders have become disconnected from the land and most now only have a relationship with their supermarket and not the people who produce some of the best food in the world...

Mr Pedersen says the public’s lack of connection with the land is leading to attitudes which threaten the right of New Zealand farmers to farm in a sensible and sustainable way...

Huntin', shootin', bungy-jumpin'

Known for its stunning scenery and laidback attitude to life, New Zealand can still teach you a thing or two about adrenaline-pumping action...

Huka Lodge...nestling by the meandering waters of the Waikato river amid stunning rolling hills and next to the crystal-clear waters of Lake Taupo, Huka is more ranch than hotel. ...The most difficult option to turn down was the fishing, which is why the Lodge was built in the first place....

500 over-fed trout released into Lake Pupuke

Lake Pupuke becomes home to 500 over-fed trout tomorrow (Wednesday 2 May) as Fish & Game release them ready for a fishing competition being held on the lake this weekend.

Ben Wilson Auckland Waikato Fish & Game officer says the trout would usually come from their Ngongotaha hatchery in Rotorua and be between 0.6 to 1kg in size.

“ But because most of our Ngongotaha facilities were taken out with a landslide in January we are releasing trout raised for the last few months in the Turangi hatchery where they have been overfed and are actually going to be 1 to 2kg!” ...

Hakatere Conservation Park expands

Hakatere Conservation Park will grow by 17,000 hectares with the addition of land from the Mt Potts and Redcliffe high country pastoral leases, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick announced today...

Mt Potts Station is an impressive property in the upper Rangitata River, across the river from Mesopotamia Station. The Mt Potts tenure review will result in 9266 hectares becoming public conservation land, and 1196 hectares being freeholded.

Redcliffe Station, on the south bank of the Rakaia River, will contribute 7809 hectares to public conservation land, and 1383 hectares will be freeholded...

See more details and maps at the Scoop website.

1 May 2008

Submissions invited for the Walking Access Bill

Public submissions are being invited on this bill. Copies can be purchased at Bennetts Government Bookshops.

The bill establishes the New Zealand Walking Access Commission to lead and co--ordinate the provision of public access to the outdoors especially around the coast, lakes, and along rivers...Read more

Closing date: Wednesday 21 May 2008

Didymo update: Didymo hasn't really disappeared

In response to recent reports circulating about the apparent ‘disappearance’ of didymo, particularly in the Waitaki, Hakataramea and Maerewhenua Rivers, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand has confirmed that didymo is still present in the those rivers and people must check, clean and dry their equipment before moving to other waterways.

MAFBNZ believes the ‘disappearance’ of didymo from some South Island waterways including the Waitaki River is part of a natural cycle which has occurred before. Algae in rivers often follow cycles of blooming, then receding, before blooming again...

For more information see What Anglers Can Do to Prevent Didymo Spreading

Public access to Kaiangaroa Forest protected

Fish & Game New Zealand applauds the protection and enhancement of public access to the Kaiangaroa Forest as part of a Crown settlement with Central North Island iwi announced today by Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen.

“The proposal put forward to the Crown by Central North Island iwi generously recognises the significant recreational use of the forest by all New Zealanders,” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of Fish & Game New Zealand, “and the particular provision for the protection and enhancement of public walking and vehicle access is welcomed.”

Rob Pitkethley , Manager of Eastern Fish & Game Region, said, “The enhancement of practical public access to this well used recreational area will be appreciated by a large number of New Zealanders. We anticipate that practical public access to the public fishing and hunting resources within the forest will see an enhancement of vehicle access, and all public recreational users of the Kaiangaroa Forest should take time to acknowledge these provisions agreed by both Central North Island iwi, and the Crown.”

Plight of eels under the spotlight

The plight of New Zealand's eels will be brought to the surface at a public meeting in Blenheim this Thursday.

Green MP Metiria Turei and local freshwater expert Peter Hamill will discuss the impact of pollutants and dwindling habitats on eels at a meeting on the environment of freshwater fish.

Ms Turei said eels were an excellent indicator of the health of the country's freshwater resources...

The meeting is open to everyone at 7.30pm on Thursday at the Nativity Centre Lounge, 76 Alfred Street, Blenheim.

MAF Pest Management Group takes over didymo management

From 1 July this year the didymo long-term management (LTM) programme and associated activities will formally  become the responsibility of MAF Biosecurity New Zealand’s Pest Management Group...

The Biosecurity New Zealand response group will continue to be on hand to respond should a didymo incursion occur in the North Island....

Read more in the April 2008 Didymo Partner and Stakeholder Update (121 kb pdf file).

Trout in New Zealand are the reel thing

..a number of world-class luxury lodges offer exceptional fly-fishing (with expert guides on lakes and rivers, some accessible only by helicopter) fine food and wines, and spectacular scenery....

Solitaire Lodge and Treetops Lodge and Estate are within 40 minutes' drive of 14 lakes while more than 60 rivers and streams criss-cross the Rotorua region.

Tide seems to be turning on didymo

Fishermen on the South Island's Waitaki River are holding their breath that the tide's turning on didymo.

The invasive weed is starting to disappear from some parts of the waterway, but the men are being warned not to get too excited...

See also Didymo could be on the way out in the Central South Island Fish & Game Report for 18 April 2008.

Women fly fishers make the connection

The annual International Women Fly Fishers Festival (IWWF) is a unique gathering of women fly fishers from all over the United States as well as countries outside the USA...

Conservation Minister set to open new attractions

Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua is today celebrating the official opening of new enclosures that will further enhance the visitor experience and the park’s strong conservation values...

The south end of Rainbow Springs Nature Park has been completely re-developed incorporating a new stream/waterfall and three new enclosures for rare native birds...

The park includes...spring fed pools which house numerous trout..

More youngsters are reeled in by the lure of fishing taster days

The numbers of young people taking up fishing had declined in the last few decades but thankfully this seems to have been arrested and the graph line is once again pointing upwards...in South and West Wales...

The findings of a research programme set up to discover the reasons for the declining numbers showed that lack of opportunity and the fact that the youngsters had no-one to accompany them and advise them on method and tackle were the main reasons given...

Fly fishing film festival

Now in its third consecutive year the festival promises to deliver more exciting fly fishing adventures from around the globe...

The film festival has grown from strength to strength in recent years and now plays over 50 shows annually throughout New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. It has been on the forefront of a recent revolution in fly fishing media with an upsurge of young media companies making adventure driven entertainment....

The evening offers something for everyone's taste with movies from New Zealand, Tahiti, Alaska and Florida.

Fly boys third in Commonwealth

Three local fly-fishermen hooked up a bronze medal at the Commonwealth fly-fishing championships held in Hastings recently.

Garth Plank, 48 from Pakuranga, Neil Hirtzel, 66 from Howick and Peter Scott, 56 from Manukau, were part of the New Zealand silver side that competed against nine other countries, fishing the waters of the Tukituki and Waipawa rivers.

Didymo could be on the way out..

A central South Island fishing guide has observed some surprising things regarding didymo in the past few weeks...

He commented, "One of the biggest changes I noticed was the fact that the area just below the old Hakataramea mouth used to be well covered in didymo...but there has been a massive 'clean out'...I am almost convinced that this crap is 'on the way out'...

Cast your net wider to pursue angling dreams

...At the time of writing a party from Wales is out in New Zealand and are having a wonderful time. The quality of fishing is exemplary and they are convinced that the rivers there are offering the greatest wild brown trout fishing in the world. Having been there a few times myself, I believe them.

There is such an expanse and variety of fishing to be found in NZ.

Paradise found!

Adventurous expeditions documented in fishing film festival

Fly fishing may seem an odd topic for a film festival, but fans of the sport will likely be flocking to the Rialto Cinema in Newmarket tomorrow when the third annual Fly Fishing Film Festival kicks off...

Forest & Bird supports request to call in Mokihinui consent

Forest & Bird supports the request by West Coast councils for the Environment Minister to “call in” Meridian’s resource consent application to build a hydro dam on the Mokihinui River...

If the application is called in, the minister would probably appoint a board of inquiry to hear submissions and make a final decision, or could direct the matter straight to the Environment Court...

Star of screen to shine at boat show

Matt Watson, star of the popular ITM Fishing Show, will be among the top fishing "stars" to appear at this year's Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane, Auckland on May 15-18...

Lake Waikare has determined helpers

A Rangiriri-based marae trust will press on with regenerating native plants around a polluted lake, despite not having the consent it believes it needs.

Maurea Marae Trust environmental representative Aareka Hopkins said the trust was frustrated by a lengthy delay in the processing of its application to Land Information New Zealand...

The lake is the subject of a Waikato District Council resource consent application which, if granted by Environment Waikato, will allow the council to continue pumping treated sewage into the lake from the Te Kauwhata treatment plant.

Fish and Game New Zealand and Tainui iwi both oppose the council's application...

NZ team hook a bronze at champs

A cruisy Sunday afternoon fish often returns nothing more than sunburn and tall tales, but a fast-paced, 50-angler competition returned more than that for one Hamilton man.

Former national champion Rob Vaz was part of the New Zealand Silver team which finished third to win a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Champs in Hawke's Bay last weekend. Vaz was the only member of the two five-strong New Zealand teams from the Waikato and was pleased to win a medal in his second Commonwealth competition...

Researcher seeks kayakers for didymo study

Environmental scientist Barrack Carle, who will be researching the microclimate of didymo for his AUT master's theses in 2009, is currently looking into the nature of didymo's spread by looking into a large number of factors including kayaking hotspots, tourism movements, trout/salmon fishing hotspots as well as other environmental factors.

He is currently seeking information from the kayaking community to identify kayaking spots, especially those in the South Island. If you can help, please email Barrack Carle.

Fresh beginnings for troubled youth

Youths at the country's first Teen Challenge New Zealand are learning to live life without drugs... Teen Challenge operates from an 8.5-hectare farm located on Kimbolton Road near Cheltenham... It offers people a chance to get away from the city environment and temptation... The students are also taken on weekly sports trips, including tubing down the Rangitikei River, snowboarding and fishing trips...

Scotland wins Commonwealth Fly Fishing Champs

Scotland has won the teams section and John McCallum of Scotland wons gold as top individual angler at the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Champs on the Tukiktuki River in Hawke's Bay which ended today. The English team was runner-up and the New Zealand Silver team came third...

Note from nzfishing.com:

The Scottish Commonwealth Fly Fishing Team chose Marlene Skeet of One Cast Adventures to be their fishing guide in the lead up to the competition.

U.S. team eighth

Fly Fishing Team USA placed eighth in the recently concluded World Fly Fishing Championship in New Zealand, two places lower than in 2007.

Josh Stephens of Robbinsville, N.C., recorded the top U.S. result, 20th place. Lance Egan of Lehi, Utah, finished 24th; team captain Anthony Naranja of Grand Junction 34th; George Daniel of Lock Haven, Pa., 38th; and Bret Bishop of Boise, Idaho, 51st.

Washes mandatory for Maadi boats

A condition of entry for this year's Maadi Cup secondary school rowing championships includes the spraying of all boats before they leave the Lake Ruataniwha base...Lake Ruataniwha is infected with didymo via the Ohau River...

Hawk eyes on fly-fishing champs

Embellishment of the truth is a given when it comes to fishing stories...That's why when the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships begin on the Tuki Tuki River in central Hawkes Bay today, each of the 50 anglers will be accompanied by a judge ... just to keep everyone honest.

With 10 teams of five - from New Zealand, Australia and Scotland, Canada, England, South Africa and Wales - spread across about 30km of river, it is just as well...

Rivermouths close in parched Hawke's Bay

The drought affecting much of the country has caused river mouths to close in Hawke's Bay.

A lack of rainfall through river catchments as well as a prevailing on-shore swell and tide action is affecting river mouths around the region... the council has been mechanically opening river mouths regularly throughout the month but the benefits have been short lived...

Teva Mountain Games: Largest outdoor adventure sports festival includes fly fishing

The Teva Mountain Games, the largest outdoor adventure sports festival...will take place June 5–8 in Vail, Colorado. The environmentally friendly, motorless outdoor sporting event will host 2,000 professional and amateur outdoor athletes from all over the world. These athletes will converge upon the mountains and rivers to compete in seven sports and 21 disciplines for over $100,000 in prize money. This year’s disciplines include kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, road cycling, World Cup and amateur climbing, paragliding, fly-fishing, trail running, diving dogs and multi-sport racing...

Gone fishin': Where to catch the big ones
Angling experts pick their favorite spots for trout and salmon

...The justifiably famous streams of New Zealand’s South Island are some of the favorite haunts of angler and author Gary Borger, who values the “unreal scenery, great people that speak a form of English that is more or less understandable, very big trout in absolutely crystalline water, and hunting trout individually rather than just fishing the water.” ...

How didymo arrived in NZ:

Parlimentary Questions and Answers

Hon Tariana Turia: Is the Minister aware of the devastation that has been inflicted on the New Zealand environment by organisms such as the varroa mite, didymo, and wasps, which arrived in this country as passenger organisms; if so, how can he justify having far lower standards of scrutiny for passenger organisms than for organisms that are deliberately introduced?

Hon JIM ANDERTON: As a matter of fact, we do not know any of that. If the member has any evidence as to who brought in varroa mite, could she please supply it to me. I think we would be very happy to prosecute, immediately. If she knows exactly how didymo arrived here, I would like to know that as well. It could have come on the water; it could have come through birds. The varroa—

Hon Dr Nick Smith: It came through passengers.

Hon JIM ANDERTON: Oh, I see; the expert on biosecurity knows the answer too, does he? He knows the answer to everything.

Hon Dr Michael Cullen: He’s an expert on “rock snot”.

Hon JIM ANDERTON: Yeah, right!

NZ Czheched at fly fishing

The Czech Republic edged out New Zealand on the final day of the World Fly Fishing Championships last week.
Though Rotorua was used as the base for the championships, all the fishing took place outside the district on the Waihou, Waimakariri and Wanganui rivers and two small lakes near Turangi...

Full report on the World Championships in New Zealand

Amidst some of the best trout fishing (rainbows and browns) in the New World, England were not able to hold onto a podium position at the end of last week's FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championship, 2008...

England team miss out on medals in World Championships

The Czech team has triumphed in the 2008 World fly Fishing Championships in New Zealand, overtaking the NZ team in the very last session. France made a simply fantastic recovery to take the bronze medal position.

Team England is so deflated after being in bronze medal position after session four, with John Horsey in individual bronze position at the same point. On the final two sessions on the last day, however, the grasp on the podium was lost, largely because of simply awesome performances by France, Italy and Poland in the race for the podium. We have a new Czech World Champion.

'Rock snot' has outdoors enthusiasts concerned

As anglers return to the state's streams and rivers this spring in search of prized trout, Maine officials will be watching for something else: a fast-spreading algae called "rock snot" that's fouling some of the world's pristine trout streams.

Once introduced to a new stream that has clean, fast-moving water, didymo can spread quickly and coat the rocky bottom with thick, gooey brown mats of algae.

There is no known way to get rid of it, and experts say it can disrupt river food webs and threaten valuable recreational fisheries.

Didymo may have originated in Scotland but has spread around the globe. It is a costly problem in New Zealand, where transporting it may be punishable by a fine and jail time, and is a major nuisance in western U.S. states and in Atlantic Canada...

A plea to wipe away rock snot

Officials try to halt slimy-looking algae's slide into NE USA

...Officials in Massachusetts and other New England states ...are launching an intensive public outreach effort to find rock snot outbreaks and contain them...

... rock snot may be native to North America and the Northeast...But starting about a decade ago, the species seemed to go haywire. It spread across freshwater bodies on Vancouver Island in Canada ... Alberta and then Quebec. Four years ago, it appeared for the first time on New Zealand's South Island, where it is now considered a major ecological and tourism threat, because people don't like going in streams and rivers where it blooms...

Czech team wins World Fly Fishing Champs in close contest with New Zealand

In a close run contest between the Czech Republic and New Zealand, the Czech team has won the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championships. The two teams alternated as the winners of the competition sessions on the first two days, but the Czech team clinched it today, the third and final day, beating New Zealand in both sessions. (The Czech Republic the fifth, and Italy the final session).

Martin Deoz of the Czech Republic was the top placed individual angler. The best performing member of the New Zealand's was Des Armstrong who came 6th overall.

All the teams are celebrating in Rotorua tonight but after a week of early starts, can perhaps catch up on some sleep before the 10am conservation symposium on the restoration of the Rotorua lakes.

In Olympic style, Saturday's 4pm closing ceremony includes a procession down the main street of Rotorua.

More results...

SFFNZ

nzfishing.com achieves top Google search ranking

nzfishing.com has become the top site listed by Google when anyone in the world searches for "new zealand fly fishing".

"This is the phrase most frequently used by anglers searching for information about fly fishing in New Zealand, and so is key to enabling visitors to find the site", says web editor Bev Stevens. The site also does well in numerous other relevant searches and is the most comprehensive and easy-to-use online source of information about freshwater fishing in this country.

More search rankings...

Clark details plan to rescue lakes

The Government yesterday announced a $72.1 million rescue package for Rotorua's polluted lakes, sparking accusations from the opposition that it was a desperate move to save its Rotorua seat.

Prime Minister Helen Clark made the announcement at Houmaitawhiti Marae, on the shores of Lake Rotoiti, saying the clean-up was a crucial step to improving the state of the country's water resources....

Note: A conservation symposium on the Rotorua Lakes Ecology and Restoration Programme on Sat 29th March is free and open to the public.

26 March 2008
1:02PM

Government chips in to clean up polluted lakes

Dirty Rotorua lakes, which should be a jewel in the crown of the country's tourism industry, are set to get a long-awaited clean-up...

The Government today said it would meet half the $144.2 million cost over the next decade to clean up four of the worst affected lakes...

$72m for massive Rotorua lakes clean-up

The Government has given more than $70 million toward a massive clean-up of Rotorua lakes...the other 50 per cent will be contributed by the Rotorua District Council and Environment Bay of Plenty.

The money will be spent on building or extending sewerage works to pick up waste from communities around lakes Rotorua, Rotoiti and Okareka. Lake Rotoehu will be weeded, and - along with Lake Rotorua - will have nutrient rich streams treated or diverted...

Govt to pay half of Rotorua lakes clean up

[TVNZ video footage also available]

The Government will meet half the $144.2 million cost over the next decade to clean up Rotorua lakes...

Four lakes have been prioritised under the programme: Rotorua, Rotoiti, Okareka, and Rotoehu....

Saving Rotorua lakes expected to cost $200m

The latest estimate of the cost of restoring the Rotorua lakes is $200 million and local authorities want the Government to pay half.

A parliamentary report released yesterday said the task of saving the dying lakes, which have been polluted by nutrients from human activity, would require a "Herculean" effort over decades, not years....

See the NZ Herald's dying lakes coverage which includesa report and photos on Dying lakes, our toxic heritage

Dairy farms offered help to clean up their act

A multi-million-dollar programme for people to work directly with dairy farmers on preventing environmental damage is in the pipeline.

The programme is a key feature of a dairy industry sustainable environmental management strategy to be released today...

Fly-by Fishing tangle for competitors

Two eastern European countries have been caught up in problems ahead of the World Fly Fishing champs which started today one with money woes, the other with visa issues.

Three of the four members of the Bosnian fly-fishing team have pulled out after their governing body refused to pay the team's $9750 entry fee.

The team from neighbouring Croatia have had problems getting visas and one was denied a transit visa through Australia...

Poachers watch out

Even though the vast majority are playing by the rules, local Fish and Game staff are fielding calls almost on a daily basis about poachers and illegal fishing techniques.

With not enough resources to patrol every riverbed and fishing hole, the organisation is asking anglers to keep an eye out for poachers -- and report them sooner rather than later...

Didymo poised to cross Cook Strait

The discovery of the pest weed didymo in Marlborough's Wairau River has raised fears that is it only a step away from infesting the North Island.

...didymo has invaded 84 of the South Island's 500 rivers...

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand's South Island Operatiosn Manager, Jeff Donaldson, said...the odds are on that it will get there one day...

Didymo found in West Coast trophy river

Didymo has infested a trophy brown trout fishery on the South Island's West Coast, also putting the Inangahua River at risk.

The Department of Conservation has confirmed that didymo, also known as rock snot, had been detected in the Waitahu River, the major tributary of the Inangahua.

The infestation was picked up during routine testing. The Waitahu is only a few kilometres from Reefton.

The Inangahua so far has tested clear...

Waikato gets mega store

The Hunting & Fishing New Zealand store in Hamilton will be five times bigger when it moves to its newly fitted-out mega store in a fortnight's time. The fit-out by award-winning master builder Murray Nichols uses exposed natural timber to create an outdoor ambience. The grand opening date for the nearly 1000sqm store at 417 Te Rapa Road is April 7th.

Fish & Game Gold Medal award

The Fish & Game Gold Medal Merit Award for 2007 was awarded to Roger McNaughton of Invercargill for longstanding and meritorious commitment and volunteer work benefiting Fish & Game and its advocacy. Roger's contribution includes 26 years of service with the Southland Acclimatisation Society/Southland Fish & Game, and extensive commitment to environmental conservation.

Iconic show breaks new ground, gives away a boat a day

New Zealand’s longest running and most popular boat show is proudly going where no other boat show has gone before. In what is believed to be a world first, organisers of this year’s Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show will give away a brand new, fully kitted-out sports boat, worth over $30,000, on every single day of the four-day show...

The 2008 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show will be held at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane Auckland on May 15-18 inclusive. Admission is $16 for adults and $6 for children from 5-13. Under 5s are free....

River users decry Moawhango scheme

Recreational users on the Moawhango River say hydro schemes destroy peoples' opportunities to use rivers.... The New Zealand Recreational Canoeing Association (NZRCA) communicatiosn officer Robin Rutter said the taking of the water from the Moawhango caused silt build-up and irreparable damage to the river...

Under the Resource Management Act conditions of the water take, GE maintains minimum levels with river flushing four times a year between December and March. The flushing flows removed the build-up of silt and debris, which impacted on the ecological systems in the river.

Aquatic insects (mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies) were indicators of the health of the ecosystems and the flushing improved their habitat while reducing algae growth, said GE environmental manager renewable energy Jarrod Bowler...

Catches of the day get away

Fly fishing is one of the last amateur sports, and anglers compete purely for the glory of catching big fish.

"There's no prize money," says Jill Mandeno, international organiser of the World Fly Fishing Championships. "All they get is a medal, maybe a gift."...

Remarkable craftmanship at the first NZ open fly tying competition

The youngest competitor won a special commendation for his remarkable fly-tying skills at the inaugural New Zealand National Open Feather Merchants Fly Tying Championship in Rotorua today. Ten-year old Jacob Bond from Lake Rotoma, a passionate fly fisher, has been tying flies for just a year...

Though some New Zealanders travelled to Rotorua especially for the competition, the three main place-getters were all from the Finnish and Italian fly fishing teams who are currently in Rotorua for the World Fly Fishing Championships...

Minister of Conservation to speak at Rotorua lakes conservation symposium

The Minister of Conservation, Hon Steve Chadwick will be the final speaker at the conservation symposium being held in Rotorua as part of the World Fly Fishing Championships in this week. The subject of the talks and discussion is the Rotorua lakes ecology and restoration programme.

Weed-free bay reopens

Eight years after the closure of an inlet on Lake Waikaremoana due to a water-weed infestation, Rosie Bay has been given the all-clear to reopen just in time for the Easter break.

Public access to Rosie Bay, on the eastern shores of the lake, was barred in 1999 after the discovery of lagarosiphon in the water...

Govt proposes new standard for use of water resources

The Government is proposing a new national environmental standard for freshwater resources which it says will be like a regulation on its use...

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard said..."The proposed standard... will help us do this by ensuring greater consistency in the way demands on water are managed," he said.

"If the levels of rivers, groundwater systems, lakes and wetlands run too low it can put fish and plant life at risk."

The proposal will be released for public discussion on March 29....

Reservoir's poor water clarity blamed on fish

The search for the perch has begun at Wellington's Karori Sanctuary. State-of-the-art echo-sounder technology is being used to estimate the population of the troublesome fish in Wellington's conservation haven.

The research ... is being done because of repeated problems with algal blooms in the reservoir...

Angling to be world's best

It's said 10 percent of anglers catch 90 percent of the fish. Competition fishing helps explain why. Ewan Sargent talks to a man who will lead the country's best anglers against the best in the world for the world title next week...

That intense level of focus in covering every square centimetre of water, visualising it in a 3-D type approach is why the top anglers are so good and catch so many fish, explains national fly fishing team captain Paul Dewar...

Bosnian fly fishing team left high and dry

Members of the Bosnian Fly Fishing Team, who have been in New Zealand for 10 days practising for the world fly fishing champs next week, have learnt that may not after all be able to compete. The organisation running the championships, the SFFNZ (Sports Fly Fishing NZ) has just heard that the Bosnian fly fishing federation has refused to pay the team's entry fee to the competition.

The Bosnian anglers team are stunned at this unexpected news as they have laid out a small fortune getting to New Zealand, and cannot afford to front up with the $9750 entry fee. SFFNZ is working with the FIPS secretariat to see if they can resolve this matter before the check-in deadline which is Saturday 22nd March.

Top Manawatu angler heads World Champ Team

Local trout angler Paul Dewar heads north to Rotorua and the Waikato next week to take on the best anglers in the world. Dewar will captain the New Zealand Fly Fishing team in the world championships which start on the 22nd March... “New Zealand has a top quality team that I believe has a great chance of taking out the world title” says Dewar.

World Fly Fishing Championships: Utah Anger competes

Lance Egan, a Lehi resident and Cabela's employee, has made Fly Fishing Team USA and is on his way to compete in the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championships in Rotorua, New Zealand, Saturday through March 30. Egan, competing in his second world championship, traveled with the team earlier this year for practice.

Didymo found in the Wairau River

Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) has been confirmed in the Wairau River near Dip Flat, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) announced today...

New Zealand hosts World Fly Fishing Championships and National Tying Competition this Sunday

Felt-soled boots prohibited at the World Fly Fishing Champs in New Zealand

Among the newsworthy changes for this year's World Championships, which start this Sunday in Rotorua, are rules which prohibit the use of felt sole shoes and the introduction of a new National Open Fly Tying Competition, sponsored by Umpqua Feather Merchants...

As we understand it, the U.S. Team handled the new rules by leaving waders, boots and other gear in-country so that there is no possibility of having key equipment confiscated. No doubt this will become the standard practice for competitive anglers in the face of increasing concern about invasive species control...

Stream springs to life after centuries of being neglected

A Coromandel waterway almost ruined from gold mining one century and farming the next has been restored to a fish-friendly natural stream in just 18 months.

Running through farmland and a new subdivision on the outskirts of Coromandel township, what was little more than a drain is now a clear running stream complete with "fish-ladder".

Howard Saunders, a landscaper with Natural Habitats, was put in charge of the Beach Rd stream restoration project, which was a resource consent requirement to allow residential development of the site....

There are anglers and there are fishermen

Grim admission: I am not an angler, simply a fisherman. This I learned at the recent Fishing Expo at L.L. Bean, when four world-class fishermen (and one fisherwoman) spoke about the glories of fishing. They are called Legends ...and they talked about the exotic places they had fished, such as the Buffalo River and several hard-to-reach streams in New Zealand...

New Zealand hosts the World Fly Fishing Championships over Easter

The Fips-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships are being held in the central North Island over Easter week with the opening on Easter Saturday. Nineteen fly fishing teams from around the world and four individual anglers representing a further four countries will gather in Rotorua to compete for team and individual championship titles...

London flies, rod the reel thing, pro says

Stew Jeffries gingerly opens what looks like a jewelry box, looks admiringly at the contents.

Chris Pfohl...a member of the five-man Canadian national fly fishing team that will compete for Commonwealth supremacy in New Zealand next month, the Londoner made the flies and he's hoping they'll give him an edge.

A fishing pro and tour guide associated with Jay's Fly Shop on Rectory Street off Hamilton Road in London, Pfohl is in the shop to get his first look at a rod, custom-made by Jeffries, that he will use in the upcoming competition...

Eye-opener for Ecan councillors

Some in South Canterbury might perceive it as a PR campaign by Ecan, but that would be a wrong assumption about councillors' recent visit to the Opuha dam..

As an angler who fishes Lake Opuha, I was interested in Greg Skelton's explanation of the sparge system used to help oxygenate the lake water during the recent prolonged hot spell...

Fish and Game's chief executive Jay Graybill explained to the councillors that flushing flows are a recognised use of part of the augmentation portion of Lake Opuha water and considered the pellet of water as a short and sharp increase in flow designed to improve water quality...

Meridian threatens eels with dam-nation

Meridian's proposed hydro-dam on a wild and pristine West Coast river will hasten the extinction of our long-fin eel population Green Party Conservation Metiria Turei says.

"Resource Consents will be notified today by the West Coast Regional Council for Meridian Energy's proposed 85MW hydro dam on the northern West Coast's Mokihinui River.

"The proposal is outrageous; the Mokihinui is ranked New Zealand's seventh most important river for its natural values and its whole catchment is considered nationally important for biodiversity...

Jet boat adventure launches at luxury high country resort

Stunning high country resort Terrace Downs has today announced the launch of a new jet boating adventure – "Discovery Jet"... up the Rakaia River, world famous for its salmon and trout fishing.

Heli-jet, jet-hike, jet-horse trek, jet boat salmon and trout fishing... and more are all offered...

First national open fly tying competition launched

Sport Fly Fishng NZ (Inc.) has decided to launch the first NZ National Open Fly Tying Competition to co-incide with the staging of the 28th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships in Rotorua at the Kingsgate Hotel on Sunday March 23, 2008. This event is being sponsored by Feather Merchants and Umqua...

Symposium to discuss restoration of Rotorua lakes

A symposium on the Ecology and Restoration of the Rotorua lakes is being held at the Kingsgate Hotel in the Hangi room on Saturday 29th March from 10am-12.30pm.  The symposium is being organised by Sports Fly Fishing New Zealand to co-incide with the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championships in Rotorua...

Results of 2008 World fly fishing champs to be available online

The organisers of the 2008 World Fly Fishing Championships in Rotorua have arranged for news and results to be published daily during the competition on leading New Zealand fly fishing website nzfishing.com. The three competition days are Wednesday 26th, Thursday 27th and Friday 28th March 2008.

SSFNZ

Proposed legislation could hurt agriculture

Farmers, horticulturists and beekeepers are extremely concerned about proposed legislation that will threaten the billion dollar agricultural industry, they say.

The legislation relates to the government introduced bill, to amend the Biosecurity Act and Hazardous Substance and New Organism Act, to resolve issues in managing the risk to New Zealand from incidentally imported new organisms...

Angling for an advantage

U.S. Fly Fishing team hopes trip to scout New Zealand waters pays off in competition

Grand Junction dentist and competitive fly angler Anthony Naranja will take over the lead of the Team USA Fly Fishing squad this month when he takes the seven-man team to New Zealand for the FIPS Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships on March 22-30...

Plan for big town on edge of Turangi

A company part-owned by former MP Richard Prebble is planning a massive development near Turangi that will be twice the size of the town.

Te Whenua Venture Holdings plans to build 2500 house lots with facilities for sport and recreation about two kilometres north of Turangi...

Proposals for the sports-themed subdivision include a five-star fishing lodge...

... the group says it plans to rezone the land through a Taupo District Council plan change application to develop the area.

Te Whenua Venture Holdings director Dickson Chapman said the project - to be centred near the Mangamawhitiwhiti Stream, an important trout spawning ground - would be environmentally sound. It would be twice the size of Turangi.

However, conservationists believe the subdivision is too close to the stream. Heather Macdonald, president of Advocates for the Tongariro River, said run-off from housing and roads would seep into the stream and destroy the spawning ground for wild brown trout.

Mr Chapman rejected the concern. "There is no way in heaven we would want to affect what is the first spawning stream on the Tongariro River."

World title on the line

For fly anglers, the World Fly Fishing Championships are probably the closest thing to the Olympics.

So Scott Robertson of Bend no doubt was thrilled when he was recently named captain of Fly Fishing Team USA as it prepares for the most prestigious event in competitive fly angling. The 28th world championships scheduled March 22-30 in Rotorua, New Zealand...

Waipoua River a 'rubbish dump'

The lower reaches of the Waipoua River have been described as "shameful" and "someone's rubbish dump", by drift divers who researched fish stocks in the river last week.

Senior Fish and Game officer Peter Taylor, who organised a sweep of Wairarapa rivers counting trout and other species, said the Waipoua near the confluence with the Ruamahanga River is "disgusting"...

Algae has turned Kent's Lake water toxic

People are warned to stay away from Kent's Lake at Tiniroto after potentially-deadly blue green algae were found in the water.

Health officials have issued an official warning and posted signs around the lake to caution people against drinking, swimming or having any contact with the water...

Salmon haul

The best salmon season in South Canterbury rivers in 10 years is continuing to provide record catches. About 70 salmon were caught in the Opihi River on Friday with catches of 40 on Thursday and Saturday, On the south side of the Rangitata River the total catch for the season is nearly 600 with the highest number caught in a day standing at 45.

Swanky vacation spots Down Under

Want to take a vacation that exceeds expectations? Head to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Here, you can try heli-skiing and heli-fishing in one trip...

Pride of the south

No list of fishy delights would be complete without the inclusion of that wonderful immigrant, the salmon...

...For those wanting to give it a crack, popular rivers include the Waiau, Hurunui, Ashley, Waimakariri, Selwyn, Rakaia and Rangitata. But hurry, the best season in years will be over soon.

Anglers jostling for trout

Southland's trout-fishing rivers are becoming so congested that anglers face the possibility of restrictions.

Fish and Game Southland manager Maurice Rodway said the Mataura and Oreti rivers were becoming increasingly popular with tourists, causing tension among anglers vying for spots on the riverbanks.

Mr Rodway said an ideal solution from a local anglers' perspective would be to restrict access for overseas anglers, but the Government had indicated it would not support such a move...

Well known angler Ross Millichamp seriously ill with necrotising fasciitis

A well-known Christchurch fishing writer is seriously ill in hospital, after being bitten by a fish.

Ross Millichamp, a Canterbury Fish and Game officer has developed necrotising fasciitis the flesh eating disease.

It is thought he caught it from a blue cod or barracuda off Stewart Island.

Ross Millichamp is one of the keenest and best known fishermen in the South Island....

...Millichamp’s family have said they wish to maintain their privacy while Millichamp himself remains in Christchurch hospital where he has been gravely ill for the last week.

Fishing writer battles flesh-eating bug

A New Zealand fishing writer remains in a serious condition at Christchurch Hospital with a flesh-eating disease - apparently after being bitten by a fish.

A hospital spokeswoman said the author of the 1997 guide, Salmon Fever, Ross Millichamp, was "still seriously ill".

Doctors are reported to have suggested that he may have been bitten by a fish while fishing for barracuda and blue cod off the coast of Stewart Island last week...

Anglers inspired by the fish that Jack caught

There were fishy stories aplenty at the Carters Kids Gone Fishing Day held at Customs House Quay yesterday.

Admiring the salmon caught by a young angler, Gone Fishing host, Graeme Sinclair said, with a wink it weighed about the 5 kg mark...

Fishing expert seriously ill

Fishing expert, author and conservationist Ross Millichamp is seriously ill in Christchurch Hospital after contracting a flesh-eating disease while hunting on Stewart Island.

Millichamp contracted the rare bacterial infection necrotising fasciitis while on a hunting and fishing trip with friends on Stewart Island last week...

March of mud snails may be unstoppable

A tiny pest from New Zealand is on the march across the United States in an invasion being dubbed an attack of the clones.

The New Zealand mud snail was first reported in American waters in the 1980s in Idaho and California...

...He compared the snail scourge to New Zealand's troubles with didymo, algae, thought to have arrived from the US in damp fishing gear.

Irrigators blamed as river dries up

Environmental groups are blaming over-use of irrigation for causing part of the Waipawa River in Central Hawke's Bay to dry up and disappear beneath its shingle bed..

Environmental scientist Graham Sevicke-Jones said...the water's disappearance was unlikely to threaten the trout as it was not a migration time and they could take refuge in tributaries.

John Scott, a member of the Hawke's Bay Environmental Water Group and of Fish and Game, said...he was concerned about trout trapped in streams and tributaries without flowing water to provide food and keep temperatures low...

...The (Hawke's Bay Regional) council has also imposed a partial ban on irrigation from the Ngaruroro River in Hawke's Bay. The Tutaekuri, Tukipo and Esk rivers are being watched closely.

200 salmon released into Courtenay Lake

Two hundred 1 kg salmon, donated by the NIWA Silverstream Hatchery, have been released into the Courtenay Lake at Kaiapoi for junior anglers – that is 17 years and under.

Fishing tuition is being offered by a group of well skilled local anglers this Saturday morning 23rd February, from 9.00 am.

Helena man's documentary aims to aid Alaska fishing ecosystem

O'Connell has fished and photographed places all over the world, including New Zealand, Equator, Chile, Argentina, the Bahamas and of course, Alaska. ...

Swanky vacation spots: Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific

Head to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Here, you can try heli-skiing and heli-fishing in one trip, cruise in a glass-bottomed boat and swim ...

The selling of Paradise

And their interest extends beyond accommodation to the wine industry, clothing, fishing and restaurants. Americans have taken New Zealand to their bosom ...

Wild at heart

Too few travellers venture to the far reaches of the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. They are missing a lot, says Anthony Dennis. ...

Frank Brenmuhl address to dairy farmers

Bryce Johnson, the CEO of Fish & Game New Zealand has decided that this is an opportune time to revive their anti dairy farming campaign for imposing ...

Everlands Destination Club mixes conservation and travel

For instance, the lodge in Bristol Bay, Alaska is near prime trout fishing, and the resort provides float plane access to the best fishing spots. ...

Discovering North Island

Where in the world could you ski down an active volcano, lounge on a secluded beach or try your hand at trout fishing, all in the same day? New Zealand’s ...

Female champions of fly fishing

And when she stepped into a world-famous trout stream on New Zealand's North Island, the only hesitation I noticed was a slight reluctance to inch her way ...

The Fish Bum Diaries

New Zealand for two months, Patagonia for four months. Or even their latest venture — 62 days in Mongolia last fall to catch taimen, the world's largest ...

New Zealand's newest and oldest immigrant has arrived in Wellington

Eric King-Turner, aged 102, and his New Zealand-born wife Doris, 89, left from England last month.

They arrived in Wellington on the Saga Rose cruise ship at just after 7am on Wednesday.

Mr King-Turner says he chose to move to New Zealand because his wife had lived in Britain for 13 years and he wanted to return the favour.

Now he's in New Zealand, Mr King-Turner has no intention of putting his feet up and wants to do a lot of trout fishing. He and his wife plan to move to Nelson.

Pollution study cut because not factual - Mallard

A missing chapter of a major environmental report was dumped because it was not supported by the facts, Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says...

It also made policy recommendations, which was not the intended role of the "technical" report...

Dairy danger to environment in deleted chapter

The deletion of a chapter critical of dairy farming in the recently released State of the Environment report adds weight to calls for such studies to be done by an independent body, the National Party says.

On Saturday, Greens co-leader Russel Norman released a previously unpublished chapter from the State of the Environment report, which he said had been removed due to the influence of powerful lobby groups and government departments....

Chapter 13 Exposed

“Chapter 13 [deleted from the official State of the Environment Report released by MfE at the end of January] has highlighted and confirmed that intensive agriculture and the associated deterioration of lowland water quality is the number one issue facing New Zealand’s environment,” said Fish & Game Chief Executive Bryce Johnson....

“We’ve had enough talk, excuses and sideshows. Let’s see some action and get on with it.”

Just the thing for a case of high-class munchies - a smoking hot bowl of trout a la bong

If you order a smoked trout broth with sorrel oil, pork crackling and red radish shoots at Melbourne restaurant Attica, it comes with "fresh smoke".

But what diners in this high-end eatery don't know is that head chef Ben Shewry uses a bong to produce the smoke that permeates the ocean trout.

Born and trained in Taranaki, on New Zealand's west coast, Shewry, 30, worked in Nahm in London and Circa in St Kilda before striking out on his own at his Ripponlea restaurant...

Water hearings attract big guns

As the parched Waikato continued a long wait for rain, key water allocation hearings resumed in the cool offices of Environment Waikato yesterday.

...the long-term implications are huge, as reflected by the calibre of submitters...Among those are most local councils in the region, Mighty River Power, Genesis Energy, Federated Farmers, Horticulture New Zealand, Fish and Game New Zealand, Solid Energy...

IGFA's 2008 World Record Game Fishes book now available

The annual book, described by serious recreational fishermen and the world's fishing writers alike as "the most comprehensive piece of fishing information available anywhere," is now available.

The IGFA's 2008 World Record Game Fishes, the largest ever at 424 pages, is the mainstay reference book in recreational fishing and continues its legacy as one of the most reliable and complete sources of worldwide fishing records and fishing-related reference materials.

The popular guide includes 167 updated pages of saltwater and freshwater catches - for nearly 400 species around the world -- in all-tackle, line class, fly, men's, women's, junior angler and U.S. state records.

NZ wetlands receive international recognition

Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick has announced today on World Wetlands Day that a unique area of New Zealand wetlands has received international recognition.

16,000 hectares of wetlands in Southland have become part of a network of just six New Zealand sites that are recognised under the International Ramsar Convention on Wetlands...

Drooling over New Zealand fishing

When Doug Stevens read the last entry in this space, about the conversation I'd had in L.L. Bean with an angler who sort of dissed New Zealand flyfishing in favor of the Kamchatka, Doug wrote:

"As a passionate angler who has fished New Zealand waters for many decades I can only say that this is a misguided viewpoint... I visit the website nzfishing.com and look at some of the photos of the waters available.

I did look at the website, a good one, and then had to wipe the drool off my keyboard...

Expert tips for fly fishermen

Fly fishing is by no means a dying art despite the spread of didymo in South Island rivers, says fly fishing expert Reg McClintock.

Mr McClintock, a professional fly-tyer of Christchurch, was passing on his knowledge of the popular sport while visiting Ashburton on Tuesday...

Heatwave creates fly-fishing frenzy

Trout fishermen are reeling in their best catches ever as shoals of fish migrate to escape the soaring temperatures.

The latest heat wave, posting temperatures of up to 28C last week, has forced massive shoals of trout to abandon sweltering Lake Rotorua in search of colder water in the streams, where there is more oxygen...

Best fishing season in years

If you've got plans to go trout fishing - now is the time, says Rotorua angler Mark Kahu.

Mr Kahu has been fishing the waterways around Rotorua for more than 20 years and he says it's the best season he has experienced....

New Zealand not so pure, says environment report

The pictures of snow-capped mountain peaks, crystal clear lakes and golden sandy beaches in the advertisements are stunning and the headlines say, "100 percent Pure New Zealand". However, environmental degradation is taking a toll on its once pristine resources.

But the real picture is not exactly like those commercials, which the national Tourism New Zealand agency uses to woo 2.4 million foreign tourists a year, according to a government report on the state of the environment released Thursday...

"The net effect of intensified land use is to increase the amount of nutrients, fertiliser, sediment and animal effluent polluting streams, rivers and lakes," the ministry of environment report said...

Water quality of concern to Dunne

Water quality can no longer be swept under the carpet

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne has emphasised his party's concern over the state of water quality in many parts of rural New Zealand following today's state of the environment report...

"I agree wholeheartedly with Fish and Game New Zealand that action is long-overdue. For too long the concerns of fishers and other recreationalists have fallen on deaf ears, however those are the people who monitor the quality of New Zealand's lakes and rivers more than anyone else."...

Dairying blamed for damaging South Island water quality

Stuart Muir has been fishing Canterbury’s lakes and rivers for more than 30 years, but in that time he says he has seen lowland rivers like the Selwyn, go from bad to worse.

“It's under threat in a way that it's destroying a river that was noted worldwide for its fishing capability.”...

Anglers and hunters behind water conservation