New Zealand Fishing News

Boaties reminded of safety obligations

With summer in full swing, boaties are being warned to take care on the water.

From Lake Manapouri to Lake Hawea, thousands of people are expected to hit the rivers and lakes for fishing, jet-skiing and water-skiing.

However, Queenstown harbourmaster Marty Black said boaties needed to remember to stay safe while having fun on the water. "It's a lot of old hat but it's bloody important. Watch the weather, wear your lifejacket and watch the booze."

During the height of summer in the Southern Lakes district there could be as many as 3000 on Lake Wanaka on a fine day, 1500 on Lake Wakatipu and 600 on Lake Hawea.

Northern Fiordland rivers free of didymo

Water samplings of fishing rivers in northern Fiordland have returned no sign of didymo.

Department of Conservation Te Anau didymo ranger Martin Genet said people seemed to still be taking didymo control seriously. "We're almost certain that this is the reason didymo has not spread further into Fiordland."

Although didymo has been in Southland for several years, regular sampling has shown much of Fiordland remains free of its smothering growth.

DOC is also reminding anglers that anyone fishing within Fiordland National Park is required to obtain a Clean Gear Certificate for all gear at an approved cleaning station, 48 hours before fishing.

Anglers are also reminded that didymo has been found along the edges of lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, so it was important to check all gear before leaving the lake edge and moving into the lake tributaries or other waterways.

Shotover River gravel extraction $1m bond sought

Otago Regional Council (ORC) resource consent applications to build a training line in the Shotover River delta and extract gravel are "outrageously excessive", according to an opposing party.

ORC's bids attracted six opposing submissions, one in support, two in support with conditions and two neutral, by the closing date of December 17...

Fish and Game New Zealand wished to be heard in support of the application and said the work was needed to help flood protection and build the resa...

Guide licences being proposed

Fish & Game New Zealand will be asking the new government for a decision in the short to medium term on the introduction of guide licence regulations and the introduction of a licence category to manage the guiding industry and its affect on the fishing resource.

The New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides Association (NZPFGA) which represents around 180 fishing guides has been negotiating the terms of a guides licence with Fish & Game. It says members will benefit greatly from the eventual outcome.

Lake Benmore the official top spot

If you plan to fish in the central South Island these holidays, be aware that you are in the premiere fisheries in New Zealand....a national angler survey has identified that the central South Island had 250,820 angler days during the 2007/08 season. Otago recorded 221,870 angler days, and Eastern (in the central North Island) recorded 213,590...

"This makes Lake Benmore the most fished lake in any of the Fish and Game regions and second only to Lake Taupo in angler numbers, but in the South Island, of the lakes tested, it's easily the most productive fishery."...

Two scenarios two different results perhaps?

The flushing flow through the Opuha and Opihi River systems last weekend is said to have dislodged the aggressive invasion of didymo in the lower Opuha River, and carried the offensive mats to sea. There endeth the first scenario.

At the Tekapo River, didymo has caused a number of anglers to vacate the fishery in favour of lake fishing, or moving to less effected water.

With this week's newspaper report that Meridian Energy is likely to release a flushing flow down the Tekapo River, comes the realisation that didymo mats could end up in the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore....

Didymo watch the last line of defence

The message is going out nationwide to help Biosecurity New Zealand slow the spread of Didymosphenia geminata (didymo), a microscopic North American pest also known as "rock snot".

First reported in New Zealand in the Lower Waiau River in 2004, it can be spread by a single drop of water. It is thought to have been accidentally introduced by a North American tourist and has now spread throughout the South Island...

Check, Clean and Dry still the go this summer

Check, Clean, and Dry is a message you’ll come across if you’re using the Rotorua Lakes this summer...

...four students will be very visible visiting boat ramps, camping grounds and other key sites around the lakes to let recreational lake users aware of the vital need to be vigilant and help keep the lakes cleaner...

Navigate Oceania launches eight themed luxury getaways

Navigate Oceania has put together eight new luxury themed experiences involving Spa, Culture, Wilderness, Adventure, Discoverer, Wine and Gourmet, for travellers to Fiji and New Zealand.

Navigate Oceania...have launched these new themed packages just in time to take advantage of the lower Kiwi Dollar, and the relative value for money they now represent.

[View the Trout Fishing Adventures themed itinerary....]

Didymo message motors along in Taranaki

The didymo message is hitting the road again in Taranaki.

The Taranaki Regional Council has begun a summer education campaign on didymo, targeting anglers, kayakers, boaties and other freshwater users throughout the region.

A Council-employed didymo educator will visit popular freshwater recreation sites with a message summed up in three words: Check, clean, dry.

Need for water storage in Hawke's Bay

Central Hawke's Bay farmer Hugh Ritchie came home from a few days touring around Canterbury absolutely certain that Hawke's Bay needs to store water.

Hardly anyone in the Bay has a dam of a serious size, but Hugh is hoping that will all change...

Last summer thel Tukituki River was in the headlines with both Takapau and Waipukurau discharging partially treated effluent straight back into the river...

A look back at New Zealand's year of weather extremes

A summer credited as the eighth warmest in 100 years had people wondering when the golden days would fade and the wintry cold would return.

Rainfall was below normal over much of the North Island and lower South Island, and the Waikato received less than half the normal level, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research (Niwa) reported...

Water storage not a silver bullet

Fish & Game New Zealand urges caution around Federated Farmers' Water Spokesperson Hugh Ritchie's claim that water storage is 'one of the magic bullets'.

"Water storage is not necessarily 'a winner for the whole community,'' said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive Fish & Game New Zealand.

"The key concern is the adverse environmental effects of changed land use 'down stream' of the storage scheme which Federated Farmers don't address....

Water storage is one of the 'magic bullets' the NZ economy needs

"If there is one magic bullet guaranteed to transform the New Zealand economy it is water storage," says Federated Farmers water spokesperson, Hugh Ritchie.

Federated Farmers is analysing the water storage potential of regions around New Zealand... The Federation contends this will lead to an agricultural and economic transformation generating billions of dollars in export earnings...

"Banking water makes sense for the environment. Fish need water so creating a better environment for fish will generate new recreational and tourism opportunities. Water storage is a winner for the whole community.

"The Opuha Dam in South Canterbury is a good example of what we mean. In October, the Opuha Dam Water Management Project was the supreme winner of the 2008 Canterbury Resource Management Awards. It is a sustainable water storage project supported by Fish and Game, local Iwi and the community...

Lifejackets and other changes to bylaw

A change to Environment Waikato’s Navigation Safety Bylaw will make it compulsory for boat users to wear lifejackets at all times from July 1 2009.

Under the current bylaw, it is only necessary to wear a lifejacket in situations of heightened risk, for example when crossing a bar.

The change is mandatory to ensure EW’s bylaw complies with new Maritime New Zealand rules....

Fish & Game reminds anglers of Hurunui WCO deadline

Fish & Game reminds anglers that submissions for the Hurunui Water Conservation Order close this coming Monday 15th December and urges them  not to let all their hard work go to waste. Find out how to make a submission...

MAFBNZ to use fish to eradicate invasive aquatic weed from lakes

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is releasing 3000 grass carp into Lakes Tutira, Waikopiro, and Opouahi today as part of its programme to eradicate the invasive aquatic weed hydrilla from the lakes. Hydrilla has not been found anywhere else in New Zealand...

Updated recreational information for Waitaki lakes users

A new pamphlet which will help the 15,000 to 20,000 people who visit the Waitaki lakes each year keep safe on water and land has been released by Waitaki Lakes Shoreline Authorities Committee...

... people should keep well away from dam inflow and outflow areas, as they can be very dangerous. People should not be tempted to fish in these areas...

...The pamphlet makes everyone aware of local camping and boating rules, lists useful contact numbers for information and emergencies...

The pamphlet is available at local visitor centres, the Department of Conservation, council offices and online at www.ecan.govt.nz/waitakilakes

Didymo awareness not diminishing

The summertime didymo education programme has started again and a student has been contracted by Hawke's Bay Regional Council to reinforce the message of Check Clean Dry along our favourite recreational rivers.

This is part of a national partnership between MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, Regional Councils and other stakeholders to reduce the risk of didymo and other aquatic plant pests spreading...

Contact ready to start talks on developing Clutha

Contact Energy says it will start consulting with the public early next year about possible hydro-electric development on the Clutha River. This follows a meeting in Clyde yesterday between the mayors of the Central Otago, Clutha and Queenstown Lakes districts and three Contact executives...

Ashburton Community Water Trust hydro application

The Ashburton Community Water Trust (ACWT) and Ashburton District Council have been granted consents to use Rakaia River water to generate electricity, subject to the applicant undertaking a full summer ecological survey...

Canterbury tops water-pollution rankings

Fifteen Canterbury waterways are unsuitable for swimming due to faecal contamination. A further 13 of the region's rivers should be avoided, especially by the elderly and very young, according to a Consumer Magazine report...

The state of the nation's recreational waterways was a big concern and contamination in pastoral farming areas was getting worse, the report said...

Arrow River foot bridge opens with help from SKYCITY

A new foot bridge over the Arrow River improving access to the Macetown and Motatapu walking tracks which connect Arrowtown to Wanaka’s Glendu Bay has opened...

We're swimming in it

The Green Party is calling on the Government, as part of its infrastructure stimulus package, to offer financial support to local councils to upgrade their sewage treatment plants... The Greens are also calling on the Government to strengthen environmental laws around water pollution because the current laws are too weak. ...the reality of 'clean green' New Zealand is that our lowland rivers are full of cow effluent, our beaches are contaminated by human sewage, and our fish stocks are depleted...

Popular beaches unsafe - survey

Nearly a third of of the country's 500 most popular swimming spots are not safe, according to a new survey. A Consumer New Zealand water quality survey has found 29 per cent of beaches, lakes and rivers have bacteria levels so high that the Ministry for the Environment recommends staying out of the water...

An excellent way to reel in the years

Many a fisherman has drawn some comfort from the Babylonian proverb which claims that "The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing", The Nelson Mail said in an editorial on Saturday... Nobody really believes it, though - and then along comes 103-year-old fly fishing enthusiast Eric King-Turner to reinforce the idea that fishing and long life go hand-in-hand....

Millions watch pair cast on NZ rivers

Meeting the two unlikely stars of Discovery Channel's new fly fishing series in Queenstown this week was enough to break any gourmet trout lover's heart.

Paul Arden, a burly British vegetarian, and Ronan Creane, a lean Irishman, are clearly in it for the sport, strictly catch and release...

These unlikely blokes, who travel the globe hunting out the best fly fishing haunts year round, are the new stars of Discovery Channel's Fish This NZ series.

The series pilot, which went to air in the United States on prime time television on November 24, will be seen by several hundred million people around the world and should screen in New Zealand in a few months...

Hawke's Bay faces third year of summer drought

Hawke's Bay is heading for another drought after a dry spring. MetService said nine millimetres of rain fell at Napier airport in November. The average rainfall for the month is 53mm. Rainfall in September and October was also below average...

Six Waikato lakes now have health warnings

As expected, the recent summer weather has resulted in massive growth of cyanobacteria in the routinely monitored shallow lakes. Warnings were already in place for Lakes Whangape, Waikare and Kainui, but over the winter cell counts were low in the other monitored lakes - Hakanoa, Waahi and Ngaroto...

The most recent cyanobacterial results for Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake) continue at low cell counts...

"Waikato shallow lake users should always avoid contact with water which looks cloudy green or brown, or has scum forming even when there is no warning in place," said Waikato District Health Board medical officer of health Dell Hood....

Didymo discovered in the Karamea River

The invasive algae didymo has been found in the West Coast's internationally renowned trout fishing Karamea River.

The Department of Conservation said today the discovery of the weed in the river at the heart of the Kahurangi National Park was a "serious concern''...

DOC Motueka area manager Martin Rodd said it would impact on the "significant natural values'' of the river and would be detrimental to the outstanding recreational fishing the Karamea offered...

See also: Didymo Biosecurity Alert

Come fly with me

The dark smudge swaying gently in the depths of a pool of liquid greenstone sends a shiver of excitement up the spines of the camouflaged fisherman on the bank...

The first day of November is opening day for high-country fishing, the rare end of fly-fishing in the cream of New Zealand's trout water...

Angling photos taken on the fly

As any faithful Nelson Mail reader will know, Zane Mirfin likes his fish. Not just stalking and catching them, not just guiding others in pursuit of them, and not, for that matter, just writing about them...

Mirfin's passion for wily trout and all that trying to catch them entails also extends to photographing them... New Zealand Fish and Game Magazine editor Bob South, describes Mirfin's images as "prodigious", his camera work "uncanny".

Proof of what South is on about has just been compiled into a new book, The Last Best Place (Halcyon Press, $49.99), a picture book of some of Mirfin's work, focused on the angler and his quarry against the backdrop of New Zealand's glorious back country...

For sale in NZ...resort home with use of fishing lodge

A contemporary country home near Queenstown is for sale in for 6.5 million NZ dollars. The six-bedroom three-bath home is in Closeburn Station, a 3,000-acre working alpine farm with 27 private homes...

Homeowners at Closeburn Station receive exclusive use of the station’s fishing lodge and three tramping huts, rustic cottages for overnight stays in the mountains. There are tennis courts, mountain bicycles and kayaks for residents’ use, and there is fishing and swimming at the station’s three lakes...

New Kiwi: NZ's 'pretty wild'

Eric King-Turner had a good day fly-fishing in the Motueka River, catching a lovely four-pound (1.8kg) brown trout - not bad for a 103-year-old fisherman.

Mr King-Turner became a media celebrity at the start of the year by becoming Britain's oldest emigrant, moving to New Zealand with his 87-year-old Kiwi wife, Doris.

He said then that his new adventure meant he would be able to indulge his passion for fly-fishing...

Old, unusual and rare fishing tackle to be exhibited

An exhibition of old, unusual and rare fishing tackle will be   on display at the SBS Antique to Retro Show being held at Founders Heritage Park, Nelson on March 7 & 8 2009.

Ian Kearney has one of the largest fishing tackle collections in Australasia and for the first time the public will be allowed to see some of his finest items. These include rare prototype spinning reels made between 1910-12 of which there are only nine in existence and Ian has two of them. He will also exhibit split cane rods from the 1860s-1970s, fishing reels from the 1840s-1970s, a selection of reels made by NZ’s only commercial fly reel maker, Ernie Brown of Christchurch, fly boxes, wallets, gaffs, nets, etc.

For more information, please contact Judy Pittman at rwpittman@xtra.co.nz or phone 03 545 2181.

Upper river fishing Taupo opens

Taupo district anglers keen on fishing upper sections of most popular rivers flowing into Lake Taupo are reminded that the season opens on 1 December 2008.

Many of these sections of river offer true wilderness fishing and can be productive at this time of year. Anglers should refer to the map on the back of their fishing licence where red lines indicate the rivers, streams and lakes that open to fishing from 1 December to 31 May.

It is also timely to remind anglers about the threat from the invasive algae didymo. These upper rivers are valued for their remoteness and scenery and DOC strongly advises anglers to ensure that they have cleaned their gear before visiting these special sites. “Although the invasive algae Didymo is not yet thought to be in the North Island, it is too big a risk not to clean your gear before visiting these areas” says Mark Venman – Programme Manager, Field Operations. It is even more important to ensure that fishing gear has been adequately cleaned as the entire river system would suffer should Didymo establish in the headwaters of these rivers. Mr Venman added that “One of the few ways Didymo can move upstream is if it is physically carried on infected gear or waders”.

A 5% solution of dishwashing detergent (50 mls per litre) in a spray bottle is perfect for disinfecting rods, reels, waders and anything else which is to be used in our waterways. Further, new fishery regulations prohibit the wearing of felt soled wading boots due to their ability to harbour Didymo cells for several weeks. Despite this restriction, anglers should not neglect cleaning or freezing rubber soled wading boots either as Didymo cells can be transferred in the treads or a single drop of water on the boots themselves.

Dirty dairy farms fail to comply

One in five Canterbury dairy farms fails to meet environmental standards for effluent disposal, a new report says...

Fish and Game Nelson-Marlborough manager Neil Deans said 7.4% of all dairy farms that significantly failed to meet their obligations had not improved a year later.

Compliance with consents was a fundamental requirement to conduct any business, and the report highlighted shortcomings in current processes, he said.

Getting advice on dairy conversions can help farmers' bottom line and reduce impact on waterways

Farm operators can minimise the environmental impact of dairy conversions by getting expert advice on infrastructure design, says Environment Waikato’s catchment services committee chairman Andra Neeley...

“Getting sound advice will help conversions reduce the impact of their operations on the health of waterways, such as the Mokau River.”..

New groups part of deals: Big Game Hunting Council to be created

After campaigning on a promise to slash bureaucracy, National leader John Key has formed a government that creates at least a dozen new reviews, committees and task forces.

The new bodies include a Big Game Hunting Council demanded by UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne as part of the confidence and supply agreement signed with National yesterday....

Mr Dunne said his council would pick up work not covered by existing bodies such as Fish and Game, and would not be costly to set up. Work on establishing it began under Labour...

Submissions invited on Hurunui River water conservation order

Public submissions on the application for a Hurunui River water conservation order are being accepted up until 15 December 2008. The application was made by Fish & Game and the New Zealand Recreational Canoe Association.

Find out more and how to make a submission...

Applicant withdraws on eve of Poolburn hearing

On the eve of a two-day hearing on a controversial 902ha sub-division at the picturesque Poolburn dam, the applicant has withdrawn the application.

DTZ resource management consultant Philip Murray, acting for the Auckland applicant Jack Govind, said the decision was made following the release of the Central Otago District Council (CODC) planning consultant David Whitney's report
which recommended consent be refused....

Rarest fish threatened

Department of Conservation freshwater ranger Pete Ravenscroft shows didymo infestation in the Kakanui River. The Department of Conservation is pleading for people to help save one of New Zealand's rarest and most threatened fish, the tiny lowland longjaw galaxius, as didymo threatens its extinction.

Doc freshwater ranger Pete Ravenscroft said people were cutting and driving through a fence set up to keep them out of the Kauru River, a tributary to the Kakanui River, about 15km inland from Maheno...

Farmers trialing new systems for profit and lake protection

The land around Lake Taupo may soon be dotted with dairy goats and sheep, blueberries, grapes and willows for biofuel as farmers look for alternatives to pastoral farming, the main source of nitrogen leaching into Lake Taupo...

An environment court decision released this week ruled that
nitrogen-leaching land use activities, particularly farming, needed to be controlled to restore Lake Taupo’s water quality to 2001 levels...

Latest didymo finds worry DOC

New didymo finds in the lower Cass and Macaulay rivers have the Department of Conservation (DOC) worried about the potential for didymo to be spread further into the upper Tekapo catchment.

Twizel-based biodiversity assets programme manager Dean Nelson said water samples taken from both rivers have tested positive for the invasive algae.

"It is very important that we keep didymo out of the upper Cass, upper Macaulay and Godley Rivers," said Mr Nelson.

Farmers find flaws in dairying report

A Federated Farmers peer review of a report that claimed dairy farmers were getting away with pollution has found it poorly written, with unsupported assumptions that were negatively "spun".

However, the federation leaves itself open to criticism by using as peer reviewers two staff members...

The report they have reviewed was released last month by Fish & Game and Forest & Bird. It looked at progress since the dairy industry’s 2003 Clean Streams Accord to improve the quality of waterways.

The writers, Fish & Game’s Neil Deans and Forest & Bird’s Kevin Hackwell, found that water quality in dairy farming areas had continued to fall since the accord was signed by Fonterra and central and local government....

Colorada State University professor honored with prestigious International Fisheries Science Prize

Kurt Fausch, professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, was recently named the first recipient of the International Fisheries Science Prize...

Fausch's research has earned international significance since the publication in 1981 of his doctoral work on salmon and trout habitat use and competition, which informed and inspired work on similar problems in North America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand...

Algae experts in town

How can we turn seaweed into biofuels? Can we use seaweed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Can we stop the spread of didymo in New Zealand? These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the 5th Asian Pacific Phycological Forum, being held in Wellington next week...

Tunawaea project improves water quality, trout habitat

Environment Waikato’s efforts to improve the health of the Waipa River are paying dividends, according to Fish and Game New Zealand.

Reports from anglers indicate the trout population has improved considerably, now the river has been returned to a single channel...

Jim Anderton speech: Biosecurity summit

...It's obvious, in my eyes, that agriculture is the engine room of our economy...

As an agricultural based economy, exclusion of potential pests, including weeds and diseases, is critical. We have robust measures in place to protect our biological resources, biodiversity and natural environments....

Our biosecurity system has to be capable of operating effectively in a more sophisticated way...We also need to ensure our own biosecurity controls are evidence-based. The science has to be sound and the decision-making best-practice...

Missing fisherman found

A man who failed to return from a fishing trip on the West Coast of the South Island last night has been found safe and well.

Constable Mike Tinnelly of West Coast Search and Rescue said Adrian Brears, 37, was located at 11.45am today after an intensive search of the upper Crooked River, involving dogs, white water rescue kayakers and a helicopter.

Tinnelly said Brears got lost in the bush after following an old track and decided to stay put until Search and Rescue located him.

Forget roughing it, try glamping

Fancy a spot of camping but without the camp stretchers, bush toilets and trail mix?

Widely referred to in the US and Britain as "glamping" - glamorous camping - the practice has hit New Zealand with a vengeance. As tourist numbers dwindle thanks to the rocky global economy, tourism companies are seeking more "bang" for their marketing buck.

Traditionally rough-and-ready outdoor activities such as flyfishing, kayaking and tramping have started to go upmarket....

Farming lobby issues political wishlist

Rural lobby group, Federated Farmers, has published a "manifesto" in the run up to next Saturday's general election, calling on townies to work with rural voters....

Fish and Game has campaigned against "dirty dairying" and the destruction of waterways..Fish and Game's chief executive Bryce Johnson said '... if farming is to have any future, it must be environmentally sustainable as a bottom line,"...

Get the **** out of our swimming and fishing spots

The Green Party today released its plan to clean up New Zealand's rivers, lakes and aquifers.

Summer is approaching again and many New Zealanders are looking forward to going to their favourite swimming and fishing spots.

"But if this summer is anything like last summer, ....many of our best fishing rivers won't have any trout because of low flows and high pollution levels....

The future of farming? Checklist for Federated Farmer's manifesto

Federated Farmers will launch a manifesto tomorrow morning (Tuesday 4 November) to promote agriculture as the answer New Zealand’s economic well-being. Launching a manifesto during uncertain economic times provides an opportunity to advocate for development and agricultural intensification at the expense of our already threatened environment.

Watch for "reform’ of the Resource Management Act, claims that farming can’t be green if it’s in the red...

Kinloch Fishing competition results

This year 354 anglers registered for the competition and weighed in 446 fish despite the inclement weather on the Saturday which is the major fishing day. This year the quality of the fish was markedly improved, both in weight and condition factor....

New Zealand's Diamond in the Rough

If you want to visit the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge on the north western coast of New Zealand's South Island...getting there is probably the roughest thing about it...Outdoor activities abound, from hiking and biking to fishing...the Mokihinui River flows past the lodge

Didymo advocates at ferry terminals this summer

This summer there will again be advocates at the Wellington ferry terminals in addition to the permanent advocates at the Picton terminals. They will be starting on the 15th of November and will work for 3 months over the peak travel period.

In additions, 15 regions have successfully applied for funds to assist them with their summer aquatic pest awareness programmes.

The material available for didymo advocates to use includes...information packs, pocket cleaning guides, brochures, spray bottles and branded lollipops.

Evaluation of Check Clean Dry 2007-2008 campaign

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand commissioned The Nielsen Company to evaluate the success of the Check, Clean, Dry campaign for the summer of 2007-2008... 2695 surveys were completed...

The key message from this evaluation was that there have been increases in awareness of the phrase “Check, Clean, Dry” and increases in freshwater users seriously considering how they can stop didymo spreading and making an effort to check, clean, dry. Fewer people than in 2007 consider didymo a threat to their sport – overall didymo has not had a major impact on participation in sporting activities.

Didymo North Island incursion simulation

A simulation of a North Island incursion of didymo was held at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council offices in Napier on 26 September. The site chosen for the simulation was Willow Flat on the Mohaka River...

Feedback was positive, and identified opportunities for improvements to response systems and plans. The next simulation will be in another North Island region early in 2009.

Building rule changes reduce red tape for huts

New rules making it easier to build backcountry huts take effect today... “The changes, the latest in a series aimed at reducing red tape, means some unnecessary building rules will no longer apply when building or replacing Department of Conservation (DOC) backcountry huts,” Steve Chadwick said...

Keep didymo in mind when casting in the high country

Tomorrow is the start of the high country fishing season, and anglers are expected to flock to the prime fishing spots.

You might be very impressed with the flows and lake levels across the hinterland.

Recent snowfalls will have ensured that. It's just as likely you will notice the cooler weather if winds (as forecast) carry cold air eastwards from the Alps...

Unfortunately, some change has taken place and didymo is more extensive than last year. In fact, it's appropriate for anglers to consider all waters are infected...

Opuha Water wins resource management award

..Opuha Water Limited won the Supreme Award at the Canterbury Resource Management Award ceremony in Christchurch last Wednesday.

That's recognition of the Opuha Dam project that started out as a community crucible which nurtured the project to achieve a community-wide benefit....

If, all those years ago, the project had been allowed to degenerate into court battles, I doubt we would have a lake to fish in today....

See the full list of winners and fnalists in the awards.

Opihi provides good fish at Master's Games

The South Island Master's Games in October were held at Timaru and included fishing. For 10 competitors the Opihi River provided some good fish.

Michael Johnson won the gold medal with 1410 points, followed closely by Allan Gillespie who gained the silver medal with 1165 points. Gerald Whiting was awarded the bronze medal for his smaller catch made after only a very limited time at the water.

The points were awarded on fish length, with 50 points for the first 25cm, and 10 points for each centimetre after that.

OceanaGold supports gold mine trout hatchery

OceanaGold Corporation 2008 Third Quarter Results

OceanaGold has been an active member of the local communities surrounding its Macraes mine in Otago, New Zealand since 1990...

Some of the major community initiatives which the Company supports in New Zealand include Macraes Trout Hatchery, a cooperative venture with Fish & Game New Zealand. The hatchery is believed to be the only one of its type
located at an active mine site...

Greens eye water pact

The Greens have fired a shot across the bow of the dairy sector – if the party finds itself Kingmaker at the next election it will push for legislation to properly protect waterways from the impact of intensive agriculture...

...Green co-leader Russell Norman says despite the wins of the last electoral term, the most disappointing aspect was the lack of progress towards cleaning up lakes and rivers,

Greens to Nats - Tourism depends on environment

The Green Party is reminding the National Party that our tourist industry is 100% reliant on our natural environment. And hence National's plan to gut the already-weak environment protection legislation, the Resource Management Act, will destroy our tourism industry by leaving our environment unprotected from National's developer and agribusiness mates...

High aspirations for new agency on walking access

The newly-appointed Chair of the New Zealand Walking Access Commission says he has high aspirations for the agency and its ability to enhance New Zealanders’ enjoyment...

Nats promise clearer rules around major green issues

National says it will create a new Environmental Protection Agency, with regulatory backing.

National's spokesman for Environment/RMA Nick Smith said..
"We are promoting a practical approach to the environment. We're not sure New Zealand is living up to its 100 percent pure-green tourism branding," ...

National to upgrade biosecurity

A National Government will introduce a range of measures to reduce the chances of a repeat of the pest incursions of recent years, says Biosecurity spokesman Shane Ardern...

Call to privatise water

...Professor Joseph Sax, University of California at Berkeley, told a recent resource management conference that because water is such a vital ingredient for agriculture, farmers need ‘property-like entitlements’ to the resource.

An effective water management system must be... flexible enough to meet both public and private demands. Sax points out that ‘the source from which a farmer draws water for irrigation is the same source that sustains a fishery and supports recreation’...

Waterways a key concern for Greens co-leader

The state of streams, rivers and lakes is an even bigger issue for New Zealand than climate change, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman believes...

Didymo experimental site set up at Otiake.

Planned experiments by New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Environment Canada with assistance from Fish and Game New Zealand, have just begun with the artificial substrates growing didymo supplied by pumped didymo affected Waitaki River water....

The research just begun is designed to demonstrate that there is a factor in spring water that inhibits the growth of didymo, and that the effect of this factor is concentration dependent...

The experiments are expected to continue for approximately 8 to 12 weeks and the results of the experiments will be presented in a report to Fish and Game New Zealand by 30th June 2009.

National to upgrade biosecurity

A National Government will introduce a range of measures to reduce the chances of a repeat of the pest incursions of recent years, says Biosecurity spokesman Shane Ardern...

“There’s no doubt we need stronger border controls, and National will make changes to do that.

“It’s essential we improve our emergency response capability.

“Painted Apple Moth, Varroa and Didymo are clear examples of the damage caused because valuable time was wasted while funding was sought from Cabinet, and National does not want to see a repeat of that...

Eight pulled from Lake Te Anau after boat sinks

Alert boaties plucked three men and five children to safety from a sinking boat on Lake Te Anau on Saturday.

Te Anau police said the boat got into trouble near the entrance to South Arm about 5pm when a strong southerly wind built up.

The boat was one of about 200 on Lake Te Anau involved in the 2008 Stabi-Craft-Yamaha Te Anau Fishing Tournament...

Hundreds enter inaugural Te Anau fishing contest

Hundreds of fishing families flocked to Te Anau for the first Lake Te Anau Stabi-Craft Yamaha fishing tournament at the weekend.

Visitors not only fished but also took in a car, motorbike and boat show at the competition's marquee headquarters at the Te Anau rugby club.

Under-12s entered the Carter's Kids Gone Fishin' competition under the tutelage of TV fishing personality Graeme Sinclair, trying to catch one of 180 rainbow trout enclosed in a pond at Bluegum Point...

Fish from Lake Ellesmere Catchment and Hurunui River needed urgently

Fish & Game ... urgently need help to collect fish and record data for two projects: identifying the best strategy for the Lake Ellesmere fishery and for its application for the Hurunui River Water Conservation Order. Fish are needed from the upper and lower Lake Ellesmere catchments and the Hurunui River...

Environment policies compared

The environment policies of the eight parties in Parliament are compared in the table below...

River work sees “extinct” fish flock back

Hidden away in the South Canterbury high country is an unassuming little creek that is making big waves in fishing circles and is being heralded as a major environmental success story...

Councils oppose West Coast hydro dam

The West Coast regional and Buller district councils have come out against the proposed Mokihinui hydro dam, north of Westport. Both say the dam would cause significant environmental and social impact, and Meridian's mitigation plans are insufficient...

Wairau hydro hearing costs could hit $1m, says firm

An Environment Court hearing into TrustPower's plans for a Wairau River hydro scheme could cost Marlborough ratepayers more than a million dollars, claims community relations manager Graeme Purches...

Environment Court hearing manager Nicola Bennett confirmed there were seven parties who had appealed including the Department of Conservation; Save the Wairau, and Fish and Game.

It is expected the case will move toward the Environment Court after a pre-hearing conference in Blenheim on November 20.

Hearing recommends Mokihinui consents be declined

The hearing into the proposed hydro electric power development on the Mokihinui closed yesterday afternoon on a high note for those opposing it. Staff advisors to the hearing panel from West Coast Regional Council and Buller District Council recommended that the consents be declined.

With the Department of Conservation pulling out all stops and fronting up with an unprecedented level of experts, and with strong submissions from locals, trampers, kayakers, rafters, whitebaiters, conservationists - and anyone who cares - the commissioner's shouldn't have too much problem in saying no.

One of the most sobering statements at the hearing was the opening paragraph by DOC's lawyer who stated that the Mokihinui hydro scheme is the largest scale proposed flooding of public conservation land in New Zealand since the Manapouri scheme of the late 1960s and early 1970s. If approved, and constructed, it will be the largest inundation for hydro electric generation purposes of lands and ecosystems set aside for protection and conservation ever seen in this country.

Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of NZ is asking supporters to phone, write or email Meridian, and ask them to live up to their 'clean, green image' and gracefully withdraw their application to flood the Mokihinui and the surrounding rich and diverse forest.

Contact details: Meridian Energy, PO Box 2454, Christchurch
Phone: 0800 496 501
Email hydro.info@meridianenergy.co.nz

Conservation accord important for Waikato-Tainui

The signing of the Conservation Accord is a significant milestone for conservation management in the lower Waikato River catchment, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick said today.

The Minister of Conservation, Waikato-Tainui and the Director-General of Conservation have signed a Conservation Accord in Wellington as part of the Waikato River Treaty settlement. The agreement sets out how the Crown and iwi will achieve co-management in conservation of the Waikato River catchment, between Karapiro and the mouth of the Waikato River.

Fiordland anglers must get clean-gear certificates

Anglers are being reminded to get their clean-gear certificates before fishing in Fiordland National Park rivers.

Fish and Game New Zealand southern region senior field officer Zane Moss said this was to protect Fiordland rivers from the invasive algae didymo. Fiordland lakes such as Te Anau and Manapouri had had the algae for several years but the rivers had remained clear, he said.

This would be the third year certification restrictions had been in place and included all Fiordland rivers and lakes (with a few exceptions).*

Certification can be obtained from Tuatapere Service Station, Borland Lodge, Manapouri garage, Outdoor Sports Te Anau, Te Anau Department of Conservation Visitor Centre, Fish and Game in Te Anau and Invercargill, and B&B Sports, Gore.

* For further details, see the DOC information sheet and map (opens a pdf file from the Fish & Game website)

Okuma Femme Fatale sales support NZ Breast Cancer Foundation

Composite Developments is proud to align themselves with the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation and to announce that with a percentage of the sale of every Femme Fatale combo will go to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Okuma Femme Fatale combo featuring a high quality graphite blank provides a soft-baiting set is light, responsive and strong, a combo that will give the boys a run for their money...

Ohau Channel Diversion Wall launched

A year-long construction project to help restore and protect Lake Rotoiti's water quality was officially launched by the Minister of Conservation and MP for Rotorua, the Honourable Steve Chadwick today.

The Ohau Channel Diversion Wall is located at the outlet of the Ohau Channel, which links Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti. It is 1275 metres long and diverts the water from Lake Rotorua, with its higher nutrient levels, directly down the Kaituna River, preventing it from degrading Lake Rotoiti's water quality.

Billboard hits a nerve

A billboard is being praised by the Otago Fish and Game Council for generating public support for its appeal to prevent hydro-electric dams being developed on the Nevis River.

A sign featuring the slogan "Pioneer Generation or future generations?" mounted on a car trailer has been towed around Central Otago centres during the last few weeks...

Record numbers at Canterbury take a kid fishing day

A record 7500 young anglers participated in Canterbury Fish & Game's annual Take a kid fishing day at The Groynes Picnic Grounds in Belfast near Christchurch on Sunday 19th October this year.

The magic of the Matakitaki

The latest plan to harness one of Murchison's wild rivers for hydroelectricity have tourism operators gearing up for another fight and wondering where it will all end.

Visitors are flocking to the area, not for its coffee or public toilets, but for its wild rivers - the Owen, the Gowan, the Mangles, the Matakitaki and the mighty Buller.

But it is not just the kayakers, rafters and anglers who have become so besotted with the swift, untamed waters...

13 objections to Hills subdivision

A total of 13 submissions have been made in opposition to two applications for the proposed 17-lot subdivision at the home of the Michael Hill New Zealand Golf Open, including a personal submission by the community services general manager of the Queenstown Lakes District Council...

Fish and Game New Zealand opposed the project because the subdivision proposal did not adequately address the issues of waterway protection and mitigation measures...

Slow death of a dirty brown river

It's like an open drain. More than 100,000 cubic metres of treated waste is poured into the dirty Manawatu River each day.  It is the cheap option, with economics winning over the environment, activists say.

Pollution is rife as sediment, runoff and treated waste chug into the waterways and change the habitats of native fish.

The river is so murky that whitebait are disappearing. Fishermen tell of the worst season in decades and of whitebait that are no longer white. "It's a really bad situation," Massey University ecologist Mike Joy says...

SPOT to be found in New Zealand

A life-saving handheld device that is taking the world by storm has been launched in New Zealand and is set to be available in stores in time for Christmas...

"The SPOT Messenger is a crucial addition when doing anything outdoors that is in a remote area or out of cellular reach," Mr Bolger said....

"The beauty of SPOT is that it can be used in an emergency with the signal reaching a global emergency centre within five minutes where it is immediately relayed to the appropriate authorities, or you can send a signal to your family just to let them know where you are."..

Taranaki riparian plan on track

Taranaki Regional Council is confident of planting 10,000km of streambanks in the region by 2015.

The Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) remains upbeat about helping farmers fence and plant 10,000km of streambanks by 2015 in a bid to maintain water quality in the region...

Air access to Dingle Burn

Conditional air access will be provided to the Dingle Burn Valley in the Hawea Conservation Park from October 20 until June 30, the Department of Conservation announced this week.

Air access ceased after the Dingle Burn Station tenure review was completed in 2007.

Re-establishing the access was a key concern expressed by submitters during hearings to discuss the formation of the conservation park earlier this year...

DOC seeks Twelve Mile site camping ground developer

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is hoping to attract lease interest from private operators to develop the popular but basic Twelve Mile Delta Recreation Reserve into a "new, family- and environmentally friendly, affordable and safe camping ground"

The DOC Wakatipu area office began advertising that it was seeking proposals in a bid to enhance the 6ha camping ground that will serve campers for the long term.

Effluent problems persist in Otago

The threat of being "shut down" has been aimed at dairy farmers after serious effluent discharge problems were found at eight farms throughout the region.

The strongly worded comments came from Otago regional councillors during a council compliance committee meeting in Dunedin yesterday...

Fonterra plans $212m Southland plant

Fonterra has cleared its last resource consents needed for its $212 million extension of its Edendale plant...

Fish and Game New Zealand and the Department of Conservation had opposed the increase of discharge into the Mataura River but withdrew their rights to be heard.

Fish and Game Southland senior officer Zane Moss said he was satisfied with the outcome as a result of Fonterra's willingness to work closely with interest groups.

Monitoring and testing of water quality, put in place as a condition of the consent, should guard the river against further degradation, he said...

New tool to fight spread of aquatic pests

Lake Rotoma has a new weapon in the fight against aquatic pests this summer.

A weed cordon has been set up at the Merge Lodge Boat Ramp, to help prevent any unwanted weeds getting into the lake from boats and trailers using the ramp...

Photographer winner in nature and landscape competition

New Zealand photographer Andy Trowbridge has won two sections of the in the ANZANG Nature and Landscape Photographer of the Year 2008 Competition.

Andy Trowbridge is a professional photographer based in Christchurch in the South Island of the New Zealand. He specialises in New Zealand wildlife, wilderness landscapes and fly fishing photography....

Trout scarce near Hagley Park

...in the narrowed Avon River...the fish life, or lack of it... concerns a trustee of the historic cottage.

Dr Brian Molloy, a Riccarton Bush trustee for about 35 years, says that from his observations there has been a dramatic decline in the Avon's trout population.

Fish stocks from one side of Hagley Park to the other are "really quite low", he says. He has raised the issue with his board...

Walking access commission members announced

Members of the Board of the New Zealand Walking Access Commission were announced today by Rural Affairs Minister Damien O'Connor.

The Commission was established under the Walking Access Act 2008 which passed into law last week. The Commission will provide leadership on walking access issues, develop a national strategy, undertake mapping of walking access, provide information to the public, develop a code of responsible conduct, assist with dispute resolution, and negotiate new walking access....

Canterbury Water Strategy programme publishes report

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy programme has released its first report, providing a summary of current and future uses of Canterbury’s water and the benefits these may deliver to the region...

The report is now available for public comment and review and contributions will be received up till 30 October....

Clothing label for women hunters and fishers

A good keen southern woman, fed up with the fit of men's hunting clothes, has solved her own wardrobe problem.

Twenty-two-year-old Sarah MacDonald has designed New Zealand's first clothing label made specifically for women who hunt, fish and farm...

The result is the label Doe a Deer...

St James Park - an irresponsible last hurrah

The decision of the government to buy St James Station and add it to the conservation estate is irresponsible says a high country farming group.

"This looks like a last hurrah for prime minister Helen Clark. At a time when the government's books are empty, there is still big money for the prime minister's pet projects," says High Country Accord chair Ben Todhunter...

Grass carp rid Hawke's Bay lake of 'environmental cancer'

Four hundred grass carp introduced to a Hawke's Bay lake have chewed their way through an aquatic weed called an "aggressive environmental cancer"...

Biosecurity NZ has asked the conservation minister for permission to release grass carp into lakes Tutira, Waikopiro and Opouahi, which are also infested. The proposal is open to public submission and if approved, fish will be put into the lakes this summer...

Support for Nevis River dams appeal

Initial indications show strong support for an appeal by the New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game councils to prevent dams being built on the Nevis River.

Otago Fish and Game council chairman Niall Watson said more than 100 submissions were received before the deadline of October 3, and although there had not been a final report on the submissions, it appeared at this stage that there was strong support for the appeal...

Public ownership of St James Station welcomed

Fish & Game New Zealand welcomes the Government's purchase of the iconic St James Station as a valuable recreational and conservation treasure for all New Zealanders.

"This very large Station's ecological diversity, varied geography and numerous recreational opportunities are priceless," said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive Fish & Game New Zealand. "The upper Waiau in particular is a high quality backcountry trout fishery, and practical and certain access to this fishery will be a boon for anglers....

NZ gains 78,000ha park near Nelson Lakes

New Zealanders now own a "staggering" 78,000ha chunk of high country land near Nelson Lakes National Park after a $40 million government purchase announced today.

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick this morning revealed details of the purchase of St James Station...

The land was located on three mountain ranges, contained the headwaters of the Waiau and Clarence rivers, and had 11 tramping routes as well as skiing, mountainbiking, fishing, kayaking, horse riding and hunting opportunities, she said...

Nevis River dam ban gets firm support

Submissions have closed for the New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game councils appeal to amend the water conservation order for the Kawarau River in relation to its tributary, the Nevis River.  The councils want to prohibit dams and set minimum river flows...

Lake Coleridge fishing competition planned for opening weekend

The estimated 1,000 or more anglers who fish the Lake Coleridge Lakes and the surrounding areas over opening weekend will be able to enter the inaugural Lake Coleridge fishing competition.

Ryton Bay is to be the location for a fishing competition sponsored by Hamills Christchurch and Composite Developments which will be held over the high country opening weekend, the 1st and 2nd of November 2008...

Anglers' felt soles banned in rivers

Hawke's Bay rivers opened for trout fishing this week, and with the start of the season this year come new rules designed to prevent the spread of aquatic pests such as didymo.

As of this season Fish and Game has banned the use of felt-soled waders, with a maximum $5000 fine for those found wearing the boots....

US anglers unlikely to be put off visiting

Dirty rivers were not likely to discourage anglers from the United States from coming to Southland this season, senior Southland Fish and Game officer Zane Moss said...

Southland rivers have been a popular destination for wealthy American anglers. However, typically they arrived in the warmer months such as December and January and tended to favour high-country streams and rivers where contamination from agricultural activity such as dairying was less prevalent, he said.

The Mataura River would still be a top fishing spot among all anglers despite reports it was the most polluted in New Zealand.

Take a kid fishing day in Canterbury this month

Fish & Game have announced Sunday 19 October as the date for the annual Take a kid fishing day at The Groynes Picnic Grounds in Belfast near Christchurch...

Murchison: Can-do, have done, and proud

When Murchison opens its new sport, recreation and community centre, it will be the culmination of an effort that was far more than just another small-town fundraising drive...

Lining the long corridor next to the gymnasium is the Buller River Mural, a stylised portrayal of the river Murchison is built on, plastered with little plaque-like fish, kayaks and rafts. Each one was "bought" by a donor, their name engraved on it for posterity, ranging from $100 for a small trout (a four-pounder, according to the promotion) to $10,000 for a raft...

Use water pro rata: professor

Water users have a duty to the public to use the resource efficiently, so as not to disadvantage others in the community, United States water and environmental law specialist, Prof Joseph Sax, says...

New Zealand should avoid the mistakes of the US southwest: of letting good fishing rivers run dry, of developing priority systems where the newest users lose out, and of not accommodating native people's rights at the outset, he said.

MidCurrent features video of NZ back country fishing DVD

This week Midcurrent is showing a segment from... "Backcountry Trout", an example of the trend toward making downloads of high-quality fishing films available over the web. Australian fly fishing expert Peter Morse, along with guide Nigel Birt, demonstrates how a careful approach, the correct fly choice, and observing the fishes' reactions all make a difference on a bluebird day in the New Zealand lowlands.

Play the video...

Felt-soled footwear appears to be on the way out

Are we approaching the end of the era of felt soles?

We are, as far as Trout Unlimited is concerned. The group this month called on the fishing tackle industry to stop manufacturing felt-soled waders and wading shoes by 2011.

For generations, anglers have used shoes with quarter-inch thick, compressed felt soles to stay upright while on the stream. Felt provides great traction on slippery underwater rocks, preventing slips and falls that are unpleasant at best and dangerous or even deadly at worst....

New lines of wading boots announced

Simms Fishing Products’ top announcement at this year’s Fly Fishing Retailer show in Denver last week was a new line of non-felt wading shoes.

“It’s very easy to clean, which is very important for wading boots from the aquatic nuisance species standpoint, and it offers exceptional grip...

Hodgman, one of the biggest makers of waders, probably won’t discontinue its felt-soled products — but it is working on alternative materials that are easy to clean and provide the necessary traction...

Weed in Lake Wanaka well under control

Lake Wanaka is now virtually clear of an invasive South African fresh water weed which has also been found in lakes Wakatipu, Dunstan and Roxburgh, and in parts of the Clutha and Hawea rivers.

Lagarosiphon, introduced into New Zealand for fish tanks and ponds, is a fast-growing aquatic plant whose vigorous growth displaces more desirable native plants and disrupts recreational activities by choking and blocking waterways...

DOC announces Taupo regulation changes

The Department of Conservation has made some changes to the Taupo Fishery regulations that apply from 1 October 2008. 

The main changes are a reduction in the minimum legal size for trout from Lake Taupo and most tributary rivers from 45 centimetres to 40 centimetres; felt-soled boots are banned; and and restrictions on downriggers are removed....

Split over Lake Matiri hydro plan

A Motueka-based company's application to build a hydroelectric scheme on Lake Matiri near Murchison has attracted 255 submissions, most of which support the scheme, although kayakers and environmentalists remain critical of the proposal...

Fish and Game, which was a major opponent of a scheme proposed for the Gowan River by Michael Talley, said it neither supported nor opposed the Matiri scheme but had concerns, including downstream flow fluctuations...

Fishing season opens on Taupo lakes

The fishing season on lakes Otamangakau and Kuratau re-opens on Wednesday 1st October 2008.

Angling prospects are excellent for Lake Otamangakau says Programme Manager Glenn Maclean of the Department of Conservation, though anglers shouldn’t expect too many truly trophy sized fish...

Time running out for Nevis submissions

Just one week remains to get submissions in to support Fish and Game New Zealand's application to amend the Kawarau River Conservation Order (1997), to prohibit damming of the Nevis River...

Information on submitting and the submission form itself can be located at www.savethenevis.co.nz. Submissions close at 5pm on October 3.

Chris Dore, president, Wakatipu Anglers Club, Queenstown

Local anglers hooked on helping other fishers

There are not many sports where a 58-year-old grandfather can show up men in their early 20s, but for freshwater angler Nick Miller it's all part of the experience.

The Palmerston North builder saw a group of six men attempting - and failing - to catch trout with worm bait. "I showed them a wooly booger (a type of fly) and said 'this here's what you need'...

For information about the Manawatu Anglers Club, ring George on 357-5539.

Award recognises passion for rivers

Dunedin lawyer Maree Baker has received a national award which recognises a professional and personal interest in protecting New Zealand rivers and waterways.

Ms Baker received the 2008 Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre environment leadership award in Wellington last week...

Dung beetle will have clean-up mission

Dung beetles could be introduced within three years under a plan to improve the country's waterways and increase farming productivity.

The beetles would eat their way through the considerable piles of livestock dung that currently cover pasture, making it inedible to livestock, and run into waterways during rain, killing native fish and plant species...

Screen removes didymo from irrigation systems

A new system developed for removing didymo from irrigation intakes should remove the need for constant surveillance and manual cleaning, its Timaru developers say.

Aqwell Water Treatments has developed a screen which sits over the water intake and automatically removes didymo by a conveyor and brush system, run off a timer...

Didymo DNA test offers hope of control

Scientists at the University of Waikato have developed a new, highly sensitive generic testing tool for early detection and surveillance of the didymo algae. The test can detext didymo in waterways and lakes before new infestations are visible...

Professor Carey says early detection of didymo in the North Island would give a much better chance of preventing its spread and even possibly eradicating it using a chemical control tool currently being developed...

Field trials in New Zealand and other global sites have demosntrated the efficacy of the didymo DNA test...

Wetland purchase completes conservation corridor

The purchase of 240 hectares of wetland and regenerating native forest in Waituna, Southland, will ensure the long term protection of this important ecological area, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick said today...

"Wetlands form part of our natural landscape... offering opportunities for recreation such as fishing, hunting, whitebaiting, bird watching and scenic strolling.”

A third of New Zealand’s freshwater fish occur in wetlands and many endangered plants are dependent on wetlands...

Whitebait disappearance is a ‘canary in a coalmine’ warning on rivers

Whitebait disappearing from New Zealand’s waterways are an indicator of just how polluted our rivers and streams have become, Dr Mike Joy is warning.

“Even if you don’t think fish are cool or important, what this is telling us is that the state of the freshwater that we humans depend on is getting pretty bad,” Dr Joy says...

Size isn't everything says Taupo's mayor

Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper has taken a high-stakes gamble to prove that the region still deserves to be known as the trout-fishing capital of the world.

Taupo district councillor Don Ormsby raised hackles when he said the region could be in danger of losing the title as fewer, and smaller, fish were being caught...

Recognition for nzfishing.com in Plain English awards

A visiting international expert says New Zealand is “punching above its weight” in using plain English. Dr Neil James... says the calibre of this year’s 120 entries in the 2008 WriteMark New Zealand Plain English Awards shows there is widespread awareness in New Zealand of the value of plain English....

Beverley Stevens of nzfishing.com was one of two finalists for Plain English Champion—Best Individual.

See 2008 WriteMark New Zealand Plain English Awards.

Big boost for Conservation in new Green Party policy

A $100 million boost for the Department of Conservation features prominently in the Green Party's Conservation policy. The policy is designed to significantly increase New Zealand's commitment to protecting our precious natural environment, Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says...

Low flows harming Hakataramea fishery, guide says

The Hakataramea River's world-class reputation for fishing is declining and could be killed forever by more irrigation, Omarama fishing guide and angler Wayne Grafton warns.

He was putting his views yesterday to an Environment Canterbury hearings panel considering nine applications from farmers in the Hakataramea catchment to take more water for irrigation...

Brown trout country explored in new book

A photographic journey through some of the South Island’s most beautiful angling locations is on offer in the latest book published by Canterbury University Press.

A Stroll through Brown Trout Country features stunning photographs by Hokitika-based photographer Les Hill complemented by vivid descriptions of people, places and fish written by South Canterbury-based fly-fishing guide Graeme Marshall.

New size limit and wading boot rules for Taupo trout anglers

The Department of Conservation has changed some of the rules for trout fishing at Taupo.

From 1 October 2008 the minimum legal size for trout from Lake Taupo and most tributary rivers will be reduced from 45 centimetres to 40 centimetres...

Of particular significance is a restriction on the use of felt-soled waders and wading boots by anglers...

Engagement key to public view of DOC

The Department of Conservation has become something of a political football in recent weeks with controversy over their proposed rebranding. Their approach holds some lessons for any organisations looking to tweak their image...

As Recreational Fishing Council president Geoff Rowling said: "It isn't a change of brand that DOC needs, it's a change of behaviour...

Blarney Lodge to cease operating as a fishing lodge

Blarney Lodge on Lake Rerewhakaaitu has been sold and will become a private residence for a local farming couple. Helen O'Keefe and well known fishing guide Pat O'Keefe will leave to to return to their roots down south in early October. Along with locals, guest and clients, nzfishing.com wishes them well in their new location.

Power company opposes Nevis River protection

Central Otago power company Pioneer Generation will oppose an application by the New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game Councils to the Minister for the Environment to prohibit damming and diversion of the Nevis River.

The councils want the Water Conservation (Kawarau) Order 1997 altered to protect the Nevis River...

Leasehold exclusive - report

Claims pastoral lessees do not have exclusive possession of land in their lease, flies in the face of Crown Law opinion.

In a report commissioned by Land Information New Zealand earlier this year, Crown counsel Malcolm Parker said he disagreed with claims by academic Ann Brower and, more recently, a challenge by Fish and Game New Zealand that a pastoral lease did not grant exclusive possession...

Raukawa, Te Arawa join Waikato clean up

The Crown today signed an agreement with Raukawa and Te Arawa to provide for the comanagement of the Waikato River.

"The agreement between the Raukawa, Te Arawa and the Crown on a co-management framework for the Upper Waikato River is a major step toward ensuring the environmentally sustainable management of the river for all New Zealanders", Treaty Negotiations Minister, Michael Cullen, said today....

Waipa River agreement initialled

Ngati Maniapoto and the Crown today initialled an agreement that provides for comanagement arrangements for the Waipa River, Minister of Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia, said today...This agreement will result in major steps towards restoring the health and the well being of
the Waipa....

Who Owns the High Country

Who Owns the High Country is a startling expose of bureaucracy gone wrong. This controversial story tells of how and why large chunks of high country in the South Island were sold off for knock-down prices, in a process that was hidden from public view.

The author of this book, Dr Ann Brower, through her research into the politics of land reform, exposed this quiet scandal...

Fishing just what Roy needs, says Tait

Shaun Tait took to fly fishing in New Zealand as part of his extended recovery and believes that fishing will offer the same solace to team-mate Andrew Symonds as he begins his long road back to the Australia team.

"He knows more about fishing than anyone. I think he'll be doing plenty of that," Tait said yesterday....

Cards report on state of the Rotorua lakes

Environment Bay of Plenty's new report cards provide a quick and easy information reference for lakes Tarawera, Tikitapu, Rotorua, Rotomahana, Rotoma, Rotokakahi, Rotoiti, Rotoehu, Rerewhakaaitu, Okataina, Okaro and Okareka.

Environment Bay of Plenty, Rotorua District Council and Te Arawa Lakes Trust have produced the cards as part of the Rotorua Lakes Protection and Restoration Action Programme...

The easiest way to view the cards is by visiting Environment Bay of Plenty's website...

Ban on felt-soled boots approved to protect fisheries

To reduce the risk of didymo spread, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick today agreed to the New Zealand Fish and Game Council recommendation to restrict the use of footwear with felt soles by fishing licence holders...

The new condition is part of the Anglers Notice and comes into affect from the beginning of the fishing season on 1 October... There are alternative soles available, and waders can be re-soled.

View the 2008/2009 Sports Fishing Regulations
(see section 2.4 for the ban on felt-soles)

Salmon anglers experience best season for a decade

Last year North Canterbury salmon anglers experienced the best returns since 1997... Both the angler catch and total run were the highest seen in a decade from the Waimakariri and Rakaia rivers and angler optimism increased significantly. Other east coast salmon rivers showed similar improved trends....

State of the Taupo fishery up for discussion

A Taupo Fishery Forum on Thursday week is an opportunity to meet the Taupo Fishery Area management team and discuss current issues about the fishery. The meeting which takes place at 5.30pm on Thursday 11th September at the Taupo Yacht Club, Ferry Road, Taupo.

A presentation on the current state of the fishery will be followed by a question and answer session with Glenn Maclean (Programme Manager, Technical Support), John Gibbs (Taupo Fishery Area Manager), and Dr Michel Dedual (Fishery Scientist). Strato Cotsilinis, Deputy Chairperson of the Taupo Fishery Advisory Committee representing National Angling Interests, will chair the meeting.

To RSVP, please contact Kim Alexander-Turia, Programme Manager, Community Relations on 07 386 9259 or email kturia@doc.govt.nz

Trust drops Buller hydro appeal

A Motueka trust that wanted to change a conservation order on the Buller River to allow for a hydro power scheme has decided not to pursue its long-running battle in court.

Majac Trust, of whom Motueka-business man Michael Talley is a trustee, filed documents in the Environment Court this week, saying it was dropping its appeal against a tribunal that approved Fish and Game's application to widen the order to include the Gowan River's outstanding trout fisheries....

Avalanche debris, fallen trees make tracks risky

Hundreds of kilometres of upper South Island conservation park tracks are buried under fallen trees and avalanche debris, prompting calls for trampers to postpone trips or get track updates.

Thousands of hectares of native trees managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) in the Nelson Lakes and Motueka areas have been uprooted or wiped away by avalanches. Further damage is being assessed in Golden Bay and the West Coast.

In the Kahurangi National Park, the Wangapeka Track (Buller) has 200 windfalls... on the West Coast the Kaniere Water Race Track (Hokitika) is closed by washout..

Approval of felt-soled waders ban expected today

Fish & Game New Zealand advises that the proposed ban on felt soled waders is in front of Cabinet today for approval. The proposed ban, which was agreed in principle by the Minister of Conservation in July, has met with a mixed reaction from anglers, guides and tackle shop owners.

Spring likely to be settled and drier than usual

The NIWA National Climate Centre says that the upcoming spring is likely to be relatively settled and drier than normal overall, in contrast to the often stormy and wet winter experienced in many parts of New Zealand...

Southland, Otago to bear brunt of next storm

Southland and Otago are expected to bear the brunt of the next stormy weather system to hit New Zealand..

Forecasters are warning trampers and those on the roads to keep up to date with the conditions, and watch for rapidly rising streams and rivers.

Felt-soled waders ban takes effect?

Although a US web site, the Kennebec Journal, is reporting that New Zealand has decided to allow felt-sole waders this year, the newly published 2008-2009 sports fishing regulations clearly state in section 2.4 of the First Schedule "No person shall fish for sports fish by using felt-soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a sole of felted, matted or woven fibrous material when sports fishing."

Fish and Game to take on farmers

A hunting and fishing lobby group says it will ask the High Court to decide whether Crown leases to high country farmers were only meant to be for grazing.

Fish and Game is challenging the right of pastoral lessees to restrict access to their properties. It plans to seek a judicial declaration that the farmers were never intended to have extended...

Dirty dairying must stop

The time has come for industry leaders to step up their crusade against dirty dairying.

It’s obvious that low court fines and threats not to pick up milk are no longer working with a handful of dairy farmers.

While undoing the good work of thousands of responsible dairy farmers, these offending farmers are also gaining international notoriety....

River users 'must unite' for region-wide water strategy

River users in Wairarapa must join forces to protect them, a Greater Wellington adviser said yesterday in the wake of warnings about a national "gold rush" for water.

"Everybody has got issues about intensified land use and they're not going to go away," said Ian Gunn, the council's facilitator for 'integrated catchment management'.

"We need to stand up and deliver. We need to put in place things that are going to improve water quality This involves a discussion with everybody."

A report issued this week by the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development warns of a "gold rush" to snap up water-use rights on the country's rivers...

Verdict still out on didymo’s longe-range effect

We’re a full year into the age of didymo now, and the most popular trout streams in eastern New York and New England have, at least so far, been spared devastation by the indestructible invasive algae.

What the future holds, time will tell...

East Coast hydro dam proposed

Damming the Motu River to generate income for Maori and improve the East Coast's electricity supply is under consideration.

Opotiki District Council's coast community board has discussed lifting the 1984 conservation
order preventing the river's use for electricity generation. It also hosted a presentation by acting Horizon Energy chief executive Don Lewell on the Motu's generation potential at a July 21 power generation workshop....

Water woes hammered out

Water woes were again keenly debated at the recent Lakes Water Quality Symposium where profile politicians, scientists, environmentalists and farmers met to confront the issues… and in some instances each other....

New Zealanders back water reform proposal

A survey of 3350 New Zealanders reveals strong support for reforms proposed to address the country's fresh water issues.

New Zealanders back allowing transfers of unused water provided the amount is within the limit initially allocated and the water is available...

(The full poll results are available at www.nzbcsd.org.nz)

High Country no Wild West

A special interest group representing hunters is seeking the right to wander-at-will with a loaded firearm over leasehold land says Federated Farmers High Country chairman Donald Aubrey.

Mr Aubrey says Fish & Game has instructed lawyers, Anderson Lloyd to seek a declaration by the High Court challenging the right of pastoral lessees to restrict access to their properties....

"High country farming families have strong relationships with fishermen, hunters and other recreational users. This action by Fish and Game is likely to destroy this goodwill...

Kiwi rock snot posing a threat

Tasmania is being warned it is at threat from the spread of a hazardous algae called Rock Snot.

The invasive species, also known as Didymo, has had devastating effects on inland river catchments in New Zealand...

Australia's rivers under threat from NZ 'rock snot'

Australia's alpine waterways will be choked with "rock snot" if its lackadaisical biosecurity approach to the highly invasive alga is not drastically improved, a fishing group says...

Didymo expert Cathy Kilroy today warned Australian authorities at a Hobart conference there is a "real risk" it will be introduced inadvertently by fishermen, bushwalkers or kayakers returning from New Zealand...

Tasmania leading the way on rock snot

A leading New Zealand expert on the freshwater pest alga, didymo (Didymosphenia geminata), commonly known as Rock Snot, today commended the pro-active approach taken by the State to prevent the introduction of this invasive quarantine pest to Tasmania...

Groups vow to halt Mokihinui dam

Environmental groups are vowing the biggest campaign since the Clyde Dam to stop a hydro-electric scheme going ahead on a West Coast river.

Meridian Energy says the dam on the Mokihinui River, about 40km north of Westport, will generate enough power to satisfy the needs of the West Coast...

Waikato farmers given time to fence off rivers

Farmers in the Greater Waikato are being given more time to fence off ecologically sensitive waterways.

Environment Waikato has given them another four years to fence off rivers and streams which run through their properties...

Tainui and Crown sign 100 million dollar treaty settlement

Tainui and the Crown have signed a 100 million dollar treaty settlement, which will see the tribe play an important role in cleaning up the Waikato River.

But the 100 million is just a start. Much more money will go into a "contestable fund" for the clean-up, over 30 years...

Plan to construct Hakataramea Valley irrigation dam

Two of New Zealand's leading deer farms in the Hakataramea Valley want to increase the area they irrigate by building a dam up to 28m high to form a lake 2.2km long...

Resource consents... are being considered by an ECan panel ... hearing a total of 56 applications for new and existing takes of water in the Hakataramea Valley and on the lower Waitaki River below the Waitaki dam...

Freshwater ecology consultant Wayne Donovan said the Hakataramea River supported a variety of fish and bird species, some nationally endangered. It was a spawning river for trout and salmon from the nationally important Waitaki River fishery.

The proposal would not significantly alter the water quality in the Hakataramea River and not have a significant adverse effect on its ecology, Dr Donovan said.

District remains opposed to dams

Beaumont residents are just as committed to stopping a dam
flooding their township today as they were more than a decade ago, a meeting heard on Wednesday night...

Residents of land that could be flooded by three hydro-electric projects under review needed to take a cautious approach before reacting one way or the other, Otago MP Jacqui Dean warned yesterday. Any plans by Contact Energy to revisit projects at Luggate, Queensberry and Tuapeka Mouth would need to be carefully scrutinised, she said in a statement...

Tasman river scheme mooted

Tasman's Matakitaki River is the latest proposed hydro site for the upper South Island. The proposal is one of four, along with the Matiri, the Mokihinui and the Wairau, entering or completing consent stage in the region.

Network Tasman has announced the proposed 30-megawatt Matakitaki hydro scheme as part of its renewable energy portfolio...

Nelson-Marlborough Fish and Game manager Neil Deans said the Matakitaki was a regionally important fishery, and fish passage would have to be provided to its upper reaches....

Fishermen upset with footwear ban

A Gore sports shop owner is outraged by Fish & Game New
Zealand's ban of felt-soled wading boots for freshwater
sports fishing.

B & B Sports Ltd co-owner and professional fishing guide
Bryan Burgess, of Gore, said the way the ban had come
about was disgusting...

Mataura one of worst NZ rivers

Southland's internationally famous trout fishery, the Mataura River, has been identified as one of the most degraded rivers in New Zealand, Environment Southland water quality specialists revealed yesterday.

In a presentation to the Southland Conservation Board, Environment Southland specialists outlined the condition of the south's waterways and groundwater catchments...

Good and bad for south in Lonely Planet

The Lonely Planet's latest guidebook on New Zealand is out and as always it has descriptive explanations on all of the regions — and, as always, some are favourable and some are not so favourable.

In Gore the trout statue was attacked for being tacky...

(Note: The Mataura River runs through Gore)

Waitaki River subject of intensive didymo project

An international team will undertake a research project on the Waitaki River which may identify ways to control didymo in rivers.

For eight to 12 weeks from early October, it will be based on the Otiake River, which feeds the Waitaki River.

The team will be researching why it is that didymo is inhibited or does not become established in spring-fed streams and rivers...

Trout fishermen fear effect of weed attack

Biosecurity New Zealand is preparing to use poison and carp to fight a devastating lake weed.

It plans to start on Lake Tutira, north of Napier, but fishermen are worried that the campaign could spoil the trout fishery on the lake and associated streams.

The weed hydrilla has been found in Tutira and three other small lakes nearby. Hydrilla crowds out native plants and forms dense mats...

(See the Biosecurity NZ website for more info about hydrilla.)

Baiting ban sought by environmentalist

A Southland environmentalist is calling for a ban on whitebaiting to allow the fishery to recover, just as the season kick-starts in Southland.

Robert Guyton, chairman of the Riverton Estuary Care Society and the South Coast Environment Society, said whitebaiting should stop until there was shown to be an increase in whitebait numbers...

Anglers welcome National's Energy Policy, but…

Anglers, frustrated by the succession of power schemes exploiting public rivers, have given the National Party's energy policy, a "thumbs up."

President Ian Rodger said the push for coal fired power stations, given the new clean burning technology, was welcome as was upgrading of transmission lines where substantial increased efficiencies and subsequent reduction in losses, could be gained. It is good to see common
sense prevail – short term...

Lake Rotoiti boat ramp open again for use

Boaties can again use Lake Rotoiti‘s Delta Boat Ramp for launching their vessels, with construction of the Ohau Channel Wall completed.

The wall is expected to be officially opened in September, but as contractors have left the site people can again use the ramp to launch their vessels, said Environment Bay of Plenty Lakes Programme Manager Andy Bruere...

More power play

Network Tasman chose an opportune time to announce it wants to build an up-to $100 million hydro-electric scheme on the Matakitaki River near Murchison, the Nelson Mail said in an editorial on Monday...

The Marlborough District Council has just given the go-ahead for a hydro power scheme on the Wairau River, following lengthy resource consent hearings. Winter began with threats of power cuts, and there has been increasing focus on the fact that New Zealand faces an electricity generation crisis...

...Today's big ask is to generate power without causing significant environmental impact. Network Tasman will need to show how it can do that if its plans for the Matakitaki are to gain traction.

Mixed response to Matakitaki hydro proposal

Network Tasman's plan to look at constructing a hydro scheme on the Matakitaki River near Murchison has concerned some river users but been welcomed by business...

Nelson-Marlborough Fish and Game manager Neil Deans said the Matakitaki didn't rate as highly as some other rivers in the area but was still used by anglers.

The hydro scheme was likely to be "pretty high on the agenda" when the organisation's council next met, Mr Deans said.

Turning Waioeka Gorge trip into a 'journey'

Weary travellers making their way to or from Gisborne will soon have places to rest and appreciate the rugged beauty of the Waioeka Gorge...

Stopping points will offer facilities such as toilets, picnic tables and directions to short sightseeing walks, trout fishing, camping and access to sites of historic significance....

Hydro dam proposed for Nelson region

Network Tasman is proposing a hydro scheme on the Matakitaki River near Murchison, as well as solar generation and wind power to make the region's supply more secure and provide for growth...

Hydro proposals in that region have met stiff opposition in recent years but Mr Kearney said the Buller River conservation order did not extend to parts of the Matakitaki. River users such as kayakers would be concerned but the company hoped to consult and work through those issues...

DOC issues whitebait warning

Northern whitebaiters opened the new season yesterday to a reminder that two adult forms of the delicacy have been listed as threatened species by the Department of Conservation.

One, the giant kokupu, has been given a similar threat ranking to brown kiwi. The other listed as threatened is the shortjaw kokupu...

See also: Whitebaiting info and regulations at the DOC website.

Female salmon fussy over males

Cryptic choice allows female salmon to be fussy over males
When salmon spawn, the sperm of competing males are in an all-or-nothing race to be the first to reach and fertilise the eggs. New findings by a University of Otago researcher now
show that, surprisingly, female salmon can influence the race results from afar...

Whitebaiters asked to be extra careful

Wairarapa whitebaiters are being asked to be especially careful on how they fish this season, to prevent the arrival of the ghastly pest plant didymo into North Island waterways.

Tony Silbery, of the Department of Conservation in Masterton, said whitebaiters should start from day one to ensure this season does not go down in history as the one in which didymo, also known as rock snot, arrived to ruin their fishery...

See also: Whitebaiting info and regulations at the DOC website.

Whitebait season opens, but with little in stock

As the season opens, a $1.1 million study has been launched by Canterbury University scientists to help put the bait back into whitebait fritters.

Funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, researchers are working on a four-year project they hope will lead to better stocks of the tiny fish in streams and rivers...

Achieving better lake water quality

Speech by Gifford McFadden, President of Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers at the Lakes Water Quality Society Symposium in Rotorua

Farmers, just like the people here at this symposium today, ... use their boats and kayaks on the water; they swim and they fish just like you do....

Let’s stop facing off, instead let us work together for solutions. We want the most cost-effective solution in the shortest timeframe...Federated Farmers is confident that an approach focused on solutions will have the best outcome for the whole community.

Save the Wairau wades into court battle

Save the Wairau has decided to join the battle in the Environment Court to overturn the decision allowing electricity company TrustPower to go ahead with its hydroscheme on the Wairau River.

...Save the Wairau resolved at its committee meeting two days later to appeal the decision... Save the Wairau now has about 1000 members following a recruitment drive earlier this year.

Turner takes a wider view

Poet, writer, angler, conservationist . . .Brian Turner's new book, Into the Wider World: A Back Country Miscellany, gets to the heart of matters... Brian Turner likes to fish. There are a variety of reasons why...

Didymo control measure 'won't work'

Banning freshwater anglers' felt-soled wading shoes won't help prevent the spread of didymo. This is the conclusion an independent researcher has drawn...

"Unfortunately NIWA's research to date shows almost all kinds of footwear can spread didymo,..." says Mike Bradstock of Bradstock & Associates in Christchurch, who has submitted a paper on the issue to the Minister of Conservation...

Furthermore, banning felt soles would increase the likelihood of accidents, including drownings, caused by anglers slipping and falling in rivers, he said....He added that anglers were by no means the only users of felt-sole shoes....

Fly-casting not in the Olympics, but enjoyed in 29 nations

I’m sorry to say that as the Olympic Games get under way in China this week, there won’t be a fly-casting competition.

... casting has an international federation.. and it’s been trying to break into the Olympics for decades, said Dale Lanser, executive secretary of the American Casting Association.

...The International Casting Sport Federation lists 29 countries as members, including New Zealand....

Didymo an issue still, consultant says

Didymo is not disappearing from the lower Waitaki River, Dunedin environmental consultant Bill Chisholm told an Environment Canterbury hearings panel in Christchurch yesterday.

Chemical control of didymo in the river was probably not feasible because of the river's size and flows, he said.

It would also need prolonged use, which could have a toxic effect on the river...

Hearing on use of Waitaki water resumes

Meridian Energy is closer to finding out whether it will be able to use water from the lower Waitaki River to generate more electricity. ...

The consent hearing panel is sitting again to consider extra information on the place of hydro-generation in New Zealand, Meridian's commitments to provide water for users of the lower Waitaki, the didymo problem and proposed river enhancement work...

Wairau scheme's enemies vow fight

Opponents of TrustPower's $280 million hydro electricity scheme in Marlborough say they will not give up their fight, despite resource consents being granted...

Most vocal is Wairau Valley Action, a body which claims to represent up to 80 residents living below the proposed canal route..

Three appeals are already before the Environment Court following the interim approval in June last year from the Department of Conservation (DOC), Fish and Game, and Ormond Aquaculture a company operating in the upper Wairau...

NZ electricity need issue for Waitaki hearing

The question of whether New Zealand needs more electricity generated by the Waitaki River could be answered in Christchurch over the next three days...

Fish survey turns up significant rubbish dumping

Environment Bay of Plenty is carrying out a survey of East Cape State Highway culverts to identify those that prevent the movement of fish between the streams and the ocean.

The aim of the survey is to identify culverts that could be improved to help fish migrating from the ocean to return upstream habitat and vice-versa...

Have dairy farmers become a protected species politically?

In a decision that went against Hawke's Bay Regional Council policy and the advice of the council's own staff, a hearings panel recently granted an application to take water from two already stressed rivers at the rate of 215,000 cubic metres a week for new dairy farms in central Hawke's Bay...

The decision is highly provocative because the regional council acknowledges that the rivers concerned, the Tukituki and the Waipawa, are already over- allocated and have very low flow levels in summer...

Massive Wairau hydro scheme gets green light

TrustPower's plans for a $275 million hydro scheme in Marlborough's Wairau Valley have been granted resource consents, the company says.

The proposed 72 megawatt scheme would take water from the Wairau River, and pass it though six power stations, including the existing Branch River hydro scheme, before returning the water to the river some 50km downstream...

Canterbury River Report line switches to 0900 RIVER

The Canterbury River Report 24 hour info phone line, administered by Environment Canterbury, is changing to an 0900 number...The new line, 0900 74837 (RIVER)...becomes active on August 1....

Tougher fines urged for farming polluters

Fish & Game has called on Fonterra to stop taking milk from the country's largest family dairying business after it copped its fourth conviction for illegal dairy discharges.

Taharua Ltd pleaded guilty and was fined $37,500 in the Environment Court in Napier on Friday.

The Green Party, however, says that though this is the biggest fine yet in New Zealand for a single dairy effluent discharge, it is not enough. The party is now calling for bigger fines for rural polluters...

Hawke's Bay farms get nod to take scarce water

Water for irrigation in Hawke's Bay will be even scarcer after the regional council broke with its policy and staff advice to approve new water consents from the Tukituki
and Waipawa rivers.

Approval to take water was granted to dairy farmers who had invested heavily before gaining resource consent.

The Fish and Game Council has challenged the decision as a "dangerous precedent to already stressed waterways". The appeal is likely to end up in the Environment Court...

Take care of your wetland environments

We all know water is vital to life and in New Zealand, and in Taranaki we are accustomed to having more fresh water than we could possibly want (usually). But worldwide, there is a growing realisation that water cannot be taken for granted and changing the world starts in our own backyards....

Anglers will reap benefits of ideal flush for coastal rivers

Could this weather be the result of people at last week's Temuka meeting complaining that the Opihi River system has not had a decent flushing flow for years? ...

Water-soaked land and the more forceful flows in coastal rivers will auger well for clean river beds and better than normal flows for the opening of the new fishing season on October 1. The water-soaked land will continue to slowly drain into these rivers and help maintain the flow...

Taupo catfish numbers stable

Recent monitoring by Department of Conservation has confirmed that catfish numbers have stabilised in Lake Taupo at levels, well below the peak recorded in 2000...

With the downturn in the trout fishery over the last 18 months, anglers often raise catfish predation on smelt, the main prey of trout as the cause...

Genesis Energy extends partnership with the Taupo for Tomorrow programme

The Department of Conservation has reached agreement with Genesis Energy to extend its support of the Taupo for Tomorrow learning programme, and to become a leading sponsor of the Tongariro National Trout Centre in Turangi.

30 July 2008

NZ fly fishing feature reaches 1.6 million global readers

South Island fly fishing is featured in the August 2008 issue of Singapore Airlines inflight magazine Silver Kris magazine which has a monthly readership averaging 1.6 million people on over 2500 flights...The Motueka River is one of the finest places to haul in brown trout...

Read the article "where to land the Big One"
(opens a pdf file)

Fish & Game answers critics of felt soled waders ban

Fish & Game New Zealand has responded to some critical reaction to its advocacy of a ban of felt-soled boots with a series of questions and answers about the ban published on its website...

Banned felt-soled boots

Felt-soled wading boots may well become a thing of the past

The felt-soled wading boots used by sports fishers may well become a thing of the past on New Zealand rivers. Bryce Johnstone of Fish & Game and others are interviewed on National Radio's Checkpoint programme.

Listen to Didymo and felt soles  (duration: 3'37")

Mixed reaction to felt-soled waders ban

TV3 news tonight reported reaction to the expected ban on felt-soled wading boots. Well-known fishing guide Chappie Chapman called it a futile and expensive exercise, since many other items can also spread didymo.

Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of Fish & Game New Zealand defended the ban saying that the majority of interested parties supported it and it was a way of reducing the probability of spreading didymo.

Ban no answer to didymo spread

A proposal to ban the use of felt-soled wading boots for freshwater fishing as a means of stopping the spread of didymo has been described here as a feel-good move which will not tackle the real problem.

Felt soles have been identified as the hardest thing to clean because they take days to dry and can appear dry but still spread didymo algae.

But Gisborne angling stalwart Murray Ferris believes a ban on the boots will give people a false sense of comfort. "it is a bit of a nonsense because of the variety of means by which didymo can be transported....

Felt soled wading boots to be banned from 1 October

The Minister of Conservation agreed in principle last week with a Fish & Game New Zealand submission to ban the use of felt soled wading boots for freshwater fishing. The ban, yet to be approved and included in the proposed 2008/09 Anglers Notice for Fish and Game Regions, will be effective from 1 October 2008, and applies to freshwater sports fishing anglers in all New Zealand waterways, except those within the Taupo Fishery...

See also questions and answers from Fish & Game about the ban.

Hard line pledged on effluent rules

Dairy farmers are being warned the Otago Regional Council
is taking a tougher stance this year on breaches of effluent
compliance rules....

No blanket bans urged under new water policy

Federated Farmers has urged the Government to avoid blanket bans on land use activities such as dairying that might be imposed in some areas as a result of a new national water policy.

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard ssued a proposed national policy statement on freshwater management on Thursday. It's designed to provide a long-awaited national guideline for local bodies to protect and improve the quality of rivers, lakes and other waterways and manage the increasing demands for their use...

Restore fresh water quality – Maori Party

When freshwater systems get sick, the land gets sick, and the people as well, and the government must support local iwi taking a strong stance on protecting streams, rivers and lakes all round the country, according to Maori Party Environment spokesperson Tariana Turia.

" The Draft National Policy Statement on Fresh Water has just been released and it seems to have no guts," said Mrs Turia...

Govt to look into water quality issues

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says the impact on water quality of increasing intensification of agriculture means that in some regions unchecked expansion of dairying cannot continue.

"People are going to have to recognise that there's not going to be an untrammelled right to pollute," he told a press conference yesterday on moves to improve water quality.,,

Proposed NPS on water quality overdue

United Future leader Peter Dunne has welcomed the proposed National Policy Statement on water quality released by the Government today as long overdue. “I believe that unpolluted waterways, which are safe to drink, swim and fish in are a basic requirement for any responsible society,” said Mr Dunne...

Robust debate welcomed by farmers

Farmers welcome robust community debate on water issues says Federated Farmers spokesman for water Hugh Ritchie.
Mr Ritchie‘s comments come in light of the release of a National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management by the Minister for the Environment today...

Ross Millichamp home after 5 months in hospital

Canterbury conservationist and angler Ross Millichamp, who lost both legs below the knee to a flesh-eating disease, is home after five months in hospital.

Mr Millichamp, 44, was on a hunting and fishing trip on Stewart Island in mid-February when he came down with flu-like symptoms that worsened, resulting in an urgent transfer to Southland Hospital in Invercargill...

23 July 2008

National policy statement for freshwater welcomed

Fish & Game New Zealand welcomes the release of the proposed policy for public consultation.

“This document is welcome and supported in principle, albeit after extensive delays in its development,” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of Fish & Game New Zealand...

Board of inquiry appointed for water policy statement

Judge David Sheppard has been appointed as chairperson and Kevin Prime, Jenni Vernon and Dr Jon Harding as board members... The role of the board is to notify the proposed national policy statement, call for submissions, hold public hearings, and make recommendations to the Environment Minister on the proposed statement...

Proposed stronger regime for protecting our water

A proposed National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management that aims to set up a stronger regime for the protection and enhancement of New Zealand's rivers, lakes and waterways has been released by Environment Minister Trevor Mallard today.

Public consultation on the proposed statement will be formally announced soon...

Broken promise on water safety in leaked paper

A leaked government blueprint for freshwater management shows Labour may be about to break its promise to make all water bodies safe for swimming within a generation, according to Green MP and Co-Leader Russel Norman...

Don't kill the golden goose, Fonterra

Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman has welcomed figures announced today showing boosted export success for Fonterra, but warns the company needs drastic change to protect New Zealand's and the company's long-term future...

Nats embarrassed by own conservation policy

National‘s move to sneak their policy on valuable public conservation land out late on a Friday afternoon speaks for itself, says Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick.

"?Not only are National hoping that no-one will notice their embarrassing =no-change‘ policy, but they fail to pay New Zealanders the respect of providing basic information such as
costings," Steve Chadwick says...

UnitedFuture's commitment to recreational fishers

Speaking to the New Zealand Recreational Fishing Council Conference in Gisborne, United Future leader Peter Dunne has reiterated his party's support for the marine recreational fishing sector.

"UnitedFuture has always and will always seek to promote the interests of the recreational fishing community," said Mr Dunne....

National to enhance protection of outdoors

National's Outdoor Recreation policy will ensure that current and future generations will continue to enjoy the great outdoors, while the safeguarding of New Zealand's unique biodiversity remains a priority...

Call for consents before any review

Meridian Energy Ltd and some other groups associated with the Waitaki River agree - they do not want quick changes to the Government-instigated Waitaki catchment water allocation
regional plan.

Yesterday, after a workshop in Waimate, Environment Canterbury (ECan) is likely to agree with them...

Kawarau Water Conservation Order special tribunal
announced

A special tribunal has been appointed to consider an application to amend the Kawarau Water Conservation Order, Associate Environment Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today.

The tribunal will consider an application by Fish and Game to change the Kawarau Water Conservation Order to prohibit damming or diversion of water on the Nevis River, Nanaia
Mahuta said...

Hunting and fishing numbers rise

High food and fuel prices are motivating more people to bolster their food supplies by hunting and fishing...

Fish & Game New Zealand says licence numbers have increased by about 2% this year...

Local lodge voted best in the country

Another exclusive Rotorua resort hotel has won top honours, this time in a recent survey held by the USA's Travel and Leisure Magazine.

Treetops Lodge and Wilderness Experience, about 16km south of Rotorua, was ranked ...the best in New Zealand by readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine in its 2008 World's Best Awards...

..guests at Treetops can enjoy the use of seven streams, on-site fishing, four lakes, more than 70km of hiking trails, mountainbike riding and horse riding. The lodge is set in more than 1000ha of native forest and game reserve...

Old hydro dam back on stream

The go-ahead has been given for a century-old Taranaki hydro power scheme to be recommissioned - despite concerns it will hurt popular recreational use of the river.

The Taranaki Regional Council hearing committee has approved an application by Normanby Power Ltd to restart the Normanby hydro scheme on the Waingongoro River....

Those opposing the recommissioning project included several canoeing clubs, the dam-dropping business, Fish and Game New Zealand and the Director-General of Conservation...

Anglers argued the recommissioning would affect trout habitat in the most popular and productive trout fishery on the Taranaki ring plain....

Management changes at strike Adventure... but otherwise business as usual

Tony and Sharon Entwistle recently sold their shareholding in Strike Adventure to fellow directors Zane and Aimee Mirfin. After 28 years helping to develop the guided trout fishing industry in New Zealand, Tony has decided it is now time to take a break from the day to day management of running a guiding business. However, it is still business as usual on the fishing front, as Tony will be continuing on as an active member of the Strike Adventure Guide Team.

Canterbury water under spotlight

The uses and benefits of water will be discussed at a series of meetings to be held around Canterbury, starting this month, Canterbury Water Management Strategy Steering Group Chair Bede O'Malley said today....

To find out more about the Canterbury Water Management Strategy programme, or register to attend a meeting, go to www.canterburywater.org.nz

Dead Zones: How agricultural fertilizers are killing our
rivers, lakes and oceans

Fertilizer run-off from industrial agriculture is choking the planet‘s oceans, rivers and lakes. Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution feed explosive algae blooms that suck the oxygen from the water as they grow. These algae blooms result in dead zones that have become a recurrent feature in every ocean and on every continent.

As global warming heats our oceans, these problems will only worsen. Unless measures are put in place to control fertilizer usage, losses to biodiversity will continue to mount, coastal
and inland fisheries will suffer and summer beaches could become toxic no-go zones devoid of life...

Whanganui River popularity causing concerns

Reports have come in showing that following the highly successful World Fly Fishing Champs there has been a significant increase in angler numbers on the Whanganui River, especially around Taumarunui. Farmers are also becoming annoyed with some of the behaviour of anglers who are crossing private land and leaving gates open (or even shutting gates that should remain open).

It is important for every angler to observe the rules and to be good guests while on other people's properrty. Remember, ask permission and leave everything as you find it.

Read more about fishing etiquette...

Feds spark feud with old friend

Two former Federated Farmers leaders are at loggerheads
over the impact of Resource Management Act (RMA) on
farming around Lake Taupo...

Mike Joy: Pollution cannot be watered down

Many Kiwis will have noticed a deterioration in the freshwater places they know and love - and come to the shock realisation that most New Zealand lowland rivers are too polluted to swim or fish in...

The Clean Streams Accord... is flawed in many ways and will do little to limit the impacts of dairy farming. Our rivers would be better off without it, because then enforceable regulations could take its place.

A fundamental flaw in the accord is that it focuses only on larger streams. Thus, many all-important feeder streams are already beyond saving...

2009 World Fly Fishing Championship venues announced

The conservation village of Drymen within the Loch Lomond National Park will be the base for the World Fly Fishing Championships in Scotland in June 2009. Drymen is located on the edge of the Trossachs to the South East of the world famous Loch Lomond in the Stirlingshire countryside.

Fishing venues include the Lake of Menteith, Loch Leven, Loch Awe, Carron valley and the River Tay...

5 July 2008

60,000 smolt to be released into the Rangitata River

The Salmon Enhancement Trust plan to open the McKinnons Hatchery site for members of the public to view the release of approximately 60,000 smolt into the Rangitata River.

The viewing days are Sunday July 13, and Sunday July 20.

The Trust welcomes your attendance and asks that you meet at either the Fish and Game office (Richard Pearse Drive, Temuka), at 9.30am, or at George Road (off Rangitata Huts Road), at 10am.

The request that people be at either of these sites at the appointed time is to enable everyone to travel across private land in convoy, and avoid disruption of farm operations or stock.

Getting to grips with the whitebait fever

It's not long now before whitebait fever will strike...The whitebaiting season for most of New Zealand (not the West Coast) begins August 15 and runs to November 30...

Endosulfan: appalling ‘proposed’ decision

...Three New Zealand NGOs that have been fighting to get endosulfan banned in New Zealand for nearly a decade are appalled by the ‘proposed decision’ released by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) on Friday night as part of its reassessment process.

Endosulfan is a persistent and bioaccumulative organochlorine pesticide that contaminates the air, rainfall, snow, soil and water in every region in the world, including the Artic and the Antarctic...

Water quality, quantity and ecosystems
Environment Canterbury Chief Executive's Report

Stage 4 of the Canterbury Strategic Water Study has commenced with the first stage of stakeholder and public consultation. The outcomes of the Strategic Water Study is a water management strategy for the whole region for at least the next 20 years that addresses water quality, water quantity and freshwater biodiversity. It will cover all major uses for water including ... tourism ... and recreational uses. The first stage of public consultation is about the uses and benefits of water...

California anglers keen to learn about NZ fly fishing

Seven Southern California fly fishing clubs have invited Nelson fly fishing guide Zane Mirfin on a speaking tour around the greater Los Angeles area. Zane will present ‘Brown Trout Heaven – Fly Fishing New Zealand’ during a full week of talks between 8th and 16th July...

Note: Zane Mirfin is a director of Strike Adventure based in the Nelson region.

Strike Adventure

ORC investigates grazing complaints

The Otago Regional Council is investigating complaints
that up to 1000 dairy cows were grazing in ponds close to
the Taieri River at Patearoa.

ORC compliance manager Martin King said the Otago Fish
and Game Council reported the incidents to the regional
council for investigation over the past couple of weeks...

Green light for Waihao River Wainono Lagoon management strategy

Water quality, flow regime and allocation are likely to be the first priorities tackled following the approval of the Waihao River - Wainono Lagoon management strategy.

The document has been produced by the Waihao-Wainono Water Users Society, a group of about 60 people which includes landholders, recreational users, irrigators, local runanga and the Central South Island Fish and Game Council...

Outdoor recreation discussion document launched

Sport and Recreation Minister Clayton Cosgrove has released a discussion document on outdoor recreation aimed at revitalising the sector. It is part of a review of outdoor recreation in New Zealand.

The discussion document outlines nine initial findings from the review as well as some challenges and opportunities for the outdoor recreation sector, and invites the public to make submissions by 29 August, so a national Outdoor Recreation Strategy can be in place by early 2009...

The discussion paper is available to be downloaded at www.sparc.org.nz or can be obtained by emailing outdoorrec@sparc.org.nz

Pollution plan smells like a hijack, Mr Anderton

Word for word submissions from Landcorp and Federated Farmers opposing improvements to water quality in the Manawatu and Wanganui region's rivers to make them safe to swim in, smell of a hijack, Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman says...

Forecast enhancements benefit trampers and boaties

A new extended range weather forecasting system for the country‘s mountain regions, offering greater assurance and security to the outdoor community, has been welcomed by the
Minister for Transport Safety Harry Duynhoven....

Montrose salmon release, open day and BBQ

The open day at Montrose this year will be on Sunday the 6th July. Fish and Game will be releasing 60,000 salmon smolt into the Rakaia River. This is also a great opportunity to view this year’s hatch of young salmon.

Licence fee hikes for anglers, shooters

Anglers and duck shooters will have to pay more for their sport next season.

Most fishing and game licence fees will rise next season...

Fishing licence fees

The new fishing fees (last season's fees in parenthesis) are:

Adults: Whole season $105 ($96), family $137 ($125), winter $63 ($58), 24 hour $21 ($19).

Junior: Whole season $21 ($19), winter $13 ($11.50), 24 hour $4 ($4)...

Get more information about New Zealand fishing licences.

Full cleanup likely for Hutt stream

A full cleanup of New Zealand's most polluted waterway is likely to go ahead next year after a successful trial. The $500,000 trial took place in Lower Hutt's Waiwhetu Stream...

ERMA seeks views on endosulfan

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA New Zealand) is calling for public submissions on the continued use of the insecticide endosulfan...

Public submissions are invited on the application and must be received byFriday 8 August 2008. ... If submitters request it, a public hearing will be held on the application. The application details are available on the ERMA New Zealand website, www.ermanz.govt.nz

Move casts doubt on Hawea park plan

The future of the proposed Hawea Conservation Park appears
in disarray after the owners of Hunter Valley Station yesterday withdrew from the consultation process, saying they had no faith in the Department of Conservation (Doc). Their decision means access to the park, if given the go ahead by Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick, would basically be cut by half...

Lakeside lodge voted country's finest

A four-year-old luxury lodge in Rotorua has been voted
the country's best by international travel agents. Lake Okareka Lodge received the honour at the 2008
World Travel Awards, which are judged by travel agents from around the world...

Boat fishing on some Rotorua lakes closes

Boat fishing on Lakes Tarawera, Rotoiti and Okataina comes to an end for the season at midnight on the 30th of June. This includes fishing the upper reaches of some of the local Rotorua streams (Ngongotaha, Waiteti and Utuhina) as well as the Ohau Channel, and those waterways not listed within the regulation guide that fall under the heading all other waters...

...Lake Rotorua and Rotoma, Rerewhakaaitu, Okaro and Ngapouri all remain open to boat fishing.

See the Eastern region regulations.

Didymo research on Gemex impact completed

(this link opens a 138kB pdf file)

MAFBNZ has now completed its didymo research programme.
Gemex™ Impact on Non-Target Species

Gemex™ concentrations were assessed for the short term effects of Gemex™ on a range of non-target species. The toxicity data showed that sensitivity to Gemex™ increased as exposure times and Gemex™ concentration increased, with amphipods being the most sensitive of the species tested, followed by trout and bullies.

Water hardness also had a significant influence on copper toxicity to non-target species with survival being greatest at higher water hardness levels...

Responsibility for didymo programme management

(this link opens a 138kB pdf file)

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

John Sanson, National Coordination Manager, and Corinna Bennett, Didymo LTM Coordinator, will be the key people within the Pest Management Group providing coordination support to the programme partners...

Check, clean, dry advisory group formed

MAFBNZ will form and lead the aquatic pest ‘Check, Clean, Dry Advisory Group’. This group will have a focus on behaviour change to prevent the spread of aquatic pests. Each region will be invited to nominate a representative. The group will be chaired by the Director of MAFBNZ Communications.

ORC urged to get tougher on dairying

Pressure on Otago waterways is greater than ever and a "marked lift" in monitoring water quality is needed to turn around the deteriorating trends in urban and rural waterways, Otago Fish and Game Council says... It called on the ORC to publish water quality monitoring results to assist with community understanding of the problem...

Lake Hawea Trust wants access prioritised

Public access to the west side of Lake Hawea has been "historically unsatisfactory" and walkers and cyclists have not enjoyed a great deal of co-operation in getting it, a hearing has been told. Upper Clutha Tracks Trust spokeswoman Helen Tait was speaking to a Department of
Conservation hearings panel...

Clean Streams Accord success claims exaggerated

Taranaki Regional Council, Fonterra and Federated Farmers have grossly exaggerated the success of the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord in Taranaki, Forest & Bird says...

LINZ fails to adhere to Act – Aubrey

Federated Farmers High Country section chairman Donald Aubrey has slammed Land Information New Zealand for failing to adhere to the Crown Pastoral Lands Act...Conservation is being placed ahead of farming but the Crown Pastoral Lands Act requires both...

Hawea back country access battles brewing

Boardroom battles are brewing between various parties regarding access rights to the remote back country around the shores of Lake Hawea. The venue is the Wanaka Department of Conservation office, where DoC officials will hear public submissions next week on the proposed 105,000ha Hawea Conservation park...

One of the biggest demands made by submitters is for improved private vehicle access into the Hunter Valley...

New national map series to be launched

A new topographic New Zealand map series is being launched in September 2009. The new map series, known as Topo50, is the 1:50,000 maps series produced by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). The entire series consisting of 452 map sheets will be release simultaneously in September 2009, replacing the current NZM260 series.

Fish screens finally back on agenda

For years I thought no one cared, but the issue of river offtakes and the loss of fish down such offtakes took on new significance at Monday night's Public Forum initiated by the South Canterbury Water Enhancement Group (SCWEG).

Various kinds of screening and issues pertaining to screening structures were addressed by experts in the field... the meeting heard a NIWA spokesperson present the complexity of issues surrounding effective exclusion of fish (native and/or exotic) from water offtakes.

It was immediately clear that a group comprising NIWA, Irrigation New Zealand, Fish and Game, and DoC, supported strongly and chaired by Ecan, had over the past three years researched the issues deeply and professionally...

On Tuesday afternoon, Dr Michael Wilson, in conjunction with Prof Haikai Tane, made an excellent job of promoting the value of willow trees for fish habitat and stream management. Dr Wilson explained his 10 year study of the subject...

Progress on strategy for Waikato River

The Guardians Establishment Committee (GEC) met today to present their final vision and strategy for restoring and protecting the the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River to the Crown and Waikato-Tainui...

Salmon smolt released

More than 34,000 salmon smolt have been pumped into Dunedin Harbour this week, but fishermen can forget about flipping their lines into the harbour - they won't be ready to eat for another two years.

New Zealand Salmon Anglers Otago Association chairman Wayne Olsen said the 20cm-long, 75g fish were trucked in a tanker from the Niwa Silverstream Salmon Hatchery near Christchurch as part of the association's annual stocking of Otago Harbour....

Lake Hawea slipping closer to crisis point

The Guardians of Lake Hawea are growing increasingly concerned about the lake's low level, which they claim may soon hit emergency status...

Farmers face ORC charges

Fourteen South Otago dairy farmers facing pollution-related charges brought by the Otago Regional Council will appear at a special sitting of the Environment Court in Balclutha next
week....

Bay of Plenty set for cleaner streams

Improving the quality of Bay of Plenty waterways in farming areas is at the heart of an agreement signed today by Environment Bay of Plenty, Federated Farmers and Fonterra Cooperative Group....

'Legend' waylaid by icy slip-up

Richmond's Aimee Mirfin had little time to savour a phonecall from the Limelight Charity Tour on Friday informing her that her husband Zane had been named the Nelson "Local Legend".

Minutes later she heard that Zane had been injured on a hunting trip...in the Moleswoth Area. Zane had slipped on ice and broken his ankle...and was taken to Christchurch Hospital for surgery. His young sons received the award on his behalf.

CEO Challenges, Team USA Announce Fly Fishing Competition in October

CEO Challenges...has teamed up with Fly Fishing Team USA to develop a CEO Fly Fishing Challenge. The competition will be held Oct. 2 through Oct. 5 outside Cody, Wyoming... Jay Buchner, president of Fly Fishing Team USA, has developed the rules for this Challenge and will oversee the competition.

The competition is limited to 20 participants, and winners will have the opportunity to accompany Fly Fishing Team USA to the World Championships in Stirling and Perthshire, Scotland....

...50 percent of net proceeds will be donated to Fly Fishing Team USA, which finished eighth in the 2008 World Championships in New Zealand in March...

Cut out the conflict says Feds

Federated Farmers is appealing for more dialogue and less confrontation on environmental issues. Speaking at the Environmental Defence Society conference in Auckland, the Federation‘s spokesperson on the environment, Bruce McNab said that the Environment Court should be the place of last resort and that discussion and mediation are better and more effective tools for resolving problems....

"... We need to keep our differences in perspective and focus on what we have in common. For example, farmers and their families like to swim and fish in waterways and most do their utmost to keep these free of pollution", said Mr McNab....

Unique forum to focus on rural land use

Key participants in the Conflict in Paradise Conference, being held in Auckland today, have agreed to establish a unique roundtable group to work to find ways of making New Zealand
agriculture more sustainable...

Those who have agreed to take part include...Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry for the Environment, Fish and Game...

Farming gets the blame for polluting our water

Farming is seen as a bigger culprit than sewage and stormwater runoff in causing water pollution, a Lincoln University survey has found...

The greatest concern was the state of rivers and lakes, which nearly a quarter of respondents thought were in a bad or very bad state. About 40 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed that small lowland streams in their region had a high water quality.

Professor Hughey noted that 38 per cent of Kiwis had a freshwater fishing licence, used to have one, or wanted to get one....

New Access Bill downgrades, closes public access

The Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations (CORANZ) is alarmed that the Government‘s new Walking Access Bill is purposely designed to reduce public access to the
countryside, not maintain or enhance it...

Partnership towards sustainable water management

Environment Bay of Plenty has welcomed the announcement of a national primary sector partnership to actively anticipate and engage on water management issues.

The Primary Sector Water Partnership Leadership Document, released on Monday, presents the partnership's action plan to achieving sustainability in freshwater resource use...

Water usage to be limited

Hawke's Bay Regional Council has moved to stop rivers drying up next summer by raising minimum water flows. Environmentalists were upset last summer when low river flows increased the concentration of pollution from sewage and farm runoff into the Tukituki River....

Plan 'threatens helicopter business'

Queenstown helicopter companies and film industry people are planning to speak out against helicopter landing resource consents requirements at today's Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting...

Paper roads

Federated Farmers says the proposed walking access bill could mean farms become more vulnerable to criminals.

Link to audio - Duration: 3'55"

Walking access not 'walkways'

The Walking Access Bill as it stands will disappoint the outdoor recreation community and make the proposed Walking Access Agency's job much harder, says United Future Leader Peter Dunne.

"The Walking Access Bill currently before select committee does not go far enough to entrench the rights of the public to access public resources such as rivers, lakes, fish and game animals," said Mr Dunne...

See also the United Future Party's policy on Freshwater Recreational Fishing.

Polluters’ water paper “Plan for Inaction"

A document subtitled "Plan for Action" and issued by water polluters and their supporters today would be better headed "Plan for Inaction", according to the Green Party. This is proof that vested interests have hijacked a government process aimed at cleaning up New Zealand's water resources,? Party Co-Leader Russel Norman said...

Primary sector united on water issues

New Zealand's primary sector groups today released a  document that reconfirms their commitment to the sustainable management of the nation's valuable freshwater resources.

The release of the Primary Sector Water Partnership Leadership Document sets out a collective action plan which has been endorsed by all the partners. There are also some sector specific targets....

Farmers Favour Access Bill

Federated Farmers says it generally supports the Walking Access Bill currently before parliament, and says it's particularly happy with the intent of the legislation not to interfere with property rights of land owners....

Walking Access Bill

The parliamentary committee is hearing submissions on the Walking Access Bill.

Link to audio - Duration: 3'24"

Master of the living dead

When it comes to lifelike big-game trophies, taxidermist Richard Lee says his pioneering freeze-drying method is the best.

Animals need to be careful when they cross Richard Lee's path...

Survivor still in shock after fatal boat sinking

The survivor of a boating tragedy which killed his father and brother was still in shock today as police and Maritime New Zealand sought to find out why their craft sank on Lake Taupo yesterday...

The small aluminium dinghy they had been in capsized at the southern end of the lake and for several hours the trio clung to a chilly bin....None of the three was wearing a lifejacket...

Two dead in Taupo dinghy accident

Two men found dead in Lake Taupo this morning clung to a chilly bin for flotation after their aluminium dinghy capsized.

The bodies of Stephen Roger Pervan, 54, of Coromandel, and his son Ben Doyle Pervan, 28, of Albany, were retrieved from the lake this morning. Another son survived after abandoning the chilly bin and swimming towards shore.

The three set off fishing around 7.30pm last night, leaving from the Tokaanu end of Lake Taupo and heading for the Tongariro Delta....

11,000 fish rescued from low-flowing Hakataramea

About 11,000 trout and salmon have been rescued from the Hakataramea River during what Central South Island Fish and Game Council officer Graeme Hughes termed "the big dry" since the beginning of the year...

The fish, released into the Waitaki River, were rescued during several operations as the Hakataramea River ran at low levels from the beginning of the year...

Dedicated champion of NZ's wildlife

Ian Hogarth was up to his knees in mud when the Advocate contacted him, putting in a "duck pond" at Mimiwhangata.

And it's this hard work and contribution to the public service in conservation and wildlife management that has earned the Whangarei man a Queen's Service Medal in today's honours list...

He's been particularly involved in the recovery of endangered species... and advising on land management issues and fish and game...

He ran the Wanaka/Haast districts trout hatchery for many years and was assistant game management officer for the Bay of Plenty, East Coast and Taupo districts...

DoC reserve contaminates Manawatu River

The Conservation Department (DoC), which has a statutory responsibility to preserve freshwater fish habitats, is helping contaminate the Manawatu River with dairy cows, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman said today.

In his speech to the Green Party’s annual conference in Auckland, Dr Norman presented photographs taken by himself and staff last month showing cows grazing on a DoC-administered Crown riverside strip, the Moutoa Conservation Area, and alongside in the river itself....

Giving anglers their space is just good etiquette

...I’ve learned a lot more about etiquette since fishing in New Zealand a handful of times. Because of the conditions there, you really don’t want to fish a stretch of river that’s already been fished on a given day. So if you encounter another angler, a negotiation ensues and you come to an agreement on what stretch of river you’ll each fish...

New Zealand Fish & Game Council visits Waikato dairy farms

New Zealand Fish & Game Councillors got their gumboots on during a visit to Waikato dairy farms hosted by DairyNZ and Environment Waikato last weekend [23-25 May]. “The visits provided an excellent opportunity for New Zealand Fish & Game Councillors to see first hand how environmental issues could be managed on the farm, and to discuss sustainable agriculture with some of the people walking the talk,” said Rob Roney...

Campervans in green test

Tourism Holdings Ltd (THL) said it was helping to set new national emissions benchmarks after its 1500 Maui & Britz campervans passed tough new exhaust emissions tests.

Its fleet was put through Vehicle Testing New Zealand's exhaust emissions tests, which measure the output of harmful exhaust gases and indicate engine efficiency.

THL said its fleet was the first to be tested by VTNZ and the 5 per cent which did not meet the required standard would be modified to pass the test, or removed from the fleet.

More water needed from Hutt River

Wellington Regional Council says it may have to take more water from the Hutt River because of higher than expected population growth.

The council says current supplies cannot keep up with demand, a situation that was not forecast to arise until 2020.

At present, it must leave a minimum of 600 litres a second flowing in the river, but it wants to drop that to 400 litres.

The council is considering taking more water at the Kaitoke weir in the upper reaches of the Hutt River. Resource consent will be required...

Lake Otamangakau closes for the winter

Anglers are reminded that Lakes Otamangakau and Te Whaiau are closed to fishing from Saturday 1 June.

“The closed season is a long standing management measure to protect fish stocks through the period of their annual breeding cycle”, Taupo Fishery Field Operations Manager, Glenn Maclean says. “Lake Otamangakau is renowned internationally as a trophy trout fishery but to get to large size these fish need to survive a number of years. However they are very vulnerable as they make their spawning migration each year, and it is important that they are protected as they move upstream though the inlet canals”

Both lakes will reopen to fishing on Wednesday, 1 October this year.

Upper river fishing at Taupo closes

Taupo district anglers keen to catch a winter trout are reminded that the fishing season for the upper sections of most popular rivers flowing into Lake Taupo closes at midnight on 31st May 2008.

The lower reaches of these rivers remain open to fishing for the full 12 month season and there is still a lot of water available to anglers. The upper sections are closed to protect the trout while they are spawning and will open once again on the 1st of December this year.

Anglers should refer to the map on the back of their fishing licence if they are unsure, or contact the DOC office in Turangi. Winter fishing prospects look much improved on last year but once again it is likely that the main runs of trout will not occur for several months yet.

Trout Fishers' Federation highlights key issues

The top four concerns for the trout fishing public were identified by a gathering of trout fishing representatives in Palmerston North in the weekend.

‘New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers' President, Ian Rodger of Auckland said the four areas of particular concern were: the invasive river algae Didymo; the privatisation of public fishing and shooting; hydro-electric schemes and the public's freshwater resource....

Read the full press release at the NZFFA website.

Good start, but bill still has a few holes

by Dean Seymour

Submissions to a select committee on the Walking Access Bill are due to close on Wednesday. The bill attempts to find a balance between two competing interests.

On one hand, the public expects access to land near the coast, rivers and lakes so as to make use of those recreational resources. But on the other hand, landowners expect to be able to decide who comes on to their property...

Tunnel decision delayed

The decision on Meridian Energy's north bank tunnel proposal on the Waitaki River has been delayed, with the hearing commissioners wanting more information.

The commissioners... identified four issues they wish to reconsider. They (include) the problem with the invasive algae didymo; and proposed river enhancement work...

The reconvened hearing dates are August 5-7 in Christchurch.

Rotorua’s first Green Globe attraction

Rainbow Springs Nature Park and Kiwi Encounter has achieved the prestigious Green Globe Benchmarked status under the global Green Globe Benchmarking program and becomes the first visitor attraction in Rotorua to do so...

Fish & Game to begin their case at  the CPW hearing this week

The hearing of the Central Plains Water scheme continues this week and next at the Christchurch Convention Centre...

Fish & Game will present evidence from Tuesday 13 May. Witnesses will appear on a range of speciality topics. Subject areas are listed below, along with a tentative indication of when experts are likely to appear. This may be subject to change, so please check for updates at the ecan website...

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....

Down the toilet?

The Tukituki River in Hawke's Bay might be lovely to look at...but the river is far from picture-perfect. The water quality, affected by sewage, farm runoff and irrigation demands, has often concerned locals. A blue-green algae outbreak has thrown it back in the spotlight...

The Dominion Post

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

Freshwater anglers and game bird hunters are behind Water Conservation Orders and their significant role in protecting New Zealand’s water bodies. The Government’s report on the state of the environment released today acknowledges Water Conservation Orders (WCOs) as a mechanism to protect New Zealand’s notable waterways...

Now, let's see some action

The State of the Environment Report released today carries the blunt message from the Minister for the Environment that the report, ‘highlights the decline in water quality New Zealand faces as a consequence of the increasing intensity of agricultural production.’

“The report is both welcome and overdue,” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive, Fish & Game New Zealand....The report contains nothing new; the declining quality of our environment, the culprits and the solutions have been clear since the 1997 report and repeated many times since. Now is the time for action”

Clean green? More like khaki

The New Zealand environment is more khaki than pure green, says a report assessing air, water and land quality and the health of plants, birds and animals.

The 450-page report found pressures on the environment were increasing from a growing population, economy and changing lifestyles...

Lloyd Struthers wins at NZ fly fishing champs

The 2008 CD-RODS SFFNZ champs were held on the 18th/19th and 20th of January on the World Championship venues based out of Rotorua. Twenty anglers fished in two groups (A & B) for the title...

Lloyd Struthers was the championship winner with only 10 placing points for the 5 sessions, Kiyoshi Nakagawa came through to get second with 16 and Des Armstrong third with 18...

The New Zealand national fly fishing champs are sponsored by CD-Rods. Full details of the 2008 results are available at the SSFNZ website.

Sports Fly Fishing New Zealand
(SSFNZ)

NZ's green status getting murky

Our clean, green image is likely to be tarnished by an environmental report today which is expected to record failings in the key areas of climate change and water quality...

Fly fishing can provide those precious moments

...Fly fishing...can be fun for anyone picking up a rod and reel and getting a few lessons.

I spent several hours with my wife on the front lawn, teaching her to fly cast. And when we got to New Zealand and stepped in to fast currents on a famous trout stream, on her third cast she hooked a jumbo rainbow trout....

Action must follow State of the Environment report

Fish & Game New Zealand is concerned that tomorrow’s release of the second ever national State of the Environment report will be exploited to provide unconvincing justification for further inaction by both agriculture and government to clean up agriculture’s adverse environmental impacts...

Maori want to manage water

An urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearing is being sought by Maori eyeing up water as "the new gold" in a claim likely to have major election-year implications.

The Te Atiawa iwi at the top of the South Island want the tribunal to return the management of water rights in the Tasman District Council area to Maori. If the claim is upheld, central government could find itself caught in a tussle over who has the right to manage water - local authorities or local iwi...

Eusoff: Lingam asked to tag along for fishing trip at Lake Wakatipu

Lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam had asked former Chief Justice Tun Eusoff Chin if he could tag along during a fishing trip in Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Eusoff told the Royal Commission of Inquiry that Queenstown was a small place that was slightly bigger than a village and there was nothing much to do...

Healthy wetlands, healthy people

Each year World Wetlands Day is acknowledged with a host of events throughout the country when Fish & Game NZ and the Department of Conservation lead a range of organizations in creating varied wetland experiences around that year’s WWD theme, chosen to highlight an issue facing wetlands internationally...

Children learn importance of wetlands

Stressing the importance of wetlands to younger generations is what Rotorua's World Wetlands Day celebrations are all about.

Department of Conservation's natural heritage assets supervisor Keith Owen said as part of World Wetlands day, he wanted to make sure children realise the importance of looking after them in the future.

World Wetlands Day is on February 2 this year but in Rotorua, celebrations will be held earlier on February 1.

Members of the public are invited to head to the Hannahs Bay Reserve between 9am and 3pm to learn about wetlands and take part in the Rotorua celebrations...

Quake fear aired over Wairau scheme

Fears that an earthquake or flood could rupture TransPower's proposed hydro power scheme in Marlborough were aired at a hearing yesterday.

The proposed $280 million scheme would have five power stations in a canal running 46km along the Wairau Valley...

...Lawson Davey, who is a field officer for Fish and Game, but was making a personal submission, said thousands of fish and birds could die because TramsPower hadn't done its homework on the effects of its proposed scheme.

Support the Save the Wairau campaign.

Wairau hydro power scheme slammed in hearing

The Department of Conservation chief has slammed both TrustPower and the resource consent hearing panel looking into the power company's $280 million hydro scheme planned for Marlborough's Wairau River.

The Tauranga-based power company's efforts were described as "riddled with errors'', while the panel's decision making process was naive....

Support the Save the Wairau campaign.

Southland local lands king salmon

An 11kg salmon was landed by Tapanui man Jason Stuart fishing the Pomahaka River recently. The fish didn't fit in the boot of his car so had to be transported home on the back seat. Jason reports two or three other salmon of a similar size in the hole where he was fishing.

Rakaia gears up for fishing contest

The fish are already biting giving people plenty of practice for the upcoming Rakaia Salmon Fishing Competition.

Rakaia River Fishing Promotions Incorporated secretary Robyn Jackson said it was hoped that this year’s bumper fishing season would continue for the sake of the annual fishing competition next month...

For more details, see Rakaia Salmon Fishing Competition

No more didymo found

Test in the Cobb River have found traces of the invasive alga didymo at only one site. Didymo was found in the river at the head of the Cobb Reservoir this month,  raising fears that the alga which forms dense mats on the riverbed would put the survival of the endangered blue duck at risk.

Department of Conservation acting Golden Bay area manager Hans Stoffregen said further tests had not found didymo at other locations. Mr Stoffregen said it was critical all river users checked, cleaned and dried their gear when moving between waterways.

‘Rock snot’ battle lines drawn

The call to action to protect against rock snot (didymo) has taken on new urgency with it being detected in two more major South Island rivers.

Regional Group Co-ordinator for the Northland/Auckland Didymo/Freshwater pests Partners Group, Mark Geaney, is worried about the latest finds and is calling on the public to get vigilant and fight didymo...

New photos boost fly fishing

Digital images of colorful fish and exotic places that pop off the page at you are fueling a 21st-century revival in fly fishing, the likes of which the sport’s painstaking mechanics and mandatory patience could never have accomplished...

When asked which of the many places they have fished has given them the most pleasure and inspiration, Cathy thought for a moment and responded. “Barry would say New Zealand.” ...

Tidal wave fear from proposed dam

An earthquake could send tidal waves over the top of a proposed dam on the West Coast's Mokihinui River, says Forest and Bird.

Meridian Energy wants to erect the dam as part of a hydro-scheme on the Mokihinui, 40km north of Westport and 3km upstream from Seddonville...

Damn the dam, say opponents

An environmental war is set to erupt over plans for a huge hydro dam on a pristine West Coast river.

Meridian Energy has lodged consent applications with the West Coast Regional Council for a hydro scheme on the Mokihinui River, 40km north of Westport...

Forest and Bird South Island Field co-ordinator Chris Todd saidit was organising a campaign against the project...

Couple breathe life into historic bar

One of New Zealand's oldest bars has reopened after lying dormant for 38 years at the historic Tophouse Homestead near St Arnaud.

New owners Nigel and Lesley Phoenix, who bought the lease on the guesthouse last September, decided fairly quickly to reopen the bar in the historic watering hole...

Fear of flying

... a British version of the One Fly event... is held every year in the US. The UK event, in April, is being organised on seven prime beats of the River Test by Simon Cooper, who runs Fishing Breaks, a Hampshire-based agency that handles chalk stream beat bookings...

...there’s another “one fly” competition in the Marlborough region of New Zealand in March. It’s tempting to enter all of them. You only need one fly.

Places are still available for the UK One Fly competition. For details, tel: +44 (0)1264-781 988or e-mail: simon@fishingbreaks.com

Didymo horror fears allayed

The invasive alga didymo might not be as destructive to river life and trout fisheries as first feared, says a leading Nelson trout and salmon fisheries expert.

Cawthron Institute senior freshwater fisheries scientist John Hayes said Cawthron researched the short-term effects of didymo on invertebrates at two sites in Southland last year.

Results showed the alga did not have a big impact on the spread of invertebrates, which trout feed on, or on potential trout growth, he said...

... Biosecurity New Zealand didymo response manager Chris Bicknell agreed that data indicated the short-term ecological impact of the alga was less severe than anticipated...

Didymo stakeholder update released

Biosecurity New Zealand's latest didymo stakeholder update reports that the November 2007 national delimiting survey
detected didymo at 10 new sites, all in the South Island.

The update outlines the the didymo projects that have been commissioned for this financial year including the Didymo Knowledge Sharing Project and further research on the chelated copper control tool, Gemex.

Communication initiatives include contracting staff to hand out information about didymo to travellers at the Wellington terminals of the Interislander and Bluebridge interisland ferry terminals during the busy summer period.

Read the January 2008 update as a pdf file.

Fish Bums trying to reel in moviegoers

The Fly Fishing Film Tour is trying to hook a larger audience in Central Oregon.  The tour, put on by the Angling Exploration Group, includes seven fly-fishing movies ranging from 10 minutes to 20 minutes in length, and a portion of “Fish Bums I: Mongolia.”...

The Angling Exploration Group’s first two movies — one filmed in Argentina, the other in New Zealand — were called the “Trout Bum Diaries.” But the name was changed to “Fish Bum” because future films are expected to include other species... The next Fish Bum film will focus on steelhead....

Claremont Country Estate receives Andrew Harper Hideaway Grand Award

Owner-operated Claremont Country Estate & Nature Reserve has claimed the Grand Award title in the highly coveted Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report for 2008 (USA).

The only New Zealand award winner named in 2008, Claremont joins a prestigious past winner line up which includes exclusive New Zealand luxury lodges such as Huka Lodge, Wharekauhau Country Estate, Treetops Lodge and Wilderness Estate and Kauri Cliffs.

...easily accessible from the Lodge are innumerable options for trout and salmon fishing in North Canterbury...

Didymo horror fears allayed

The invasive alga didymo might not be as destructive to river life and trout fisheries as first feared, says a leading Nelson trout and salmon fisheries expert.

Cawthron Institute senior freshwater fisheries scientist John Hayes said Cawthron researched the short-term effects of didymo on invertebrates at two sites in Southland last year.

Results showed the alga did not have a big impact on the spread of invertebrates, which trout feed on, or on potential trout growth, he said...

... Biosecurity New Zealand didymo response manager Chris Bicknell agreed that data indicated the short-term ecological impact of the alga was less severe than anticipated...

Volman's A1GP Team fish Taupo

... as the A1 Grand Prix of Nations gets set to rumble on the track at Taupo New Zealand...the A1GP drivers enjoyed a fishing outing on Thursday courtesy of A1GP...

See photo...

Salmon run pleases anglers

Salmon anglers are enjoying a good season, with 173 salmon weighed in on the south side of the Rangitata River mouth since New Year.

The number and condition of the fish has raised hopes the fishery is recovering from low catches of previous years.

Since early November volunteer record keeper Bill Whipp has sighted 256 salmon and heard that around 125 salmon have been landed on the north bank...

Didymo in Arahura River disappointing: O’Connor

Tourism Minister and West Coast Tasman MP Damien O’Connor said he is disappointed that didymo has made it in to the Arahura River.

Live cells of the freshwater weed were discovered last week during routine checks done by the Department of Conservation.

“This is extremely disappointing not only for tourists and locals who use the river but for everyone on the West Coast.

Didymo found in Arahura River

The invasive algae didymo has been found in the Arahura River north of Hokitika.

The Department of Conservation says it is concerned it could be spread to more rivers and might impact on endangered native whio/blue ducks.

The didymo cells have been found in samples taken near the mouth of the Arahura River in a DOC didymo survey...

Didymo found in major West Coast river

Department of Conservation staff are devastated by the discovery of the freshwater weed didymo in the West Coast's Arahura River.

Live didymo cells were found late last week in water samples taken at the road rail bridge during a routine monitoring survey by the department. It is still in the microscopic stages, and has not yet bloomed...

A1GP : 2008 Taupo - Mayor Rick Cooper talks A1GP

Taupo mayor Rick Cooper will have a chance to interact with key A1GP drivers at a pre-event fishing expedition on Lake Taupo this Thursday morning.

Like last year's jet-ski challenge on the lake, the excursion is designed to give the A1GP drivers an insight into the area whilst appealing to their competitive streaks. A prize will be presented to the driver who lands the biggest fish.

"I've done a fair bit of fishing on this lake," Cooper said, "and when Jonny Reid gets in the chair I'll be whispering in his ear.

"I'd like to help the New Zealand team win the fishing challenge and then leave Jonny to get on with winning on the weekend as well."

Didymo spreads to Cobb River

Confirmation that didymo has now spread to the Cobb River is extremely disappointing, the Nelson Mail said in an editorial on Monday.

It also confirms the aggressively invasive nature of the alga known as rock snot... The Cobb is now the 10th river or stream in Nelson-Tasman to have traces of the noxious invader...The potential for disaster is high...

Diaspora of once-rare algae may threaten fish survival:
Prolific diatom can carpet many kilometres of river bottom

It can't be good when something nicknamed "rock snot" is multiplying in Alberta.

Andrea Kirkwood doesn't have anything positive to say about the algae that is spreading through the province's rivers. Not only does it look gross, it could threaten the survival of fish and other aquatic life.

The University of Calgary algal ecologist first noticed what she describes as an unfamiliar, disgusting-looking growth on rocks in the summer of 2005 while participating in a major survey of the headwater rivers of the South Saskatchewan River basin.

When she put it under the microscope, she saw a type of single-celled algae called a diatom. She set it aside.

But then it started popping up in other areas of the northwest. And most astonishingly, it showed up in New Zealand, where it had never been found before.

Kirkwood looked at Didymosphenia geminata -- didymo for short -- with renewed, more focused interest.

What she discovered, and with colleagues recently published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, is a cosy relationship between didymo and dams.

The dam connection and the algae's unusual preference for clear water has caught the attention of governments.

"It's really on the national radar now because it does so well in pristine systems, which is such an unusual characteristic for algae," Kirkwood says.

"Usually you think of lakes that are pea-soup green because there's so much nutrients in the water the algae grow like gangbusters. But this particular organism actually likes clear, clean, low-nutrient conditions."

Kirkwood says it seems to thrive when water flow is regulated, which is why it's often found below dams. The algae blooms so well it sometimes covers kilometres of river bottom.

This could be a problem for trout, which like clean, clear, cobble-bottomed rivers.

"When didymo blooms ... rather than seeing nice clean rocks, you're seeing shag carpeting."

The insects the trout eat hide under the rocks and gnaw on the algae growing on the rocks. If didymo covers their food and habitat it could have a domino effect on the fish, she says.

She hopes to get research money to study the impact didymo might be having on fish in Alberta...

Warnings renewed as didymo spreads to Cobb

Biosecurity New Zealand says the establishment of didymo in the Kahurangi National Park in the north west corner of the South Island could have been prevented.

Samples taken from the Cobb River have been found to contain the invasive algae.

Didymo response manager Chris Bicknell says it comes down to personal responsibility...

Fish bums share their passion for fly fishing while supporting the environment

The Angling Exploration Group, a media production company specializing in adventure fly-fishing entertainment, recently announced the updated film and venue list for their upcoming film tour, which will kick off on Jan. 30 at the Patagonia World Headquarters in Ventura, Calif.

Now in its third year, the film tour will travel to more than 60 U.S. cities this winter. The films AEG Media produce are not the average instructional and stereotypical videos that that have been all too common, they are instead high-energy, adrenaline rushing expedition documentaries mixed with stunning cinematography, crazy mishaps and encounters and cutting edge music. AEG Media’s mission is to revolutionize the world of fly-fishing, one epic adventure at a time. Film locations are chosen with the intent to share a glimpse into unique destinations around the globe and to create a fishing experience for generations to come. Past filming locations include Patagonia, New Zealand and Iceland. Current productions include Mongolia, Argentina, Bahamas and Christmas Island....

Didymo found in Kahurangi National Park river

The invasive algae didymo has been found in the Cobb River in Kahurangi National Park.

The Department of Conservation says it is concerned it could be spread to more rivers in the park and might impact on endangered native whio/blue ducks.

The didymo cells have been found in samples taken from the Cobb River near Trilobite Hut in Golden Bay in a DOC didymo survey. DOC intends to carry out further sampling to determine the extent of the spread of didymo in the Cobb River catchment...

Warning to pregnant women over Rotorua trout

... According to the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, Rotorua's trout are among the worst in the country for pregnant women. It says pregnant women should limit their intake of trout caught from Taupo and Rotorua waters because trout from geothermal regions contain higher levels of mercury. Too much mercury can attack a person's nervous system...

Next time I buy wading boots, they won't be the felt variety

I bought my first pair of felt-bottom wading boots sometime in the 1980s. Since then I've owned a variety of brands, but all have had felt bottoms because that was what everybody else owned. I've become a creature of habit, but I'm determined to change...

Reeling it in: When fishing lures fetch $30,000

The stock market sinking, the dollar is diving, and housing has hit the skids, but the market for fishing "collectibles" -- rods, reels, creels, lures, flies and more -- is on the up, up and even further up.

Witness the prices realized, some absolutely crazy, at Lang's auction in Boxborough, Mass., in November. Two years earlier, Lang's had set a world angling-auction record by topping $1 million. Since then, for the fifth straight sale, the Waterville, N.Y., firm has set record after record, with this last auction totaling a new high of $2.8 million...

102-year-old Brit moving to New Zealand

A 102-year-old retired dentist looks set to become New Zealand's oldest immigrant when he quits Britain tomorrow to start a new life in Nelson...

He said he will also be able to engage in his passion for fly fishing: "New Zealand is the most wonderful place in the world for fishing....

Wealthy farmers pollute Northland streams

Poor effluent treatment system maintenance has been blamed for dirty discharges from a quarter of Northland's 1000 dairy farms, which are polluting rivers and streams around the region...

Northland Fish and Game manager Rudi Hoetjes said people could not drink or wash with water from many rivers and streams, as they had been badly polluted.

Daily effluent discharges warmed the water, which impacted on fish and other species, he said.

Mr Hoetjes urged dairy farmers to use funds from their increased milk payout to upgrade their effluent discharge systems.

Dogs poisoned by toxic Hutt River water

The deaths of two dogs is being attributed to toxic algal poisoning from the Hutt River.

The dogs are understood to have drunk a small amount of river water, which has become infested in parts by algal mats.

Dogs are more susceptible to the blue-green alga than humans, but Regional Public Health has issued a warning to people to avoid recreational contact with the river...