Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
In New Zealand
by Allan Burgess
Free ebook
fishingmag.co.nz
Rivers
Casting a lure across a wide slow flowing river is a great way to
spend an afternoon. In the South Island we have many such rivers that, in their lower reaches especially, are perfect for this style
of fishing. The lower Waimakariri, Selwyn, Clutha, Mataura, Oreti,
and so on, are wide and frequently slightly discoloured. On these
waters spinning is the best option for covering plenty of fish holding water.
Where do you start? These wider rivers can seem daunting.
Hundreds of cubic metres of water are passing your fishing spot
every second. The trout are surely out there somewhere!
Often fish will be close to the bank, under willows, or behind
fallen trees and large rocks, or other obstructions on the riverbed.
like!
A spinner which might seem large and clumsy during the day
can be just the thing to take a big trout in late evening. This is also
the time when fish will come into shallow water chasing silveries
and bullies. So dont neglect to fish close to the hank when retrieving your spinner. Sometimes
trout will chase your lure to the bank
You can take some great fish on light
spinning tackle. These rainbows were and take it right at the rod tip.
caught in Canterburys Lake Selfe.
wind the handle too fast your lure will rise to the surface and you
wont take many fish.
Vary your casting distance, direction, and sink time in order to
cover as much water as you can. Think of the trout as being lazy
and holding in just one place near the bottom. By carefully quartering the river your lure will eventually find where he is holding.
I like to make a few casts downstream as well, winding the
lure back to me close to the bank.
You have to be both optimistic and patient: these are the anglers best assets! Make every cast in the firm belief that a fish will
take your spinner at any moment from the second your lure hits
the water, to when you have it in the air for the next cast. Fish will
often follow your lure to the bank and strike just as you are about
to lift it for the next cast!
If fish are following your lure in but not striking try something
different such as: a smaller lure, twitching the rod tip, stop/starting your retrieve and so on. You will often find this happening in
crystal clear water such as the Canterbury high country lakes. If
the water is flat calm the better option is a small nymph fished on
a fly rod, or better still a dry fly fished with a bubble float.
With river fishing you are going to
loose more gear than around a lake margin. There will be many lure traps that
you cant see from the river bank. A certain number of losses is inevitable. When
a lure does get snagged try letting the line
go slack before winding again. Or let the
line go slack, then walk downstream or
upstream before trying it again.
Another old salmon anglers trick when
snagged is to make yourself an otter
from a stick found on the river bank. Take
the stick and tie it to your line with a
length of mono. Let it slip down your line
to be pulled along by the rivers current,
letting go line as it floats down. With luck
the pull from the opposite direction will
free the lure.
Lakes
A big advantage with spin fishing is that you dont have to worry
about your back-cast. Some Canterbury high country lakes such
as Selfe, and Coleridge when the water level is high, are difficult
to fish with thick matagouri down to the waters edge. If fishing a
fly rod in these sort of situations you really need to wade out a bit
from shore to give yourself a bit of casting room, otherwise you
can waste a lot of time retrieving your fly line from this thorny
native plant.
The same thing applies when fishing in strong norwest wind;
spinning gear is much easier to operate than a fly rod. But again
in calm bright conditions presentation is important and a well
worked fly will often produce better results.
Modern rods and reels are made mostly of plastics and
composites. Generally speaking the better quality reels
have at least three ball bearings. Always carry your rod to
and from the river in a solid tube as most accidents happen around, and in the car!
I remember a
winter s day a
few years back
when six of us
travelled to Lake
Coleridge for a
most enjoyable
day spin fishing
at the Picket
Fence. It was a
glorious day at
Coleridge: snow
on the high tops,
crystal
clear
mountain air,
blue sky, the sun
shinning, the
lake flat calm,
and the company
stimulating and
humorous. However we
werent catching many
fish. From memory I
think it was only two fish
in total. We were all fishing a variety of spinning
tackle that had proven
successful here in the
past: Cobras, Tobys,
Tassie Devils, Hexwobblers, and the like.
Even bottom of the range eggbeater reels
are much improved nowadays. This inexpensive Shimano has taken many fish!
When looking to buy a new well and sink down quickly to where the
reel ask your tackle store assist- fish are holding. Use in fast flowing rivers
ant if you can have a go at turn- or for fishing deep water.
ing the handle on various different models from several manufacturers. You will soon feel the
difference between a top quality reel and a budget model. A quality product from a leading manufacturer will be very smooth as
you wind the handle.
There will also be little viToby
bration. There should also
be only slight resistance as
you wind.
Gypsy
It is always a good idea
to order an extra spool
Zed Spinner
when purchasing a spinBingo
ning reel. Though many
models now come with a
Zed Spinner spare spool in the box.
This enables you to carry
This selection of spoons comes in someseveral line weights; say
where between ticers and bar spinners.
ten pound for a braided
They are a good all round choice on any
river and 4lb for lake
water. The faster you wind the reel hanwork. I like to have both
dle the more pronounced the spoons
action during the retrieve. But if you wind
spools loaded with 6lb. If
too fast they plane to the surface. I have
the line gets a bit worn or
caught many trout on the black Toby.
nicked, I can quickly swap
The 12g Toby would be my first choice
them over.
when fishing new water.
It pays to have a selection on hand. If the
trout arent biting: try a smaller lure, a
different colour, or try a slower or faster
retrieve.
Spinners
There are enormous numbers of
different trout spinners available on the New Zealand market. These come in a bewildering range of colours.
retrieved at different
speeds. Ticers have relatively little action. The
advantage with ticers
though is that they cast
well, even in a head
wind, and they sink to
fishing depth quickly.
This makes them a good
choice when casting
from the shore of deep
lakes, and when fishing
in faster flowing rivers.
area you can drag the fish out no problem. But if the river bank is
steep a landing net is essential.
Likewise waders are not essential for spin fishing but are worth
having in cold weather, as is a good quality coat with a hood to
stop the rain running down your neck.
Polaroid glasses are an essential item to have, not so much for
spotting fish but for cutting glare on a bright day.
Spin fishing is great fun. You can cover a lot of water with relative ease. This makes spinning gear a useful option when you
dont have a lot of time. You can leave you rod set up in your
vehicle and be casting within a few seconds of stopping.
Successful spin fishing requires more skill and experience than
you might think. Many times I have been out fishing with very
experienced anglers who know how to get the most from their
spinning gear. In a party of six anglers it is surprising how one or
two will often catch almost all the fish, despite everyone using
much the same tackle while fish a lake edge!
The difference between catching and not catching fish can be
subtle. It might be a slower or faster retrieve speed, allowing the
lure to sink deeper near the bottom, or running the lure close to
the bank when others are casting out into the middle. Another
good technique is to periodically stop winding for a moment during your retrieve. This can often trigger a strike from a following
fish. Keep experimenting!
I always keep a diary when I go fishing. In this I record the
time of year, day, weather, successful lures and so on. What works
well in one place often works equally well on other water, but not
always. For instance in a deep lake like Coleridge a fast sinking
lure such as a 1 oz. black ticer will be effective, but in nearby Lake
Selfe, which is clear and shallow, a green or gold Cobra or Tassie
Devil will have more action through the water and be more effective at fooling one of the big R-Strain rainbows.
This 156 page eBook is out now! Complete with over 160 full colour photographs.
Learn heaps more about Spin Fishing as well as trolling for Trout
Download it NOW and be reading Trolling & Spin Fishing for Trout by Allan Burgess
in just a matter of minutes. Plus well give you a copy of
4x4 Motor Bikes & Sport Utility Vehicle for Fishing by Allan Burgess for FREE!