114 Boating New Zealand
parts of New Zealand, Australia and further aield. Keen
ishers often set up for days beside the hydro canals hoping to
catch gigantic rainbow and brown trout that have grown fat
on ish pellets that fall through the salmon farm cages that are
a feature of the canals. Escaped salmon, some also very large,
are another drawcard.
his is a unique ishery where catching a 10kg trout barely
raises an eyebrow.
Although ‘wilderness’ ly ishing in pristine wild rivers of
New Zealand’s back country is internationally famous, most
Kiwis ish for trout in lakes.
Anglers can use a variety of methods to ish for lake-dwelling
trout, either from the shore or out of a boat. Freshwater ishing is
more closely regulated than sea ishing, with size and bag limits,
closed seasons and restrictions on the tackle and techniques. A
thorough knowledge of the ishing regulations is advisable.
But ishing for trout is not otherwise diicult.
Fly-shing is perhaps the most challenging method, but
it’s hugely satisfying to master. Spin-shing is relatively easy,
though it takes practice and the ability to read the water to
consistently catch ish.
Trolling – towing lures behind a slowly moving boat – is
the simplest and most popular method. It’s practised all over
New Zealand, especially in the major lakes of both main islands.
Trolling can be a relaxed, social afair that’s great for families, as
I keep trying to convince my wife, and many South Island lakes
hold salmon in addition to trout, which adds another dimension
to the ishing.
Harling – trolling a spoon or ly behind the boat on a
monoilament line, a sinking ly line, Deepwater Express, LED
(lead-impregnated Dacron) line or a line incorporating a sinking
tip section – is a popular method at change of light. It is usually
only efective when trout are patrolling in shallow water or
feeding within a few metres of the surface.
When trout and salmon are holding deeper in the water,perhaps underneath the thermocline, trolling lures at depth
using fast-sinking metal or metal-cored lines works better.
Deep trolling in lakes is still mostly done using reels
spooled with lead-cored Dacron (leadcore) line, or more rarely
copper or Monel (single-strand stainless steel) wire lines.
Trolling with leadcore lines efectively presents lures down to
15m deep (10 colours/100m of leadcore line). Wire lines ish
even deeper.
Where it’s permitted, the use of downriggers has
transformed trolling, allowing anglers to ish deep using much
lighter, more sporting ishing tackle. Regulations around
downriggers difer between Fish and Game regions and even
between lakes in the same region, including the length of
downrigger cable allowed. In Lake Taupo, 40m of cable is
allowed, which takes lures to a maximum depth of around 30m.
Skilled trollers use local knowledge, bathymetric charts and
electronic aids such as ish inders (including forward and side-
scanning sonars) and GPS-plotters to locate ish.
Other options for boat ishers include ly ishing from a
drifting or anchored boat using sinking or loating ly lines
tipped with wet lies/lures, dry lies or nymphs, ishing lightly
weighted soft plastics and jigging.
Shore ishers can spin-ish, ly-ish, or cast soft plastics, but
like boat ishers, there may be restrictions on where and when
they can ish and the tackle and techniques they can use.
Jigging is a relatively new ishing style. Lures/lies are
lowered to a depth where ish are expected to swim, or better,
are visible on the ish inder. he boat may be anchored or
allowed to slowly drift over ish holding areas; electric trolling
motors can be used to control the drift or hold the boat in place.
he jigging rig – usually up to three smelt-type lies and a sinker- is very gently ‘jigged’ up and down. Low-stretch braided lines,
light traces and long, sensitive rods are used for this style of
ishing, which is a fun and highly efective way to catch trout
especially in the warmer months. BNZ
LEFT The
writer and
fishing guide
Alejandro
Pozzi with
a surubi
catfish from
Argentina’s
Parana River.