Falling for fishing at any age

Fish & Game recently hosted a string of events aimed at beginner anglers or those who have been in the game a while and want to improve their techniques.  Nelson Marlborough Field Officer Jacob Lucas gives an insight into the initiative’s success.

In the past, most people got into hunting or fishing through family members who taught them the ropes.

We have seen a societal shift in recent times, and this is not necessarily the normal pathway into their chosen sport.

New people with no prior experience or family connections to trout fishing are increasingly turning to the pursuit as a way to enjoy the great outdoors.

Recognising this, most Fish & Game regions offer introductory training for beginners. More advanced tuition for intermediate-skilled anglers who have the gear and know the basics but wish to hone their skills further is also on offer.

In the Nelson Marlborough region, more than 100 people attended our soft bait workshops at Lake Argyle and on the Wairau River, highlighting the interest in this style of fishing.

Skilled soft bait anglers generally catch a lot of fish, and most participants at our soft bait clinics had tried this form of fishing with limited success.

Local Marlborough angler Josh Ponder delivered these excellent sessions, going through the basics of what gear to use, the best fishing lures, and how to fish them in a way that is enticing to trout.

These events have been made possible by a generous endowment from Jim and Fleur Ring, a legendary angling couple from Nelson.  Jim worked out how to catch trout using his ‘Magic Method’, in jargon speak a form of ‘tight line’ fly fishing that was decades ahead of its time.

His fishing diaries are the stuff of legend and detail his astounding catches over five decades of fishing, which he has since passed on to Fish & Game.

Fleur was an entomologist (a person who studies insects = trout food) so they were an angling dream team. Their wishes were to see the money go towards growing trout fishing in the region and encourage anglers to keep fishing diaries. These are a valuable way to record catches and anecdotes, learn about what drives trout fisheries and relive memories that would otherwise mainly fade away.

We want our base of anglers to enjoy their time outdoors and at the same time succeed in regularly catching fish. Helping new anglers get into fishing and upskilling the ones we have is something that most Fish & Game regions are taking seriously.

If you fit into either the new/beginner or intermediate category, contact your local Fish & Game office and join some of the learning opportunities on offer.