Fish & Game recently hosted a string of events aimed at beginner anglers who are either starting out or curious to give it a try, or anglers who have been in the game a while and want to improve their techniques.
In the past, most people got into hunting or fishing through family members who taught them the ropes, however, we have seen a societal shift in recent times, and this is now not necessarily the normal pathway into their chosen sport. New people are entering into fishing with no family connections or prior experience as they see trout fishing as a way to enjoy the outdoors or grab a feed for the table.
Recognising this, most Fish & Game regions offer introductory training for beginners or more advanced tuition for intermediate-skilled anglers who have the gear and know the basics but wish to hone their skills further.
In the Nelson Marlborough region, we have recently had over 100 people attend 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.
We also held a Women on The Fly event at Saxton Field with Kylie Sargeant (casting instructor and Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game Councillor) and Tony Entwistle, highlighting a growing interest from females in fly fishing, which is fantastic to see.
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 in the Nelson region 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 – a valuable way to record catches and anecdotes, learn about what drives trout fisheries and relive memories that would otherwise mainly fade away.
We have more great events coming up over the next couple of months, including some soft bait clinics in Nelson/Tasman, and a Motueka River Fly Fishing workshop that is aimed at people who know the basics but struggle to catch fish on this fantastic trout fishery.
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.
