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ROTORUA ANGLERS ASSOCIATION

March 2015

The Big O, by Roger BowdenPhoto of The Month

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Roger Bowden

Neal HawesNeal Hawes

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EXECUTIVE & COMMITTEEThese are the new office bearers and committee elected at the AGM for the coming year. Welcome to the newcomers and thanks to the incumbents for supporting the club once again. (Area code for Rotorua is 07)

PATRON Joe Fleet 347 8661PRESIDENT Larry Ware 348 0388VICE-PRESIDENT Nigel Wilkinson 349 0336SECRETARY Charlotte Wilkinson 349 0336TREASURER Wade Fleet 345 9913CLUB CAPTAIN Piet Otto 350 2200

COMMITTEE Terry Wood 345 5587 Gavin Corbett 357 5247 Dave Parr 348 3255 Tanya Stern 357 2573 Wayne Woodward 357 2573

WEBSITE WEBMASTER Eddie Bowman 348 5652NEWSLETTER CO- EDITORS Carol Field 345 9534 Jenny Hilton 343 1331TROPHY MASTER Neal Hawes 348 1734

SUB-COMMITTEES (Conveners)KIDS’ FISHOUT Terry Wood 345 5587A-Z SCHOOL Wayne Woodward 357 2573ACTIVITIES (Trips) Larry Ware 348 0388

SOCIAL Piet Otto 350 2200LIBRARY Tanya Stern 357 2573BUILDING Terry Wood 345 5587

All official email communication please send to rotoruaanglers@gmail.com andthe Secretary will forward it on to the relevant person. Please feel free to contact any of the above if you have any queries, comments or items you may like to discuss.

Larry Ware President

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PRESIDENTS REPORTThe “Big O” trip has been and gone and was well attended with 15 members travelling South -there are several stories and plenty of photos in this issue from the weekend. Although fine all weekend the wind was a B nuisance at times.

We are holding an Open Day at the clubrooms on Sunday 15th March , this is an attempt to increase the awareness of and hopefully the membership, of the Club. We hope to offer (with your help) fly tying and casting demos, setting up rigs, fish filleting and smoking, have a sausage sizzle and offer tea, coffee and soft drinks for sale. I would also like to have a “Garage Sale” of fishing equipment - fresh water ,salt water etc, plus bring along your boat if you want to sell that as well. We obviously will require plenty of helpers to both run/demo things, for security, and for parking control. We will be doing as much advertising as we can to let the Public know it is on , it will be on from 10.00am to 2.00pm so we will need to organise lunch for the members that attend. Can we have a couple of large tents for out front so the various demos are under cover -as we do not know if 5 or 500x will attend, we need to keep the actual club rooms relatively clear for the garage sale items -and for security inside the club rooms. If you have ideas on what else we can offer please let us know ASAP as it is only 3 weekends away.

I cannot believe how fast the temperature has dropped in the evenings/mornings , your style of fishing should change to reflect this. From what I have been told the Rotorua Stream mouths are running “hot and cold” , this was evident last month when the club had a fantastic afternoon at Hamurana but later in the week it went very quiet.I will be at the Mohaka when you get this edition on the Friday night, please let the convenors know which away trips you can attend and can we have suggestions for our first “Rotorua District Trip” on March 22nd - where do you want to go ???

Cheers El Presidente.

The 4 “Girls”

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THE BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY !

Waitangi day means many things to many people but to those of us who carry unusually huge burdens of responsibility it is a day and this year a subsequent weekend that bore heavily on the shoulders of Han I.With February 13th to 15th gazetted for the annual club trip to Otamangakau and that weekend looming large and carrying so much expectation by so many it was decided by Han and myself that we alone should subject ourselves to the onerous task of checking out the Big O prior to the club trip so that we might inform members of the fishing conditions, Fly of the day, Fish condition etc. I know that you are sighing right now at the great sacrifice endured by Han and myself but we felt it our duty and responsibility to undertake this research on member’s behalf.We decided we’d go on Saturday 7th Feb (the day after Waitangi day) and headed down south early in the morning and were on the water by 8:30 am. We had the first 6lb rainbow in the boat by 8:45. We would have pulled the pin right then but we felt obliged to endure more research for the members. The day proved very productive although patchy. We’d go several minutes before we either had a hook up, had a “touch” or got busted off. What a piece of water. Canadian Geese honking, Ducks quacking, Damsels up your nose by the thousands, Big Fish splashing all around us and scenery that you only see on biscuit tins lids all accompanied by the sound of wimpering coming from both Han and I at having to endure this place on your behalf.There’s no need to thank us. We did it for you guys so that we could report back to you. Oh damn; we can’t do that because by the time you read this the club trip to Otamangakau weekend will have been and gone! Bugger! We’ll just have to do it all again next year before the club trip so that you are informed. I dare say you’ll be able to read all about the weekend from expert commentators who can relay the events of the trip far better than I. This is truly a special place with special fish to be able to share such place with good friends would just cap it off. Han only had me to share it with!Get there any way you can. By the way, too late now but as long as you had a fly box with Green UV Tungsten bead headed nymphs on the day then you would have done very well. If you didn’t well you’ll just have to read next years pre Otamangakau club trip report from Han and I if we again choose to endure hardship on your behalf!

Woody 2

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COMING EVENTSMarch 2015

March:1st Mohaka River Trip Convenor Larry Ware2nd Fly Tying at Clubrooms 15th Public Open Day at Club Rooms22nd Rotorua District day trip

OHOPE WEEKEND TRIP27 - 29 MarchOnce again Cliff and Lyz Soanes will be hosting the club for what has be-come an annual event.

Meet at 299 Harbour Rd, Ohope, Friday afternoon/evening.Fishing options include sea fishing either with Cliff or on your own boat (weather and sea conditions permitting), fishing the Ohiwa Harbour, or flyfishing the Waioeka or Waimana Rivers.Please note – there are limited spaces available on Cliff’s boat, so if you have a boat suitable for sea fishing, please bring it.Those wishing to fish on Friday please contact me for options.What to bring: Life Jacket Sea fishing gear (Cliff has a limited supply of rods for those without their own) Flyfishing gear if you are fishing the rivers. Sleeping bag or other bedding. Breakfast, lunch food. Salad and dessert for dinner Friday & Saturday nights (we intend catching the main course!!) Your favourite tipple.

Names on the board at the clubrooms please. I need firm commitment and numbers a week prior so we can accommodate everyone.Or contact Neal on 3481734 or 027 2755012Or Nigel on 3490336

Neal Hawes, Nigel Wilkinson, conveners

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Between A Rock And A Hard PlaceThe rock was huge,About the size of a single garage, it was one of the many that had been dislodged by earthquakes years ago, and now littered the bed of the John-son river.Not an ideal camp site, but it was nine pm plus, darkness was falling, and we still had no idea how much further up river the DOC hut was located.On the plus side, it presented a relativly flat surface some two metres above the water.On the negative side, it was angled at about twenty degrees. A slope that would make sleeping difficultWe were in for an unconfortable night. No food, no shelter, no bedding.Wet and cold from numerous river crossing, tired and hungry,we set a small driftwood fire,and tried to find the most comfortable position on the rock ,to stretch out and doze..

Nine hours previously, the day had started full of promise.Davis and his teenage son Flynn ,had invited me to accompany them for some wilderness fishing on the Johnson River ,inland from Karamea. We were to camp at the Johnson hut , one of the early four bunk DOC huts that had been built more than fifty years ago.It was now on a ‘minimun maintenance schedule’ and hosted only four or five fly in parties a year.Perfect, we thought . Undisturbed water and wild brown trout.We boarded the helicopter at Karamea, and within twenty minutes, the pilot had touched down a short distance from the hut..Our expectation was to carry our gear up to the hut, establish camp, and spend the next few days fishing the upsteam river flats.The pilot had a better idea.We were urged to throw everything except our fishing gear out on to the bank‘I will fly you down river ‘ he said ‘ and you can spend all day fishing your way back to the hut’Sounds good, we thought, and it will save us a walk down stream.We flew down the Johnson river ,with the pilot pointing out various runs and pools that we should pay paticular attention to.He made a point of identifying the confluence of the Allan River and

Gavin Corbett

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reminded us that when we walked back we had to cross that river and continue due North up the Johnson.Apparantly one party had made the mistake of turning up the Allen River , and had spent fruitless hours searching for the hut on the wrong river.A few minutes further flying, and we were downstream at the point where the Johnson river joined the Mokihinu river.The pilot set us down, and arranged to pick us up again in four days time“Ten am Thursday morning. Don’t be late ‘ was his parting instruction.We were on our own , six or seven kilometres downstream from the Johnson hut.

The first hour or two passed quickly.The river was a series of short turbulent runs and deep pools.Large boulders and conflicting currents. It was almost impossible to sight fish, and we were reduced to blind fishing the likely looking runs.It became apparent early on that this was difficult fishing for anglers with skills as modest as ours.Of more concern was the slow progress we were making upstream.We were clambering over large boulders, crossing the river from one bank to the other , and on occasions, bush bashing our way around bluffs.Wilderness country indeed.By early afternoon I had a nagging worry that we were not moving upstream quickly enough.My concern was that we would not sight the hut before nightfallI advised the others that we should forget any further thought of fishing, and push on for the hut . We would have made it, had I not stumbled and twisted my leg.Within minutes my knee began to swell and each step became an agony.Only my wading staff, used like a walking stick, and the strong arm of Davis enabled me to continue on.If our previous progress had been slow, we were now reduced to a crawl.Davis made the call. Darkness was falling and we still had no idea how much further we had to travel to reach the hut.We would have to camp out for the night.He picked out the rock that was to be our campsite,gathered some driftwood together and set a fire.The long night began.Nine cold and uncomfortable hours later, there was sufficient daylight to

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begin planning our tramp up river to the hut.My knee was still swollen and painful, and the decision was made for Davis and Flynn to push ahead , locate the hut, and then return for me.I had the emergency locator beacon tucked in my pocket and had allready determined that if they weren’t back by three pm, I would activate it.I must have dozed off, because the next thing I realized was that Davis was at my side.‘The hut is only an hour or so upstream ‘ he said. ‘ We will have to cross the river three more times, but we will be at the hut for lunch.’‘I have left Flynn at the hut. He is carrying our gear up from the landing pad, and will have a fire going and lunch ready by the time we arrive’ he said to encourage meI swallowed the three panadol he had brought back for me, and clambered down into the cold water..It was a slow and painfull journey up river. But at least I knew that every step was getting me closer to the comfort of an established campsite.One final river crossing , a climb up a steep bank, and the hut was in view.I hobbled up the track, entered the hut, and collapsed onto a most comfortable bunkPerhaps the lesson here is to have a plan and stick to it. Our original intention had been to fish the river flats upstream from the hut. Much easier territory,and more suited to our ability.Had we rejected the pilots offer to fly us downstream , we would have avoided the trouble we found ourselves in.We could have spent the entire four days fishing to the large and visible fish within fifteen minutes walk of the hut ,But , if we had stuck to the plan , I would have had just another fishing story, and not the adventure that I have been able to share with you.

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A VISITOR FROM SOUTHLANDFirst a bit about the writer: I joined the RAA in the late 80’s via the A-Z school. Your current president was in the school at the same time. I moved to Invercargill on retirement in 2004 and joined the Southland Fly Fishing Club. I don’t fish much now but have tied flies for most of 20 years.

This February I was lucky enough to have my family surprise me with a trip to Rotorua to see old friends and haunts.After a very early start I was met at Rotorua airport by Carol and David Field, my hosts for the four days. We had a lovely lunch then drove out to the Waiteti stream mouth and lagoon for a long-awaited spot of fishing. There were three fishermen on the left hand side so we cast from the front. David was soon into a fish but just as soon dropped, (I think he wanted his guest to be the first - what a star!) Plenty of fish were moving but we were not to hook up that afternoon. The highlight for me was to meet up again with Larry Ware who came over especially to meet and greet and have a yarn about old times.

On Sunday under cloud and rain, David and I took off to Rerewhakaaitu. We had fished this lake many times over the years and especially Awaatua Bay, one of our favourite spots. In the pouring rain David hooked up early and was soon setting free a fish of about 3-4lbs. There was a lot of movement right across the bay but mostly just a shade beyond casting range. No more fish were caught and after lunch at the Benny Bee we visited Okaro on the way home.

On Monday David has to go to work so it had been arranged for me to spend the day with Phil Trautmann and he had organised for us to fish the outlet of the Fairy Spring stream. It was cloudy but not raining and we had a great morning although no fish were seen. There is something special about fishing with old friends. After lunch the afternoon was spent talking fly tying in Phil’s den.

Monday evening I was able to visit the fly tying school at the Club room - more happy memories.

On Tuesday I went out with Phil and Don Stotter on the Blue Lake jigging. (At this point I forbade all mention of the Copper John!). I had never been jigging before but we had a very enjoyable morning with fine weather. Phil, I am a convert, thank you.

John Day

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Wednesday morning it was back to Invercargill with very pleasant memories of 4 days I will never forget, thanks guys.

A BIG Thumbs up to those members who have responded to the call for articles for our Magazine!!!!

Come in store for Airflo Fly Fishing Combos starting from $149.00 and a new range of Pat Swift neck capes.

Darryn and Janine Simpson

1113 Eruaera Street, Rotorua, New ZealandPH/Fax: 07 346 0178 E: okeefesfishnz.co.nz

Check out the website for details of the Fish of the month competition!10% RAA member discount with membership card.

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Fly Of the Month The Copper John Instructor: Wayne Woodward

Hook:- 12 – 16Thread:- Black 6.0Head:- Gold beadTail:- 2 Goose biots brown or blackBody:- Copper wireThorax: peacock herlWing:- Holographic tinsel, Green raffia stripLegs:- Trimmed pheasant featherWing-case A drop of epoxy gel, set with UV light or a few minutes in the sun.

Method:1. Put the bead on the hook.2. Wind on lead to suit, then push it up towards the head so it fits into the bead.3. Tie lead on with black thread, then wind thread down to tail.4. Tie on 2 back-to-back goose biots ao they angle out.5. Tie on copper wire and closely spiral it to about three quarters of the way up to the eye.6. Tie on a strand of peacock herl and wind it towards bead to form thorax.7. Tie on the tinsel strip and then the raffia.8. Cut a pheasant tail feather into a V shape and tie onto the thorax with points facing towards the tail. 9. Bring Raffia over towards the head to form a wing case, the repeat with the tinsel strand. 10. Adjust the pheasant feather leg length by pulling gently on the feather shaft before tying down.11. Tie down raffia and tinsel to complete wing case.12. Whip finish then add a drop of epoxy gel and set with UV light or sunlight.

MONTHLY FLY TYING NIGHTS

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New Zealand’s GreatestOutdoor Outfitters

Bring Your RAA member’s card and receive 10% off

your purchase!

New Strike Indicator Tool in store, NZ Made. Assortment of 100% NZ Wool Colours Available.6 Tarawera Road RotoruaP: 07 345 9333OPEN 7 DAYS

The Copper John

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TROPHY REGISTRATIONSTrophy Registration:Forms available below. (At Clubrooms)Complete & place in YELLOW folder (at Clubrooms) or if you have a computer scanner, scan your form & email to:nahawes@xtra.co.nzor post to : Neal Hawes 35 Icarus Place, Rotorua 3015.If you take a digital picture of your trophy, indicate on your form & email it to me also.

From the Trophymaster

There were 15 entries in January, a marked improvement on previous months.Fish of the month was Woody 2’s brown hen, 3.77kg, 68.5cm, CF 42.38, caught at Waiteti stream mouth.Remember that the FOTM earns the angler a $10 voucher from Hamill’s, and that ALL entries go into a draw at the end of the club year for an adult full-season fishing licence. And remember that the fish does not have to be a double-figure trophy – there are categories for condition factor etc. Weighmasters are listed in the newsletter, or you can weigh and measure your own fish so long as your scales are registered as accurate at the clubrooms – just get your catch witnessed. You can even practice catch & release after measuring and weighing with your registered scales.So get those entries in.

Neal Hawes

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Sponsors of ’Trout of the Month’

Come in and meet our Manager Brad Hill who is also our Surfcasting specialist.

10% RAA members discount with membership card, excluding items that are already on a special price.

OFFICIAL WEIGHMASTERSO’Keefe’s Fishing Depot. 1113 Eruera Street. 3460178Outdoorsman HQ. Tarawera Road. 3459333Neal Hawes. 35 Icarus Place. 0272755012Roger Bowden. 3 Rostrevor Place. 3487816John McCarron. 53 Rimuvale Street. 3461967Terry Wood. 6a Holden Ave. 3455587Eddie Bowman. 34 Westbourne Ave. 3485652

IF POSSIBLE PLEASE PHONE BEFOREHAND

FISH OF THE MONTH wins a $10 voucher sponsored by HamillsDon’t forget to weigh in your fish! Weighmasters are listed above or you can weigh your fish on registered scales with a witness.Scales can be checked and registered at the Clubrooms on Friday nights.You can even weigh and release your fish.

Trophymaster Neal Hawes

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Every club trip has its highlights, personality boo boo’s and really interesting stuff that happens to the attendees and this year’s annual sojourn to the great Lake Otamangakau was no exception. Our arrival was met with the usual check in the reception desk to be met by Hannibal Lectors sister who made it very clear that we were not wel-come at that hour (approximately 11:30am). The showers weren’t cleaned, the cat hadn’t been fed, the beds weren’t made and the kitchen was certainly out of bounds. The accommodation bookings for the weekend had apparently been made by somebody called Mr Mike Wilson. We tried in vain to point out that Mr Mike Wilson didn’t exist in the club and that Mr Nigel Wilkinson did. This led to quite a few minutes of pointless haranging all to no avail but did give us a very warm feeling in the pits of our stomachs that we were indeed welcome, NOT! The Tongariro Holiday Park is situated in the high country (a reference to the prices they charge) and enjoys a captive audience which means they can charge what they like. The only other accommodation options close to the lake are at Turangi or the Chateau both of are too far away not in our price range. Anyway, we all set up our rooms and camper sites with Neal and Ailsa in the honeymoon suite for reasons best left to the imagination, it was Valentines weekend you know, and we were all in and set for a great weekend. It was then time to sort out the battle plan for the afternoon.Generally, an afternoon fishing trip was decided so after a snack and a cuppa most headed off. Well what a lake it is. If you have read my prior article about Han and I on the preceding Waitangi Day Saturday, we both under sufferance and on your behalf, you will have noted that the fishing was superb. This weekend though most found the going pretty tough but as usual Han made it look easy. I call him the Cormorant and for good reason. I will digress now into a few tales about some of the personalities as I’m sure others will be submitting articles about the 20 plus fish that Han and I caught and I don’t want to brag as it’s not in my nature.Gavin Corbett came in his camper and as he requires input from the national power grid because of all the mod cons i.e. Coffee Machine, Television, Exercise Machines, Fridge, Electric blanket and Nutra Bullet etc was on a powered site beside Tanya and I. Gavin I’m sure didn’t have a clue that he came closer to death than he may have realised as his exuberant willingness to share with us his numerous electronic devices made us feel

The Big O Weekend 2015Woody 2

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that our equipment powered by 3 AAA batteries didn’t really cut it in the real world of motorised camping.Dave and Carol Field are regulars on this trip and Dave’s success on the Saturday night fish was something to behold. Dave ventured out on Saturday night with the old man of the sea a.k.a. Neal Hawes and had what we believe was the best night of his life since the first night of his marriage, and just like that night I believe the score was 6. Well done mate.Phil Trautman and Don Stotter were there in force and were seen carrying their collapsible chairs from party to party all weekend. They didn’t bow to rejection once, they just kept fronting up to anyone that would have them and after being kicked out for noisy and abusive language they just moved on to the next party. I thought that these two were 2 of nature’s gentle-men. Well what happens at Otamangakau stays at Otamangakau except when I’m writing about it boys!Enter Charlotte Wilkinson a.k.a. Charlotte Wilson, Tanya being crew on the good ship Wilkinson went fishing without sun glasses and lots of other girlie stuff but Charlotte being the consummate school maam, mother and general packer of a lot of irrelevant stuff on a boat was able to provide all of the essentials of life including sun glasses and girlie stuff. BUT, then it all turned to custard! Charlotte tried to poison Tanya, what’s that I hear you say. Yep, Charlotte slipped some poisonous drops into Tanya’s drink bot-tle which made Louis Armstrong’s lips look tiny in caparison. Fortunately, Carol Field had some magic cream (what is it about school teachers?) in her arsenal and along with one of Larry’s little blue pills Tanya’s lips came good. I still wonder what was in that little blue pill.Then there was my mate Han Hofstee, a.k.a “the Cormorant” pictured below and looking innocent, showing reckless disregard for tradition, ancient folk law and the unwritten law of fishing, mid way through a very tough fishing session he produced a Banana and without any fear of the consequences, proceeded to eat this infamous weapon of mass destruction on the boat while actually fishing. Well, let me tell you, my heart stopped, WTF! (again, that does not mean welcome to face book) the obvious reason for no hook ups was there staring me in the face. Immediately the aforementioned source of potassium and fibre was masticated and swallowed and the protective yellow wrapper that they come in was discarded, you guessed it “Fish on”. I believe he did attempt to hide one of these instruments of piscatorial destruction onto Mike Wilson’s boat but was sprung in the act. He shouldn’t have bothered coz having Charlotte onboard would probably have the same or similar effect!

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In all, yet another great weekend put into the memory banks with great friends and we’ll do it again next year for certain. Tanya and I had a great weekend at the Big O a place where legends are made and reputations are destroyed.

With QCard

Located at Rotorua Trade Central

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Fishing trips shouldn’t end up in Lakes Healthcare.........This one did!Earlier in the day I had (at his kind invitation) joined Gavin for aneducational nymphing trip on the Ngongotaha stream.We certainly saw fish, including one behaving rather strangely in the shallow water next to the bank.....and then we realised it was feeding in a barely discernible trickle of water coming from under the bank.Gavin suggested we fish in our first positions for about fifteen minutes, then move on to spot where he knew a fish could usually be seen lurking under some overhanging vegetation. When we reached the spot, Gavin carefully laid his rod on the ground, and in stalking mode, crept quietly down the steep bank to observe.

In similar fashion I laid my rod down, but in my haste to see, (I’m not really sure what happened!) the nymph somehow dislodged from its retainer and lodged lightly in my middle finger – just as I managed to knock the rod with my foot - to do the job properly, it would seem! Hook set beautifully up to the curve......not much pain but a lot of frustration mixed with tinge of embarrassment.

Gavin declined to attempt a removal, and af-ter a few useless tugs, it was off to Lakes Healthcare...... The doctor who removed it (his first words “Oh, Not another one!”) said that the trick as far as the injured party was concerned, was not knowing when the deed was coming.I got his point, too.

P.S......Gavin went on to catch fish without my help! For easy instructions:-http://www.wikihow.com/Pull-a-Fish-Hook-from-Your-Finger

I Got the Point!Dave Field

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THE BIG O