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TROUT FISHING WITH MAURICE RODWAY - Weekly Column: 18 December 1998
 Southland, New Zealand

SALMON FISHING

The journey towards a goal is often as enjoyable as the arrival, although the relative value of each has an influence. Obviously the trip from the city, along busy roads cluttered with trucks, is much less enjoyable than the arrival at a remote sparkling stream which you alone have found. But if the journey to a goal  has challenges along the way and if goal itself is more of a dream than a reality, then the journey itself becomes satisfying.

Salmon anglers are on such a journey. The goal is to have a good salmon fishery in Southland waters. Most of the evidence to date indicates that they have a long and bumpy road ahead, littered with the biggest trucks imaginable. Salmon were successfully introduced to New Zealand between  1901 and 1907 to the Hakataramea river, a tributary of the Waitaki and virtually all of the Quinnat salmon found in New Zealand now originate from this stock. Many attempts have been made to expand their range from what occurred naturally from this Waitaki release but these have not been successful, except for some releases to a few West Coast rivers. 

Salmon anglers are a determined group however and the desire to have these large silvery fish somewhere handy is great. A few hours drive to the Waitaki can provide some of the best salmon angling available anywhere, but then you have to negotiate all those hazards of the road.

Southland salmon anglers have concentrated on releasing fish to the sea. Catching salmon in this situation is quite different to fishing in a river where long walks across bouldery riverbeds or access to a jet boat is necessary. Harbour fishing can occur from a boat or from the wharf where anglers can sit in their car and keep an eye on their rod.

Catch rates for salmon fishing are low, no matter if you fish from a river bank or a wharf, and the number of salmon that will be caught form the recent release to Bluff harbour will also be very low, of the 28,000 fish released as few as a couple of hundred, to as many as 1000 can be expected to be returned to the angler's bag. The cost per fish does not bear thinking about.

However salmon anglers do not measure their fish in dollar terms, even though it does cost dollars to get the fish to the harbour in the first place. Salmon are measured in dreams. Value from salmon fishing is measured in quantities of hope and conversations with other hopefuls. Salmon fishing is a journey, from the purchase of a new rod and shiny lures, to the hours of talking that are required. Tales of big fish that others have caught, or even seen, like phantoms just beyond reach. All these things make the travelling worth while.   

Maurice Rodway
Southland, New Zealand                           E-mail: fishgame@southnet.co.nz

Article ©1998 Maurice Rodway, All Rights Reserved.

04-Dec-98

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First Publication: 29 September 1996, Updated 01-Mar-03.
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