Jack Brown

This brown was high in the water, like Bob Marley in a swimming pool. He moved a fair way to nail a small hare and copper and came in pretty quickly, as browns often seem to. He was released in fine shape, and since this is a few years ago now, he's probably double figures now, so long as he's still swimming. And not dieting.

Sprat snapper

This 12lb snap took a dead sprat, squashed and lightly rigged. People who are fans of islands will be pleased to know that this snapper was caught fishing from one.

Tips for starting saltwater fly fishing from the rocks

Tips to help get you started fly fishing from the rocks. 

1. 20lb fluorocarbon leader in a single length is a good general strength. Any heavier and you run the risk of your flyline breaking. Ideally, if you are going to bust off, you want it to happen near the hook. I've never bothered with a bite tippet, and have very very seldom been bitten off by a fish. I've landed some big fish on 20lb, including the two below. Buy good quality leader- you don't use much. 

2. Consider flattening the barbs on your hooks. I've found them to be unnecessary, and you do end up being cut off by the odd fish. It's better that they can quickly shed the hook. Also, when you're starting out, you'll tend to hook yourself and your friends quite often.

3. It's a good idea to have a hook sharpener handy. I have my leatherman Charge XTI in my pocket (using the pocket clip rather than the sheath- the sheath is good, too, but is one more thing for line to hook up on). This has an excellent diamond file. Hooks get burred very often on the rocks, so check them often and keep them sharp.

4. If you're going after kings from the rocks, you're best plenty of backing. I've nearly been spooled by kings twice, both taking 200m plus of 80lb braid. I was deliberately going easy on them, as I wanted them to wear themselves out over the sand, not close in where there was weed and rocks. With this fighting technique, they can really run out a lot of line. 200m is a minimum, 250m is preferred.

5. Try to keep above snapper. Snapper will get into guts and run down them. If you are side-on to the gut, there is much more chance of the line slicing off on a rock or being snagged on kelp. If you can get above them, (ie. by climbing or reaching the rod out as far as possible), the chances of this happening are reduced.

6. White is a great fly colour for snapper. In fact, at this stage, I'd be happy to use no other colour. I don't know the reason why this works. Snapper can be notoriously fussy over colour on other lures, especially soft platics. White is great as a fly colour, as it is so visible: often you will see it wink out as a snapper grabs it, when you have no idea that the snap is there.

7. I like to use speed clips for changing flies. This saves cutting and retying each time you need a new fly. Genie clips are pretty good, as long as they are of a thin enough guage to fit through your hook eye.

Some of my favourite king and snapper flies.

Kina chameleon

Finally, a fishing post that loosely references Boy George. And no surprises that it's a fly fishing post, for surely these are most delicate, passionate, creative artistes of the fishing fraternity. Downing my pilchards for a minute, I chucked a smashed kina in and left it for a few moments, using the time pull my beanie so far down that it impaired my vision. Then, I pitched in the fly, and whammo, this 44cm fish was on it like a professional cyclist on a performance enhancing drug. Fly fishing is a pretty damn productive way to catch these fish, but it leaves you worryingly stench free at the end of the day, so you should always take some pilchards to rub about your person at the end of a session. Otherwise, your wife might suspect you haven't been fishing at all: she'll assume you're doing something awful like playing golf or learning bikram.

A few winter snapper and some tackle talk

Despite our best efforts the coastline will continue to be plagued by marauding bands of kingfish well into Autumn. Around this time XXL snapper also move into the shallows, which works out well because the cooler conditions clear out the Jarvis Walker flasher rig crowd (aka lesser fishermen) and there is now another excuse to go fishing. Like the lovechild of Trevor Chappell and a Mongolian warband these Autumn snapper aren't scared about fighting dirty which means your kit needs to be up to the task. While some people fluff about with 10lb leaders and mainlines made from sewing cotton in most cases this is asking for a bust off (unless the angler possesses Stephen Hawking like prowess, checkout the last image for some light line domination by Michael Jenkins. Tom also happens to be particularly efficient with his noodle stick). Like Jack and the population of America my mantra is go heavy or go home. In practical terms this means a rod and reel combination of running 15 kg mono-filament and a 30-40lb flurocarbon leader with 5/0 to 7/0 hooks. My personal setup is the venerable 8ft Kilwell Rocky II alongside a Shimano 12000D baitrunner. On the odd occasion there is the opportunity to dial things back, in this case I prefer a 8 ft 6-12 kg Penn Prevail and a Shimano Ci4 Thunnus 8000.

As you see it clearly worked well last Autumn and Winter.  

Secret spot

After chasing kings for months last year I finally found success just a couple of minutes from home, this Waitemata hood rat tipped the scales at...well tbh I'm not sure but I'm yet to catch a bigger one despite, often swimming, quite literally in the kingfish soup that laps the rocks of the ledge they call heartbreak.

Summer kingfish

This summer produced a lot of kings for us off the bricks. Nothing huge, but all welcome, and only one or two bustoffs.

Browno

A solid brownie from the Tukituki River in Hawke's Bay. He was mooching about in a backwater like a dude at a party who's run out of his own beers, but knows there are plenty in the chilly bin so long as a few people move away a bit. I put a little #16 hare and copper in front of him and wham: he was on it like Oprah on book with a tragic but uplifting plot. These big browns don't tend to rip off as much string as rainbows, but they love finding a stick or a log and doing 15 fast laps around it. This bloke went back in hale and hearty, ready to resume domination of the caddis population.

Rambunctious moocher

This snapper fought dirty, like an unwashed wrestler. He went straight into the cabbage, raced about like a coke fiend at a jacuzzi party, and was snagged so tight I could've played Dueling Banjos on the line. But, with a little freespooling and some well-directed swearwords, he came in to achieve his destiny: becoming several delicious dinners. All parts of the buffalo were eaten, except the bones, fins and other bits too disgusting to mention. Including the a*se.

Winter snapper from the shallows

This 63cm snap took the ugly half of a pilchard. In the shallow water he went crazy, like a fat bloke who's been told Georgie Pie is closing down and will return more than a decade later three times as expensive.

The Old Man tames a reef donkey

This is the Old Boy, with his largest snapper to date: a 12lb model teased out of the sort of thick, drudgerous soup that can only be created with salmon berley. The fishing had slackened off a bit at this spot, and the younger generation left to try some other ledges. Dad stayed faithful to the berley, as stubborn as a traffic inspector riding donkey, and prospered. It was the biggest fish of the trip, and his personal best aside from a 15lber he speared back in the days when the Beatles were still happy to admit they were smaller than Jesus. Aficionados will notice the Baitrunner 6500B in the bottom of the shot: these reels will be around long after mankind is extinguished, and ants or Justin Beiber rule the world.

Heartbreak king

A 94cm kingfish (pronounced 'Kungfush') taken on a Halco popper at the legendary Heartbreak Ledge. This fish took the popper right in close, flopped around on the surface like a wounded lilo, then p*ssed off like he'd seen the ghost of Zane Grey. The same day, die-hard kingie botherer Simon Aiken landed another solid fish on a Williamson Jet popper so large and delicious looking we could've just gaffed and eaten the popper, and to hell with the kingfish. Notice the Opus Bull in this shot: a reel tough enough wear a pink tutu in the 'Tron.