​The humble wooly bugger has probably caught more fish than most other fly patterns. It’s a go to for many anglers in times of doubt and has proven itself time and time again. It will catch fish in most types of water- stillwaters, rivers and small streams. What exactly it is meant to imitate isn’t known but it’s likely to be a range of things- freshwater crayfish, minnows, and a lot of other food sources for trout.
It is thought to come from Pennsylvania where Russell Blessing as early as 1967 made this pattern to imitate a dobsonfly nymph. Bill Hunter in his book The Professionals Favourite Flies that “The Woolly Bugger is so effective; it should be banned from some watersheds. I suspect its effectiveness is due to its resemblance to so many edible creatures in the water—nymphs, leeches, salamanders, or even small sculpins. Its tail undulating behind a fibre, bubble-filled body is just too much for most fish to resist. It just looks like a meal!”
The most popular colours are black, olive and brown which are suited to different scenarios. Black is good for nighttime, whereas a yellow version goes well in discoloured water. They are a good fly to tie for beginners as they incorporate many skills, and a very useful pattern. Make sure you’ve got a few sizes and patterns in your fly boxes, and when in doubt, tie on a bugger! 

By the time you’ll be reading this labour weekend will have passed and hopefully you had the chance to get out and explore our back yard. I certainly didn’t, labour weekends certainly bad timing as it clashes with exam time! I did take an afternoon off and explore the local river where I grew up. It’s always good to go walk up the river and see how its changed- through floods and nor’west winds it changes course. New pools are created, and old ones disappear. There’s a couple of resident trout usually there which I’ve never been able to catch. Its very open water and the fish are very easy to see. As they say, the easier they are to see the harder they are to catch. Chances are they can see me just as easy! There’s something about exploring up a river that draws me to them. Seeing what’s around the bend, and never knowing what you’ll come across. Although I’m not very good at it, river fishing is my favourite. Small stream fishing especially has intimacy about it. I can cover the whole water and need the utmost skill to not spook trout. It has more of an exploring feel to it as well. My home river used to hold trout but doesn’t anymore which my great uncle put it down to changes in land use. Cattle were commonly placed on the riverbed to graze what used to be flaxes and toe toe. Grazing has seen that disappear and now the river changes channel much more frequently in a flood. That isn’t good for the trout populations as they might have to relocate several kilometres in a small river to find another suitable pool. However now farmers don’t tend to graze riverbeds which is seeing broom, lupins and watercress growing on the banks. If left alone eventually natives will come back through. The rivers low which I think is common for most Canterbury rivers now, so some rainfall would come in handy (although at the time of writing we’re getting about 10 mm). The high-country opening is just around the corner, which I’m anticipating. Its my favourite place to fish, as the fishing’s generally better and there’s less crowds! The Lake Coleridge fishing competition is on November 7th so save the date; it will be a good chance to pick up some tips from pretty seasoned anglers! Remember to enjoy yourself and have fun and  results will follow

​Once I go on a hunt, and do it regularly, I’m more likely to fit it into my life. In an increasingly busy world, we can forget to take time out and enjoy it. The outdoors has more benefits than we realize, but the big one is it shows us how much country is out there. Walking places in the backcountry is often slower than it looks, and its very vast. There are many other places out there unexplored. There always is that area you want to look in next time- and it all makes you eager to get back to where we belong, on a mountainside somewhere high in the alps chasing game.
This then brings us back to the planning stages of our next hunt- hopefully, it’s not far away. With the last trip fresh in your head, it makes it a lot easier to plan for the next. You’ve got a much better idea about your gear, fitness and what can be improved. As Ryan Nicholson has said in our previous articles, any shortcomings as a hunter are quickly found out. The best we can do is improve on these for next time, and if we’re improving as a hunter, then hopefully we’ll be enjoying it a lot more. Once someone gets fixed in their ideas, that can be their downfall. Hunting tests us, from several different angles. The big one is mental toughness- this can be exposed straight away. Especially on walk-in hunts, this can force us to dig deep when we’re worn out and can’t go any longer. In those situations, you must tell yourself to keep going, and this is a true show of character. It teaches us to not give up easily. If we don’t test ourselves, we can’t improve. We need to take a while to reflect on our last hunt and what can we do better. Hopefully, your next hunt isn’t far away!

​We have finished the final river crossing. It was sketchy in spots- we had to be careful. The rocks had a thick slimy layer, forcing us to tread slower and link up. Now for the walk back to the road end. The going is now flat and easy. The worst we can do is get caught up in a gorse bush. Part of me wants to turn back around and do it all again. The other half wants to get to the road end and crack into a couple of well-earned beers. We get to the car, and I give the classic “yahoo” or “we made it”. The sun was shining that day, but the same can’t be said for our trip. It was a hard slog through some Manuka to a spot which took much longer than expected. We never made it- we swallowed our pride and turned back before we would be camping out halfway up the trail. That’s what both of us thought anyway. If your anything like me, you’re wondering what you would have done differently. For a start (the obvious) is don’t go back there.  That’s not always the case, but in ours it is. Too far of a walk to make it worthwhile for a valley with not great animal numbers. It’s always intriguing to research the area you’ve been in, however. Shorter trips are always good for the fitness, test out some new gear (or realize something is on its last legs). Ideas always flood through about what to change in terms of gear. Being a student means the finances are stretched, but I try update gear regularly. It adds to the interest. Regardless of the result, its great to get away from the real world and lose touch. The end goal is to get an animal (a shallow reason), but that’s the explanation at least. I’m forever still learning, and this is what adds to the whole enjoyment. When I get an idea of what to do in my head, it makes me eager to get back out there and test it, while hopefully improving myself. Unpacking my pack is my least favorite part of the hunt. Putting everything back to where I got it is less stimulating than packing up, anticipating a few days. I’ll likely leave it to the next day before I unpack, I’ll always head straight for the shower. Getting back is always a different sensation to anything other part of the hunt. It takes a while to adjust back, but it gives a different perspective on where I live. More importantly, it gives me a bigger reason to get back out there. 

To me, heart is probably the most under-rated part of an animal. Many disregard it and throw it with the rest of the offal. I used to as well, until I saw a recipe in a book and tried it. Now I’ll always keep it where practical. It’s got more protein, Phosphorous, Zinc and B-Vitamins than venison itself, why not give it a go? You will get some funny looks from your family cooking it up as well as getting called Bear Grylls, but that just means more for me! This is how I go about it:
Separate the heart from the lungs. Try leave it in the pericardium if you can (layer of fat around the heart). This will just stop dirt and other contaminants getting on the heart until its in the fridge. This usually works by cutting through the arteries and vena carva (bits at the top). Once you’ve got it home, chuck it in the fridge to cool it down. You can now cut out the pericardium.
Before you want to cook it, cut it open and pull all the blood vessels out and cut out some of the white membrane on top of the meat. This will only be chewy. It needs a bit of perseverance to get all the stuff off, but you get a knack for it. A sharp knife really helps. Then put the meat in a bowl of salt water overnight. This helps get all the blood out of the heart, which makes it taste hellishly strong.
The next day take it out and marinate in a bit of beer, or you can just fry it. Fry it up in butter, cook it the whole way through and serve with whatever you like. I would say a Fallow deer heart would serve about two people for a full portion of meat, and Red deer is likely four people.
Some people can’t get past the fact their eating heart, but reality is its no different to any other meat. It’s a lot less strong than liver. Give it a try if you haven’t!

​With the days getting longer and warmer, chances are you’ll be thinking of the up and coming fishing season. Like most people I was getting a bit over winter- constantly rugging up, short days and monotonous farm jobs- it’s not my favourite time of year! It’s good for hunting though- stags are in hard antler and are there for the taking, just need to brave the elements a bit. I always welcome the fishing season, its a good chance to get into the outdoors and soak up some sun and hopefully a few fish as well! I’m still not a very good fly fisherman, but I think I’m improving. I hooked one last season but got a bit too keen and struck too hard and my poor 6lb tippet didn’t take it too well! I met a seasoned angler there on the lake shore and he laughed at me saying “the youth of today, they can hook ‘em but they can’t catch ‘em!” That time did give me encouragement and a reason to get back out though! A lot of it’s about spots and getting to know a spot. There are a few local areas at home I’ve consistently caught fish (that being one of them), and it often takes a while to get to know a waterway before you are onto fish. I guess that’s natures way of not giving away all their secrets too easy. Plus, its more satisfying- trying a few times and eventually getting a fish is more satisfying than getting one on the first go. Its not easy saying to your mates you’ve caught nothing a lot of the time, but its not about that. Its cool to go explore a new area, learn a bit about that place and know more for next time. The tranquility of walking up a river especially is a lot of the reason anyone goes fishing, to get away from the pressures of everyday life. Further on towards the season I’m hoping to get some people to cover some how to’s of fly fishing- I think it’s a very under-rated sport in New Zealand and isn’t being taken up especially amongst young fellas. Now is the time to start thinking about fishing spots and gear- it’s never too early!

This years Salmon season was drawn to a close early due to the lockdown. I was lucky enough to catch my first Salmon from the Waimak just prior to the nationwide crisis. As most of our followers are based in Canterbury, I will focus on the North Canterbury region. Estimates of total Salmon catch was Rakaia 380, Waimakariri 559, Hurunui 233 and Waiau 89. This compares to Rakaia 729, Waimakariri 492, Hurunui 184 and Waiau 72 in the 2018/19 angling season. The rather worrying trend is the graph below which shows a consistent decrease in the Salmon catch from 2004-2020. There are several possible reasons for this, and its a whole other topic. The Rangitata river had a very low catch rate with about 120 Salmon harvested. 
1683 Salmon in total were harvested and 4100 anglers fished for Salmon. Most angler (70%) fished one river for Salmon and 8% fished three or more rivers. The Ashburton had only one known successful angler who caught two Salmon. 
Catch rates for Salmon are trending downwards which is a concern, however some rivers notably the Waimak have increased catch rates. If you've ever thought of giving Salmon fishing a go, I can tell you first hand its pretty fun when your onto fish and its a good change from other types of fishing. Why not give it a nudge?

​The Fiordland Wapiti ballot is open, and expectedly many will apply. They opened on August 15th and will close on the 7th October. Dates are as follows; 1st period 20th March – 29th March 2021, 2nd period 30th March – 8th April, 3rd period 9th April – 18th April, and 4th Period 19th – 28th April. The fourth period are member only blocks, something introduced this year, and more details to come. For many Kiwi hunters Fiordland is the pinnacle and not for the faint hearted. It is some of the most testing conditions in the world. High rainfall and rugged country make the toughest hunting in the country. I’ve never gone there myself, but its on the radar. I’m semi preoccupied with trying to get a decent Red stag now, and I’m probably not quite there yet in terms of experience. Many hunters come out empty handed however their better from the experience and many will long to come back. The build up to the hunt is half the fun, with fitness levels needing to be up there. If you think you’re up to it, why not enter the ballot?
Find more info at ​http://www.fwf.net.nz/wapiti-blocks/

We might now be facing the biggest threat to our sport since the 70's/80's. ​In this era of Sage, we have gone in a big circle. We thought we were past the destructiveness and “if it hops it drops” mentality. By this I am referring to the chopper pilots cleaning out areas. The 70’s and 80’s were particularly bad for it, when Heli-hunting really took off and we were left with very little game to hunt. My father always said my generation of young fellas don’t know how lucky we are. The hunting opportunities that exist now compared to his day are much better. A vivid memory was an old tacky looking Fallow deer head hanging up in the garage when I was a wee fella. I asked him why its not in the house, and he said its cause its not a very good one. He’d shot it on the Albury range. This is the Albury Park herd, and a characteristic of these heads is their split palm. This one had a bit of length, little palms, and the split palm. They were never imported for trophies- just for a meat herd. He got that one mounted, as at that time in history, there wasn’t much better around. Meanwhile in the house there were a lot better heads from before the days of the choppers. It would have been demoralising to have grown up in that era. Hunters seemed to have less of a voice then- there wasn’t any backlash from hunters from what I’ve heard, but I may be wrong. Nowadays when the Tahr cull has been proposed there’s a huge backlash from the public- and that’s due to more hunters. Yes, there are more hunters around nowadays where a lot of people see that as a bad thing, but I think it has its positives. We have more of a voice, and politicians are more likely to listen to us because we make up more of the voting population. Groups like DoC will consider us more in issues because we make up a bigger proportion of outdoor users.
The early 2010’s saw us have a game animal council (GAC) formed. This was a huge break through as we now had a voice in parliamentary issues. Game animals were now being recognised as for what they are- a valuable resource, one that needs to be appropriately managed. In high numbers yes, they are a problem- but where there is a small, highly valued, and sustainable hunting resource it’s a win-win for everyone. Hunters get enjoyment out of the sport, which in turn brings economic growth to more remote areas creating jobs and bringing money to the regions (for example the West Coast with a small population). Overseas hunters bring in export revenue which in turn we can use to enhance our natural environment. Many political parties who are environmentally leaning struggle to explain how we can pay for all their policies- and the unfortunate truth is that money spent on enhancing the natural environment doesn’t bring a return on investment (that’s not entirely true as there’s tourism), however there isn’t a direct return. Eugenie Sage is very opinionated and has her own agenda on how her “ideal New Zealand” would look like. She wants no introduced species, New Zealand back to the way it was before anyone stepped foot on our shores. That’s not a realistic goal, we need a balance between environment and economy. Times have changed since then. Yes, we want to conserve native species that are apart of our identity, but we must be real about what we want to achieve.
I’ve got several friends who are hunters in North America, and a lot are asking me about the Tahr issue now. Saying they’ve heard about it, and what’s happening. Explaining the whole thing to them is plain embarrassing. North America has nothing like that, and all the game is managed very well. They find it hard to understand, and I do as well.
If the government gets another three years in power, that would be damaging for us. She’s keen to get rid of the trout, and all game animals. Its amazing how much influence one person in the wrong place can have. That’s why as hunters, we need to keep the foot to the throat. We can’t afford to lose our hard-earned resources all because of one politicians’ agenda. We need to keep fighting even if we think we’re losing. And from what the NZDA has been saying, the pressure is working. It might not get realized for a while, but that’s life. Ignorance makes it hard to get our point across, but I am of the opinion hunters have the more balanced viewpoint. We realize numbers need to be cut back, but we want a sustainable well managed population. None of us wants to be telling the next generation we don’t have the opportunities now than what we did have because we did nothing. So keep fighting.