Thread: River mouth fishing, licence needed?

Originally Posted by Pengy

trench is usually a long narrow hole in the ground where I come from.
Tench (Tinca Tinca) are a lovely looking dark green course fish that I spent many a summers day trying to catch from tranquil, deep pools in the English countryside.
When we caught one, we would sometimes take a photo, before putting it back and trying to catch it again weeks later.

The term Trench warfare was first coined in a Kiwi newspaper to describe a couple of old codgers fighting over a double hooked fish down Taranaki way. It was later used to describe the fighting during WW1 from your so called long narrow holes in the ground. Ha ha ha ha you heard it here first.

Of course we all know they are coarse fish.

What is a "coarse fish"?

sounds like something you dont want to eat?

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

That doesn't make poms sound very bright Pengy.
Spend ages trying to catch a fish, then when you do catch it, let it go again just so you can try to catch it again to see if catching it the first time was an accident.

Yeah, but if you catch it and eat it, it is gone....forever. (They taste like shit anyway)

Originally Posted by Pengy

Yeah, but if you catch it and eat it, it is gone....forever. (They taste like shit anyway)

Then you should catch it then shoot it then bury it, inedible fish has no place on this earth.

"What is a "coarse fish"?"

From Wiki. "Coarse fish are freshwater fish that are distinguished from game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids – most particularly salmon, trout and char – so generally coarse fish are freshwater fish that are not salmonids."

Just being a smart arse because of the digs about bad spelling/typing regarding trench and pert fish. It wasn't my intentinal oops intention to cause confusion.

Originally Posted by stug

From fish and game website Kahawai Fishing - Do I need a sports fishing licence when fishing at the river mouth? | North Canterbury

"Fish & Game are aware that there is some confusion out there amongst anglers in regard to whether or not they require a sports fishing licence to target kahawai at river mouths. The legal position is:

If you are fishing in fresh water and using gear that could reasonably be expected to catch sports fish (Trout, Salmon and Perch) you need a valid sports fish licence. Freshwater is defined in the Conservation Act 1987 as any river, stream, lake, pond, lagoon, wetland or any other body whether naturally occurring or man-made. Freshwater also includes the mouths of rivers and 500m along the seashore from where the river meets the sea at low tide).

So if you are apprehended at a river mouth fishing with gear that could likely capture sports fish (bearing in mind salmon will take large silver kahawai lures), there is a legal requirement for you (not Fish & Game as it is a strict liability offence) to demonstrate to a judge that the gear you were using was not likely to capture a sports fish such as a salmon."

This is incorrect. You must be fishing for sports fish. Kahawai are not sports fish. If you catch a sports fish you must return it to the water.F&G statutory authority only relates to sports fish.The grey area is if you are fishing miies upstream and arguing you are fishing for mullet.The other technical isuue is how do they prove you are fishing in freshwater.The last sentence is also incorrect. You have to be fishing for sports fish.A by product catch is not fishing primarily for sports fish.Some bunny down there has forgotten the legal issue.

Right, so don't target "sport fish" and I should be ok, I must say pound for pound I would rate a Kahawai as damn sight better sport (fighting) fish than any trout or salmon I have caught

I would be inclined to use bait & bottom fish with a surf rig . 5/0 hook on a running rig & light drag works well for Kahawai.
Those big Kahawai will give you a good scrap even on a big surf rod. Even on my 16' rod a 2.5kg Kahawai has a bit of boggie.
I use bonito but mackeral ,pillies etc they aren't fussy eaters