Online magazines are quite the fad right now, especially those focussed on fly fishing.
Like Catch & This is Fly to name a couple. Rene Vaz put out a good old kiwi one which to the best of my knowledge is the first from UnZud. Then today a whole new vista of photographic magic was revealed, encompassing not just fly fishing, but also hunting and shooting. Ok ok its very commercially focussed, but then its probably a wee bit much to expect anyone to do it just for love I reckon. Hunter's Element / Riverworks is a kiwi brand, however I seriously doubt that they'd sell enough kit in this crowded marketplace to retire rich men.... so relying on the publication going viral is pretty good advertising. Sh*t, Dave Hern is looking old...... now Jack Kos, here's a guy living up his student freedom. My only complaint is that his stuff has been all over the fishing forums well prior to publishing this, so not too much new content there. Pretty solid effort all in all, I hope that they keep it up. Now I'm going to pick up my Fly Life and thumb through it, still prefer paper magazines, old bean!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Fruits of the PPPP
The off season's activities at the Piripiri Pheasant Pluckers Preserve have paid great dividends this time around, especially in that the cover crops 'took' this year (last year they failed) so the birds are in residence.
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_KxI3MCfZI
Really pleasing result, I'm stoked and i know the rest of the team will be too.
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_KxI3MCfZI
Really pleasing result, I'm stoked and i know the rest of the team will be too.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A Goose in hot water & an organisation sidelined
Following is the press release from office of minister of Conservation. Its a poor decision, based on invective from small group of Fed Farmers. For example, here in Auckland Waikato we receive more complaints about pukekos, than Canadas.
Press Release by New Zealand Government at 9:40 am, 17 Mar 2011
The protection status of Canada geese as a game bird will be changed to allow farmers, park owners and aviation managers to cull these birds themselves, Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson announced today.
Canada geese will be removed from Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act 1953 and listed on Schedule 5. This means that Fish and Game will no longer manage the geese as a hunting resource. A permit will not be required to shoot them.
"As the population of Canada geese continues to increase so does their risk to aviation safety and the damage they inflict to pasture and crops," Ms Wilkinson says.
"The current status where the geese populations are managed as a game bird is not working.
"Farmers have been getting increasingly frustrated with these birds fouling pasture and damaging crops.
"They also pose an aviation hazard due to their large size and this change will allow for the birds to be more effectively controlled where they pose a risk to aircraft safety."
Ms Wilkinson says there are tens of thousands of Canada geese across the country and recreational hunting opportunities will remain.
"I expect Fish and Game to continue to work with landowners to assist with managing populations around the country.
"The geese are well established and on top of that farmers will have an incentive to provide hunting access to reduce their goose control costs."
Background
• The Canada goose is an introduced game bird managed by fish and game councils for the benefit of recreational game licence holders.
• Species listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act are declared to be game. This means the populations are managed by local fish and game councils for recreational hunting purposes.
• Species on Schedule 5 are not protected.
• Farmers, urban park managers and those responsible for aviation safety advise that current Canada geese management is not adequately meeting their needs.
• In 1995 the South Island Canada Goose Management Plan was agreed that set the maximum population number at 20,350. The population has remained well above that level and in 2008 was estimated to be 35,000.
• Fish and game councils are independent. Under the current regime, farmers, park managers, the aviation sector, and the Government have no direct input to goose management.
• Individual landowners can suffer thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of damage to pasture and crops from geese in a single year.
• Four to five geese will consume the equivalent amount of grass that a sheep does and this impact is further compounded by associated fouling.
ENDS
"I expect Fish and Game to continue to work with landowners to assist with managing populations around the country.......
The woman's freaking insane if she believes that crap. She knows what she's doing. She has, in one stroke, marginalised F&G and driven another nail into the coffin of an organisation thyat already is being lowered into its final resting place.
Press Release by New Zealand Government at 9:40 am, 17 Mar 2011
The protection status of Canada geese as a game bird will be changed to allow farmers, park owners and aviation managers to cull these birds themselves, Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson announced today.
Canada geese will be removed from Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act 1953 and listed on Schedule 5. This means that Fish and Game will no longer manage the geese as a hunting resource. A permit will not be required to shoot them.
"As the population of Canada geese continues to increase so does their risk to aviation safety and the damage they inflict to pasture and crops," Ms Wilkinson says.
"The current status where the geese populations are managed as a game bird is not working.
"Farmers have been getting increasingly frustrated with these birds fouling pasture and damaging crops.
"They also pose an aviation hazard due to their large size and this change will allow for the birds to be more effectively controlled where they pose a risk to aircraft safety."
Ms Wilkinson says there are tens of thousands of Canada geese across the country and recreational hunting opportunities will remain.
"I expect Fish and Game to continue to work with landowners to assist with managing populations around the country.
"The geese are well established and on top of that farmers will have an incentive to provide hunting access to reduce their goose control costs."
Background
• The Canada goose is an introduced game bird managed by fish and game councils for the benefit of recreational game licence holders.
• Species listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act are declared to be game. This means the populations are managed by local fish and game councils for recreational hunting purposes.
• Species on Schedule 5 are not protected.
• Farmers, urban park managers and those responsible for aviation safety advise that current Canada geese management is not adequately meeting their needs.
• In 1995 the South Island Canada Goose Management Plan was agreed that set the maximum population number at 20,350. The population has remained well above that level and in 2008 was estimated to be 35,000.
• Fish and game councils are independent. Under the current regime, farmers, park managers, the aviation sector, and the Government have no direct input to goose management.
• Individual landowners can suffer thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of damage to pasture and crops from geese in a single year.
• Four to five geese will consume the equivalent amount of grass that a sheep does and this impact is further compounded by associated fouling.
ENDS
"I expect Fish and Game to continue to work with landowners to assist with managing populations around the country.......
The woman's freaking insane if she believes that crap. She knows what she's doing. She has, in one stroke, marginalised F&G and driven another nail into the coffin of an organisation thyat already is being lowered into its final resting place.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The duck boat project
Ok, so I can now disclose my duck boat project in a forum that perhaps swmbo (aka Justin Beiber Fan Club's mum) may stumble across it. Funny things about boats. When you need one, you never have one, when you have one there's usually something wrong with it, or a component of it, and owning one means that you're ready to sell one. I have some vivid memories of our duck boat hunts from when I was a kid. The thing I most remember were the huge bags that dad and grandpop used to get. They had it sussed. The boat was flat bottomed, enclosed, a bit of a barge, camo'd, could carry up to 4 guns, had a well stacked and stored complement of HUGE decoys (easy to see on the sea - you see?). A good single task machine, but you'd not want to fish out of it. Ok so, stuff that was important to me:
1. Sea worthiness. Some of the weather I envisage being out in, is what the met guys call "inclement". It needs to be able to take on water and not sink. Pontoon boat answers that one.
2. Stability. Standing to shoot means you want a platform that's not going to tilt sharply. Pontoon boat answers that one.
3. Horsepower. I want to be able to get up and go in rough water. So at least 30 horses are required.
4. I want to add a boat blind at some stage. High flat sides on the boat are needed.
5. I want to fish out of it in summer/winter.
6. I want to be able to single handed beach launch. Ak ramps are full of stupid people with no idea.
So I've ended up settling on a pontoon boat, with a few mods. The hull will be professionally painted in green and I've got the floor marine carpeted for noise and slip reduction. I think I'm barking up the right tree;
http://www.frewzaboats.co.nz/aluminium-dinghy-4-1m-high-sided/
I'll update as I go.
1. Sea worthiness. Some of the weather I envisage being out in, is what the met guys call "inclement". It needs to be able to take on water and not sink. Pontoon boat answers that one.
2. Stability. Standing to shoot means you want a platform that's not going to tilt sharply. Pontoon boat answers that one.
3. Horsepower. I want to be able to get up and go in rough water. So at least 30 horses are required.
4. I want to add a boat blind at some stage. High flat sides on the boat are needed.
5. I want to fish out of it in summer/winter.
6. I want to be able to single handed beach launch. Ak ramps are full of stupid people with no idea.
So I've ended up settling on a pontoon boat, with a few mods. The hull will be professionally painted in green and I've got the floor marine carpeted for noise and slip reduction. I think I'm barking up the right tree;
http://www.frewzaboats.co.nz/aluminium-dinghy-4-1m-high-sided/
I'll update as I go.
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