A group of men made huge casts with fishing rods in the middle of a farm paddock on the outskirts of Kaitaia on Saturday.
No it wasn't an outtake from Monty Python's Flying Circus but the Kaitaia leg of the NZACA (New Zealand Angling and Casting Association) Tackle Tactics tournament, one of three regional events leading to the nationals at Gisborne in March.
Organiser Jock Bielski noted the event was designed to allow distance casting specialists to get their arm, eye and aim in before nationals, helped anglers test and perfect their long distance casting technique, and provided a forum to teach anyone else - from newcomer to experienced - interested in learning more about the craft. Despite the event initially appearing to be the very antithesis of fishing with nary a drop of water, ocean or otherwise, to be seen or sniffed at, exponents generally believed this sort of competition naturally improved fishing skills.
One queried about the seemingly unusual location was Gary Whittaker, all the way from Wellington. Hitting 214m with one cast, Whittaker noted it was more practical to measure distance inland than on a beach. Also, "It gives you an opportunity to perfect your casting but it's not the be-all and end-all [for catching fish]," he said frankly.
He also spoke of how he had seen some anglers in the Snapper Bonanza on 90 Mile Beach swim out to a sandbank with their rods and reels and then stand up and cast from there, whereas the average experienced long distance caster did not need to go to such, cough, lengths.