Len shows fishers how to be catchers

Len Rameka helps bring a snapper on board his charter fishing operation in the Hauraki Gulf. Photo / Geoff Thomas

Charter boat operator’s knowledge means novices learn quickly

The first thing Len Rameka does after dropping the anchor is explain to punters how to bait up his traces.

"You push the chunk of pilchard right up inside the bend of the hook and roll the hook round it so it comes out the other side, but passes under the backbone," he says as he demonstrates the technique. It is important that the hook goes under the backbone so it can't be easily pulled off by a hungry snapper.

Rameka operates a charter boat out of Westhaven, and when the SeaHawk returns to Z Pier late in the afternoon the huge chilly bin is usually packed with snapper and kahawai floating on a mass of salt water ice.

He has fished the Hauraki Gulf all his life and knows where the snapper will be season by season. He can also find a hapuku or kingfish, or trevally or john dory. Whatever the customers want - he will find it.

His traces are simple, with two recurved hooks hanging on a ledger rig with a heavy sinker at the bottom. He has another, more complicated rig, called the killer rig which he pulls out when somebody wants to target large snapper. It employs the small, square long-line hoos which are also baited with chunks of pilchard although both hooks may occasionally be slipped through the back of a whole pilchard; and that is the secret for the really big fish.

Rameka holds the rod in one hand and flicks over the bail arm on the fixed spool reel, explaining how it is important to keep a finger on the edge of the spool to retain tension on the line as the coils slip off and the sinker pulls the gear quickly to the bottom. "You want the sinker to pull down the line, and when it hits the bottom stop it and pop the bail arm back over," he explains. This prevents the line ballooning and leaving a large circle of loose line between the rod tip and the baits. It is all about maintaining the correct tension, and keeping in touch with the baits.

"Lift the rod and you can feel the sinker stuck in the mud so you lift it up to free it, then drop it back down again."

It is the seemingly limitless knowledge that makes the difference. Novices will learn quickly.

The first snapper come aboard, small ones which will be carefully unhooked and dropped back into the sea.

"Don't strike hard by jerking on the rod," suggests Rameka. "You are just pulling the bait away from the fish." So you wait until you feel the weight come on the line, then start winding.

Most of Rameka's fishing at the moment is north of Tiritiri Matangi Island, in the wide swathe around 35m deep between Tiri and Kawau; for the snapper are moving down the coast heading towards the huge flats of the inner gulf where they will soon perform their annual mating dance. That is, unless they finish up on SeaHawk for a ride back to the city.

Fresh water

A giant rainbow trout was caught fly fishing in the Ohau Channel at Rotorua on opening day (October 1). The monster weighed 12.95kg. Such a trout is unheard of in modern times, but they did reach such proportions in the early part of the last century. Huge trout are caught in the Tekapo Canals at Twizel, but are rare in the North Island.