Seasonal delicacy lure for Waverley mates

WAITING FOR WHITEBAIT: Ready for whitebaiting season starting on August 15 are Waverley mates Guy Lennox and Wazza Pope.PHOTO/ LIN FERGUSON 030815WCBRCLIN01

They're a couple of top Waverley blokes keen to to get up the river and start whitebaiting when the season opens on August 15.

Guy Lennox is a long-time whitebaiter who welcomes the season every year.

"It's fun, you catch up with a lot of old mates, have a few beers and hopefully catch a lot of whitebait and have great feed of whitebait fritters."

This year his mate Wazza Pope is going along on the whitebait quest with Guy.

"I've thought about it for years. All the boys getting together having a good laugh and few beers and hopefully catching a lot of whitebait,"said Wazza.

Guy said the annual whitebaiting mission had started for him when he was a boy.

"My mother loved going whitebaiting and she used to go practically every day. She was good too, and well known in this area. "

All the rivers around the region are hugely popular especially the Mokau River in Taranaki, 90km north of New Plymouth, where scores of people have stands.

"And they are fiercely protective of them during the season. You don't dare go whitebaiting off another guy's stand when it's the season and he's there."

Department of Conservation (DoC) staff say they will be patrolling local sites to check that people are abiding by the regulations.

Newcomer Wazza said he'd heard for years that whitebaiting was such a relaxed thing to do.

"You're outdoors in the fresh air, it's very social and you're probably sitting on some small jetty or the edge of the river or whatever."

"There is some technique involved though." Guy said.

Guy admitted that some whitebaiters were absolute fanatics.

"I mean I'm keen, but I'm not a fanatic at all.'

DoC freshwater fish specialist, Jane Goodman said that the regulations were in place to protect whitebait species and so it can be enjoyed by future generations.

On the West Coast of the South Island the season starts on September 1. "Those blokes on West Coast catch kilos of whitebait. We're never that lucky," Guy said.

"Whitebait are a variety of native fish species that spend six months at sea then make their way up rivers and streams. The regulations are designed to ensure enough young fish get upstream to mature and create new whitebait for the future," Miss Goodman said.

The season lasts until November 30. Fishing is permitted only between 5am and 8pm, or from 6am to 9pm when daylight saving comes into effect in October.

"Generally speaking, whitebaiters observe the regulations. The regulations provide for fines of up to $5000, so fishers should be aware of what is permitted. Pamphlets outlining information on the regulations can be obtained from DOC offices and sports shops," Miss Goodman said.

For the two men, the season can't start soon enough.

"You just can't beat a delicious whitebait fritter where the whitebait are so fresh they're wriggling in the pan when you put them in," said Guy.