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EDUCATIONAL

Fish Profile: Elephant fish
by Daryl Crimp

Related to sharks and similar in appearance, but distinguished by having a smooth skin, elephant fish are silver-grey above, covered with brownish blotches and have a silver-white belly. It is easy to identify because of fleshy trunk-like snout.

They can reach 120cm in size, but more common between 60-90cm and around 4kg. Considered to be fast growing, but with a short lifespan.

Distribution
Most common along the east coast of the South Island down to 200m, but limited numbers extend north to Cape Egmont and Hawkes Bay. The West Coast is also a good fishery over late spring and summer, with 'elos' a favourite for surfcasters. They move into shallow estuaries and bays over spring and summer when females migrate inshore to lay their egg capsules. They are often caught in the Outer Sounds over late summer and through to late autumn where spawning seems later than other areas. Elephant fish feed on small crustaceans, molluscs and other tiny creatures inhabiting the sediment.

Targeting Elephant Fish
Most commonly taken set-netting shallow bays during the spawning season, however can be taken on a running rig or ledger rig with small hooks and shellfish or squid bait - particularly likes Hot Shotz Funky Chicken soft plastic rigs. A powerful fish that uses its large pectoral fins to plane against the surf and will leap clear of the water on occasion.

Limits
Southern - Daily bag limit five per person, no size limit. Minimum set net mesh 150mm.
Challenger, Central and Northern - Combined daily finfish bag limit 20, no size limit. Minimum set net mesh 150mm.

Food Qualities
An excellent eating fish with firm, white boneless fillets suitable for all cooking methods, but certainly best fresh.

INFORMATIVE

New Rules for Set Netters

On 19 May, Fisheries Minister Mr Jim Anderton announced a package of measures to protect New Zealand's threatened Hectors and Maui Dolphins. He reached his decision after the public made submissions on a draft threat management plan produced by the Ministry of Fisheries, together with the Department of Conservation. Nationally, 2171 submissions were received, along with nine petitions. With such wide ranging public opinion as to the steps that should be taken to protect Hectors Dolphin,s it was always going to be impossible to please everyone. The measures announced by the Minister have now been passed into regulations which will come into force on 1 October 2008.

As this publication is largely read by Canterbury Recreational fishers I will focus on regulations that are relevant to the east coast of the South Island, which includes Banks Peninsula. If you fish in other areas you can check out the Ministry website www.fish.govt.nz or contact the Ministry of Fisheries Christchurch office and we will supply you with the rules that are relevant to the area you intend to fish. As from 1 October 2008 there is a prohibition on all set netting within four nautical miles of the east coast of the South Island, including the waters off Banks Peninsula. Set netting for flat fish (flounder) using a flat fish net is permitted from 1 April to 30 September, both dates inclusive, in the inner harbours of:

* Akaroa Harbour
* Lyttelton Harbour
* Port Levy
* Pigeon Bay

We have produced brochures which include maps showing the areas you can set a net. These can also be found on the website. You should note that if you set a net, it is a legal requirement that it must be a flat fish set net.

That is a net:
* That has a total height not exceeding 9 meshes
* Has monofilament not exceeding .35mm
* Has a mesh size equal to or great than 100mm
* Does not exceed a total length of 60 metres
* Your initial and surname must be on a buoy on each end of the net

Over the past few weeks Christchurch district office has had many recreational gill net fishermen wanting clarification on these new regulations. The following are typical questions we have been getting with my answers below.

Q. In the four designated flat fish areas do you have to stay with your net?
A. No in these areas you don't have to stay with your net and you could set the net overnight.
Q. In winter can I use a 30 metre net to target butterfish and moki off Banks Peninsula as long as I stay with the net?
A. No over winter (1 April to 30 September) the only place you could set a net around Banks

Peninsula would be in four designated flat fish areas. That is inner Akaroa Harbour, Inner Lyttelton Harbour, Port Levy and Inner Pigeon Bay. Netting in other areas is banned regardless of whether you are staying with your net or not.

Q. Where could I set a net over summer in the Canterbury area?
A. You could still set a net in the following Canterbury estuaries and lagoons all year round:

* Lake Ellesmere
* Inside the mouth of the Rakaia River
* Waimakariri and
* Ashley River

Note: Other rules regarding set netting apply in these areas so please check with a Fishery Officer. Also note that the Avon Heathcote Estuary is banned to netting all year round.

Q. When could I use a set net around Motunau and the North Canterbury Coast?
A. You could only use a net if it was set more than 4 nautical miles offshore. For most recreational set net fishermen this is not really a feasible option.

Q. Can I drag net for flounders?
A. Yes you can still use a 40 metre drag net with a mesh size not less than 100mm.
Q. What would happen if I did accidentally catch a Hectors Dolphin?
A. Then you must report that event as soon as practicable to a Marine Mammals Officer of the

Department of Conservation or a Fishery Officer of the Ministry of Fisheries. No further action would be taken against you as no offence would have been committed. Not reporting the accidental killing or injuring of a marine mammal is a serious offence.

Fishing Paper Hungary For Wine

Julio Rodrigez has had a passion for speed from an early age. Born to peasant parents, Julio was used to making his own fun and often got into trouble for stealing the wicker baskets off the farm donkey and converting them to go-karts by attaching wheels stolen from the local convent bike shed. He'd delight in racing down the steep slopes of the rugged mountainous Mar del Plata region, the go-kart often disintegrating before he reached the bottom.

Too poor to attend university, Julio got by performing as a Spanish Flamingo Dancer in Buenos Aires, where he was spotted by a talent scout for Subaru Rally International. His classic good looks assured him of a lucrative career modelling for the company's promotional material, but his life took a dramatic turn when Subaru's legendary ace driver, Hanz Ofdeveel, was tragically killed when his car crashed, after he mistook a left hairpin for a right switchback.

Julio was asked to deliver the back-up car and when he arrived a day earlier than expected, was given a try out as a professional rally driver and the rest they say, is history. At the peak of his career he was Argentina's highest paid citizen, with an estimated earning of 1.563 billion peso. He went on to win the famous 24hr Mendoza to Tierra del Fuego non-stop rally nine times before he was made an offer he couldn't refuse from Audi, Hungarian carmaker.

Julio now divides his time between his part time job as senior test driver for Audi, his vineyard interests in Hungary and his other great passion, fishing. He specialises in lake fishing and in particular, targeting the freshwater dipper fish in Lake Balaton, a well-known topless bathing location. While they are plentiful during the warmer months and easy to catch, Julio says they are skinny compared to what we catch here.

Julio keeps abreast of fishing trends through reading The Fishing Paper, having stumbled onto a copy when he was researching wine varieties in New Zealand last year and has since subscribed.

Uncle Leigh and Fishing a Flat Sea

By Jordayn Parkin-Rae

When I went on holiday in Greymouth, we went out with my uncle Leigh off the coast. It all started when I got up and had breakfast, then Uncle Leigh asked, "What shall we do today?"

Then my nanny said, "Oh the sea looks nice, let's go out fishing!" We all got dressed and off to the boat we went. The boat is not the biggest of boats, but it was big enough to have one cabin with four beds for when people go out fishing overnight and it has a table, an oven and a kettle - and snacks, drinks and all that kind of stuff (and if you need it, it's got a toilet)!

We hopped on the boat, checked everything was okay and then we were off, out through the river and out to sea. It was flat as, so we slowed down then stopped. We put down the anchor and it was so far down we couldn't see the bottom. Then we got the rods, baited them and started fishing. Five minutes later nanny caught the first fish - a kahawai. I caught the second one, which was a greyboy shark.

Later on I caught a red cod that was 2lb and then these dolphins turned up. They were Hector's dolphins. After the dolphins another boat turned up, then all the animals (including seagulls) but not the fish. Then nanny's rod had a bite so she ran over to it and heaved it in. It came out to be another greyboy shark, so we weighed it and it turned out to be 10lb 1oz. It was massive!

My rod started to bend, so I ran over and hauled in a red cod weighing 3lb 4oz. We were there all day, then Uncle Leigh said that it was time to go so we started up the boat, pulled anchor and headed back through the river and into the boat harbour. We got back to our spot, stopped the boat, put the anchor down and finished cleaning up. I was first off the boat so I had to put all the rods, fish and bait in the car. When we got home, we turned the oven on and cooked the fish with chips and had it for tea - the end!