Salmon Eating Machine

With Spring on the door step its not long until Salmon start heading up the Otago Harbour. There is always one or two that hang around though, much to Baldricks delight. Baldrick is the local Sea Loin who is better at catching salmon than anyone else. Infact we saw him dealing out to one the other day, so we know there was atleast one Salmon in the harbour. Hes also quite tame - we didnt need to use a zoom lense to get this photo. I havnt been game enough to get in the water with him but I dont think he would be agressive, that said hes about 10ft long and has a huge set of chops. The seal colony at Taiaroa Head ( entrance to Otago Harbour - Dunedin ) gets first dibs on the houndreds of Salmon that enter that harbour every year, so we are in competition with the little beggers. Nevermind, theres plenty to go round.

Most people think of rivers when it comes to salmon fishing, but here in Otago harbour we have one of the best spots in the country.
Since 1985 the New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association has been releasing thousands of quinnat salmon smelt which is providing keen anglers with a thriving recreational fishery.
We have been enjoying the return of some real whoppers over the years and the 2008 season is set to impress as well.

Catching Salmon in the harbour is a bit different from river fishing. The typical setup involves trolling from a boat at about walking pace, using a para vein to get the lure below the surface.
If the Salmon fishing is a bit slow then theres always a Barracuda, Kawai or Mackerel to liven things up at anytime as well.

Ill keep this intro blog brief but keep an eye out and Ill have a few more Pix and vids posted soon.