Issue on Sale January 2011
Welcome to the January edition, a first for the year and also a major milestone for the publication.
Last month we equalled our biggest-ever magazine at 244 pages; this issue we have set a new mark at 252, which equates to you, the reader, as a heap of holiday reading!
We love these big editions. Sure, it cuts down on our opportunities out on the water, but it does present the chance to get the ‘fishing mix’ right.
In this issue you will find a breakdown on what an ‘average’ NZ Fishing News reader is, courtesy of our recent reader survey. Over 3000 of you took the time to tell us where and how you fished, as well as what you wanted from us as a magazine. It was a lengthy survey, so we were overwhelmed by the response, which indicates to us the high degree of ‘ownership’ readers feel towards NZ Fishing News.
While I won’t go into great detail here, it seems we have the mix about right. The one thing that came through strongly was that many of you particularly want ‘how to’ articles and personality profiles, as well as shared reader experiences. The Area Reports section is also important, with readers flicking through 5.5 area reports on average each issue. And another thing made abundantly clear to me is that those willing to pay a license fee to fish in the marine environment are in the vast minority, regardless of the circumstances.
All this information is very useful and we’ve taken it on board. Consequently, in addition to this issue being our biggest, as it also caters for nearly all the fishing interests and preferences indicated, I’m confident it’s one of our best. The wide variety of piscatorial pursuits covered include a number of ‘how to’ features everything from the basic knots required to successfully use soft-plastics, through to the more complicated and involved manufacture of poppers and stick-baits.
If you are new to kayaking, or need to confirm you are on the right track in this growing aspect of the sport, there is a feature for you. Similarly, if you are a ‘yak fisherman living or travelling in the South Island, Peter Langlands shares his top 10 favourite possies.
Another area of growth in the magazine is our ‘diving section’, with the huge crossover in our readership between anglers and divers being reflected in the 16 pages covering this discipline. Although there’s lots of good stuff here, including some great underwater shots, a highlight is the extensive feature articulately written by a nine-year-old, who shares his experiences as well as some remarkably wise advice.
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Not surprisingly, chasing snapper and kingfish featured prominently in our survey too, and these two species are covered this month in a variety of ways. Both slow-jigging and soft-plastic fishing for snapper are comprehensively covered. I took a couple of days out from preparing for this issue with a trip to the Bay of Island’s snapper-spawning grounds in pursuit of my nemesis, that elusive 30-pound (13.634kg doesn’t quite sound the same, does it?) big red. It didn’t happen, but we enjoyed some fantastic fishing action along the way in near-perfect conditions pure snapper ‘pornography’. Also, in addition to a couple of informative pieces involving using downriggers for kingfish and making the most of live mackerel, we also run with a great yarn about catching big kings from the rocks in a rapidly-building storm. (Other land-based fishing features, both from the bricks and the sand, are handled by terra firma legends Bruce Basher and Gary Kemsley.)
Our freshwater friends have not been forgotten either, with John Murphy tackling summer’s ‘hot water’ issues and Greg Morton showing us around Central Otago’s Maniototo Basin.
Don’t know what to do with the kids? Adam Clancey offers some great ideas to occupy them over the holidays, based around fishing. In these days of electronic wizardry, there aren’t many opportunities that allow you to really bond with your kids while showing them more healthy pursuits, so make the most of this holiday period.
While there is plenty happening behind the scenes on the political front, I have deliberately steered clear of political issues in this column after all, it is the season of goodwill despite the fact there is plenty brewing in the background.
In finishing, I would just like to thank both our readers and advertising clients for your support over the last 12 months a time that’s been tough for many. We certainly don’t take anything for granted, so with a new year upon us, we plan to cater for everyone better still, earning your continued support in the processRead More ...
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