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Thread: Auckland Kingfish

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Auckland New Zealand
    Posts
    1,131

    Default Auckland Kingfish

    Hi Guys, I went out last evening in a mates boat, we took fly rods only and hit all the marker bouys in the Rangitoto chanel looking for Kingfish.
    I had a bad start, loosing a shooting head to one of the markers, but I had a spare so put that on.
    We well and truly popped my Kingfish on fly cherry, I can't tell you how good these fish are. They are only small ones, but man can they pull! We both landed a few and lost a few, I got smashed by a fish that made it back to the bouy chain, I just could not stop it with a #9 Xi3 and it was no bigger than 70cm (28 inches)! Nick worked hard to set up the drifts and very generously gave me the first shot on the markers, at one point he said to me "you are about to get hit", and I hooked up before the word "hit" was out of his mouth!
    Anyway we had a blast and I will post some pics later.
    All the best.
    Mike

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Tauranga New Zealand
    Posts
    401

    Default

    Hi Mike; Congrats on your Kingfish on a fly. I am yet to got one to play with me. Looking forward to seeing the Pics. Most folks have no idea how strong a Kingfish can be on a fly rod and boy do they sort out any weaknesses in your tackle. GREEN with Envy. Jax
    Getting OLD is For Old People.

    Have Fun Stay Young Go Fly Fishing!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
    Location
    Pacific
    Posts
    1,351

    Default

    Fantastic! On our side of the ocean we call them Yellowtail and they are perhaps the most prized gamefish on the southern California coast. I have got a few over the years on fly tackle but fly rod shots here are fairly infrequent with most coming on live bait or jigs fished near the bottom. A great sport fish and great table fare too. Hamachi anyone?

    One of my dreams it to get back to New Zealand and target Kingfish while I am there.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Auckland New Zealand
    Posts
    1,131

    Default

    Thanks Jax, hope you get some soon, Tauranga is a hotspot!
    Tailingloop they have a few names down here, I think the full name is Yellowtail Kingfish, but mostly we call them kingi's, I have caught many of the bigger ones on live bait and jigs in deep water. The smaller "Rat" kings tend to spend summer in this area hanging around the chanel markers so they can be targeted on fly, but you have to hang on once hooked up or they are straight back to the mark to bust you off!
    Here are a couple of pics.
    Me looking chuffed with my first ever on fly

    A better one.

    and this is were we fished.

    All the best.
    Mike

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Tauranga New Zealand
    Posts
    401

    Default

    NICE very NICE!! That is one sweet Kingfish Mike. I am still living in hope. Fishing the Flats with great enthusiasm. Keep on having fun. jax
    Getting OLD is For Old People.

    Have Fun Stay Young Go Fly Fishing!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Havre, MT, USA
    Posts
    899

    Default

    Nice fish, Mike. Here is a picture of my first one on the fly, what a fight! We were fishing kelp paddies in the blue water 80 miles out from the Mexican coast.

    texas trip 061.jpg

    TT.

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