Thread: Eels

I thought it was bloody seal too when I saw the small picture But I like blowing things up so you guys got a decent picture

Off too the river Bye

Originally Posted by Dundee

Off too the river Bye

Luck with the fishing Dundee.

Originally Posted by Rushy

Luck with the fishing Dundee.

Thanks a lot Rushy you were spose to put GOODin front of luck

Used to run into some big eel's when I was doing Dive maintenance on the hydro's. Always before the dive (which was normally around 2am) some smart arse would pipe up with, You should of seen the eel that Henry lost here last nite! broke his tow rope even. Don't like killing them, I reckon they are special, and should only be taken for special occasions. When you get into their life cycle ,it's pretty damn impressive,and who are we to take something out of the life cycle, who is so old and significant to our NZ waters.

Story my grandma used to tell me every school hols about a bloke in the rotoiti powerboat races who flipped his boat and lost the outboard ...

Mate of his offered to dive for it ... Got to the bottom and turned around and came straight back up ...

Told his mate there was no way he was diving through foot thick eels to save some outboard

We never swum in the lake ...


Tim

Originally Posted by Dundee

William Higginson with a monster 12.6 kg long finned eel he caught and released unharmed back into a tributary of the Grey River.

Well done William, for releasing it, even 'tho they do look suitable for a "We're just good friends" sub title.

Originally Posted by Dundee

Thanks a lot Rushy you were spose to put GOODin front of luck

Are you suggesting that I jinxed you Dundee?

It was a case of hard luck last night Rushy but its still good to get out there.

the grey has some very large eels ,but lake brunner and its tributaries also house some bigguns. ivivdly remeber a cockie at kotuku dealing to one in molloy creek with a plug of gelignite after i took one too many nips at his kids swimming. It was estimated round the thirty pound mark ,growing fat on sheeps guts etc etc and other fauna that fell in the creek over the years.
I remember my cousin taking a 26lbeel out of another swimming hole in molloy creek ,with a spear made by our greatgreat grandather ,pop molloy.
a notorious legend has it that the arnold river once housed an eel so big it has to swim up into lake brunner to turn around.a little more gross is the fate of those unfortunate enough to drown in brunner -often found with fingertips,ears ,nose etc nibbled by curious eels.finally -again fifty plus years ago as a wee lad at lake brunner school we did a schooltrip to the kaimata dam to see the NZED divers inspecting it.one diver 9bloody hardcase0 reckoned the old eel who lived in the milkchurn at the base of the dam ,invited him in for a cuppa ,but he thought he'd check with us kids first in case we had any questions.typically we swallowed the tale hookline &sinker.
Ive seen CHCH city council workers hook decent ones out of the avon as they clean rubbish&weed.apparently some bigguns live in the avonwhere it flows through the botanic gardens,the presence of ducks galore is more than coincidence.

So what bait and tackle do you use to catch them out of interest??

Originally Posted by hawkfish

So what bait and tackle do you use to catch them out of interest??

Theres no rules mate. Spear, hinaki( net), or abot of string/ nylon. Hand line is easier than rod.

I used to suppy the local fish shop and got $2 a kilo.
I found the best bait was beef liver but let it get all smelly first. Fresh bait doesnt serm as effective for eels unless theres plenty of blood.

My pb was 12kg and that day i got $56 from the fish shop. Was all good for a 13 year old.

This is just my experience with eels

12guage off the bank and a gaff they concuss very easily

Fresh hare meat sticks well to the hook with a polywire line as the teeth don't cut through.

Watched a old Maori gut in Te Puke working the local stream one day. He had a sack and a gaff and walked the bank and stomped the bank in and the eels came out. Filled his sack in about 25m
Was bloody impressive but looking back not so good for the stream. If everyone used that technique the stream would be a mile wide

Fluffed up bit of flax rubbed with bacon works.