Johannes Visser Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 It too cute! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Hi Stella What streams in our area do you know definately have them? As youd prob know, Wanganui area doesnt really have stoney streams, just mud bottomed ones and they are hard to find anything in. I know there are some at Virginia Lake, but thats not really a place i wanna be fishing round in.(its a very popular family destination, and duck poop by the truck load) would be keen to go for a small drive if needed but not sure of any publicly acessable site i could go, And I understand that you are a guru in regard to water life in the Manawatu.lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Drive up to Raetihi...less than an hour away up the parapara's. the streams up there are full of them. Thats where I grew up. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted April 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 They will be living in muddy streams and even swamps. You just may get a bit dirtier looking for them Maybe a plastic 'baitcatcher' left in the stream overnight with something tasty inside? Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Last night i went to several local streams and lakes, armed with a spotlight and a long butterfly net. I found heaps of bullies, and in one lake there were hundreds of redfin perch.(i suspect the redfin perch may prey on young crustecians ,sp?, hence not any koura there) Im stumped about where else in my area to find them. Im really keen to add another species to the list of animals that i have at my personel zoo,lol, and seeing your pics Ian has made me a man on a misssion of sorts,lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Drive up to Raetihi...less than an hour away up the parapara's. the streams up there are full of them. Thats where I grew up. :bounce: Yeah i am aware of the large numbers available in streams up there in raetihi as an old workmate used to catch them and eat em. I just dont really know which streams to go to and its a bit far to go with no idea where im going. the only place i can think is the stream that runs through Kune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Hi All Interesting topic. I don't mean to rock the boat, but I got a ? Is it legal to catch and keep wild Koura? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Yes it is. Hence im trying to find myself one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Hi All Interesting topic. I don't mean to rock the boat, but I got a ? Is it legal to catch and keep wild Koura? Legal to catch and keep. Illegal to sell or put back in the wild. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Yeah i am aware of the large numbers available in streams up there in raetihi as an old workmate used to catch them and eat em. I just dont really know which streams to go to and its a bit far to go with no idea where im going. the only place i can think is the stream that runs through Kune. Yeah ive caught them in kune too. Pity I don't live there anymore otherwise I could show you all the spots up there. The Makara River and the Makotuku River are excellent if you can find them on the map. Do you know where the Ruatiti Domain is??? Theres plenty there and it makes an excellent day out/picnic. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Yeah i know where Ruatiti Domain is. Spent a few New Years there.lol Damn i shouldve just got in the car this morning and gone for a drive anyway. what was the best way you found to catch them, Day or night, net or hands etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 All I seem to find on my nightly excursions around the Hutt river is trout, trout and more trout Mind you I got a surprise last night, I found a tiny silver goldfish in a pool under our local bridge. Mind you, theres a pile of driftwood under there too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted April 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Try the little side streams, the ones about 6" deep that you can step over. The trout wont be in those tight spaces, but eels, koura and galaxids will be. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Yeah i know where Ruatiti Domain is. Spent a few New Years there.lol Damn i shouldve just got in the car this morning and gone for a drive anyway. what was the best way you found to catch them, Day or night, net or hands etc Stella is the expert in this field. During day I always use my hands for koura but another way is to place a net just down stream and disturb all the rocks etc and often the koura just flick backwards into the net. Or chase them round the rocks with a net 8) works good too. OR, get a piece of meat and tie it onto the end of a string and when the crayfish comes out of hiding they clamp down and u can pull them right onto land! usually I use this method for deeper water where I can't quite get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted April 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 One trick is to quietly place a net 6" behind them, then scare them with a stick. They will flick backwards to escape the stick, right into the net if you are lucky. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 One trick is to quietly place a net 6" behind them, then scare them with a stick. They will flick backwards to escape the stick, right into the net if you are lucky. Ian Thats what I did to catch my ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Yeah, they are so easy to catch! Apparently you can pick them up easily by holding them either side of the carapace (what would be the thorax in insects), but I tend to squeal like a girl and drop them when they wriggle.... Agreed about smaller streams. It is surprising how small a stream can be yet still be full of fish and critters. I think natives generally prefer the shallow water! The best way to catch things is to get a shallow stream with big stones and some current, Put your net beside a rock, just downstream of it, and lift the rock. You will catch all sorts of leaves and muck, but also heaps of fish and crayfish from a stream that apparently had nothing in it! I am always keen to take people fish hunting, gives me an excuse to go check my favourite spots. Let me know if you are coming by and we might be able to organise something! I will plan another big trip (do all the sites over a weekend) for people early next summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzoom1 Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Koura are great aren't they?! I am currently keeping one in a 6 gallon tank and he's really sociable and great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeous Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 enzoom, I cant figure out your tank dimesions :roll: what are they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Im going on a mission on sunday, if the the weather holds out. Anyone here from Taranaki able to tell me if there has been lots of rain, like weve had in Wanganui. I suppose all the streams will be in flood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doch Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 i used to catch em heaps as a boy with tea tree snap a branch off and hang it in the river/creek walls they will be atracted to it and slowly pull them up use net if needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 i used to catch em heaps as a boy with tea tree snap a branch off and hang it in the river/creek walls they will be atracted to it and slowly pull them up use net if needed Yeah that's the traditional Maori way isn't it. I heard thats really effective, particularly in Lake Taupo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted May 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Anyone here from Taranaki able to tell me if there has been lots of rain, like weve had in Wanganui. I suppose all the streams will be in flood There has been some rain, but the streams here rise and fall very quickly. After 24hours they are back to normal. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Cheers Ian I thought that was the case up there, unlike wanganui where the streams seem to stay in flood for a day or two after the rain. We have had such huge downpours here lastnight. Will hopefully stop at some of the streams near stratford and check them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 I went up to Belmont park in Lower Hutt tonight after I finished work at the hospital. I had to go quite a ways upstream, but I was thrilled to find my first Koura. It was sat on the edge of the stream in a shallow and didnt even move when I put my net right next to it. He's about 7cm long and dark black/green. I found 2 smaller ones too, 1 same colour but about 5cm and a white one about 3cm. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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