Blair Whiting
Based in New Zealand’s North Island, Blair can be found spinning in a river or kayaking along the Hawkes Bay coastline. As both a freshwater and saltwater angler Blair has a wide range of fishing knowledge and regularly targets a wide range of species.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO FISHING?
I got into fishing when I was just a toddler – “fish” was actually the first word I spoke. It helps to have a Poppa who was an avid trout fisherman and a Grandad who has a 15lb brown trout mounted on the wall.
SHARE A FAVOURITE FISHING MEMORY OR EXPERIENCE
My favourite memory would be catching a 7.6kg albacore tuna off a kayak. I was fishing out from the Taranaki coast targeting one while in a national kayak competition. In quite lumpy conditions I managed to catch 3 average sized tuna which I was already over the moon about. My fourth fish broke me for 35 minutes as I battled to land it on 8kg line. The best part about the fish is looking back at the sweet footage.
WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE FISHING SPOTS?
My favourite fishing spots are located around the Mahia Peninsula (located between Gisborne and Napier, NZ). It’s an unbelievably good fishery for kayaks and on any given day I can catch up to 10 different species. Recently I've started exploring Waimarama Beach and the extensive reef around Bare Island in southern Hawkes Bay, and the fishing down here through the normally barren winter has been incredible. It's becoming a new favourite for me.
WHY DO YOU LOVE TO FISH?
I used to love fishing because of the thrill of hooking the fish alone, but these days it’s turned into more of a way of life. Setting goals like catching a certain species is so rewarding when all of your hours of work fall into place for the perfect moment as you finally get to hold that fish you had been searching for. Fishing has also taken me all over the country to places I would have never visited before, and I am sure that will continue.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE OF FISHING AND WHY?
You can’t beat dropping a big live-bait down for kingfish. I crave the absolute out of control feeling hooking a kingie can give me. Locating and collecting live-baits is also great fun on an early morning.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BLACK MAGIC PRODUCT AND WHY?
It’s got to be the KLT® hook range. I use them for all my saltwater fishing. If it’s kingfish, snapper, gurnard, or anything in between they are the first thing I reach for. I love how high the hookup rate is and how rust resistant they are – makes clean up a lot easier at the end of the day.
WHAT ARE YOU FISHING GOALS FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?
Hapuku remains the number one goal for me, along with other deepwater species like gemfish, bass and bluenose. From Waimarama Beach I'd love to land a john dory and a nice kingfish to tick all off the common species available. Some of the more difficult fish I am hunting down are the porae and the very tough to hook butterfish.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM FISH OR FISHING ADVENTURE?
My dream adventure would be taking a kayak to either the Three Kings, Chatham Island, or Fiordland. These locations have very diverse deepwater fishing opportunities, and just thinking about the new species of fish I could catch in these locations is mind boggling.
WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST LEARNING TO FISH?
If you’re looking to get into the sport, social media is the way to go. Join one of the many groups available on Facebook – there are always lots of keen anglers happy to share information about basically all types of fish. Better yet go to a competition. Fishing in a competition is easily the most enjoyable trips of my calendar, with all anglers happy to have a yarn about what works and what doesn’t.
