When Josh Darby first dangled a line in a stream that bordered the family’s Far North camping ground, little did he realise it was the first tentative step of a lifelong passion.
The campground was situated at Kaihu, a little settlement 20 minutes' drive north of the Kai Iwi lakes. The stream created a border around the campground and in it lived Josh’s first target species, eels.
Having landed a few of the slippery critters, the young lad heard there were trout in the stream, and that kicked off an almost obsessed three-day quest to land one.
“I am told I cast for that trout for three days solid, dawn to dusk, before I had some success and landed a small trout,” Josh recalls.
What he didn’t appreciate at the time was ‘cheese’ was not on the list of legal trout baits, but it had worked fine for the eels, right?
His fishing became much more legal when joining forces with his grandparents who lived at Whangaparaoa.
“They had the quintessential Kiwi tinnie at the time from which they mainly concentrated on longlining, with line fishing helping to fill in the soak time.”
But for the young angler, these were exciting times and a great introduction to what was to become his own piscatorial playground, right on his doorstep. He would stay over the night before a trip with ‘nan and pop’, hardly able to sleep as he anticipated what would unfold early the next morning. Bait played a big part in the family’s fishing endeavours, but that was about to change dramatically.
In the beginning. A very young Josh Darby and brother Sam with an early catch.
Today Josh is respected among the fishing community for his specialty event – lure fishing. His angling rebirth came when he met a policeman in his late teens who talked up softbaiting as the ‘new wave’ of angling and he was to be proven right. It piqued Josh’s inquiring mind and he took up the offer to go out and give it a go.
“That first trip was amazing, we caught fish after fish, and not a bait in sight.”
Josh was hooked, a fervent disciple of the new age in angling, following every word of the gurus at the time.
Mark Kitteridge and Paul Senior were writing about the subject prolifically in NZ Fishing News, giving presentations at tackle stores and fishing clubs throughout the North Island, spreading the gospel. They, along with several others such as Malcolm Dawson, were responsible for the growth in lure fishing for a whole range of species, with casting topwater lures for kingfish being added to the mix.
At the age of 18 Josh signed up with the fire service, a move which allowed him time to fulfil his fishing fix and hone his lure fishing craft.
“Our shift pattern often meant we had four free days in succession. Other firefighters had to take second jobs in their time off to make ends meet, but in those early years I didn’t have any commitments such as a family to feed or a mortgage to pay, so it was the perfect job.”
Josh was soon sharing his newfound obsession, posting his adventures on www.fishing.net.nz. It was here that Paul Senior noticed Josh and brought him into the Ocean Angler fold. He was encouraged to write for NZ Fishing News. Paul also introduced Josh to Mark Kitteridge, who along with his cousin Eli, became his fishing ‘partners in crime’.
“I was very fortunate to fish a lot with Mark and Paul early on, two guys who were at the top of the lure fishing game. This allowed me to absorb many excellent insights quickly and, after some years, even give them a run for their money!”
Catch and release of the bigger snapper plays a big part in Josh’s approach to his fishing.
Josh has never stepped away from sharing his ‘secrets’ – his favourite spots the exception – and this has made him a popular contributor.
In recent years Josh has become one of the industry’s acknowledged experts, refining his lure fishing techniques for snapper and kingfish, much to the detriment of the wider Hauraki Gulf populations. He is busy on social media where he represents Ocean Angler, Marine Deals and most recently Kingfisher Boats and Yamaha.
Josh is still in the fire service but is currently off the trucks, working on a Movember-funded two-year project aimed at reducing suicide and psychological injury rates among first responders. While this role still allows time for fishing, this is tempered by his marriage to Tijana and their seven-month-old son Luca.
“Tijana will come fishing, but the conditions have to be flat calm and the fish on the chew.”
He cannot wait until Luca is old enough to join him out on the water, so he can pass on the mantle. The first steps have been taken, Josh has already bought him a lifejacket in anticipation of that day, but he has to get sign-off from ‘the boss’ first!
A big part of Josh’s angling endeavours involved boats, starting with the previously mentioned tinnie, which was followed by Haines Signature 5.5 trailerboat. While these got the young Josh Darby out on the water, the pursuit of his lure fishing aspiration would need a more specialised craft.
For Josh, this was a centre console, starting with an FC430 followed by a FC500 and FC535, before graduating to the Kingfisher 570 Powercat he has just put together and is the main focus of this feature.
“Centre consoles are ideal for lure fishing, especially where casting is required. Getting that lure out into the wash for a snapper or a likely kingfish haunt is a key component to my style of fishing, so you need lots of uncluttered space.”
Josh fished the centre consoles to their limit – Great Barrier and the Mokohinaus were regular haunts with occasional visits to the far Far North.
Step up the Kingfisher.
• Model
|
Kingfisher 570 Powercat |
• LOA
|
5700mm
|
• BOA
|
2330mm
|
• Trailer
|
Enduro tandem braked
|
• Length on trailer
|
6600mm
|
• Height on trailer
|
3200mm
|
• Tow weight (approx.)
|
1400kg
|
• Construction - hulls
|
4mm
|
• - topsides
|
3mm
|
• Draft - engine up
|
350mm
|
• Recommended HP
|
130-150
|
• Fuel capacity
|
150l
|
• Price as tested (approx.)
|
$130,000
|
• Packages from
|
$76,000
|
January 2024 - Grant Dixon
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited
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