Catching sharks and rays

Non-scale fish species – sharks and rays – are frequently encountered by anglers around New Zealand, but rarely spoken about. Most likely that’s because most anglers regard them as being of lesser worth than traditional scale-fish species.

However, I personally believe there is plenty to recommend them (okay, not all of them, but quite a few), particularly to land-based anglers who have a relatively short list of species available to them and thus value every bite and every fish.

Sharks and rays are common around New Zealand’s coast, with the species mix changing with the latitude, but my impression is that the further one moves from north to south, the greater the part they play in the day’s catch.

For example, tope sharks are present in huge numbers in the northern Northland, particularly over sand and mud bottoms, and must play a central role in the food chain. Spiny dogfish, though smaller, are present in similar numbers in the South Island. In fact, by my estimation, these two species must be just the most populous we have, given their range and concentration in certain areas.

The South Island land-based fishing scene is dominated by non-scale species. The three most popular are sevengill sharks, rig (spotty shark/lemonfish/smoothhound) and elephantfish. Strictly speaking, elephantfish are not a shark but a member of the chimaera family of fishes. However, they do exhibit similarities with small shark species in terms of habits and biology. I’ve written about elephantfish previously and regard them as a top-flight surfcasting species – they grow big, look great, fight well and make good eating. That description suits spotty sharks, too.

The thrill in sevengill sharks is their size, along with the challenge of hooking and taming them on surfcasting gear. Growing to over 100kg, these are serious fish, and whilst they aren’t exactly built for speed and don’t taste too good, try sliding a big one up the beach! Catching them is good fun and provides an opportunity to practise catch and release, because there’s no point in taking them home. Sevengills are robust and survive release well.

Less desirable non-scale species in the south include spiny dogfish and rough skate, both of which can be present in such numbers they frustrate efforts to catch other species. However, when the fishing is really tough, you can be grateful for them. They are also excellent practice for novice anglers who want to achieve early results and learn the basics of casting, striking and retrieving fish.

Moving north, tope play a huge role in the food chain. They are present in the South Island, in good numbers in places, but finding big, worthy fish is difficult. By comparison, parts of the North Island are crawling with large 15kg-plus specimens that fight hard and require real skill to successfully beach. If fishing from the rocks, a gaff is essential because their weight and tendency to go into a ‘death roll’ (constant spinning) make them difficult to handle. Did I mention their many rows of sharp teeth? However, be humane and go for a mouth shot so the fish can be returned safely to the water.

Like tope, stingrays and eagle rays are more common in the warmer waters of the North Island. They are generally taken accidentally by surfcasters in shallow, warm water, where they actively feed. Both species grow large, especially stingrays, which I have caught to truly enormous sizes on heavy live-baiting gear, some of them weighing more than 200kg I would guess.

Eagle rays also grow large – the biggest I’ve seen live went 52kg – but are much faster and more athletic than stingrays. Whereas stingrays undulate their wings to swim, eagle rays flap theirs like birds and can seriously move. I’ve even had them get aerial during the typically fast, exciting battles.

Both ray species have the frustrating habit of lying on the bottom during the fight, and it can be difficult to move them when they do this. My advice is to wind up on them and walk backwards very slowly so that the line is tight. Eventually they do move, though sometimes you might have to place your rod in a holder and wait.

It’s always a pleasure to watch the graceful way rays move about, so I’m a great believer in releasing them quickly and humanely. As their mouths are on their undersides, I recommend quickly turning them over onto their backs and smartly removing the hook before flicking them back over. Stingray wings tear easily, so avoid using a gaff if possible. Watch out for your own safety, too – both species have nasty barbs at their tail’s base.

Bronze whaler sharks are a northern species, but reach as far south as Kapiti and the Marlborough Sounds in the height of summer. They congregate in shallow, warm water around midsummer and are responsible for most shark sightings reported in the media. These fish grow really large and are the biggest fish I’ve tangled with from land-based positions in New Zealand. Some I’ve seen in the Far North have been veritable monsters.

In addition to their great size, bronze whalers can really motor, so a specialised approach is required involving heavy game gear. Traditional surfcasting gear will account for the other species mentioned here, but not bronze whalers.

Carpet sharks are another commonly encountered species, particularly from Wellington south. These are a true nuisance fish – they fight poorly, don’t grow especially large and have very limited culinary value. Carpets are largely nocturnal and always look like a deer in the headlights when dragged up the beach in daylight! Again, a fast and humane release is recommended – but watch out for their teeth. For such an insipid fish, they possess a nasty set of dentures.

Most of the species here are typically shark-like in their eating habits, so the bloodier and smellier the bait the better – but not for all of them. Spotty sharks are exclusively shellfish feeders, and tope, whilst true carnivores, have a clear preference for fresh bait. Live baits can also be effective – active predators such as tope, sevengills and bronze whalers like nothing more than to find disabled, distressed fish to scoff!

Most anglers I know treat non-scale species as B-grade sport – not unenjoyable, but certainly not in the same league as catching snapper or kingfish, for example. I’m in that category too, but still appreciate some of the qualities they bring to shore fishing. If the fishery remains under pressure, perhaps people will appreciate them more; in countries where fisheries are a mere shadow of what they once were, anglers already do.

Tope are a highly-regarded surfcasting species in the United Kingdom, whilst elephantfish and ‘gummy shark’ (a close relative to our spotty shark) are much sought after in Australia. With this in mind, treat these fish with respect – I’ve witnessed several episodes of anglers treating non-scale species without care, leaving them to die a slow, painful death.

Another positive with many non-scale species is their willingness to enter the surf when the water quality is poor and the surf right up. Spotty sharks are the shining example of this, feeding freely in the dirtiest, messiest surf in search of paddle crabs. Surfcasters take big, stubborn spotty sharks in conditions like this all over New Zealand. It’s nice to know they’re there.