Graeme Sinclair and Gone Fishin

Host of Gone Fishin’, currently under the Trade Zone banner, Graeme Sinclair has played a big part in bringing the delights of recreational angling to the nation’s living rooms. Grant Dixon interviews a strong advocate for the fishery, a character who is not afraid to swim against the main stream of popular opinion, and who continues to give back to his community…

‘To achieve good fisheries management, you need to know the destination before starting out on the journey,” says Graeme Sinclair, fishing show host, disabilities advocate, hunter, conservationist, author, photographer, youth worker, television producer and fisheries commentator.

There are few fishing rocks Graeme and his Frontier Television crew have not looked under in both New Zealand and out into the Pacific in their efforts to highlight the delights of recreational fishing.

Not afraid to stand up for his beliefs, the Gone Fishin’ host has come under fire from mainstream recreational fishing spokespeople and the fishing public after receiving sponsorship from commercialfishing interests in recent times. This largely involves difficulties in reconciling how someone who clearly makes a living out of promoting the value of recreational fishing on the one hand, can be fed on the other by the ‘enemy’. However, in answer Graeme has a simple philosophy: the fishery is there to be shared.

“Iwi and commercial interests are not going to go away, and we simply have to learn to share to ensure sustainable stocks in the future,” he says. “Let’s leave the guns and knives and past history at the door and engage effectively for a sustainable future.”

Graeme says it is our responsibility to ‘lay a platform for engagement’ with all stakeholders.

“We generally want the same for the future of our fishery – sustainability – so we know the destination; it is now a matter of working out how we get there.”

Graeme says as recreational fishers  we are generally bad at handling the catch. He suggests the mortality of juvenile fish released back into the ocean is high. The way we handle them, the type of hooks used, and fishing techniques – all have a bearing on the survivability of released fish.

“The attitude that bag limits are there to be caught needs to change to one where we only catch what we can reasonably use. It is simply a case of stop fishing when you have enough for a feed, and if you insist on targeting a limit bag, take the first seven in Snapper 1 Management Area – SNA legal fish – don’t high-grade.’

Graeme points out the big advances fishing companies such as Aotearoa, Sandfords and Sealord are making with their precision seafood harvesting methods.

New Zealand’s industry has met Marine Stewardship Council gold standards for a number of species, recognising good commercialfishing practice combined with the effectiveness of the Quota Management System, which has been around now for 30 years.

“We, as recreational fishers, have to lift our games to the same ‘gold’ standard,” Graeme says.

HUNTING AND FISHING are in the Sinclair blood. From an early age Graeme was exposed to the hills and ocean on a regular basis. Even today, despite being inflicted by MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and confined to a wheelchair, that passion has never left him – just the means of getting there has changed.

Gamefishing became a passion from the outset, where he learned from some of the best.

“Bill Hall, Frank Cunningham and Guy Jacobsen all taught me a great deal.”

Fishing in places such as Tonga and Kona, Hawaii, as well as working the decks locally, saw him gain a great appreciation for billfish.

The Sinclair story

Born in Christchurch in 1956, Graeme is married to wife Sandee and has two children, James and Amelia.

In 1974 Graeme worked as a professional hunter, guide, dive instructor and fisherman, before heading to teachers college where he specialised in physical education.

In 1979 he joined Pfizer Laboratories as a sales representative, going on to fulfill roles as Training and National Sales Manager. Along with two partners, Graeme set up Blue Mountain Group, which not only handled the advertising accounts of three pharmaceutical companies, but organised and guided whitewater rafting trips, hunters, divers and anglers.

In 1985 Graeme left the group and established Leisure Planners, a company that promoted training, incentive programmes and conferences with an outdoors theme. Graeme had his first taste of television via some occasional work for TV3’s Mobil Sport.

In 1993 he purchased an interest in the television production company Wild Film and Television, fronting the first series of Gone Fishin’. He also published his first book, NZ – A Wild Place to Play.

Frontier Television was formed in 1994, with Graeme producing, directing, presenting, filming and promoting the second 26-episode series of Gone Fishin’.

In 1995 the rights to Gone Fishin’ were sold into the USA, the first of many countries to pick the programme up in the following years.

Graeme’s son James was born in 1996, and two years later Graeme was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In February, 

1998, Graeme began a short stint as the ‘weatherman’ on TV3.

Graeme’s second book Gone Fishin’ was published, followed by a third, Gone Fishin’ – In Search of the Angler’s Eldorado, commemorating 75 years since Zane Grey fished our waters, and a fourth, Still Fishin’, in 2008.

The following year, 2009, was a ‘red letter’ one for Graeme, receiving the NZ Order of Merit (NZZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to television. He also started the Carters Gone Fishin’ radio show co-hosted by Kent John on Radio Sport.

Life on Wheels was published in 2011, and a new sponsor, Trade Zone, took up the Gone Fishin’ naming rights for its 18th season. Graeme was also made patron of the Royal NZ Police College’s Recruitment Wing 267. He continues as the patron of the NZ Police Bluelight organization.

In 2013 Graeme became a board member of the Southern Seabirds Trust and worked with the Department of Conservation on a video promoting ‘treasure islands’ of the Hauraki Gulf.

From then until the present day, Graeme and Sandee have continued to produce Trade Zone Gone Fishin’. Together they have supported a wide range of charities and events, especially those concentrating on youth and people with disabilities.

There have also been numerous documentaries and ‘one-hour special’ television programmes made over the years, along with countless magazine contributions.

So no wonder Graeme remains a popular MC and keynote speaker for a number of conferences, charities and events.

Others to influence a young Graeme Sinclair were the late Steve Sneddon, a former editor of NZ Fishing News, as well as its writers Sam Mossman, Mark Kitteridge and John Eichelsheim.

Graeme shared an office for period with the magazine, so was exposed to cutting-edge recreational fishing techniques and tricks. “These were all people who had a passion for their fishing and this rubbed off on me.”

While fishing and diving played a big part in Graeme’s life, so did hunting – especially in Fiordland. “It was heaven for me – hunting, fishing and diving all rolled into one.”

It was also the first environment where Graeme recognized not all was well ‘in the body department’. “It is a place that tests your physical and mental stamina, and Fiordland was to remind me of my frailties.” It was also a place that he shared with many good people, none more so than famed helicopter pilot ‘Hannibal’ Hayes. On a recent flight over the fiords, Hannibal remarked to Graeme that ‘we are running out of runway’.

“It made me think just what legacy I was leaving my children, and their children, as time marched on.” If you are Graeme Sinclair, it is quite a lot. Graeme has always believed that the best thing you can give children is your time.

He has been patron to the NZ Police ‘Blue Light’ youth organization, and 20 years ago established what is known today as the Trade Zone Kids Gone Fishin’ programme.

He says this is not a political vehicle, but one that encourages parents and caregivers to spend time with children – ‘it is all about the kids’.

Asked what his favourite outdoor destination was, Graeme says there are two: Fiordland for the hunting and diving, and the Three Kings Islands for the fishing.

As for his thoughts on what the future holds, Graeme says 2017 will be the 25th year of Gone Fishin’.

“I guess I will reassess where we are at then.” Graeme celebrated his 60th birthday recently, which for some might be a good time to start thinking about slowing down. But not Graeme Sinclair – he is looking around to see what meaningful contribution he can make before the runway ends.