Anglers operating in the Top of the South are spoilt for places to fish, with the Marlborough Sounds being just one of those great places. Nelson-based angler Dan Govier explains…

Marlborough Sounds is an incredibly special place, and often underestimated by many anglers for its fishing potential – and that is the way we like it. However, the area is slowly growing in popularity due to the fantastic fishing on offer. Depending on weather conditions, you can choose your fishing location based on what you want to target and where you want to launch. Besides fishing, there are many other things on offer, but for me, soaking a bait and enjoying time with the family out on the water is number one.

The top of the South Island is bordered in the north by the Cook Strait, so it can be a very exposed section of coastline, where strong winds, currents and big seas can be present in the outer waters. However, these conditions also introduce nutrient-rich water into the Marlborough Sounds, providing for a thriving and dynamic ecosystem. On those days when the weather is calm and the fish hungry, you can find yourself in your own small piece of paradise and there is no better place to be.

The Marlborough Sounds is a series of ancient sunken river valleys filled with the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There are many hills covered in forest which rise steeply up from the sea, forming a complex coastline that provides a range of sheltered inlets and bays. Within the Marlborough Sounds there are three main bodies of water: Queen Charlotte Sound, Kenepuru Sound and Pelorus Sound.

Pelorus Sound is the largest of the sounds, extending approximately 55km from Cook Strait to its head near Havelock. There are many different arms along the way which provide different opportunities for fishing and recreational activities, depending on conditions. Marine farming, tourism and forestry are the main industries operating within Pelorus Sound and there are now many holiday homes scattered around the 380km of coastline.

Havelock is known as the mussel capital of the world. It is the gateway to Pelorus Sound and is easily accessed from Nelson, Blenheim, or Picton. It has great launching facilities, but you can also access Pelorus Sound from Duncan Bay, Tennyson Inlet, Elaine Bay and Bulwer.

Havelock Marina offers great facilities for your Pelorus Sound Adventures

I will often fish the Pelorus with my family, as it is such a wonderful place to fish and relax. The launching facilities at Havelock are top notch, and it is always good when you head away for a few days knowing that your vehicle and trailer are safe. Heading out of Havelock, the channel markers help you navigate around all the mud banks which are exposed at low tide. And there are a few, so it’s best to stay alert and watch for other boats as the channel is narrow in parts.

We took a trip down to Pelorus Sound in January this year, which is the busy season, so there were boats everywhere. We decided to head out to the sounds and spend two nights on the boat, and given the good forecast, we took a friend of our daughter along too as we knew the sounds would be a good test for her. I had an idea of where I would moor up for the night based on the weather forecast, and where I wanted fish, but you always must have a backup plan in case the conditions differ to those expected.

The steam down Pelorus Sound on a nice calm evening is fantastic – still clear water, mussel farms lining the perimeter of bays, and forest-clad hills making an outstanding backdrop as the anticipation builds. When there is wind present, it can gust and swirl within the sounds. You need to always keep an eye on the conditions, as you can simply head around a point and find yourself exposed to high winds.

As we arrived in the outer Pelorus Sound where I wanted to moor up for the night, the last of the seabreeze was still hanging in there, so it made it a little uncomfortable to park up and have dinner. However, the beauty of the sounds is that you can access a sheltered bay quickly and find some calmer waters. It did not take us long to anchor up in a sheltered bay nearby and cook some dinner with the backdrop of native birds singing in the bush. Ang set about whipping up a storm in the galley while I started fishing with the girls, as I was hopeful we would be able to catch some gurnard or at the very least some fresh bait while we waited for the wind to ease.

You cannot beat cooking dinner on the boat in calm water with a setting sun as the backdrop. That is what it is all about – enjoying special times out with friends or family. With the dishes done and everything tidied away, we kept on fishing. A few beautifully conditioned gurnard started to make their way into the bin, which was great considering we only stopped here to avoid the wind. I was after some fresh bait, so Brianna put the little Black Magic Midnight Mackerel sabikis over in the hope of some fresh mackerel. It did not take long to hook up, but the fish looked much bigger than the mackerel I was expecting. After a short fight, two nice gurnard appeared from the depths, showing just how strong these rigs are.

Pelorus's mussel farms create a wealth of productive fishing spots.

The sun was almost down, and the wind had turned to the southeast as I was expecting, so we pulled anchor, went into a sheltered bay, and anchored up for the night. It does not take long for the sea to drop right away in the sounds as it does not have the fetch (distance) to build up any height. Once we were settled, I put the berley out in the hope of attracting some baitfish in for fresh bait, which did not take long. The sounds are alive with fish in the evening, and we soon had kahawai, mackerel, and piper in our berley trail. Even a big school of baby snapper turned up, which was great to see as this is the future of our fishery. Stocking up with fresh bait (not the snapper!) provided a bit of fun for all onboard.

You never know what you may catch in the sounds. With blue cod populations starting to show some sign of recovery, they are seen more often, and snapper, gurnard, kahawai, john dory, tarakihi and kingfish are also around. The mussel farms are a great place to fish. I like to sit just off the farm to avoid any risk of getting caught in the mussel droppers and the fish always show up. Gurnard are often our target species in the sounds and there can be some great fish caught, often up around the 50cm mark. We use a combination of bait on flasher rigs and slow jigs. One thing you must be prepared for is catching lots of sharks. The sounds have good populations of spiney dogs so do not be surprised if you get one or two – sometimes you need to move, while other times you can fish through them.

In the outer sounds during winter there is a lot of cold nutrient-rich water present, attracting an abundance of baitfish that pull in the bigger predatory fish. At night if you turn your lights on it does not take long to have piper, pilchards, and anchovies around the boat, all of which make a handy addition to the bait selection.

So, as you can see, the top of the South Island and the Marlborough Sounds are special places; they’re away from the major cities and there is some stunning scenery and a range of different fishing locations to select from. And if you get the timing right, the fishing can be as good as anywhere in New Zealand. 

The Pelorus Sound scenery rarely disappoints.

October 2022 - Dan Govier
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
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