'Flossing' an illegal trout tactic

Fish & Game rangers have been alerted to an illegal fishing rig being used at the Mackenzie Basin Hydro Canals known as ‘flossing’ or ‘scratching’.

The method is as an adaption to the ‘egg rolling’ method where the egg imitation is positioned up the trace away from the hook. Regulations say the hook must be part of the lure. ‘Flossing’ or ‘scratching’ as it is known colloquially, is unsporting because it is highly likely to result in foul hooking.

A hook fished separate from a lure is not an ‘authorised lure, the latter only including artificial fly, spinner and bait. An egg imitation that is free running on a trace that has a terminal hook must be positioned and fished against that hook. Similarly, a hookless Tassie Devil style lure body that is free running along trace that has a terminal hook attached must be in contact with the hook while being fished.

A ‘flossing’ tackle set-up is considered unsporting and is also an offence because it is not used to induce the fish to bite the lure and be hooked from within the mouth simultaneously. The rig is set to foul-hook the fish or only hook the fish within the mouth by chance.

Foul hooking is defined as “to hook a sports fish other than from within the mouth” and it is an offence to attempt to foul hook fish.

Anglers are reminded that any foul-hooked fish caught must be returned immediately with as little injury as possible. Within the Central South Island Region anglers cannot continue to fish on any day once they have foul-hooked three fish.

For regulation enquiries regarding canal fishing contact Central South Island Fish & Game, Phone 03 6158400 or  

[email protected]