Just wondering if there are any fly fishers out there who have caught an estuarine stargazer. I've spent quite a lot of time scratching the bottom with charlie/clouser type flies in the estuarine areas within TAURANGA Harbour but have drawn a complete blank on this species. I've had two species of armour headed stargazers, both the giant stargazer and the spotted stargazer on fly in the harbour but never connected to an estuarine stargazer. They are quite small in comparison to the unrelated armour headed stargazers. Just keen to nail one because they are supposed to be there. Cheers

Got a horse of one on a softbait in 20m off tairua a couple years back also got one dragging a flounder net at Matarangi - they are good eating.

It's the estuarine species that I have been looking for. I see the spotted stargazers sometimes when I am wading the TAURANGA flats. I stood on one a few months back, must have been half buried in the sand, the way they do. A few years ago I caught a giant stargazer in the corner pool just upstream of the Chapel Road bridge in TAURANGA. I have been told that the giant stargazers are often seen when diving in Pilot Bay. I found a half rotten one while fly fishing for kahawai last August that was over 50cm and weighed 6.25 pounds on the Boga. The spotted stargazer and the giant stargazer are Uranoscopids. And you are right Craig, they fight like a snagged piece of weed with the odd kick thrown in, even a Johnnie puts them to shame. The one I have been looking for is the Leptoscopid  estuarine stargazer Leptoscopus macropygus. Sorry for the scientific b.s., but it's the easiest way to explain it. I thought that you may have come across them while estuary fishing Craig. Thanks guys.

Kev, that's a jock stewart. Sometimes referred to as a 'Scottish arsehole' . Or it could be what the southerners call a 'sea perch'. The sea perch grows a bit bigger and is good eating. My guess is that one is a jockie. Hard to tell from the pic. Both species are types of scorpionfish in the genus Helicolenus.

MM Re: the stargazers. I've never seen an etuarine stargazer (macropygus). We occasionally get the little sand stargazer up this way, but it looks like the estuarine gazers are quite southern. Interesting about the giants. Seems like an unusual place to encounter one. A good tick for the species list I suppose but I suspect I'm not going to see giant stargazer on fly adventures appearing anytime soon

Yep

We used to call them jock straps and when you asked anyone what they had on, the answer was always a jock with its mouth open. They must be the most common fish off the coast off Fiordland. Quite incredible that you don't need to bait a hook to catch them. Incidentally, Jaapie, did you see any butterfly tuna while in Fiordland? Your timing would have been right. Cheers

caught this one in manukau

Thanks Jaapie. Unbelievable fishing in amazing scenery. In the late 70s and early 80s I had a game boat down there. Part of my life I don't regret. Cheers