Category Archives: Commentary

A Salmon Angler’s Lament

Guest Post by Rex N. Gibson We have heard a lot of our river’s plight, Of belligerent anglers demanding their rights, But this is an issue that hasn’t happened before Now the anglers are livid, they can’t catch fish any … Continue reading

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Why The Gun Is Civilization

Reproduced without comment Original from MARCH 23, 2007 by Marko Kloo Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either … Continue reading

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A Sour Taste

Guest Post by Rex N. Gibson Peter Trolove is the current President of the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers Inc. He commutes between his home at the North Rakaia huts and a batch at Okarito. Hunting and fishing are passions … Continue reading

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A Stream with no Trout

Guest Post by Rex N. Gibson After a recent trip to North Queensland I was reminded of Slim Dusty’s 1957 classic Aussie song, “A Pub With No Beer”. It was based on a poem written back in 1944 by a … Continue reading

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Hundreds of native fish die in botched transfer

Reproduced with kind permission of Fishing & Outdoors F&O NEWSDESK In a major setback for the fishing industry, 921 native fish died in a botched transfer project. The transfer, scheduled for earlier in July, involved the transfer of rare black … Continue reading

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River Ecosystems Declining Say Anglers

by Tony Orman The public’s trout fishery is severely declining in a number of rivers due to a decline in both flow and water quality says a national trout fishing advocacy. In his annual report retiring president of the New … Continue reading

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Eco Cartoon

Appropriate under Commentary

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Are trout a threat to native fish species?

By Rex N. Gibson This is a situation where you have to see the forest, and not just the individual trees; or more correctly see the ecosystem and not just individual species interactions. Brown trout (three in total) were first … Continue reading

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Gun Control Is a Misfire

This from The American Conservative in 2016 – it’s not only New Zealand wresting with gun control What liberals and the NRA both get wrong. By MARC COOPER • March 21, 2016 The most fervent and polarized sides in the renewed debate on … Continue reading

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More People Cause More Man-made Climate Change

Guest Opinion by Tony Orman Everyone is hot and bothered about global warming. It’s a polarising topic. Everyone talks about it even the Pope Francis who said a year or so ago, that climate change “represents one of the principal … Continue reading

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Beware the Ides of March – A Black Day for NZ

Contributed by a lawful member of the NZ firearm owning public The Ides of March – it is said to beware of them.  In ancient Rome, the Romans considered the Ides of March (March 15) as a deadline for settling debts. But if you’ve … Continue reading

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Nitrates: Today’s Hemlock

By Rex N. Gibson Are our nitrate laden water supplies killing us? Sadly New Zealand now has one of the highest bowel cancer rates in the world; and it is growing. How is “God’s Own country”, of just 4.8 million people, … Continue reading

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Saving New Zealand’s dying wild salmon fishery – 101

By Rex N. Gibson Early this year (mid-season) I landed a sea-run salmon at Kairaki (Waimakariri mouth). My first reaction was “about time”. A lot of hours had gone into its pursuit. It became the beautiful smoked salmon on our … Continue reading

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Entertaining Wildlife Diversions

Entertaining Wildlife  Diversions by Ben Hope One evening last year a friend and I were hunting some of Marlborough’s backcountry around a sharp ridge that was punctuated by some rocky outcrops – ideal native falcon habitat. So it proved and … Continue reading

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New Ineffective Firearm Law Arming Criminals?

Guest Opinion by Rupert Pye Following the terrible Christchurch shooting, government backed by Nationa’s, rushed through with “indecent haste” law banning military style weapons and laid out confiscation of military style weapons via buy-back. The law lacked thought and foresight. … Continue reading

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