Boat Show: All Black Thumbs Up!!

All Black front-row legend Craig Dowd pictured here with his new purpose-built McLay
680 from Fish City. Like a lot of our rugby heroes, Craig, his family and mates are mad-keen on fishing and boating. After spending some serious time researching the best boat for fishing and
diving duties (almost as much time as practicing his scrumaging techniques!) we asked
the big front-rower why buy a McLay from Fish City?

"Fifteen years of trialing and testing boats meant I knew what boat I wanted. I knew I’d
made the right choice with a McLay from Fish City."

"The McLay is perfect for my family since we are mad on fishing, diving, sea biscuiting
and island hopping."

"The McLay just has that extra room so getting some big men on board is not a
problem."

"I named my McLay, ‘Prop-a-Boat’ for one simple reason: it is a proper boat."

Steve and the team work closely with Fish City customers, discussing the type of
boating and the specialised design needs the customer requires. Boats are suggested
that accommodate a customer’s size, comfort options and any extra weaponry
needed for today’s modern fishing techniques. Call or come in and talk to Fish City’s
knowledgeable and helpful team. To put together your ultimate package contact Fish
City Auckland or Hamilton today.

Game Fishing Tagging News

Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report

When the snapper finally schooled up in an area north of Tiri (and a little east of Motuora Island to Flat Rock) in spring of last year it was amazing! Getting a bin full was like shopping at a supermarket. But then Christmas came and things changed dramatically. Sure, it usually goes a bit quiet around this time, but this year the fishing just died. Fishos were left scratching their heads, wondering how it could go from so good to so bad, so quickly.

We had to play a waiting game for the snapper to come back. The saving grace was the
kingfish. While the snapper were playing hide and seek, the kingfish swept into the gulf in
plague proportions. The bulk of these fish were under-sized rat kingies but there were just
enough bigger ones to keep it interesting so now everyone was catching kingies along
with the odd snapper. Smiles all round!

Mid-February heralded the return of the snapper. Although previously there had been
limited catches throughout the gulf, it generally had been pretty tough. But now they were
back and in the channels, and it was all on again. The Motuihe channel was the jewel
in the crown, with early morning drifts using small dark-coloured soft baits. Most of the
mornings the Fish City boys went out they were back at the Takapuna ramp by 9.30 in the
morning, with limits of really good fish in great condition.

Late summer also saw the arrival of some huge kahawai. These fish were absolute horses; seven to nine pound was not unusual and, my god, could they pull string. So now we had snapper of good size, kingies everywhere and horse-sized kahawai creating havoc
amongst anglers. Huge smiles all round!

As we move into autumn, snapper are on the move again, heading into deeper water places like the Noises. Tiri, Flat Rock, Anchorite Rock, Little Barrier and the large area in the middle of the gulf called the back paddock (40 to 50 metre mark) are good places to start
looking. Then, as winter arrives, try amongst the rocky, weedy shoreline areas with heaps of burley. Just remember in winter the fish are a lot more sluggish so light lines, say 6kg to 8kg, are a better bet. Be patient as there’s not the same amount of snapper about in winter
but they are usually a bit bigger and in great condition.

Early mornings and evenings are best. Even if they are a bit chilly you can always rug up for it so don’t feel the need to pack the gear away in winter! Don’t forget the west coast harbours, such as Raglan, Manukau, Kaipara and, of course, the Hokianga. They’re full of
those tasty little gurnard at this time of year so just pick a nice day and get out there and have some winter fun! Scroll to the end of this page to view: Lethal Gurnard Rigging, Gurnard Filleting and Snapper Filleting Techniques.
Paul Walker, Fish City - Albany

News From Albany Service Centre

Hi, my name is Mike Betts and I’m excited to announce I’ve taken over as Service & Parts Manager for Fish City, Albany. I’ve also been working with the team to focus on delivering better service to you, our valued customer.

We take care of all the major brands including Yamaha, Evinrude, Suzuki, Johnson and Honda.

My background
Over 36 years’ experience in servicing the marine industry, including several years in the Middle East, maintaining many of the Royal family’s yachts and tenders.
Service Manager for Mercury Marine products for the UK and Ireland for over 10 years.
Run my own Mercury dealership, covering other brands as well.

Been a while? If we haven’t seen you because you had problems with the service department in the past, I would very much like to hear from you so that we can do our best to put it right.

Special offer - 10% off on a service and 6 months to pay!
Book a service and get 6 months to pay plus a 10% discount!
Alternatively, take advantage of the 15% discount with our ‘pay on collection’ option. Conditions and normal lending criteria apply.

Drop in and say Hi to me and the team, stop by the service department or
call me at Fish City on:
Tel: 09 476 4282 (ext 3) or Mobile: 021 575 154.
I look forward to welcoming you as a valued customer of Fish City and helping you enjoy trouble-free boating throughout the year.
. Mike Betts

Stop Press: 735s McLay Gets Best In Show

Loaded with many new features, the new McLay 735S won two prizes at the 2010
Hutchwilco New Zealand boat show, including Best Boat of the Show. With its striking
graphics, this new fishing beast from the McLay stable was certainly a head-turner. For
only the second time in over a decade, an aluminium boat has received top honours. It
has a stonking 220 HP Cummings Mercruiser diesel engine that the McLay team specially
designed the cockpit around. It is a completely new design from the water line up, built as a
stern drive boat.
Like most of the cruiser series, this is a purpose-built fishing vessel with true overnight
capabilities.
* Stainless BBQ
* Fridge under the passenger seat
* Infill sleeper/seat between the pilot and passenger seats
* Engine-heated hot water
* Cockpit shower
* Plumbed toilet
The all-important fishing area includes the wide tread plate swim and dive platform
enclosed by an alloy cage. Two extra-wide gates double nicely as the dive ladders, not to mention access when on the trailer.
Although the engine cover does take some space in the cockpit there is no waste. It crosses over to a substantial bait station at rest and
features a large removable fish bin always accessible from every fishing spot on the boat.
Although we are yet to get our mitts on this beauty, we’re told the QSD series common rail Cummins is not only surprisingly quiet
but also boasts great fuel economy. At 2500rpm you can expect diesel consumption of around 27L/hour. And, with a 200L tank as
standard, you can cover some serious ground between fills.
Notable in the wheelhouse is the flush-mounted electronics and padded vinyl-surrounded Lowrance HDS 10 multi-function display.
Smart craft gauges, Lowrance VHF, Fusion stereo with VHF reception, twin switch panels and yep the ‘must-have’ iPod dock are all
included! There’s certainly a lot to consider when you’re in the market for a fishing vessel in the 7.0m range but this award-winner
certainly would have to be at the top of your list. There’s just too many features to list so follow our link and take a closer look!
Give us a call and we’ll happily help you spec your pride and joy from the mighty McLay range.