Big catch for young brothers off wharf

James Sangster is as pleased as Punch at Russell Wharf . Photo / Greg Bowker

The little fish in the Bay of Islands didn't stand a chance when James and William Sangster threw their rods into the water.

The Auckland brothers were fishing off the wharf in Russell and their choice of bait had the sprats biting straight away.

Uneaten Christmas ham, as well as some luncheon, was their secret weapon and it meant the boys and their mates were reeling the fish in all day.

"The fish just keep jumping on the line," James, 7, said as he gave the Herald a quick fishing lesson.

He got a new rod for Christmas and used it to catch a snapper when they went sea fishing. His snapper was the biggest catch of the day, beating his dad Karl and his grandfather.

James likes fishing and didn't hesitate when asked for his favourite part.

"It's catching them even if you have to throw the little ones back."

He was looking forward to more sea fishing and the chance to catch "heaps bigger ones".

Since the family arrived in the Bay of Islands, they have spent a lot of time fishing because it keeps the children busy and it is "a great free activity for kids", Karl Sangster said.

"This is really where it starts for them. They get the feel of the reel and the catch." He said he was teaching them to fish on the same wharf his father taught him.

"It's a generational thing really. We have a holiday house here and come up every New Year's.

"You don't need an expensive launch or flash gear to catch them. You can have that and go out all day and get nothing."

Mr Sangster said Russell had changed since the family started coming, but was still a "picturesque" place to visit.

He thought trouble-makers stayed away because it was a little harder to get to. "The Bay of Islands is a lot more of a family place than it was when I was coming here in '92 or '93."

James hasn't decided what he wants to be when he is older but a fisherman is definitely something he would consider. "That way you get to go out to sea all day."