Harvey Clark: Best way to catch fish in Auckland

Auckland is up to four hours' drive from the best central North Island trout fishing areas.

An Aucklander wanting to know about fly fishing can hardly just pop up the back road after work, climb a farm fence and head down to the river a clod's throw from home.

The easiest, quickest and cheapest way for an Aucklander to learn fly fishing is to join the Auckland Freshwater Anglers' Club.

The beginner will learn more in a day's outing with the club on, say, a visit to the Tongariro than he or she would in six months going it alone.

For their $40 a year subscription, members get:

* Monthly club trips that cover a region from the Rotorua Lakes to the Whirinaki and Rangitaiki Rivers and Lake Aniwhenua in back-country Bay of Plenty and down to Turangi and the Taupo fishery.

* Use of a three-bedroom house (sleeps 10, $15 a night) in Turangi, giving immediate access to the Tongariro River and the whole Taupo fishery.

* Use of a two-bunk hut ($10 a night) so close to the banks of the scenic Puniu River in south Waikato that you can hear its song all through the night.

* Flycasting, fly tying and fishing tuition covering all techniques by experts - six club members are also members of the New Zealand fly fishing team.

* Lecture evenings by overseas and homegrown visitors; the last speaker had journeyed down the Mohaka River by canoe.

* Auctions in which members offer surplus tackle; bargains can be picked up.

* Yearly casting competitions including family days out with barbecue, booze and boastful fishing stories.

* New-tackle presentations with company reps casting their lures to attract buyers.

* Fishing competitions with annual trophies for the biggest trout.

* Women-only weekends during which secret techniques are rehearsed in an effort to out-fish the men.

* Opportunity to work with the local branch of Trout Unlimited, a worldwide organisation dedicated to preservation of trout habitat.

Above all, the club gives great advice and companionship. A "buddy" system provides a fisher-friend for a day out, and apart from the official club trips, members arrange forays among themselves.

The club was formed in 1972 by about 30 blokes. Those were the days of fibreglass rods, and rubber waders in which you could get frostbite during a run through the Major Jones Pool; days when the Red Setter reigned supreme and there was no such thing as a Globug.

Today, the club has 345 members, and the growing number of women members (40 to 50) reflects an increasing female interest in fly fishing.

The club meets monthly at the Panmure Boating Club headquarters. The next meeting is this Monday. The joining fee is $25, annual subscription $40, juniors $10, family discounts available. The club contact is Pam Williams, on (09) 534-7137.