Oysters are the stars on Bluff's special day

The oyster shuckers are kept busy all day at the Bluff Oyster Festival, working their way through 2000 dozen. Photo / Geoff Thomas

These are the best, Southlanders says, and who would disagree?

They start off by piping in the oyster, an old Scottish tradition associated more with haggis than oysters. But not in Bluff. Oysters rule in Bluff and the community is seriously proud of its oysters. The Ode to the Oyster follows the bagpipes, and then the Master of Ceremonies slips an oyster down his throat. The music starts, the cheering builds, and the annual Bluff Oyster Festival is under way.

They like their traditions in Bluff, and the tartan thread linking Southland back through the years to Scotland is as strong in this small community as it is in Gore and other corners of the southern heartland.

About 4000 oyster lovers travel to Bluff to eat oysters and other signature dishes that represent the wild nature of the region, including some who journey from Australia to feast on dishes like roast stuffed titi, or muttonbird, which is another prized product of the wild waters of Foveaux Strait.

Then there are the scallops and mussels, the blue cod served as fish and chips. If paua or whitebait fritters are your thing, you will have a smile on your face.

This is the biggest day of the year for Bluff locals. They are tough people. Much of the work here involves the sea; manning the oyster boats or the fishing boats, and it is not for the faint-hearted. The aluminium smelter at Tiwai is the biggest employer in the district, but its future is in doubt.

The men and women who work in the oyster sheds are slick in forcing the round-pointed oyster knife into the shell and twisting it open. And a lot of pride is involved in the oyster-opening contest.

Slurping down oysters in the speed-eating competition is open to anyone willing to have a go, and the crowd picks up the chant as the slippery little devils disappear.

Any question about which are the best oysters get short shift in Bluff. The best seafood comes from the coldest water. Oysters from Coromandel and the Bay of Islands are fine, but aficionados will not put them up against Bluffies.

And the subject has been the cause of spirited debate in other countries. Sydneysiders rate their rock oysters - but would anyone really compare a tiny, slimy rock oyster to the majesty of a freshly shucked Bluffie?

It almost came to blows in an oyster bar in New Orleans once. It was called Joe's or Jimmy's Oyster Bar - time has dulled the memory. What sticks in the mind is the long marble-topped bar running the width of the restaurant, with a depression hollowed into the marble in front of each stool. This was to hold the oysters. Quite novel.

But when the barman asked which of the 20 varieties of sauces we would like to try we stared at him and asked, Why?

You serve oysters with a squeeze of lemon and dash of black pepper, or so we thought. Some will add a dip of vinegar.

But sauces ranging from remove-the-lining-of-the-mouth hot pepper right through to mayo?

The proprietor was proud of his product, as a restaurateur should be. When we started in on the unbeatable qualities of our Bluff oyster he was not interested.

"These are the best oysters in the world," he remonstrated.

Well, that's a matter of opinion. But the sauce was good.

Fresh water

The rivers and streams at Lake Taupo are clearing after rain and should be in ideal condition for the weekend.

With a little colour in the water brown flies such as woolly buggers and rabbits will be popular for downstream fishing, with the usual nymphs for upstream fishing - hare and copper, globugs, green and white caddis and gold-bead pheasant tails.

Bite times

Bite times are 8am and 8.25pm tomorrow, and 8.50am and 9.15pm on Sunday.

Tip of the week

If raw oysters start to become a little repetitive, try popping them on to a hot plate on the barbie, or a hot frypan. Just a quick sizzle for a few seconds is all that is needed. Heating anything intensifies the flavour, and it works wonders with oysters.

More fishing action can be found on Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, 6.30am Saturday, TV3, and at GTTackle.co.nz.