At the recent AGM of the NZ Angling & Casting Association a new President was elected to fill the vacancy left by Janine Slater joining the exodus of NZ’ers moving across the ditch.

Brent Rolston here tells a little about himself.

At the recently completed AGM of the NZACA I had the privilege of being voted President. My name is Brent Rolston and I hail from the Feilding Surfcasting club. The Feilding Surfcasting Club has been in existence for the past 14 years and I have been an active member since its inception. Prior to that I was fishing for the Pania surfcasting club but living in the Manawatu.
My first NZACA Nationals was hosted by the Bethells club in West Auckland back in 1998, fishing then for Pania Club and I have fished all but one Nationals since.
Whilst the NZACA is more than just the Nationals, the concept of a fishing championship, fishing for trophies not prizes, at different locations throughout NZ has great appeal to me. The thought of being able to experience different parts of New Zealand’s great coastline and socialize with other likeminded individuals is to me what makes both NZ and the NZACA great.
I have to acknowledge at this time, that while I am a passionate surfcaster, my fish catching results at all the Nationals I have attended have been fairly average. However I tend to enjoy a social beer afterwards to commiserate my failings and congratulate those more skilled than I.

My time spent in the real world revolves around a small farm located on the banks of the Rangitikei River and being a husband to Sarah and father to Heather. Sarah is one of those horse types who slow us all down in their horse trucks when we are trying to go fishing and Heather is a typical teenager who is involved in everything and cannot wait to get her driver’s license so that she doesn’t have to rely on me to get her anywhere.

For 54 years the NZACA has been representing the interests of recreational anglers in NZ by keeping records, including dry casting, running the abovementioned Nationals for surfcasting, small boat and more lately kayak fishing; and has been a vocal, and fiscal, supporter of the New Zealand Recreational Fishing Council (NZRFC).  The future for recreational anglers will be different than the past with ever more pressure on the marine environment/ecosystem and more groups having a say on where we can all fish and how many fish we are allowed to take. The NZACA joins the NZRFC in acknowledging that in the future we (recreational) anglers will need more than just highly motivated volunteers fighting for our rights.

If anyone would like to learn more about the NZACA and what they offer both fishing clubs and individuals within New Zealand please go to our website (www.nzaca.co.nz), or contact our secretary Graeme Dawber on nzaca@xtra.co.nz or me Brent Rolston on srolston@farmside.co.nz

Brent Rolston
NZACA President