Surfcasting is very possibly one of the strangest sports around as it has so many facets. There are some who place great emphasis on casting and achieving great distance, whilst in reality casting long distances seldom means more fish in the bag.

There are those who take particular care over bait selection and presentation, and these usually figure highly among anglers who take home a fish for their evening meal. This is me, I am always fossicking around on the beach trying to discover what fish are feeding on ... empty shells are a bit of a give away.

We then have the competition angler, the person who finds tournaments to be a great attraction. Surfcasting new beaches definitely holds appeal, whilst fishing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others doesn't ... or that is my own personal take on it.

We now have the category of the specimen hunter, nothing short of a snapper or perhaps a kingfish is worthy of mention. Again, from a personal viewpoint, those days are over. Yes it's nice to catch a large fish but it's not the be all and end all of surfcasting ... I have other fish to fry.

The last category I can think of, and this is me: those who like to relax by the water in a comfortable seat, rod at the ready and be grateful for whatever comes along. I love the satisfaction, the relaxation, the fresh air (sometimes too fresh). I love having a fresh fillet or two for my tea, also sharing the catch with elderly neighbours when I have had a good day. Don't think I am not serious about my fishing, far from it, I take the sport very seriously. Like you I love tying new rigs especially designing ways of making an interchange of the terminal tackle without assembling everything on the beach, especially in times of the occasional snap off. In the case of a pulley rig I have got this down to tying one uni-knot, then baiting the hook and casting.

On a personal note, and I know others disagree and that is their choice, I don't care what kind of fish are feeding. If I am getting takes and the occasional hook up, then I am very happy. What others may class as rubbish fish are made perfectly welcome and if they are edible, then doubly so. I will also take note of someone using a kite, kontiki or a torpedo, and if when they retrieve they have caught fish then I happily chat to them about bait used and the distance of their set. I know many of the fish they land will come closer to shore of an evening and this information can be very valuable.

I am seventy years of age, been surfcasting since Adam was a lad and yet I am still learning, and that is the most important part. When it comes to rigs visit the UK fishing sites on YouTube, you will find some invaluable information and tuition freely available much of which can be used in New Zealand conditions.

My daughter is always commenting there should be a sign on my front door, 'Gone Fishin', the embarrassing part being, she could be right.