Summer boarfish: Where to find them

Boarfish are not a common species on people’s dinner plates, the main reason being is they eat worms in the sand and so they’re very rarely caught by the recreational fisherman.

They are a distinctive looking fish with their long snout, and we have two species in New Zealand waters: the Longed finned Boarfish and the Giant Boarfish (which is not always giant…).
The Long finned Boarfish is not really a target species. Most people prefer to leave them be, and while I have seen a few they are quite rare. They mainly get sighted in places like the Poor Knights, though I have seen them further north and also at the Alderman Islands.

The Giant Boarfish is more of a target species for spearfishers. They make great eating with very nice white flesh, and similar in flavour to John Dory, but with a Snapper like fillet.

Boarfish are more commonly a North Island fish though speared in the Malborough sounds, and I have heard of captures by commercial fishermen all the way down to the Bluff. The majority of the encounters are between Motiti Island north to the Cavalli Islands on the east coast. They have become more prominent in the last 20 or so years, which may reflect the reduction in gill netting that no doubt had an impact on their population. But fish are fickle creatures and population fluctuations could be analyzed in many different ways.

We mainly encounter them in the warmer months between October through to May when they move onto reef and shallower water to spawn. The rest of the year they are very hard to come by, most likely living out on the sand away from structures in the deep.

So where to target Boarfish? I get asked this question all the time and most people presume they are only found in deep water. But I shot my first boarfish in about 5 metres. They park up in very strange places, normally in orientation with sand. The most common place I target them is on a weed-edge, where the weed meets the sand, which is a good place to target many different species of fish including John Dory and Tarakihi, but we can talk about them another time.

Boarfish are often found in pairs; the male (yellow speckles on the back), and female (brown blotchy back). They often park up on the sand to rest and can easily be spotted from above in clear water. When parked up they will nearly always be facing into the current. But they don’t limit themselves to just the weed edges but are often found on sand patches between massive weed beds also.

Sheltered water, with lots of current

Not just any weed-edge will be productive for Boarfish. Most productive areas will be on the inside of islands or sheltered parts of the coast line. Highly exposed pieces of coast, or seaward coasts of islands that get pummelled by ocean swell are often not as productive. Wavy sand is not ideal; ideally you want flat sand. I am guessing this has something to do with the worms they eat not living in the wavy sand that gets churned over by big seas. We might venture further in regards to the dexterity and colour of the sand but I think we can stop there…

"Though Boarfish don’t eat other fish, they will be in fishy areas (most of the time). Look for lots of bait fish on the weed-edge and narrow your focus there…

So now we know what sort of area to look for, we can narrow our focus onto where on the weed-edge to find them. Ideally we want current. I know lots of people don’t want to swim into current because its hard work and tiring, but the more current, the more fish…

Though Boarfish don’t eat other fish, they will be in fishy areas (most of the time). Look for lots of bait fish on the weed-edge and narrow your focus there. We could go further here too, to talk about the shape of the weed-edge, and the type of weed but it’s easier to implement the basics first. Earlier I mentioned you will mostly find the boarfish facing into the current. So with regard to your approach, approach from down current to hit them in their blind spot.

Drift down from high up

When looking for them, stay high in the water column as to not spook them. Avoid going to eye level. Sure, sometimes they are stupid and inquisitive and swim straight up to you. But to be on the safe side shoot from above. Orientate yourself above and drift straight down on them. I know it is tempting to try and spear from side on, but there is a chance they will spook and disappear out onto the sand or into the weed.

Early in the season you can also find Boarfish in schools, an incredible sight. The best approach if this occurs is to lie on the bottom and wait for them to come to you.

They will be very active swimming around. So try putting these suggestions into practice and see if you come across them.

We’re in the prime of the season for finding Boarfish and, as I mentioned they make great eating!