Birdlings Flat elephant fish: fish the Canterbury surf with two compact bait rigs

Put the bait where it can stay

From the shingle at Birdlings Flat, an elephant fish bait has two jobs. It must survive the cast, and it must stay near the bed long enough to be found. A beautifully shaped bait that spins in the wash or buries its hook in loose stones solves neither problem. Pick a clean lane first, then choose the rig that keeps contact without dragging through the beach.

The Department of Conservation identifies a short detour to the pebbly ocean beach from the Christchurch to Little River Rail Trail. This guide concerns the exposed sea face, separate from nearby Te Waihora and its outlets. Choose a section with lawful access, room behind the cast and a dry landing position. The Canterbury Bight and Pegasus Bay research surveys document elephantfish in the regional inshore environment, but their sampling grounds are not shore-catch coordinates. Treat Birdlings Flat as an access point from which to read the surf, not a promise that fish will be within casting range on a given day.

Identify the fish and choose the food

Elephant fish, Callorhinchus milii, are chimaeras found around New Zealand and southern Australia. The fleshy, downward-curving projection on the snout is the most useful first clue. The long tapered body and prominent spine in front of the first dorsal fin distinguish it from the ray-shaped fish a surf angler might also meet. The local rig shark lacks the trunk-like snout. Use a positive identification before retaining anything, and keep hands and line away from that first dorsal spine when unhooking.

Elephant fish feed along the seabed. The snout helps investigate the sediment where prey live. A South Island stomach-content study found that crabs and other crustaceans made up the most important prey group by the study's combined index, with molluscs also important. The mix differed with depth. The study used fish collected on research cruises, so it does not rank shore baits at Birdlings Flat. For fishing, that diet supports testing a compact piece of crab or shellfish rather than assuming the fish is chasing a lure up through the water. A strip of squid can be a durable alternative in moving water, particularly if the first soft bait is stripped on the way down.

Spring and summer movements into shallower water for reproduction give a reason to look in the warmer months. That does not mean fish use the breaking surf every day. Start in daylight so you can see the wash line and judge the next set. Near a change in tide, watch whether the sweep eases enough to hold a bait. An incoming tide can make a near lane reachable to fish while narrowing the angler's dry retreat, so judge the two effects separately. There is no verified universal bite tide for this beach.

Read two lanes from dry shingle

Watch the beach before setting up. Where broken white water repeatedly reforms and runs back through a darker strip, there may be a trough or a channel in the wash. Check the pattern over several sets so a single dark patch does not become your target. A clean-looking near lane is worth testing before a longer cast. A second lane farther out is useful only if a sinker can hold there without sweeping into the first line. When the first retrieve returns stones or weed on every cast, try moving along the beach and changing the casting angle instead of aiming beyond the same obstruction.

Start with a 12–14 ft surf rod matched to the complete sinker-and-bait load, a 5000–8000 reel, and 15–20 lb mono main line. Use a tapered shock leader with a strong end around 50–60 lb and enough length to put several wraps on the spool at casting position. Size it for the actual casting load, rod and casting style. These are starting suggestions. Inspect the leader where it rubs across shingle, especially after a missed fish. A shortened or roughened leader is a poor trade for one more cast.

Rig one: a clipped single-hook paternoster

Make a body of approximately 60–90 cm of 50–60 lb mono with a swivel at the top and a secure sinker link at the bottom. Connect a short 15–25 cm snood of 30–40 lb mono above the sinker on a three-way swivel or suitable dropper connection. Tie on a 3/0–5/0 inline circle hook sized to the bait and leave the gape clear. On the sinker end, use a casting-rated bait clip designed to release on impact. Adjust the snood to reach the clip under light tension without bending the hook point out of position. A 3–4 oz grip sinker is a starting comparison where a plain sinker repeatedly walks, provided the entire cast load is within the rod and leader rating.

Bind a thumb-tip-sized piece of crab or shellfish to the shank with bait elastic. Trim stray shell and edges that catch the wind. The bait should be compact enough to fly cleanly and small enough that the hook still works. Cast slightly into the direction the wash is coming from so the sinker can settle before the line pulls tight across the beach. After touchdown, take up the slack without dragging the grip out and set the rod high. Check the arc of the line against the next two waves before deciding whether the lead is holding. Irregular taps can be bait pecks or stones. When a circle-hook bite becomes a continuous pull, wind firmly to load the rod and lift into steady pressure.

Rig two: a running ledger for a quieter lane

Thread a sliding sinker carrier onto the shock leader, add a soft bead and tie to a strong barrel swivel. Tie a 30–45 cm, 30–40 lb trace to the other side and fit the same style of hook. Start with a 2–3 oz plain or low-grip sinker on a cleaner lane with less sweep. This rig puts bait close to the bed and allows some line movement before the weight comes into play. The compromise is that a longer loose trace can wrap around the carrier in breaking water. Shorten it if the bait comes back twisted. Use a smooth overhead lob and feather the line before splashdown so the hook and weight separate.

Let the sinker touch down and take up line until the rod tip is just responsive. If the lead nudges a short distance and settles, it can help explore an open seam. If it keeps rolling into stones, go back to the clipped rig or choose a better lane. Leave the bait in one zone for several minutes rather than repeatedly winding it across the shingle. With a persistent draw, take up line and let the circle hook rotate into place under load.

A two-lane daylight session

Start with the clipped rig, a 3 oz sinker and a compact crab bait on a 4/0 circle. Cast to the first clean seam beyond the recurring wash. Check after several minutes. If it returns intact, compare a second angle through the same distance before changing bait. When a lead walks but the line can still be kept clear of other anglers, try one step heavier or shorten the cast. If a softer lane opens as the sweep eases, use the running ledger there with the same bait. Keeping the bait constant makes the rig and placement comparison meaningful. Switch to squid only when bait durability is the limiting factor. If both lanes are quiet and the baits return untouched, change the stretch or end the session rather than sending the next cast into a heavier sea.

A plain sinker and a grip sinker can give different signals even with the same bait. A slow series of short pulls followed by a slack line often means the lead is rolling toward you. Retrieve, look for shingle scratches or bait wrapped around the hook, and retest from a more up-current angle. If the sinker holds but only comes out with a hard tug every cast, use a cleaner lane. The gain in fishing time is worth more than keeping the bait in a patch that eats the rig.

Check the Ministry for Primary Industries' current South-East area rules, boundaries and finfish limits for the exact position before the trip. This is a steep, exposed coast. Fish from dry ground with an exit above the wash and leave if wave sets reach your stance. Use long pliers and avoid the dorsal spine.