Only a handful of fishing competitions caters for night fishing, and one of the most celebrated events is set to take place over the last weekend of the month.

The Wish 4 Fish competition begins at 9pm on Friday, November 27 at the Marble Bar in Gate Pa, Tauranga and finishes at 4pm the following day.

A Wish 4 Fish charter on the MG Sportfisher. Photo: Supplied.

'We've changed it to allow people that don't have a boat,” says organiser Bryce Dinneen.

'If they want to surf cast, or if they want to fish off the rocks, they can go away from the briefing on Friday night and start fishing.

'A lot of these guys tend to fish at night anyway.

'The more the merrier. The more people that turn up, the better the event is, and we don't want to restrict it to boats only.

'It's basically everyone getting on board and getting behind the cause while we give away some good prizes.”

The Wish 4 Fish charity fund raiser is normally held in spring, but was postponed because of bad weather. It was then set back because of the Rugby World Cup.

The last weekend in November is the only date they could sneak in before Christmas, says Bryce.

Money raised from the competition will go towards helping disabled people to fish. Bryce has a list of around 40 people waiting for a charter trip on a wheelchair-friendly fishing boat.

'On the back of the funds raised from this event, we will look at several charters,” says Bryce.

'We have got a couple before Christmas, which are weather dependent, and definitely half-a-dozen after that.

'We just want to get our fund raising out of the way and get some people out of the water.”

Bryce formed Wish for Fish after he broke his neck diving in shallow water in 2007. A tetraplegic, he regained enough function in his right arm to have the ability to drive a power chair.

'While in traction, you have plenty of time to reflect,” he says.

'During this time I came up with an idea that allows people of all ages, with physical and mental disabilities and impairments the opportunity to partake in salt water recreational activities, such as fishing trips.

'It's about experiencing the simple pleasures of the ocean.”

Before his accident, Bryce says he took part in different forms of fishing and says they teach many life skills, from socialising and bonding to being able to provide food for the dinner table.

'This includes the high of catching and landing a fish, the patience required to do this, the low of losing a fish and walking away empty handed, and finally the determination to put the bait back on the hook and the line back in the water.”

His current life presents Bryce with constant obstacles and challenges to overcome, and the Wish 4 Fish charity was inspired by his frustration at the limited access there is for a disabled fisher.

*To request an entry form for this month's Wish 4 Fish competition, please email: [email protected] or call Bryce on: 021 616 601.