Day 1
I once again flew into Christchurch and Dan swung round on Saturday morning and off we went. We headed over Arthur's Pass and fished a couple of rivers over the pass on our way to Hokitika, where we saw a few fish and I managed to lose a good fish on a cicada, not the best start. We then checked out a weir and canal section that was meant to have fish. We saw three good ones in the main basin but they weren't interested in our flies, even though they seemed to be active. Then a couple of spring creeks outside Hokitika, not much to be seen apart from the ever present bridge fish that spooked when I drifted a fly over it's nose. Fairly slow start to the trip.
Day 2
We woke up to another glorious day and headed south to fish a spring creek I had fished back in 2007. As I remembered it was stunning, and the fish were out and about. There were quite a few active and we managed to catch most of the ones we saw, they were refreshingly easy.
First good fish of the trip was this 4lb brown, a bit lean but actively feeding behind a weed bed, and it took a small nymph and put up a good fight on the 4 weight Scott:
We made our way upstream catching lovely fish like this one:
And this one was actively feeding on the surface and fell victim to a #14 sparkle dun:
One the way out we crossed a narrow ditch and on queue a good fish rose. We jumped out of the truck, and first cast it took the dry and promptly buried itself in the weeds. I jumped into the ditch (about 1.5m wide and thigh deep) and start prodding the weed with my foot. The fish took off upstream full pelt, weaving in and out of the weed and promptly bust me off. Was easily over 5lbs, NZ is amazing, there are trout everywhere !!!
We drove south and fished a large spring fed river for the afternoon. Once again there was a bridge fish feeding actively albeit in about 2m+ of water. I put a couple of casts over it before it slowly moved away and disappeared. We worked our way upstream and saw heaps of fish, but they were sooooo spooky. One barely had a shot at them before they bolted. We tried everything without any luck, until I managed to catch a hyperactive 4.5lber that looked fairly fresh from the sea. It put up one hell of a fight and was in awesome condition:
Small head, thick shoulders, vivid blue gill covers:
Dan also managed to catch a lovely brownie, but compared to the number of fish we saw it was tough...Day 3
We went back to the river we had fished on the afternoon of Day 2 and fished up from where we had finished. Once again heaps and heaps of fish, but no luck. We came upon a pool with about 4 fish in the main deep section that didn't give us any joy, and then we saw what looked like a medium sized fish sitting on the edge of a drop off in full current. I went for it and tied on a big terrestrial, my version of a Muz Wilson Stimulated Sandwich and covered the fish. Up it came, inhaled the fly and went nuts. After a great fight:
We finally got the net onto it and were astounded for it pulled the scales down to 6.25lbs:
A couple more shots:
A quick revive and it was off:
Dan then cast a Bionic Bug to the next fish which promptly chased the fly 20m downstream with it's mouth open but missed - amazing. After those 2 fish it was back to more refusals. We then headed off south again and tried a river north of Haast. We only had a short time but in one great long pool of fast water we raised 8 fish on Carty GFFs and landed 5 to 5.5lbs - awesome. Next year we will have to spend more time exploring that one. Then off to Haast to look for accommodation and as had happened 2 years prior there were no vacancies. So we headed off to the beach, I slept in the tent and Dan slept in the truck.
Day 4
Restless night and in the morning there few million famished sandflies waiting for us. We got the hell out of there real fast and headed south. We tried to get into one river but found a locked gate, and when we drove up the other road someone was already there. So we headed off even further south to try another river. First pool we found a fish, Dan covered it a couple of times but no luck. We then walked for at least another 3km without seeing another. We tried further downstream and again only saw 1 fish. Time to pull the pin and back north we went and over the Haast pass back to the east coast. We fished a stream we had fished the year before, and only found 1 feisty rainbow that slammed a GFF:
The main river was very low, probably the cause of the absence of fish. Still a stunning place though:
Day 5
Dan had to head back home so I abandoned him by the roadside and headed south. In reality the kind soul left me his car and hitch-hiked home, what a legend !!! I drove to Athol and popped into Stu Tripney's shop but he was out guiding. So after 5 trips avoiding it I finally fished the Upper Mataura. It was everything I had heard but better. Lovely clear water, plenty of feeding fish but TOUGH !!!. The majority of fish were nymphing hard in the riffles and impossible to tempt. I somehow managed to hook 2 but lost the both. By then I was down to 6X tippet and one spat the hook and the other bricked me under a willow. I then started to focus on the fish hanging just behind the willows in shallower water, and these seemed interested in taking dries. I hooked 3 and finally after a great battle on the 4 weight managed to land a 5.5lb absolute stunner of a fish:
After seeing lots of fish I finally called it a day and headed back to Stu's. Caught up with him and had a long yarn. He was one of the guides on a Seafaris trip I did up at Cape York last August.
Day 6
I woke up to a foggy grey day. All signs indicated it would burn off but it still took a while for me to get going, and by the time I got to the car park at the start of the walk in zone on the Oreti, 3 cars were already there, one per beat... After a bit of thought I decided to head up behind the first group, hoping to pick up a straggler or 2. They had chosen beat 2 which was a good 45min hike up river through the heather and the gorse, a tough slog. I started fishing but saw very few fish, the ones I did see were stationary on the river bed, not interested in anything. After about 1 1/2 hours I caught up with the guys in front, Henare, a guide from Queenstown and his client John, from the US. I had a good chat with them and being a bit lost for ideas they allowed me to tag along with them and fish the bits the braids they weren't fishing. After a short while the river split in two, they headed up the larger branch and I headed up the smaller. I was walking along an undercut bank, casting the fly along the edge when a good fish came out from underneath and had a good long look at the GFF and turned away. I tried 3 more flies for the same result, and then downsized tippet to 4lb. First drift with a Stimulated Sandwich and whammo, it was on. Only for a short time though, for after 30 seconds or so the hook pulled - AAARGHHH.
A bit further upstream I came across a small waterfall with a deep pool below, dark and ominous. One of those polls that you just know are inhabited by a monster but impossible to fish. I cast the fly and as it drifted around towards the bank a large black fish emerged, snaffled the fly and bust me off - Double AAARGHHH !!! I caught up with the guys again, and Henare then said they were going to stop for lunch so pointed to some trees in the distance and said "fish from there". I thanked him and headed off. I started fishing again, and the first good pool I came to I saw it, a hog sitting about 1m down against the bank in 1.5m of water. I took a deep breath, retied my fly, tested it and cast. The fly drifted down to the fish and up it came, oh so casually, and inhaled the fly. I set the hook but nothing, the fish didn't budge. Another tug and it was finally off. What followed was an intense chase up and down the bank, the fish wanted to go upstream into the rougher stuff, I wanted to get it down to the gravel beach. I would run ahead and pull from above, it would turn, swim down almost to the beach and then head back up. After what felt like a lifetime it started to tire, moved over the shallows and I pounced and netted it. It pulled the scales to 8.5lbs, a gorgeous fat, thick beast of a brown:
After a few more pics I gently revived it and let it go - I was stoked. After that it was time to head back, a good 1 hour and 45 minutes back to the truck. I probably walked more than 20km that day but was it worth it. My first time on the Oreti culminated with a cracker of a fish !!!
Day 6
I had driven down to Te Anau where I caught up with Nick Reygaert of Gin Clear/The Search - Tahiti/Fly Fishing Film Festival fame. We had planned to fish the Eglington but woke up to wind and rain so gave that away. Instead after a great wild venison pie and an awful coffee from Miles Better Pies we headed off to a nearby lake. After a few casts I started to get some knocks and shortly afterwards landed a small rainbow. A few casts later towards the end of the retrieve I noticed a bow wave behind my fly and then wham, fish on. Nick shouted out to let it run and did it run. When the backing knot went through the tip guide I realised it was a serious fish. Nick rushed back to grab the camera while I fought the fish, and when I got back I had a 7.5lb fat and colourful buck rainbow on the bank (edit 22/3/09 - well how about that, I made it onto the front cover of NZ Troutfisher - nice one Nick!):
Nick Reygaert Photo
Nick Reygaert PhotoA gorgeous fish in trying conditions. I managed a few more small fish and Nick caught a couple of ballistic 3lbers that fought like mad. We then called it the day when the rain started to go horizontal. A big thanks to Nick, twas good to catch up and see you in Brisbane for the Film Festival. I then started the long drive back to Dan's, with an obligatory stop at Stu's.
Day 7
It rained all night so no rush to get up. After a great breakfast cooked up by Dan's lovely wife Elizabeth we headed off to try our luck in a local lake. The water was quite dirty, and apart from a swirl at my fly and a fish dropped at the bank we didn't have much luck. After lunch we tried a nearby local water race that had been kept low during the rain and I managed to nail 4 fish from one culvert, all feisty rainbows. Practically in Dan's front yard. Those kiwis have it good. After dinner we had another quick session and managed a few more a bit further downstream A good way to end the week given the appalling conditions, 100mm of rain in 24 hours. The next day it was back to CHC for the flight home, another trip done.
I just love NZ !!!
