Fly Blog

We had snow. We had rain. We had some actually quite warm weather (for ten minutes). Peter won the distance casting and totem pole climbing event. Trevor caught a Salmon. Matty lost two. A number of trout were caught, and Peter lost a very big brown on a dry fly. A wonderful weekend, as always, and looking forward to next year already! Here are some shots…

Lars and I, along with Djordje, William Vorst and Robert Gillespie made our way to Ukraine for the Mayfly festival and FFF Certifications. I had an amazing time, thoroughly enjoyed myself, made some wonderful new friends and plan to visit regularly. The level of casting is quite outstanding, and there are a few here who will be serious contenders in Norway for the world championships this August.

Thanks Oleg for organising a fantastic event and congratulations on passing your MCI! And thanks Lena for kindly translating for us.  And thanks guys, for making us feel very welcome! FP to follow!

The Meet: Instructors, examiners and Lena our translator.

I tied these few dry-flies for John O Malley to try on Corrib. I have no doubt that they will work. The mayfly patterns are an adaptation of my NZ emerger. They’re tied with a tail to keep the body on rather than in the surface film. The little ones are that emerger just tied in black to represent caenis. Caenis time of year in Ireland is rapidly approaching!

Tight Lines..   Ronan..

The end of the season was a thoroughly enjoyable fishing and social event! Superb fishing, lots of fish, good friends, plenty good food and drink and a fantastic “Trout Cottage”  to kick back in when evening arrived. From about April 20th to 30th myself, Chris Dore, Simon Chu, Bob Wyatt, John Mclean, Quenten Donnelly and Mike and his brother James Wilkinson fished the Mataura nearly every day. For the most part it was challenging and that is a good thing! There was an intense hatch every day for 1.5 to 2.5 hours and the bulging rise forms made it clear to us that the fish were taking beneath the surface. Emergers were the way to go. We fished the glassy water during the rise because that’s where the fish were. Fishing glassy, flat calm water is never easy. An up stream cast to a rising fish simply didn’t work! It was essential to lead the fish well with a cast 90 degrees to the lie of the fish. Fine tippet, long leaders, reach casting, neat distance presentation casting and slack line presentations made the difference between a good day and a great day! We all caught lots of fish and probably averaged about 8 or10 each per day, mostly around 2lbs. Quality fishing!

Chris and I fished together on the last day of the season. We got off the Mataura and went in search of a big fish. We found a  few in a river that was rising and colouring after rain and snow but they were chasing each other around, pairing up, anxiously moving around pools, even spawning! Some appeared to be feeding and I got one of those, an absolute cracker and the perfect end to the season on a freezing cold, wet and windy day.

On May 1st Chris, James Wilkinson and I went to the Oreti bike track hearing. Fish & Game spoke very well and the witnesses they had expressed many excellent points. I had an opportunity to speak myself so I did. Many submissions were read out, All but 2 strongly opposed to the track running alongside the Oreti River. Those who spoke in support of the track really had no point to make at all. If the 2.5m wide track goes ahead it will be a travesty and a wrong doing. Most people oppose the track so lets see what happens next. Thanks to all of you who wrote to the editor of the Southland Times. It’s still not too late! 250 words or less..

Ronan..

The Oreti, one of the world’s best trout rivers is under threat. There is a bicycle track to be built alongside the entire upper reaches of this truly magnificent river. This section of river has the largest average fish of any river I know. There is a real chance of catching 10lb plus brown on any day fishing on this stretch. I dont mention the names of waters in my blogs to protect the rivers and lakes I fish from overfishing and overcrowding but now I have to name this river to protect it. All the big fish in my last few blogs have been from the Oreti so please flick back through them to see the quality of the environment, the fish, the water, the entire angling experience. It will quickly become clear to you how important this river is for both its aesthetic beauty and as an angling resource. 3 bridges over the river are in the plans. I can’t understand how the NZ government is backing this. Whether you are here in NZ or in some other corner the world, us anglers need to pull together to stop this bicycle track destroying this spectacular valley. To repeat myself, the Oreti is one of the world’s best brown trout rivers. Fact. Please email the Editor at southland times. Letters@stl.co.nz to voice your opinion and if you’re a Kiwi then please contact your local MP. The hearing is on the 30th of april and the 1st of May at the Workermans club in Invercargill.  Check out http://www.southlanddc.govt.nz/news-events/SearchForm?Search=Cycle&action_results=Go for more information. See you at the hearing.

Ronan…

The end of the season is approaching and with all the fishing opportunities available to me I find myself going back to the rivers where a really big fish is always on the cards. A few days ago Simon Chu and I teamed up to fish together for the first time. We have know each other for a long time but not very well. One learns a lot about a fella during a day on the river together and now I know Simon a lot better and I look forward to fishing with him again. Not all anglers are compatible on a river. For example, some anglers move quickly and others slowly. A quick moving angler coupled with a slower moving angler means one or both anglers will get frustrated. Its important that both anglers fish at about the same pace and so work as a team, sometimes spotting fish for each other. Both Simon and I waste no time on the water.

Over the next few days I hope to catch up with my good friend Bob Wyatt. Bob has just completed his latest fly fishing book which should be on the shelves any day. I’m proud to be in it! Chris Dore and I will fish together one day and hopefully Chris, Simon, Bob and Myself will take on a river together. two up two down I expect.

Sean is heading back to Tassie in a few days so we won’t be fishing together for a while. He’s off to Invervagas for a farewell root but we may have a few beers on Sunday night. If not, All the best mate!

Sleeping in the truck has been uncomfortable lately so I went to the skip and got some ply and bits of wood to make a proper bed that I can stretch out on. I’m off the The Warehouse soon to get a mattress for it. Roughing it doesn’t have be rough!

Enjoy the photo’s! My big fish hunt continues…

Stuntman Ronan..

I really have no idea what to write about this week! I had some good fishing, camping and touring. I saw some beautiful places, I met some of NZ’s best anglers; One of whom I was watching in amazement about ten years ago in a fishing film. Robbie Mcphee is his name. He’s captured on film catching some really big fish!, I broke my TCX. That’s break number one. I broke my old XP 10′ 7 weight 13 times and currently all sections need attention. I broke John O Malley’s TCR 3 times I think (and his loomis and maybe his 10 weight pike rod!). Sage must love me! I guess that’s why the rods cost 1300 nzd. I don’t feel guilty but I should be more careful. What else? Some new water next I think. Maybe a lake. That’s all I have to say for now.

Ronan..

Day 1.

Conditions were promised perfect but they weren’t. It was cold, misty and cloudy. However, I was on the river and looking forward to the day whatever it brought. I knew I’d have the river to myself because bad weather deters most anglers from rivers best suited to sight fishing in NZ. Some, not many, but some fish were visible and feeding and I hooked about 2/3rds of the 15 or so fish I saw. I landed four. 6.5, 8.5, 8.5 and 5.5lbs. At least 2 of the fish I lost were over 8. One I had in the net; I had to get downstream of the fish in fast water to net him. I let the line go slack to let him fall back into the net. With my outstretched arm in the fast water I hadn’t the strength to lift him quickly due to the drag from the mesh in the fast water. The fish swam out of the net and in his next run he threw the hook. I didn’t mind. All the fish took my size 16 nymph trailing behind a weighted one 5′ under a dry. I’ll put a photo of it in my next blog. This was a great day. I enjoyed it all from the 1.5 hour walk downstream to getting back to the truck in the evening.

Day 2.

Conditions were promised perfect and they were. I saw about 5 fish and didn’t hook one.

Happy Easter everyone! I have no plans yet but they will include water………

Ronan..

PS. I remember about 10 years ago to this day fishing on Lough Corrib with my good friend Damien O Malley. We stayed at a B&B in Cornamona, Co. Galway. The woman of the house assured us that she would not cook us meat for our breakfast the next morning (because practising Catholics don’t eat meat on Good Friday, or cook it in this case!) so we better catch a fish. Thankfully Damien did!

All the fish in the blog were released of course!

Great to be into a new season! Milan and I will be hosting trips here this summer. Details to follow this week!

Fraser, Sean and Myself headed off on Friday evening with big fish in mind. The plan was for an early start on Saturday morning to put in a big day through a gorge on a river known for its large sea run browns, or sea trout as we call them in Ireland. We forgot the map so Fraser’s i phone had to suffice but it didn’t! We got a bit lost so made camp near the river and then made our way to the gorge in the morning. We were lucky to get there first but the forecast was bad and the wind was howling down the valley so that probably deterred most! Sean had a fish first off and that was all we landed that day. We had no shot at a big fish.

On Saturday evening we stopped of at a friend of Fraser’s house for a few beers and food. Jimmy cooked up some fresh cockles followed by “sensational” pizza’s as Sean put it. They were sensational. Jimmy’s Grandfather started up Jimmy’s Pies so I guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree… even on the second drop!

On Sunday we considered fishing some dams near and around Alexandra but ended up fishing a local river. It was coloured but not too coloured. We had about 8 or 10 small fish. On the way home we had a crack on Lake Dunstan at the southern end. We landed a few there in very cold and windy conditions. Autumn is well and truly here although the forecast for the next few days is good.

Have a great week!    Ronan..