Ronan's Report

Another weekend has landed. I live for my time on the water. In Ireland it rarely bothered me too much if I missed a weekend on the water, I guess with my friends and lifestyle over there things were just different. Here in NZ I can’t miss weekends fishing. I need 2 days a week on the water minimum, winter or summer..

Last weekend Iza and I went to Omarama. The forecast was for snow and the road-signs were saying that snow-chains were essential to get over the Lindis. Thankfully there was little snow on the Lindis Pass and the weather for the weekend was mostly sunny but cold.  We stayed in Buscot Station Backpackers as usual. It’s our home away from home and the perfect base for an angler.

We fished Benmore in two different areas over the two days. Each place had plenty of fish. There were lots cruising the edges so these took up most of our time. When sight fishing is available it’s hard not to take it! On a few occasions blind fishing the bugger was called for which also worked. I didn’t fish dries but there were a few fish taking off the top too.

If you’re at a loose end this weekend, Benmore is fishing well, it always does! I might go back actually..

Tight Lines!

Ronan..

PS, I’m in the process of setting up a guiding business! So I’ll be trying to put this NZ trout fishing experience to good use. I hope to be up and running this October 1st. Please feel free to contact me at ronan@sexyloops.com for bookings and information.

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A few buzzers for Dunstan which have been working well since I've been home.. Tied on a 14 Kamasan B175 with a 1.5mm tungsten bead.

Buggers and spiders for Benmore. The spiders are tied on 14 Kamasan B 175 also with a 1.5mm tungsten bead, though I usually use a 2mm bead for my spiders.

A quick snap out the window going over the Lindis...

It didn't take long to find a trout out on the prowl..

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Continuing down the shore..

A good fish too.. on the spider.

Iza into one!

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A great conditioned September brown from Benmore..

The view through the trees..

Plenty fish cruising in the wee nooks and crannies!

An interesting gutter in the silty lake bed cut out by flowing water.. Always good for a fish!

Iza gets one blind on a bugger..

She has set herself some goals to keep improving..

A sunken boat!

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And Iza is off again..

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All in good condition..

Lunchtime on a cold day!

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Another healthy fish..

My on my swan.. I was hoping she'd take me back to the truck!

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Almost time to call it a day.. (there goes my swan)

Cows..

Another season has landed so I better buy my licence. The fishing has been so good on the lakes for the last while that part of me doesn’t want to leave them! I will though, I have 5 options in my head for tomorrow and the next day. Two small creeks, two medium rivers and one in between. I’ll make the call in the morning. The forecast is not great so some willow lined water to cut out glare might be the go. I know just the place…

The last 2 weekends were simply fantastic. I had one in Omarama and stayed at the magical Buscot Station Backpackers and the other right here in Cromwell. Mostly sight fishing to cruising browns over sand and silt flats. I also had decent action along willow lined edges, swampy creek mouths, steep tussock banks, weed beds and even a treated effluent outfall! (surprisingly good fishing at the latter!).

There were plenty of great moments. I want to talk about them all but I have flies to tie for tomorrow. I’ll mention one .. I spotted a good fish cruising tight to the shore along a cut bank over sand. I got into position as the fish swam into a notch in the bank. This allowed me to get close and not be seen. The notch was approximately a meter by half a meter and about half a meter deep. I leaned over until I could see the tip of his tail, careful not to make eye contact and spook him. No need to cast, I unhitched the weighted nymph and put it where it needed to be. A little jiggle and the trout’s tail gave a quick kick propelling him towards my fly and out of my sight. I struck a moment later based only on when I thought he should have eaten the fly if he did at all… though I knew he would. A great moment when I lifted into a solid 4lber. My fly was wrong, at least, not my first choice but I was all out of spiders. The fly worked because I put it where it needed to be and moved it a bit to give an otherwise very dead fly some life. It wasn’t the fly that caught the fish, more where it was and what it did that did.

Trout are known for being wily, elusive, and spooky. They are, but not all the time. I spotted a cruiser on Dunstan last weekend and made a cast to him. I let the fly sink and started to strip it away slowly. I lightly hooked his flank near the tail. The fish was briefly but solidly pulled sideways through the water. When the hook came out the fish seemed happy again and I continued to fish for him. Sometimes he looked interested so I kept fishing until he ate. I got him. After unhooking and releasing him I noticed the fly had one of his own scales on it from the brief foul hooking incident!

Check out the rainbow in the bottom row of photos. My best fish from Dunstan for ages.. She is a magnificent creature..

Ok, That’s all for now.. I must tie some flies and buy a licence!

Tight lines all and Happy Season!

Ronan..

Some flies I tied for the trip..

they dont get much sparser than this! It worked very well, most took it static.

On the second day, when the going got a little tough, I used one of Fred Stevenson's flies. I only have 3 of his spiders and he's passed away now so I use them only when he tells me to!

Amazing sight fishing to quality cruisers... Again, spiders did the business!

For the Omarama weekend, the weather was great! Some cloud in the afternoon on day 2.

1st cast about 20m from the truck!

Thanks Fred!!

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I had some excellent close range fishing in here..

I kept one for Gravad Lax..

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One advantage of weighing 68kgs is that I can wade the Dunstan silt flats. Too sinky for most...

Amazing fish! I had another just like it about 20m farther down the bank..

The weekend just passed was another local one. Dunstan was excellent!!!

I saw a fish, made a cast and briefly foul hooked him! He ended up eating a fly with his own scale on it..

I had this brute of a rainbow figure of eighting a single buzzer blind.

Back she goes! "Shoulders"

Superb condition.. My best Dunstan fish for ages.

Away he goes..