Monster Trout New Zealand…
October has been a difficult enough month! Mainly due to lots of rain and snow-melt keeping many Otago and surrounding rivers high and difficult to fish. I saw this as an opportunity to go well away from home and try to lock in and learn some new water. I had a hunch about an area to try and what I found blew me away. On my first visit to the powerful beast that is mystery river X, I found quite a few really big rainbows.. huge actually. I landed one of 14lbs and lost 7 more (shit happens!). I took my good friend and big fish specialist, Robbie Mcphee for a look recently. He managed an 11lber, a 7lber and a 4. I landed an 11lb salmon, totally unexpected and immensely powerful. I passed the pocket water where he was hanging out having not seen a sign of life. Then something splashed behind me. I thought it was Robbie stumbling on the slippery rocks but when I turned around I saw the remains of a splash on the surface (not Robbie falling in, but a fish!). I went back, changed my fly to Stu’s Sonic Minnow and made a cast.. First cast I had a follow from a big grey ghost. I kept working the water.. 10 casts later I was connected to the biggest New Zealand salmon I’ve hooked. After a great battle Robbie put him in the net. I also had a few normal sized trout. This piece of water is still good but I expect these big fish will get off the shallows and back into the deep, heavy water before too long..
If you’d like to get in touch about guided fly-fishing in the lower South Island then drop me an email ronan@sexyloops.com or check out my website, http://www.ronansflyfishingmissions.com
If Stu’s flies have piqued your attention, look here! http://www.stusflyshop.com/select-your-species/
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- A pine tree with its flowers..
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- Some exploration has led me to some water where monster rainbows live! This psychotic looking brute hit the scales at 14lbs..
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- Like a morey eel!
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- Back he goes..
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- Huge rivers can produce huge rainbows! A 7lber for Robbie.. maybe not huge, but just wait!!
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- And this for me! What an animal.. A total surprise to meet a salmon so early in the season. 11lbs.
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- A stunning fish..
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- Back he goes into his bouldery pool..
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- Really striking black spots.. This made my day!
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- The salmon couldn’t resist this big eyed streamer from Stu’s Superior Flies..
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- Robbie into a huge rainbow..
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- 11lbs
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- A box of high viz dries from Stu’s Superior flies. I dont use strike indicators, I use a dry instead. These are perfect!
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- Some of Stu’s streamers. Kahawai won’t have a chance against these!!
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- Some disappointing exploration on a high country stream which I haden’t fished for years..
GUIDING HIGHLIGHTS
If not for local anglers and regular clients, Bryan Wrighton and Tim Proctor, October would have been a lean month! We recently had a 2 day mission on two very different rivers down south. With a narrow weather window between one front and another, I made the call to take it on. Thankfully it worked! Day one had us fishing on a river which was high and a little coloured. I chose this river for day one because these conditions suit it, it would also give day two’s river a chance to settle and clear a bit. The common denominator over the 2 days was high, slightly coloured water. Perfect for streamer fishing.. well, usually. The streamer barely got a chase over the 2 days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen these conditions not suit the streamer down to the ground! Fishing is always able to throw you a curve ball! Thankfully there were good numbers of fish out feeding and reasonably easy to spot. They were not easy to catch however, (they rarely are!) but Bryan and Tim did well to land 9 quality trout over two days all between 3.5 and 5lbs. Most fish were beautifully marked, in great condition and very strong. We’re out again soon so hopefully we’ll produce the goods again..
Tight Lines all!
Ronan..
Ps. Dont forget to check out Sky TV this October 31st. Jeff Forsee and myself will be doing what we do best on episode 6 of “Pure Fly New Zealand”…
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- Walking down to fish back..
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- Dont look a gift horse in the mouth! We spotted a group of trout feeding during the walk down, we put on a 16 nymph under a dry and Bryan landed this on his 3rd cast of the day!
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- Great conditions..
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- Tim with his first of the day.. A magnificent specimen!
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- Blind fishing a likely drop-off..
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- I spotted this fish but then lost sight of it.. I was hesitant to look again in case I’d spook it. Bryan fished to where I’d seen the fish and after a while the dry went down!
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- A great moment! A very difficult fish to catch..
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- A big brown lives here.. we didn’t get him today..
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- Bryan and cows. Day 2.
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- Tim with first blood. This was the only fish on the streamer over 2 days. A great moment to see him nail the fly from a swirling eye. No place for a nymph as a drag-free drift was impossible.
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- Bryan into one.. all powerful trout!
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- I’m trying to scare the fish back up river away from snags!
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- Landed! Tim’s turn again..
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- I took my netting opportunity when I got it, dipping the net deep!
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- A beautifully marked fish for Tim!
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- Ready with the net once again!
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- That great moment for both the guide and the angler when the fish is safely in the net!
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- Everyone’s happy!
