It’s hard to get time to fish at the moment! Iza is very busy with work which means I’m looking after the kids. I’m also putting a lot of effort into restoring our house and making furniture for it. I enjoy the tools almost as much as fishing. Its easier to work on the house if I have a 2 hour window because winter fishing options very close to Alexandra are limited. So I need at least half a day free to get out for a decent fish. I think I’ll do a lot more fishing once August comes around. I’ll put the home restoration project on pause and concentrate on fishing again. I also need to make time to finish restoring mine and Shotgun Kevin’s old boat, Daltona.
I’ve had a few days out since the last report. Unfortunately I have not seen any really big rainbows this winter. I heard the big fish ran early (back in March). The deluge of rain last February may have triggered this. The fishing was decent every day I was out with fish to about 5lbs.
I had a very enjoyable live chat with Justin Spence and Matt Klara from Big Sky Anglers on Instagram recently. We chatted about my approach to guiding and fishing in NZ. Here is a link if you’d like to watch it!
There has been some positive talk about opening up our borders to Australian tourists so hopefully by October I’ll be back in business. Feel free to get in touch to chat about a trip! Contact me ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Tight Lines – Ronan..
Possum and marabou streamers with dumbbell eyes. They get deep quickly!
Winter rainbows.
Cool water!!
Another good fish.. This one on a Fulling Mill streamer.
Searching.. You can find a migrating fish anywhere!!
I love this corner. Always good for a fish!
Landed a few like this little one.. Not finding so many big ones this winter.
This was always a bitch of a corner to fish.. It’s a bit easier now!
River keeping is always on the cards..
A slip with the saw and I got 6 nice nicks!
My streamer.
Heading out with Wesley for the day.
Ready to rock!
A quick river crossing..
..and the action began! We landed a few on this bend..
Every now and then the prospect of a fishing trip is incredibly exciting – more than the average trip. I get that buzz if I’m going abroad to experience a new fishery, or exploring new water, maybe in a new wilderness area. I think the key word is new. Seeing a piece of water for the first time is always exhilarating. A trip myself and Bryan put together last January was one of these. One of these with bells on! Not just one piece of water to explore but lots. We pooled our resources and planned a wilderness float trip. NZ was our oyster! Where do we go? After studying google earth for ages I had an idea. I knew very little about the chosen system which included lakes, rivers, streams and backwaters but that was the point. Some real adventure! We took plenty safety precautions. We went in with one sat phone and a PLB each, life jackets, raft repair kit, plenty food and first aid kits. The NZ wilderness is no place to take lightly. The river looked pretty safe to raft on google earth. Once everything was prepared and packed, it was time to hit the road to get the helicopter into the wilds!
On arrival, the pilot came out to greet us. As we chatted he gestured towards the raft fully assembled on the trailer and asked if that was the pack raft – sarcastically of course. There was a breakdown in communications in our correspondence. They thought pack rafts and we though they could sling-load the 40kg raft in. It turned out that they can’t sling load with passengers and even if they could it would be a very slow and therefore expensive trip. No problem though! We disassembled the raft and the pilot easily got it onto the back seats and into the pod on the side of the helicopter. We were off!
The flight in was spectacular. They always are. Mountains, rivers, forest and then our destination became visible. The weather was good and excitement was hard to contain. We landed and got our bearings. We had a rough plan for the 3 days. I had marked every place of interest on NZ topo 50. To fit them all in we had to get cracking. Once I reassembled the raft the trip was underway..
The fishing on day one was pretty poor. Lovely lake flats with only a few small trout. Then a river to explore. Lots of potential and reasonable numbers of mostly old looking trout – spooky trout! Some of the spookiest. We blanked on that river, but it was a magical spot and I’ll certainly have another go sometime. A few riffles and runs but mostly glass calm, slow moving pools. There were some stunning big lake like pools too but these were inaccessible due to treacherous soft silt.
After fishing the river we had a pretty major piece of water to cover to get to camp. Lots of rowing and drifting. The rain had come in as we fished the stream and it kept coming. As we travelled down the system the un-forecasted rain got heavier. Our gear and ourselves were getting soaked, even through rain gear. Camping outside was not too appealing at this stage but thankfully there was a backcountry hut not too far downstream. We jumped out now and again to fish likely water but the rain was getting to the point that the hut really started to beckon. With the GPS function on NZ Topo 50 it was easy to find the hut. We pulled up the raft and secured it to a tree well up a sandy bank in case the river rose with the rain. Once we got the gear into our home for the night we could relax a bit. I got the fire going while Bryan put on the spuds, then we hung up all the wet gear – almost everything! We demolished a couple of rib eyes with black beans and spuds. Some nice wine too. We slept well to the sound of rain even if we were a little anxious about the state of the river in the morning.
Day 2. The raft was still safely secured to the tree. The river had doubled in size over night but was perfectly clear and fishable. This was a huge relief since the rain didn’t quit until after we ate breakfast. With great excitement we took on the river. We started blind fishing all likely water and Bryan quickly got a nice 3lber to put us on the board. Then I hooked and lost a better fish and sighted another. As the sun broke through the clouds the cicadas started chirping and the trout responded. We had a spectacular few hours of fishing in the afternoon. One spot took us ages to pass because every time our flies passed the drop-off a trout would eat the fly. Dream fishing. All beautiful, healthy 3 to 7lb trout and mostly on a large Stu’s Cicada. The water was quite diverse in its make up. Lots of bouldery pocket water, some large pools, sandy glides, cut banks and fallen trees. A real wild river. We were sad to have to leave it to continue our mission downstream but we had more water to explore in our limited timeframe. The thrill of new water never waned and once we were back on the raft we couldn’t wait to see what was around the next bend. Before we made it to the next camp spot we had some good fishing on a small, tannin tributary. Very interesting spot. I got a follow from the same fish to my streamer about 10 times without an eat. Bryan had a nymph a foot under a dry. I suggested that I’d tease the trout in and then remove my fly quickly so that Bryan could cast to the fish. It worked a charm and the trout took the nymph while wondering where the glister disappeared to!
Back on the raft it was time to think about making camp. We had heard about a bushman living somewhere in the valley and that he didn’t mind a visitor. When we saw smoke coming from a chimney we decided to go and investigate. Sure enough it was Bruce. He opened the door with a big smile on his face and invited us into his house – which he said nobody owned and we were welcome to stay. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth we did stay. The craic was great! We took out our bag of wine and filled up everyones cup, steaks on the pan, cheese and crackers to start. This was one of those unforgettable experiences and we both knew it and made the most of it. Bruce regaled us with stories about many topics from eels to DoC to politics to topless women. We tried to take it all in while adding a story or two of our own.
Day 3. In the morning we had breakfast together before taking on our respective days. There were a few flags on my map yet to explore. Bruce was able to put me wise about which ones to avoid – not because there were no trout there necessarily, but due to the logistics of bush-bashing in to them. We said goodbye to Bruce but he said he’d be down to the helicopter later to chat to the pilot and to see us off. He took off down the river with his 15hp while we took a more leisurely pace. Over the day we found some really nice water. A pool with a waterfall that really must be right up the with the most beautiful places I’ve caught a trout, a backwater off the main river with lots of eager but pretty small trout. The size really didn’t matter to us though. The location and the quality of the fishing more than made up for that. Then a tiny spring creek with some quality trout that we didn’t catch and finally another lake edge to explore while we waited for the chopper. About half way through the day the rain made another appearance and quickly closed in to the extent that we weren’t sure if the helicopter could fly. Bryan got on the sat phone when they were a bit late only to get no solid information – they weren’t sure either! The pilot was stuck somewhere due to the weather and fuel was an issue. A short time later we heard the helicopter in the distance. He landed and seemed a little panicked by the weather closing in and fuel was indeed an issue. The helicopter had no pod on the side this time, so we quickly loaded everything onto the back seat of the helicopter. It was a tight enough squeeze but no problem. After we said farewell to Bruce it was time to go. Bryan and I both fitted in the front. At first the pilot thought he’d have to drop us to a road about 50ks from my truck but thankfully as we flew we caught a gap in the weather and made it back to the heliport. Absolutely pissing rain again, we hurriedly unloaded the helicopter and jammed everything into the back of the truck – far from the tidy truck that arrived here a few days ago. A quick change into dry clothes and we were heading home. What a trip – certainly, one of the best.
Let me know if you’d like to book a trip for next season. With all the uncertainty in the world right now my season is filling slowly so there are plenty spaces available. Email me ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website. I do not offer guided float trips by they way! But for anybody interested in this style of fishing you should contact Wanaka based Greg Dougherty.
Tight Lines! Ronan..
All the gear weighed before loading into the chopper.
Some great views on the way..
Might be worth a look!
Checking out some potential fishing water before landing..
The boat reassembled and loaded up. Now for some fishing!
Stunning flats but only a few small trout about here.
We gave it a couple of hours but nothing much happened. A few 1 to 2lbers..
Pulled up at a river mouth..
Exciting! Crystal clear..
Some stunning water but mostly glass calm pools and some of the spookiest fish in NZ!
Off down river and the rain starts.. Fishing has been tough!
We found a rising fish here. Late in the day, we were cold and wet! Hard to muster the enthusiasm to take the shot. No joy!
After multiple kilometres of rowing and drifting we made it to a cabin..
With all the gear soaked this cabin was bliss. Camping was the plan but we were glad of the hut. Steaks and spuds on. Time for a wine!
The rain didn’t quit all night.
The river had doubled in size but was still clear. Phew!
It didn’t take Bryan long to open the account.
Clouds starting to break.
We prospected fishy water with some success.
Then we got onto the good stuff!
Lovely!
Super dry fly action!
I’m not sure what hawk this is. It looks different to the common one on the roads.
The fish of the trip!
Heaven!
We had good fishing in the pocket water.
Bryan works his way upstream..
Another fat reel screamer!
Time to go back to the boat and continue our mission..
A rare opportunity to cast from the boat resulted in a magic slow motion take from a solid brown.
Result!
Another little stream to explore.
Okay fish numbers but we didn’t land any here.
On we go just enjoying the float and the wilderness.
Tourists!
The river gets bigger as we progress downstream. I’m on a constant lookout for logs or dangers, always trying to pick safe lines.
Night 2 camp after a great day!
We heard of a bushman living in the vicinity. We saw smoke and called in.
Bushman Bruce gave us a great welcome.
We had dinner, told stories, drank wine and generally had the craic. An amazing, fortuitous experience. Great to meet Bruce.
Day 3. A quick 10 sec timer shot before we go.
Some more banter..
Bruce has stuff to do..
..and so do we. A little backwater off the river.
What a place.
The fish weren’t big but they were happy to eat.
Stunning.
Bryan in again..
Brilliant markings.
Another healthy little trout.
This was a little better!
Bryan into a good trout.. The unweighted PT was all they wanted.
Great fish.
Trout skins. All unique.
Back on the boat..
Another stream to explore..
A tiny creek but it held a few trout..
No joy but they were there.
This was possibly the most spectacular spot I have caught a trout. Worth the effort to get there.
There were 2 or 3 here. After I got the first one the others disappeared.
Trying the streamer..
Wow!
Almost time to go..
Last look for a trout before we go..
With weather closing in the chopper only just made it to us.
No pontoon this time..
..so the boat and all our gear goes onto the back seat.
Bruce has a chat with the pilot before we take off..
After 5 weeks of lockdown I was itching to get back at the rivers. We dropped back to level 3 only three days before the brown trout rivers closed. I managed to get one full day on day 1, a brief session while walking the kids on day 2 and a 3 hour session on day 3. The full day was just brilliant. I got to the river with a one hour walk downstream to complete before fishing back to the truck. I was at a jogging pace to get to the start of the beat – I just couldn’t wait. Straight away the fishing was good. The fish were out and feeding and holding where fish should hold. Thankfully the incredible weather all through lockdown held up for another day. Blue skies and no wind all day. Absolute bliss and I didn’t see another angler. I had 12 for the day and broke in 5 or 6 more because I ran out of my usual tippet. Very frustrating using bad tippet! A fantastic day regardless. I had decided in the morning that if I could get 2 decent trout near the truck I’d take them for dinner. Not something I usually do but as long as I know there are plenty trout about I don’t mind taking one or two on occasion. I got one with the truck in sight and had to work pretty hard for the second but got him in the end. They fed 4 adults and 2 kids and included a cold smoked fillet as a starter. There is something very special about feeding the family with freshly caught, wild trout.
One good thing that came from the lockdown was spending time with the kids when I’d otherwise have been working. Our daily walks were along the river where I’d frustrate myself looking at feeding trout. The crazy thing is I had never even seen this section of river that flows through the town. Local lockdown walks were the reason I got to check it out. It’s lovely water. I didn’t see heaps of trout there but there were enough. Unfortunately there was little chance to carry the rod on the local walks due to level 4 lockdown rules (no fishing!). Now that we can fish the season is closed (apart from the aforementioned 3 days.). Next season, whenever I get a day off, and there may well be many, I’ll be taking the kids for a walk and taking the rod. By then Adaline will be old enough to reel in a fish herself. Lochlan might be too.
We’re into the winter season now. There are still many rivers open til the end of May. Once June starts just a few large rivers and most of the lakes remain open. Plenty though. I’m looking forward to getting out whenever I get a chance. The kids have severely disrupted my fishing if you haven’t already guessed that! I’ve had a few outings recently. I didn’t catch many myself but the folks with me did pretty well. The first tug from a large winter rainbow woke me as I drifted off to sleep last night! That will tell you whats on my mind. Dying to get stuck in a large migrating rainbow – one of the highlights of my season. The next fishing on the agenda will hopefully be filming another episode for Pure Fly NZ with my comrade Jeff Forsee and fly fishing film legend, Nick Reygaert. We have a few ideas.
I recently did a podcast with Daire Whelan from Ireland On The Fly. I never did one before so I was a bit nervous. However, here is a link for anybody who’d like a listen. Or you can use this link. I’ll be doing something similar on Instagram soon – a live chat with Justin Spence in Montana. I guided Justin and his friend Dan last season. Justin needed no guidance really, I’d just take him to the river and he’d know what to do. Certainly one of the great fly fishermen! For our Instagram session were just going to chat about fly fishing! More on this when I know more.
Feel free to get in touch with any questions about guided trips next season or this season if you live in NZ. You can contact me on ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Tight Lines… Ronan..
First fish after lockdown. So good to get out there again!
Great day!
Plenty fish about..
Lunch!
The trout kept coming.. Love the SLHT #4 for small to medium rivers.
10 released, 2 kept for dinner!
Out for a walk with the kids… and a rod!
Lovely water just a 1o minute walk from the house.
Adaline’s first fishing experience!
Lovely water.
Back home with a flat tire and wet boots! A good sign for the future.
I’ve know Bob since my first visit to NZ in 2002, I actually met him a year or two before at his home in the US. He cooked dinner for us. A New York Strip I recall. A very memorable steak! Bob is now 82. My annual brief is to help him catch a trout on his birthday or he jokingly (I hope) reckons he wont be around for his next birthday. No pressure or anything!! To relieve some of the pressure we have 2 days to catch the fish because it’s still his birthday in the US the following day. To add a little pressure the trout must be caught on a dry. We’ve succeeded in our quest for the last 3 years and I hope we can keep it going for another 23! This year we had one heli day into a beautiful wilderness river and a day with our mutual friend Camo Guy in his boat. Both days we were successful on dries and the weather was great – unlike last year. Cheers Bob! Bring on the next one..
I remember fishing with Alun earlier in the season. We were having a good day. Fish were out and Alun was doing well. We got to a spot where we could see a fish on station. He wasn’t doing much but he was moving to eat now and again. Alun covered him a few times. He looked at the dry once but surprisingly never moved to the nymph. After a number of casts Alun gave me the rod to have a go. I sent in a cast and the trout moved right up to take the dry but refused last moment.. my dry / nymph continued to drift. As I was about to take it out to recast, 2 fish cruised up from a dark, deep pool below. I left my flies drifting.. they perfectly intercepted one of them which ate my nymph and I landed a lovely 5lb seatrout. A bonus, lucky fish. I was not complaining. After this I gave Alun back his rod and he had another cast to the original fish. Up he came and nailed the dry! A nice scenario from a great season.
The weather for this entire level 4 lockdown period has been flippin unbelievable. Blue skies and light wind just about every day. There is a chance we’ll drop back to level 3 in a week, in which case fishing will be allowed again. Personally I don’t think we should rush to level 3 but if we do drop back I’ll certainly be making the most of the last few days of the brown trout season. If not, there’s plenty fishing in winter whenever we do get to level 3, some of the best of the year actually. I’m missing the water, thats for sure, but I’m happy to wait for the greater good – not that I can harm myself or anybody else by fishing alone but that’s not the point..
Some nice images below from the season pre-lockdown. I hope you all enjoy them.. Also a link to a short film by a mutual client of myself and Jeff Forsee. It’s from a recent trip with his friend Matt. Thanks Pat! Here it is..
Let me know if you’d like to book a trip next season. No deposit necessary until the travel ban is lifted. Visit my website or email me ronan@sexyloops.com
Tight Lines, Ronan..
Bob into one of his birthday fish.
Guy into one!
Bob again..
Guy Hague and Bob Toffler. The 2 people I’ve known the longest in NZ. Great friends!
Bob knows how to play a trout.. Success! Birthday trout on a dry. This is actually day 1. WordPress selected all the pics in reverse and I cant fix it. I could in the past. WordPress is shit.
Giving him stick!
Bob and Carole.
Carole into one from “the pool”. Sadly some pools were removed by the recent floods.
Super water..
Nice way to travel!
Lovely..
Adam with one of the best rainbows of the season..
Great 2 days with Alun!
Lovely, clean fish. No marks..
Alun nets a fish for me!
One for me! One of only a few seatrout of the season.
Another great fish for Alun. 5 for the day.
Trout face!
Nice stream. This was day 1 with Alun. Just one for the day!
Walking home.
Out with Ron and Joe. The river warmed up at noon and the fish totally shut down.
A day out myself with my Sexyloops HT4. Some rod!
Some craic with these fellas! Fitz and Biggsy. Prout FARTs.
The thunder rolled but the fishing was okay!
Ominous..
The spotting rock..
A fine fish for Fitz.
Small stream nymphing..
Spectacular markings!
Some of the best red spots I’ve seen..
Amazing..
Early morning.
Not a breath of wind..
One cruising the edge..
Which Biggsy got..
Off to the high country.
Biggsy works some deeper water..
Not a great shot but this fish went 7lbs. A trophy for this lake. The biggest I’ve seen of it to date.
Back he goes. You can get a better appreciation of his condition here.
Unusual markings for this lake. Usually they’re much more golden.
Trout food.
I kept a nice 3lber to cold smoke.
I had a super couple of days with Robbie. Plenty good fish.
Stunning!
A bright Rainbow.
I think we got 6 for the day. This was one of the best. Day 2 included a 6lb brown and a 7lb seatrout. No pics unfortunately.
My fly tying assistant!
2 great days with Philip.
These are some of the prettiest fish in the world!
Colour and condition.
I love this place..
Day 2. We lost 6 before landing this cracker over 6lbs.
A day with Maureen and David. The river blew out over night so we fished a lake. One for the day but a real beauty..
I love it when I get a booking through Sexyloops. There’s a certain familiarity and understanding right from the start which relieves any pressure. I can simply plan the best trip I can. I basically just plan to do what I’d like to do which is not always the case. Dealing with Grunde was easy because we are like minded – like most Sexyloopers. He was happy to have me fish too so this was a trip I was really looking forward to. I had a rough plan in my head for the 4 days which included hiking into the backcountry but on the first day the weather turned for the worse. Extremely worse! A weather system which was destined to wreak havoc on the South Island landed on day 1. I know many guides cancelled bookings because of it. I’m lucky because I love the lakes which means I never have to cancel due to weather – I haven’t yet anyway. Apart from on the morning of day 1 there wasn’t a river to fish anywhere for the 4 days. We took on a very varied list of still waters from tiny to huge through almost every type of weather. We successfully blind fished with dries and nymphs on day 1, we also had a few shots to rising trout. Day 2 was all blind fishing with small streamers. We sight fished everything on day 3. Some magic fishing. Nine trout from 4 to 6.5lbs, mostly on dries. Day 4 sort of beat us. We got a few trout but the wind got really crazy. Every time I’d change location to avoid the wind it would change direction to ruin the new location! You’ll have days like that. All up it was a great 4 days of fly fishing – not for everyone I’m sure but we loved it! Looking forward to next time, Grunde! Thanks!
Feel free to get in touch with any enquiries for next season. Don’t worry about a deposit under the current circumstances – just let me know the dates you’d like. Hopefully the travel ban will be lifted by next season. Contact me ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Good luck! Ronan..
Day 1. We fished the river in the morning til this happened..And it got much much bigger! Plan B was some some small still waters.. Casting dries around the edges was very good!Another for me. Brilliantly coloured this time. They’re all so different.After a few missed opportunities this one to the net and Grund was off the mark.Back he goes.. 4 for the day.Day 2. With all rivers flooded it had to be another still water. This time to the high country.We needed serious rain gear! I had 2 Simms jackets and this emergency poncho. The poncho was great!The rain pissed down all day. This was the system that wreaked havoc all over the lower South Island. We had really good fishing with small streamers.Stunning fish are the norrm on these high country lakes.Rain, mist and wind.. Cold too..But good fishing!Grunde in again..Super fish!Rain.One more beautiful trout before heading home. Super day with 6 to the net to 5.5lbs.Day 3. With rivers in flood this was a busy lake! 7 anglers on it. We got there early and staked our claim on a great 150m shore. A perfect blue sky day was very welcome after 2 of the wettest days I’ve guided.9 for the morning mostly on dries.. including this double hook-up.
A very memorable moment.
Nice markings.. Plenty more opportunities in the afternoon but no more landed.Day 4. Still on the lakes. We managed 3 or 4 but the wind got insane!yep, insane!Some Fulling Mill flies.Sensibly packaged. Good flies.Some of my own flies. My go to dry. This with a yellow body was great for cicadas this year. Lake edge cruiser fly.My #16 nymph with a 2mm bead. This fly has accounted for 5 double figure trout from one river!#12, 3mm bead. For depth or coloured water. The butt is backing line, possum body.
I thought I’d be putting up this years Top 5 list in May or June, but with the season virtually closed over here, now is the time! It was a big fish season. Right from the start they were big, way before the mouse plague hit. Some say it was due to the mild winter which preceded the season but who knows. The mouse plague certainly happened down south and up north (on the South Island) West Coast too. Some insanely big fish were caught in those areas but I concentrated most of my effort away from mousy areas. I heard some stories of pressure on rivers which was enough to deter me. Only twice I ventured south in search of mouse fish and both times we came up with the goods. However both times we encountered anglers not playing by the rules / etiquette which tarnished the experience. Three of the top 5 trout, including number 1 were not mouse fish. My own double was not a mouse fish either. The top 5 trout came from 4 different rivers.
I’m delighted to see 3 regular clients making this years Top 5. Hopefully the other 2 will become regulars! Well done to Chuan, TopRod, Andrew, Bryan and Marcus. Also thank you all. My thanks of course extends to all I guided this season. I appreciate your custom and friendship and I hope to see you all again once we get out the other side of this pandemic.
I am taking bookings for next season although I appreciate that people may not be keen on paying a deposit under the current circumstances. This I understand. If you’d like to make a booking without paying a deposit just let me know. It’ll give you a chance to secure some dates assuming you can travel to NZ next season. The deposit can be settled if and when the travel ban is lifted. I returned all deposits taken for my 25 lost days due to the virus – apart from one! Thanks Barry! I wont forget that.
I thought I could write this without referencing the Corona Virus but it’s so relevant right now and it effects everyone, I just had to give in! Next blog I won’t mention it! Thats all for now..
Stay the feck at home everyone! Ronan..
Contact me ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Number 1 – For the second year running! A smidgeon over 11lbs. This cracking fish from December. Congratulations Chuan.. One more quick pic before the release. Number 2. A very close 2nd at 11lbs on the dot. A cold day in February. Well done james! Back he goes.. Number 3. Andrew with a brute of a fish just over 9lbs in weight from last November. I didn’t mean to make him look like a 15lber! It was my clients camera with a fancy lens.Number 4. Bryan with chunky, mouse eating personal best during March! 9lbs.Number 5. Just under 9lbs for Marcus in February. I’m delighted to see 3 regular clients on this years Big Fish Board!This picture does him justice. A beautiful specimen.My own personal best for the season (so far, hopefully we’ll all get out again before season close!), 10.5lbs last October.Just before swimming home. I’d like to see him after 2 months eating cicadas!
I’ve often been asked “so, what was your greatest fly fishing moment?” Every time I draw a blank. When I think for a while something pops into my head – usually something recent because its fresh. Those fly fishing highlights tend to fade but it’s important try to keep them alive. Reliving the memory can be almost as good as being there. I learned that from my friend Robbie Mcphee. I have to say, for me, most of the great highs were with catching big fish. This was one of those.
I fish this river once or twice a season. It requires a long drive and decent hike but the real reason I rarely fish it is out of respect for the fish in it. There are not many and I always feel like it could be a pressure sensitive fishery (if it got any pressure). The most I’ve seen in a day is 6 but usually just 2 or 3. I’ve seen none a couple of times too. I remember the first fish I caught on it 5 years ago. A big, incredibly beautiful 9lber. I caught him blind fishing a deep pool with a streamer. Certainly in my top 5 most beautiful fish. Also a great moment of fly fishing.
I visited the river earlier this season. Wandering up the river paying close attention to the spots where I had seen fish over the years, not seeing any. It’s tough, rough terrain but you have to cover a lot of water to have a real chance at success. I was seeing no fish and feeling a little nervous that I may not get a shot. I got to the pool where I caught my first ever trout on it – that stunning 9lber. I couldn’t see any in there. I kept moving upstream, a scramble to the next pool over some steep boulders and matakauri took my attention off the river. As I found solid footing I glanced down, “holy flip” I thought.. then it dissappeared.. did I see anything? Did I spook it? I kept a low profile and watched and waited. Then he reappeared – Rich golden sides and a green back. A big fish – maybe a double. He was moving around the pool emerging now and again from a deep riffle impossible to see into. I altered my rig to suit the scenario. A big indicator dry and a long dropper with a weighted size 12 nymph. I waited for the best opportunity to cast. “Don’t rush this” I had to tell myself. Then the shot presented and my line found it’s way into some tangle weed. I tried to keep my cool but failed and ended up loosing my flies in a matakauri bush. “compose yourself” I said. “Start again”. I wait and wait – no sign for ages – but then there he is. I wait a little longer for the fish to get into the optimum position. I sent in my cast. I saw the fish see my nymph and rise up through the water to get it. The moment he turned I struck – I don’t know if my dry moved. The fish was on. A very powerful, fast run into white water at the head of the pool, I played the fish to the limits of 3x tippet to keep him away from the sharp rocks and undercuts. He didn’t want to leave the pool and I didn’t want him to leave because there was a 6 foot waterfall down to the next pool. I almost had him in the net a couple of times and then he started moving towards the fall, “no, no, NO” I remember saying out loud as he slid over the fall. I considered jumping in but it was dodgy. I had to climb down. Back up the steep boulders to get down the other side. Much harder attached to a big fish. Trying to keep a tight line to the fish while keeping the fly line out of the tanglesom matakauri proved impossible. The line got caught as I climbed down. I slipped and fell the last bit and smacked the reel breaking the rod tip (that happens!) but I still had tension on the fish, just not a straight line from the tip my now shorter rod. The flyline was caught about 12 foot up in the matakauri bushes and the broken bit of my rod tip slid to the dry. I jumped a couple of times and managed to free the line while trying not to loose tension. The fish was still on. I got into the river where there were no more obstacles and slid the net under the fish. I roared out loud with happiness. I took a moment while admiring my prize trying to take it all in. “I recognise you” I thought. It was certainly the first fish I caught on the river 5 years ago. A quick weigh and he’s still 9lbs and living just one pool away from where I first caught him. I took 2 photos with my 10 second timer and let this magnificent creature back into his original pool. It was an utterly fulfilling fly fishing high. Whenever I get asked that question again, this story will do, but there are a few I feel privileged to say. That was the only fish I saw that day and I won’t go back this season.
Guiding has been going great! Happy anglers catching fish in all conditions. A while back I had a week with Chuan. Always fun, never afraid to take a gamble. He caught a fish of a lifetime – a fabulous 11lb brown. Many more great fish too in a diverse week where we took each day as it came. Planning ahead just didn’t work with a very mixed week of weather and inaccurate forecasting.
I’m way behind on blog photos but I didn’t want to add any more here – it just feels like too many and you’d get bored looking at them!
Still some space in April and plenty in May if anybody would like to come over and see what this is all about. Check out my website or email me at ronan@sexyloops.com
Tight Lines, Ronan..
Lovely to see this face again..
Super day with Dr Z. Fun guiding..
He got 8 of these..
Mid December. Day 1 with Chuan. Rain, rain, rain.
After plan A blew out, plan B. We succeeded here too.
And then plan C..
A spotty 6lber..
Getting the gear dry!
Day 2. A high country lake where persistence is the key.
We had some serious wind to deal with..
But the fishing was good with some of the most stunning trout I’ve seen.
No photoshop here, just brilliant fish..
Some sun in the afternoon improved the fishing.
6 beautiful trout for the day.
Day 3. River high and a bit coloured.
Just one to the net.
Chuan blamed the tough fishing on me bringing a banana for him.
Day 4.
Super 7lber for Chuan..
Then another..
..on my fathers “snake” dead drifted under a dry. Wouldn’t look at a nymph or a worm!
A 7lber for me.. I, ahem, thought it was a little rainbow so Chuan gave me the shot!
A great day. Three 7lb browns and 2 big bows..
Day 5. The upper reaches of a river in flood.
11lbs.
The 3rd double I’ve guided and the biggest one. Delighted for Chuan.
Grip and grin!
Back he goes.. A magnificent fish! Congratulations, Chuan. Deserved!
My size 16 nymph which did the damage.
Day 6. Perfect start!
Little house on the prairie comes to mind.. Love this!
A relaxing day was needed! This was perfect.
We landed 5 browns..
And one of these, which we ate!
The fish of the day.
Fresh perch for dinner. It has a reputation for being bony but it’s no bonier than trout and just as easy to fillet. Delicious to eat.
Flowers.
Day 7.
Good craic on Dunstan.
The bow and arrow.. a very useful cast!
Quite a big fish!
They’re all so different.
Wild poppies.
A shipment of flies from my dad, Joe Creane. Holy shit, these catch fish.
Not sure what this is but it looks cool!
One of the highlights of my fly fishing life to date!
I compiled this guiding gallery a couple of weeks ago now. Loads has happened since and it’s pushing the contents of this gallery to the side, which of course it shouldn’t because there were some excellent days on the water which I have accounted for here, but I really want to clear the decks now for more recent fishing, which has been superb!
One trip worth a mention was with Andrew. He had 2 days to fish, day one was off the charts landing 6 trout with the biggest hitting the scale at just over 9lbs. That fish took some work. We fished to him for about an hour before I put on one of my fathers unweighted size 14 hares ear nymphs. Andrews first cast with that fly and it was all on! Second biggest was 7lbs. They were all great trout.. Day 2 we blanked bringing us back down to earth. It’s funny how it goes!
It was great to see Brendan and Dave again. They were over for 5 days, Day one was simply magnificent with 11 fish to 7lbs, Day 2 and 3 were also good days but then I got struck down with severe stomach cramps. I gave the lads my truck and some info for their last 2 days. They landed another 9 trout. It took me 5 days in total to come right which included 3 nights in hospital. They were my first sick days in 5 years guiding.
I also took out Micah Adams and his friend Dave. Micah has been involved in fly fishing TV in Australia. We had a very enjoyable day on the water even though it was a pretty hard day. Micah got a 3lber on a dry and Dave landed a super 6lber.
The weather has been nuts. Rain, wind, hail, flooded rivers etc.. I like it when the conditions go to feck. It makes me think outside the box, take gambles, use what I’ve learned over the last 18 years in NZ. I’ll put a trip together for my clients regardless of what mother nature throws at us. I will use every avenue available to me to make it happen. Crazy weather seems to be pretty normal now so if a fella can’t adapt he’s in trouble!
The next blog will be about one of my own greatest moments in fly fishing with a superb old 9lber and The Mighty Chuan landing an 11lber.. Not mouse eating monsters, just bonafide brutes!
I’ll let the photos tell the other stories. Still some availability for this season if you’re thinking about coming over. Visit my website of contact me on ronan@sexyloops.com
Tight lines & screaming reels for the new year! Ronan..
Day 1 – Andrew off to a great start..
Super..
Small water..
..with big fish..
..some very big! After 6 super trout to over 9lbs on day 1 we were brought back down to earth on day 2 with a blank! That’s fishing..
Martina & Jeff..
A baby lapwing (I think!) using stillness as camouflage. It was almost his undoing!
Martina crossing the backwater..
Finally! Second last pool of the day. Fish were just not out!
Relieved guide and happy angler!
Some exploring with Guy..
This stream flows into the lake. I saw 2 in 100m. I’ll be back for further exploration..
Searching the edges. We landed 3, met about 10.
Day 1. First fish of the trip for Brendan..
Then an equal PB for Dave with this 6.25lber.
Lunch! Brendan’s coffee has become something to look forward to..
In again.. They landed 11..
..including this brute. The best I’ve seen from the river at 7lbs.
Same fish..
Last of the day.. Now a near 2 hour walk out! Well worth it..
Day 2. Evidence of some of my river keeping! That was a 12″ limb. I was only just able to drag it out. Makes this pool fishable where it wasn’t before. Every angler should carry a saw!
One on a dry..
This 6lber broke the rod but we had a spare..
A 6lber for Dave too..
2 fish on day 2.
Day 3. Something a bit different.
Great action in the morning!
But a quiet afternoon. 4 for the day.
Matt, Charlotte and Sarah. I had to make a few adjustments to cater for a 14 month old which was no problem! 5 trout for the day and a great experience for all..
Matt had a magic hour after lunch..
Day 1 with Mike and Gauri..
We managed 3 for the day in tough light. A great result!
Another super trout..
They wanted clear water, big trout and beautiful scenery..
..the weather was out of my hands!
This is at 4pm..
This was 4.10pm! This was an important trout as it was the only one of the day..
A great ending..
Lovely!
Simon out for a day..
3 for the day. Nothing big but decent fishing..
Gordon. Day 1 was for casting and technique. I chose a venue with lots of smaller trout – lots of targets to practice on!
It was a great success!
Plenty of these about..
A mixed bag of conditions.. which has been the norm for the passed month.
10 minutes of crazy rain then out comes the sun again..
Day 2. Incredibly spooky trout. we really struggled. 2 eats all day with nothing to the net..
..then in the last 200m Gordon landed this 7lber.
Same fish.
And then this 5.25lber.
How quickly a day can turn around! The dream finale. The mission for day 2 was to catch one or 2 great fish. Mission accomplished.
Flowers.
More flowers..
Micah and Dave.
Decent conditions.
We found a decent number of trout. The lads landed 1 each for the day. A 3lber for Micah and a 6lber for Dave..
No trip to Ireland is complete without a few days on Corrib. It’s a lake that has rarely been very kind to me but that does not stop me wanting to go back. It’s an amazing lake. It would take a lifetime to get to grips with the entire 44,000 acres. Maybe multiple lifetimes. There is still so much of Corrib I have not seen. It’s an explorers dream with deeps, shallows, points, bays and islands making up the lake. It encompasses many townlands on it shores from Galway to Oughterard to Cornamona to Cong to Headford. The fishing varies from early to late season with very specific times of different fly. The chironomid first, then the olive (a small mayfly), then the large danica mayfly then the sedge. Of course the fly seasons overlap but with such specifics in trout food, the fly and method selection is very important. There are many other flies on the water too just to add to the puzzle. Caenis and terrestrials for example. Traditional wet fly techniques have taken a back seat to various nymphing methods in the passed 20 years, especially with chironomid and olive fishing. Let me know if you ever want to go and I’ll connect you with the right people.
I had 3 days out while at home. John and I went out on day 1. John hadn’t been out for a while so he was unsure where the good fishing was. We went to some trusted deep water where wet fly fishing can produce the goods. John got 1 of about 1.5lbs and I blanked.
Day 2 was with Dad and Tom Doc. This was a social outing as much as a fishing day and the craic was great. We went out in Toms dad’s boat. A beautiful custom built Philbin Lake Boat. A pleasure to be out in. That boat has seen some action and anglers over it’s lifetime, and she still looks new. We fished very close to where John and I fished but we were on the fish. Tom is a guide on the lake and fishes most days so he knows where the fish are. It didn’t take long for us to start moving a few. This was my day as it turned out. Out of 8 landed I had 6 with the best over 3lbs. I was delighted, as was Dad and Tom. Lunch on Inchagoill with the traditional Kelly Kettle was super. The cup of tea from Tom’s Kettle will not be beaten! It’s so good that I decided to bring my Kelly Kettle to NZ. Thanks Tom for a great day out..
Day 3 – I didn’t expect much. The forecast was for horrendous wind. Rain too, and the lake was high and rising after rain. The reason for going out was give the New Zealanders who were over for the wedding a taste of Corrib. We had 3 boats. John and Fraser in one, Dad and Damien in another and Myself, Wesley and Mark in mine. It was a day where open water would have been very dangerous so we stayed in relatively sheltered bays. The craic was good but the fishing was bad. The pints flowed afterwards which made the world good again!
Still lots of space available in the current season for guided fly fishing in New Zealand. Contact me on ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Tight Lines, Ronan..
John into one from the deep.
Windy, rainy day. We struggled to find trout..
Foreboding skies..
Out with Dad and Tom Doc..
Into the fish of the day!
A good Corrib brown. Back he went!
The Kelly Kettle in action..
Tom Doc.
Making the tea..
Let it stew..
Tea, sandwiches and craic!
Back out after lunch..
Wesley and Mark out with me..
John and Fraser I think..
In for lunch. The highlight of the day!
John and Fraser.
The whole crew for the day. From left Mark Adamson, Fraser Mackenzie, Damien O Malley, Wesley Snipes, Joe Creane and John O Malley. A historic day!
It takes at least 300 days to catch a trout over 10lbs. At least it does if you fish like me. I don’t target them all the time of course, just when the mood hits me. It’s all about the fish, not the fishing so it really is mood dependant. Every one has been a super high. The emotions and feelings have been a bit different for each one. Some have been strangely anticlimactic (but still great!) while most have been utterly fulfilling, thrilling experiences. There are a few big fish around this year. Jeff Forsee and Paul MacAndrew have also cracked a double already this season. Some mousy stuff happening too so this might be a year to spend more time chasing the elusive doubles. Lets see how it pans out as the season progresses..
I haven’t guided many days so far but the days I’ve been out have been superb! Plenty fish, super quality and big! Between guiding and fishing I’ve had 4 over 8lbs to the net. It’s been a pretty wet spring. Some rivers had just come right and were fishing really well but recent rain has put them all out of commission again. They should bounce back quickly as long as the rain eases off. Come what may I’m excited about the season ahead..
A few days ago I took out Oliver and James. Oliver had never cast a fly before so we had a 1 hour casting lesson before advancing up river. It was enough to get him throwing a decent line and he managed 3 for the day. A great achievement for someone fresh out of the gate!
My season is starting to fill up but I have plenty spots available for the season to come. Contact me ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Tight Lines, Ronan..
Only my 8th NZ trout over 10lbs since 2002. I had my first in 2008.
River keeping is always on the cards.
A great start on a new river..
Bryan casts to a rising trout..
We had a super hatch..
What a trout! Just beautiful..
Lovely small water..
The bridge fish!
This on the way back down. Bonus fish!
First trout for Oliver after a one hour casting lesson..
A memorable moment..
James into a solid trout..
..very solid! Over 6lbs.
Number 3 for Oliver.. Over 5lbs..
The lads had a suoer day landing 7.
Biggsy!
He just loves it.. 3 trout for day one on a cold, wet day.
The rain coloured the river for day 2..
But it didn’t matter! A super 6lber..
..followed by a 7lber from the same run. A new PB.
Stunning..
Lovely place to be..
One for me. The 4th time I’ve seen this old battle axe. He’s been the same weight for the last 5 years.
No stranger to big trout! Robbie with another brute..
Rescuing a lamb.. A regular activity!
Roger with a great trout..
and another..
Tough conditions with 60kph N wind but we got just enough protection from the willows.
Roger and Herb.
They really wanted the streamer in the morning but not the afternoon..
