Ronan's Report

The season is over now on the majority of waters but a few are open all year round. I’ll be checking those out regularly over the winter. I’m also going to tie all the flies I need for next season over the winter. I’ve started already!

Its getting cold and firewood is expensive so I bought a chainsaw. It lives in the truck so whenever I see a dead fallen tree It’ll be cut up and loaded into the back. As they say, firewood warms you twice!

Ronan..

After enjoying some of Will Shaw’s art on his Sexyloops front pages a notion occurred to me. Maybe I could swap some flies for a piece of his work! I sent Will an email to run the idea by him and the wheels were in motion. I got to work and so did he. I tied a range of flies inspired by what I’ve learned both in Ireland and in NZ and loosely based on the type of fishing Will is doing at the moment. Will chose a photo of a Tasmanian brown from one of my blogs to work his magic on. Its a fantastic piece of art and one I’ll always treasure. Hopefully it’s a reasonably fair swap but I think I may have got the better end of the deal! My Dad, Joe Creane, will also tie a few so that should even things up a bit. Thanks Will! Tight lines with these..

Ronan..

I just spent a couple of days fishing around Glenorchy. Just like Te Anau I found very few fish around river mouths and all the fish in the rivers were in spawning mode. Many fish had redds already formed so I didn’t bother these ones. Even the fish that were on station were not feeding at all. I saw plenty but only hooked and landed one. Not even stripping streamers could inspire a chase. Even though there’s a few days left in the season I wont fish here again. If In knew they were so close to spawning I wouldn’t have bothered them today. It’s time to leave the river and it’s trout alone to propagate the catchment. Saying that I didn’t find any rainbows at all. They spawn later in the year than the browns but they’ll remain unthreatened from me regardless. Maybe they’re still in the lake or farther up the river? or both? Their secret is safe.

I was granted a one year work visa for New Zealand today so it looks like I’ll be sticking around for a while.

Tight lines all… Ronan..

Mark Adamson and I fished together on the Waiau near Te Anau on Saturday. I expected it to be better. We didn’t see many fish and those we did see were difficult. It was still a good day on the water though, they all are I guess! The sun doesn’t get very high in the sky at this time of year, this makes it hard to see fish. Also with the sun so low in the sky, night time comes quickly so if your keen on a night fish you don’t have to wait long. We fished a couple of river mouths into darkness without much success. Again, I expected them to be better. I thought this was about the best time of year to fish river mouths! Maybe I was wrong. Too late? Too early? Not sure…

Ronan..

• I’ve just had four 8% Bourbon & Cola’s and they work.
• Speights now…

Last Thursday I drove to Fairlie to see Shotgun Kevin, his partner Freddie and their baby Macey. Fishing was also on the agenda and my truck needed a Warrant Of Fitness. I know a mechanic in Fairlie so it made sense to me to give the business to someone I know and trust.

Occasionally one may catch a Brown Trout with very few markings but it’s very unusual to catch a  Brown with no markings at all. A few years ago Kevin brought me to a place where it’s common to catch unmarked browns, a place where you can actually target them! The reason for the lack of markings is camouflage. This area, both river and lake comprises of a mainly sandy bottom so a silver colour and lack of spots helps the fish blend in. The strange thing is sandy areas in rivers and lakes are very common, particularly around river mouths as in this case but the browns are usually silver in colour but well marked with black spots. Not here!

The next day I had a crack on one of my favourite lakes on my way back to Queenstown. I had just one rainbow but it was worth the long drive down a dirt track!

Back to my Speights.

Ronan..

ps. Here is a short film by Abi Mackenzie from 2008 from the place I fished last weekend. Some of the browns are unmarked.

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 same emerger, just tied in black and much smaller 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..