The Secret Dam.
Dad and I used to joke about how trout in NZ would live in a puddle. The truth is that this is only a slight exaggeration. Farm irrigation dams, duck ponds, oxbow lakes, ditches, gold diggings, and every other imaginable body of water can and do support thriving trout populations in NZ. What’s in the water over here that makes this possible? Fish & Game introduce fish to some of these small waters but trout often find their own way in either through times of flood or little rivulets and streams. Either way, once they’re in they live there for years and have no problem surviving the winter months. In Ireland stocked lakes have to restocked at least once a year because so few fish survive the winter in their new, unfamiliar home.
Kevin was working on a farm last year which had 2 small dams on the property. The location was kept secret but finally he brought me to fish them this weekend. I’m forbidden from bringing anyone else there and I can only fish there with Kevin. This is fine by me! One could walk around each of the dams in 5 minutes. There is a small water race connecting the dams to a nearby creek and the ever opportunist trout have made their way into these waters. Over Kevins 2 weeks working there he picked up over 30 trout on lunch breaks and evenings with only 4 under 7lbs. This is an exceptional average even for NZ.
We had beautiful blue sky days during the working week but Saturday brought heavy cloud cover making spotting very tough. Thankfully the morning on the dam was dead calm and we managed to spot a few even in the low light. We did well with our chances. As the wind picked up we went to the creek which feeds the dams. We hooked a fish each. A 6lber for me and one about 8lbs for Kevin which he lost around a snag after taking my advise on where to beach the fish. We know where he lives!
Tight lines all.. Ronan..
- Were having a potato growing competition at work. There were 2 eyes on my spud so I cut it in half and pointed the 2 eyes up. Twice the crop I’m thinking! Back to fishing!! just thought I’d chuck that in…
- Last year Kevin had over 30 trout from a secret farm dam and only 4 were under 7lbs. The best was 9.5. Wild fish. They make their way into the dam through a water race from a nearby stream. This year the average is less but there are still plenty big fish!
- 6.5lbs
- All the fish had superb markings. A sign of healthy, stress free fish.
- That’s about half the dam in the background!
- Kevin with a fish that took him almost to his backing!
- Back she goes..
- One of the best things about driving is not having to open gates!
- Another puddle with big fish in it!
- We covered 4 or 5ks of this creek and saw a few good fish. Kevin lost one around a snag of about 8lbs.
- Snowmelt prevented us from spotting the deeper holes so I threw a “Dore’s Mr Glister” into some of them and got this result.
- Deserved after yet another great day fly-fishing in NZ..