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Posts Tagged ‘Fly Guide Otago’

Top 5 Trout, 2019 / 20

March 31st, 2020 No comments

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!

River Keeping – Part 2

October 26th, 2018 No comments

In a blog over winter I spoke about river keeping. After that I bought a saw, a cheap one with a 200mm fold up blade. That’s what I’ve been using. I carry it every day I go fishing. Many of the rivers I fish are willow lined and these are the main contenders for having pools made difficult or unfishable from overhanging branches. At this stage this season I have made about 10 impossible pools possible and others more user friendly. It’s actually extremely satisfying – especially if there’s a fish that you can’t cast to at the time, because now you know you can catch him next time. There was one pool where I had to climb about 10 feet up the willow to tackle the offending branches. There were two. My saw and myself were at our limits trying to cut them. I realised then that I needed a bigger saw! My client that day, Tim, said I should get a Silky Big Boy. Yesterday I googled it and found a shop in NZ that sells them. Here is the link. This has a 360mm blade with extra large teeth! I think I can take out some serious trees with this. I’m looking forward to having it in my pack. If we all carried a saw we could keep our rivers under control. This would benefit every angler!

Guiding has been quiet enough so far but from tomorrow on it looks like it will be all go til the end of April. Hopefully I’ll be able to stay on top of my blog. Time will tell. Some nice images from a few trips in the pictures below.

I’ve had a bit of bad luck with my own fishing! With looking after Adaline while Iza is working I can’t fish as much as normal, so days out are more precious now. 4 of these precious days I’ve had to go to plan B. Once, because my chosen river was blown from a flash flood and 3 times from snowmelt. I knew I was taking a chance – a chance I wouldn’t take if I was guiding! However, I thought I’d get away with it. My plan B each time worked out well but still reduced my fishing time to a half day. The fish are in good numbers and in great condition. Between rain and snowmelt the rivers are nice a full with great prospects for November.

For bookings and information you can contact me on ronan@sexyloops.comĀ or visitĀ my website.

Tight Lines,

Ronan..

MY OWN FISHING!

GUIDING GALLERY

Trout Flats!

January 24th, 2018 No comments

In my questionnaire I send to clients prior to their fishing trip with me I ask “Would you like to fish river, lake or whatever’s best on the day?”. Most say river full stop. Others say “river preferably but a lake if its going to be amazing” I can never guarantee “amazing” so river it is!!. Some say “whatever’s best on the day” but nobody says “lake please!” It’s pretty clear that the average clients understanding of lake fishing is does not really apply to NZ. I think they believe it to be standing in one spot and blind fishing all day. They could not be more wrong! One could fish that way but they wouldn’t do very well generally speaking.

For me, it’s usually sight fishing. Often along a lake edge which we walk and stalk. When an opportunity presents the angler must quickly and accurately intercept the fish with his or her fly. It’s different to a river because we rarely find fish on station waiting for food. Therefor every opportunity is time critical. We must follow the fish or back off if he’s coming towards us, sometimes diving for cover so he doesn’t see us. We don’t want to follow for too long because he may well turn to the deep or cross paths with another fish, another opportunity. Certain lakes offer lots of different shoreline types adding to the appeal.

Sometimes we find fish working a beat. This gives us a chance to plan our attack! Trout will often cruise a set route over and over again. If we see a trout on a flat we may be able to view the whole beat. A good approach then is to cast to the near side of the beat when the trout is at the far side, then wait for the fish to come back and cruise to where our presentation is waiting. Usually a nymph suspended under a dry at cruising depth. The trap is set! This is very exciting and extremely productive and I love it! Interestingly, my clients and I regularly stumble upon this type of fishing in backwaters on many rivers. Not a single client didn’t enjoy it, and certainly nobody asked to be taken back the main river immediately (so you see, you do like lakes!! You just don’t know it yet!!)! Another good thing about the lakes is that they stay pretty cool in hot summers like this one. I have had a number of days recently when trout get a lot quieter in the afternoon as the water heats up on small to medium sized rivers.

Another form of lake fishing is the cream of it. Trout flats. These are wide expanses of ankle to waist deep water of pretty uniform bottom where trout cruise. The approach is walk and and watch! I like to get out to knee deep water where I can slowly walk along stalking pretty much the 360 degrees around me. Sometimes there are lots of trout on the flats, other times few but the quality of the fishing when it’s on must rival bone fishing (I’m guessing, I’ve never done it!). I recently had a 2 hour spell with a client on a trout flat where we had multiple shots coming at us at any one time. It was feckin bananas. The whole day was good but that spell was as good as it gets! Reel screaming, knuckle busting runs from big healthy brown trout. Trout flats are not always easy wading with soft sand and silt often making up the bottom. However, some are firm and easy to wade.

Blind fishing is not to be sniffed at either, though I do understand why this is not top of the list. Being brought up on Irish Loughs, blind fishing was the way to catch fish so I’m very at home doing it here. It’s great from a drifting boat but also great from the bank. On days where you have no sun to sight fish a flat, blind fishing a couple of light PT nymphs can be excellent. Deeper weeded flats are often best blind fished regardless of conditions. The takes are electrifying! Blind fishing requires endurance casting. To be good at at you need to be able to cast repetitively for 8 hours straight. Thats how we role in Ireland anyway!

Tight Lines everyone!

Ronan..

Anyone planning a trip to NZ, I still have some spaces in February, March and April – May too! ronan@sexyloops.comĀ or see my websiteĀ http://www.ronansflyfishingmissions.com

 

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