Next weekend I only have Sunday to fish so I made the most of this one. I would have anyway of course! I got out for 2 hours on Friday evening on Dunstan. I had a few events and one I converted into a landed fish. It looks as though the browns are starting to put on some condition.
Saturday I fished alone. I went back to the spot that’s been treating me so well lately and once again it didn’t disappoint. I put the boat in but due to the lake still dropping and incredibly low I could not submerge the trailer. I thought after I left the boat on anchor to find a spot where I could submerge the trailer to make it easy to get the boat out again at the end of the day. This turned out to be a bad idea as I got bogged and lost the first hour and 20minutes of the day digging the truck out.
Once I was on the water my slow start was forgotten about. I was made eat my words a little during the fishing day, something that happens me quite regularly. 2 blogs ago I spoke about the takes from depth being certain and solid and having a 12 event day converted into 12 landed fish. Well on Saturday I converted about 20 events into 5 fish! I lost about 5 really good fish at the stage in the fight just before the fish gives in and slides into the net. It’s generally unusual to lose a fish after being hooked up solid for a few moments. One could dwell on ways to fix this, or wonder if one was at fault but statistically everything will happen eventually so the best thing to do about this unusual occurrence is nothing. Thanks John O Malley! After landing 17 out of 17 hooked pike one season, John assured me that statistics would even things up. He was right. I think I lost the next 17.
Today (Sunday 19th of August) I fished with Mike Wilkinson. I decided we should try some new water. It’s important to explore. If you don’t you won’t learn much. The main thing we learned today was not to go back, not that it was terrible, there’s just much better water available not too far away. The fishing was slow and difficult but we managed a few fish. Thinking hard and always making sure we were covering water with some feature or contrast made the difference. Boat fishing is not chuck and chance. I’m always 100% aware of the type and depth (within reason) of water I’m fishing over. Maximise on your fishing day by only fishing the best water. Local knowledge is not so important. It’s instinctive. Like a river a lake can be read.
Back to the necessary evil tomorrow. Tight lines all! Good fishing with you today Mike!
Ronan.. (CI, Joiner, Fishing host by appointment)
Bad start! I was over an hour digging the truck out of the mud.. Temper flaring like only mine does!
Finally ready to go..
Perfect morning! Apart from being stuck in the mud for over an hour..
Amazing place.. The peace out here is good for the soul.
The drop-off shelves away from 1 to 20 foot over a few meters. (I was brought up with both imperial and metric!)
5 lost fish before I boated the first one.
Spectacular. About to burst! Full of eggs, food and fat..
Another.. not easy set up the 10 second timer in the boat!
Interesting water but not so productive..
This fish took reeling in my last cast of the day! 5lbs
Nearly got stuck again at the end of the day..
All mine, all day!
Day 2.. Mike into the first fish of the day… He lost him at the end of the battle. Great fish too, 6-7lbs!
My first. Took on the drop!
New water. the fish are a little smaller here.
Different water, different weather, still beautiful..
Mike giving one hell!
Pound for pound these maiden fish are as tough as they get.
Sudden drop-offs, weed beds, any contrasting water worked best. This is usually true for lake fishing.
This from deep dark water..
An unexpected fish at the end of the day goes back…
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.
John’s old truck just got its Warrant Of Fitness renewed! Ligit for another 6 months…
Shotgun Kevin.. He had a cameo role in The Revolution.
My weapon of choice for the unmarked browns…
Kevins invention..
Freddie, Macey and Taz off for a walk while Kevin and I head out in Daltona…
We fished hard over perfect weedbeds without a pull…
The first unmarked brown from a shallow sand flat…
Into another..
Kevin into one form the boat because he didn’t bring waders… He manned up and jumped in a little later!
A fantastic example of these unique unmarked, silver browns…
At the helm!
Not easy getting the boat onto the trailer in a stiff side wind…
A rare black stilt rises over Daltona…
A black stilt posing at the end of the day..
One stunning rainbow from a favourite lake of mine on the way back to Queenstown.
The fish in the previous pic was from the drop off clearly evident due to the colour change.
Usually these flats are full of fish but none today. Too late in the season I expect…
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 Caenis patterns are tied on a Kamasan 175 size 16 hook, black squirrel body, dear hair wing and white post.
Size 10 Kamasan 175, Red rib, deer hair and/or red game tail, mayfly colured body, Deer hair wing, high viz or white post.
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..
One from a riffle…
8lbs…
Fishing!
Fishing!
A 7lb hen brown..
One for Sean..
A good fish about to go back…
Losded up ready for a mission..
Here are my most effective flies. Very small. A NZ 20 cent has about the same diameter as a 20 euro cent coin.
When I left the Highlands of Tasmania over 2 years ago I knew it would only be a matter of time before my return. My recent 6 weeks in Tasmania was everything I had hoped for and more. The fishing was not as good as when Paul and I were up here but that’s fishing and it didn’t detract from the whole highland experience. Like I said before, Tassie is as much about the people and the way of life as it is about the fishing. When I arrived in the highlands I called in to see John (The Pom/Woodstock) but he wasn’t in, he was at Dons so I went there where I met Don, John and Bob (bush mechanic from “3 Wheels on my Wagon” in SLTV). I had intended to fish that day but that took a back seat to a few beers… lots of beers. My plan was to live in Sean’s Subaru but Don very kindly put me up instead. That’s the Highlands for you, very social and very hospitable. Thanks again Don!
Many of the people I got to know over my 2 visits to the Highlands came to Don’s place on my last day for a few beers and food. Noby cooked up a feed of mutton birds which I have to say were miles ahead of the NZ mutton birds I had a few years ago. Actually, they were one of the best things I’ve eaten, full of fish oil and flavour from the sea. The roast from Dons Dad’s pet cow didn’t last long, in fact Don and John missed out! Everyone ate and drank well and a few of us pushed through till dawn, well not quite…
Thanks to all the Highlanders for making the place so special. I wont tell anyone how good it is!
See you all again soon..
Stuntman Ronan..
PS. Congratulations to my great friend John O Malley on his engagement to his beautiful partner Bronwen Kearns! I really hope I can make it home for the big day… If I’m invited!! 🙂
A nice little fish in my last few days in Tassie!
A few dries for night fishing. Lumo beatles and rat faced McDougles (Great name for a fly!!). Lumo dries work and I’m the only person I know who fishes them!
A beautifully marked night caught brown on the Rat Face.
The same trout about to swim off under the light of my headlamp. Looks a little prehistoric!
This was my stubbie cooler while I was staying at Don’s place! What can I say!!!
And the other side… :))
A large skink near one of the 19 lagoons.
Another old Boags can!
My last Tassie fish for a while
This was home for 6 weeks…
Hair and Bronwyn’s son Oliva going through the cat flap!
Almost there….
Wash your teeth with the coffee and sugar on the lemon while sucking the lemon juice through the whole lot.. This straight after a shot of vodka. Dam good!
John, Pete and Noby..
Chatting by the fire pot…
Noby expertly cooking the mutton birds..
These taste incredible!
Getting the last bit off the bone..
Tom, a young fella from beside the Great Lake tied me these flies for NZ. Cheers Tom, I will catch fish on both!
Great music, great food, great drink, great people!!
It’s hard to find the time to write this now that full on fishing has commenced. I’m wrecked after a very tough gorge.. ready for bed wrecked and tomorrow will be all go once again. Dad arrived on Tuesday and we fished yesterday and today. Yesterday was on an easy river with lots of 2-3lb rainbows and browns. A good place to get the NZ fundamentals sharpened up. Dad did that successfully. Today was more like a military training exercise through a gorge. There was a lot more water in it than 5 weeks ago and that made it seriously hard going. Scrambling through dense bush, deep crossings and rock climbing was the order of the day. As the day progressed more emphases was put on getting out of the gorge than fishing and some opportunities were missed as a result. We had a couple hard earned fish.
Chris Dore, Greg Milo Elliot and myself spent a day chasing rainbows and browns. I did no good but the lads had a couple each. I lost a very big brown on a streamer and Chris missed a big fella on a dry… Twice!
I met up with Camo Guy a few days ago as planned. We fished on one of my favourite waters. Guy fished for half the day a took pictures for the other half, unfortunately I don’t have his photo’s! I do have my own though. I had a spectacular day! I made very few mistakes and caught lots of big fish.
I picked up John O Malley’s Nissan Terrano from Mossburn and drove it to Fairlie to meet Dad on Tuesday. There seems to be a problem with fuel consumption. 400ks cost 130nzd. I might have solved the problem simply by putting the correct air pressure in the tires! I’ll know for sure when I take it for another decent drive in 5 weeks..
Kevin Alexander and Myself took our boat “Daltona” out for a spin last night. She is still going like a rocket and a pleasure to fish from.
Dad and I are going to fish a lake tomorrow before heading to Buscot Backpackers tomorrow night. Guy will be there too. We may drink some wine and eat crackers with fancy blue cheese.
Ronan.. (stuntman)
Joe Creane back in New Zealand
First fish!
Lots of standing dead wood on the bank. Great for campfires!
The result of a hard day’s work!
Dad getting himself back together after falling in and filling his waders!!
One for me..
Chris Dore wet wading the flats..
I lost a big brown in the right foreground!
Chris decides what approach to take..
Some of the best fish from my big fish day!!!
This was the best one, A deep tank of a fish and the last one of the day.. About 8lbs
Daltona at 30mph!
Pulled up on a sand bar to fish a river mouth..
Christened my tcx on its first evening out.. 9′ 7wt and i love it!
Right now I’m getting ready for the Electric Picnic Music Festival. Most of my preparation is listening to some of the multitude of bands that are playing to get an idea of who I want to listen to over the 3 days and nights. I also did some packing. Tent, clothes, poteen, camera, sleeping bag etc. I wont see water for the next 3 days unless it’s in a bottle and even that’s unlikely!
I’ve been busy with some non fishing projects lately but made some time to get out on the water. John and I targeted pike, trout, salmon (sort of!!) and pollack over the weekend with some success.
On Saturday evening I met John on the water with the family unit, Namely Bronwen and their daughter Georgia. This was one of Georgia’s first encounters with fly fishing. She is one.
I’ll be back next week (asuming I survive the next few days!).
Ronan..
Me, Georgia and a pike..
Georgia getting a lesson in retrieving the fly!
These guys are in the Little Big Tent tomorrow night… Think I’ll check em out!
Fly-fishing brings endless new challenges and targeting Corrib trout feeding on Caenis at dawn is my latest one. John and I were on the water at 5am and we had the whole 44,000 acres to ourselves, at least we might as well have had, we didn’t hear another engine or see another boat until 11am. Neither john or myself had fished for caenis feeders before so we did a little research and tied a few dries to match the hatch. Our flies seemed good and fish started to move as soon as we set the boat up on the first drift. We were confident. Like fishing at dawn on the Great Lake in Tasmania most of the fish were traveling up the slicks (known as windlanes in Tassie but windlanes here could also be known as foam lanes so I’ll call them slicks so as not to confuse matters though I may already have!!). We did not get many shots and we each missed one fish. Watching the fish move to these tiny flies was worth getting up at 4am for. Its only a matter of time until we get it right.
The fish stopped moving to caenis at about 10am and for the rest of the day we switched between trout and pike fishing. Between the 2 of us, all we landed was a 12lb pike for 14 hours fishing but it was a good day and neither one of us wanted to get off the water.
I hope to get out again on friday at 4.30am. I also plan to fish Lough Na Fooey for pike and maybe trout too if I see any on Saturday. I will report back on those next week.
Until then, tight lines.. Ronan..
Lough Corrib sunrise
Note the slicks or windlanes in this pic and the next 2. Thats where the fish were!
Lunch Time… at 10.30!
Usually we eat between drifts but today we decided to do this because we had no breakfast in our egarness to get on the water!!
Might do it more often..
John having a snooze while I motored down the lake..
Hail in June???
Into a decent pike..
It’s sad when they bleed, Thankfully it rarely happens. I didn’t realise until i was releasing the fish.. Maybe I should have kept it for the table?? I had no time to think or hesitate so she went back..