Ronan's Report

A few of days ago while planning a day fishing for myself, I was surprised to see a perfect weather forecast. Blue skies all day, gentle southerly blowing and a high of 15c. “With a forecast like that for a Sunday I better set off early” I thought. The following morning I was away before dawn. It was a long drive to the river. There was rain first off, then it stopped, then it started again and continued. “Weird” I thought, “It’ll pass”. Before I left internet coverage I decided to check the forecast again in case I made a mistake. I did! I got the forecast for a town in the USA with the same name.. Lesson learned!

There was no going back, and I didn’t want to.. I was excited to take on whatever conditions nature would throw at me. I got a mix of sun, rain and wind all day. High, slightly coloured water too. A streamer day I thought but I ended up catching most sight fishing with small nymphs. Any fish I saw was hard out feeding just below the surface and they were keen to eat my offerings. My own size 16 nymph and one of Stu’s Superior Nymphs did the trick.

The best moment of the day was spotting a large fish swing to the right from behind a deep boulder. I though I had spooked it but wasn’t sure.. I took off the nymphs and tied on a Glister. I slung it across the pool slightly upstream so that it would cross the boulder on its way down. Up from the gloom came the large fish and engulfed my streamer. I lifted into solid weight and the fish played to his strengths and stayed deep. Just under 7lbs. He made my day!

I’m playing catch-up a bit with this blog! Some pics go back to last winter, others from a recent trip to the canals where I finally cracked a big one; 18.5lbs of ugly! Fishing with Guy, a mission to the Coast with Iza, Robbie Mcphee’s 43rd birthday.. Enjoy the pics!

I’ve known Stu Tripney for pretty much as long as I’ve been coming to NZ. He, his shop and his flies have become legendary over my 15 years in NZ. This season I’m putting Stu’s flies through their paces and I’m more than happy with the results. Check them out! http://www.stusflyshop.com

I’ve had a couple of days guiding which have been good, and a few more coming up over the month. There are plenty spaces available and October is a great month! So maybe its time to get yourself down here for a day out! ronan@sexyloops.com for bookings and information.

One more thing, Just in case I don’t get a blog out before October 31st, thats the day mine and Jeff’s episode of “Pure Fly New Zealand” airs on Sky TV in NZ… Good reports from the director so here’s hoping he’s right! http://www.manictackleproject.com/pure-fly-nz-coming-soon/

Tight Lines everyone!

Stuntman Ronan (It’s on my license!)                ronan@sexyloops.com

As of now, 2.00pm on the 12th of October, my website is live! www.ronansflyfishingmissions.com

A birthday beer for Robbie (and me) he just turned 43.

Ed Lamont with one of 2 after a 2 hour refresher casting lesson.

Ed with a bow and arrow...

A great day to be guiding!

After a rookie mistake misreading the weather in the morning, I ended up having a great day landing 6. This was the best, just under 7lbs.

This was the probably the nicest. All day I had a tough time finding a good place for the camera with the ten second timer.

Iza and I had a great time on the river yesterday. She landed the best fish of the day! Stunning.. Nice fish too!! :D

These few pics of mark and I from winter! Lunch!!

p1080887

Up the Clutha in the Wakatipu Anglers Club boat...

Then the a Clutha braid, no fish but I did rescue Marks hat!

The Lowburn Inlet saved the day.. as it often does!

I found a brazier on the river recently so now I can have campfires at home.. Modern technology!! I think this was my birthday party!

Size 12, Kamasan B175, 3.5mm tungsten bead.

Breakfast for Camo-Guy and I before we hit the Clutha..

Guy and I..

Into a wee one!

Had a couple of these, then off to the lake..

Guy working on a number of rising fish..

And he's in!

Guy hooked 4 of these and landed 2..

Then home for dinner.. Iza cooks up a feast!

p1100329

Enjoying my portable campfire!

Iv'e been having heaps of success using Stu's Superior Flies..

This is one of Stu's slender, weighted nymphs. I was able to target trout cruising 10 - 12' down using these on a long fine tippet.

perfection!

If you're passing Stu's Fly Shop, grab a few of these!

Mission to the Coast!

Not a touch all morning but lunch was great! Bacon, beans and eggs! Hard to beat.. (pun not intended!)

The whitebaiters weren't catching any so no surprise there were no trout around..

Fish or no fish, Iza and I both love the coast!

Finally! After about 9 hours fishing a Kahawai for dinner! We forgot the chicken so this fish was very welcome..

The surf rolls in..

A perfect sized Kahawai for 2. Filleted in the last of the sunlight..

A perfect sized Kahawai for 2. Filleted in the last of the sunlight..

The West Coast is a great place to camp and I hope it always will be!

A pan full of Kahawai.. We had it with spuds cooked in chilli and lime.. Dam good!

With full bellies, time to relax!

p1100421

It was time to put my name on the Canal Big Fish Board! 18.5lbs on a Dore's Mr Glister. He was a while coming!

p1100440

p1100441

p1100442

p1100443

p1100444

The work truck is all spruced up for my guiding season ahead!

Here's a dozen of my size 16, Kamasan B175, 2mm tungsten bead nymphs..

A couple of Stu's terrestrials..

p1100469

One of Stu's cdc mayflies.. It has already proved successful on Oct 1st!

A dozen size 14s, a little sparkle can help in coloured water..

My standard dry.. Basically its always the same. I play around with different bodies and colours but the form remains the same. I design my flies to catch fish and to be very easy and quick to tie. This is also great at holding up tungsten nymphs. Any size, any body, any colour deer hair, any post.

A great selection from myself, Manic Tackle Project and Stu's Superior Flies.

p1100496

Tim Proctor into one on opening day.

A good start to the season!

After getting rudely jumped on our chosen river, we went to plan B. A small stream. we saw 5, hooked 3 and landed one.

p1100514

p1100517

My first of the season! High, coloured water but the streamer did the business.

That's Robbie down there. Very few fish out but a beautiful place to be!

Plenty fish about too, although we had to cover a lot of river to find them..

Day 2 with Robbie Mcphee.. Perfect weather!

Fit as fiddles every one!

Robbie into another..

A healthy brown..

We had 13 between us for the day, Fantastic fun! I love October!!

I’m adjusting well in to my new lifestyle. Not working as a woodworker for 44 hours a week means I have time to think, time to consider my new job as a fly-fishing guide and do whatever it takes to make it work. My guiding season has been slow to start as I expected, but I have a busy period coming up which I’m really looking forward to. My website is not off the ground yet but its happening. I’m at the beginning of something great and I’m enjoying it. I’m excited about where it will lead. Exploring new water is now more important than ever before and I’m lapping it up.

I’ve been enjoying quite a range of fly-fishing lately. I’ve targeted a few big fish, mostly average sized fish, some salt-fly and quite a bit of exploration. Tomorrow I’ll be checking out a river that I have fished before but not for a long time. I’m looking forward to it. More on that on my facebook page tomorrow evening. (https://www.facebook.com/ronans.flyfishing)

One thing I’d like to share from a recent trip to the coast is the story of a challenging brown trout Iza caught. We were walking along a high bank together and I spotted a big fish down below happily feeding in a deepish riffle. The wind was blowing hard up river. The only place to take the shot from was on top of the high bank about 10 foot above the river. Because of our elevation we had to stay well behind the fish so as not to spook it. The cast was a difficult one. Quite long and from a hight, so leaving it very open to being whipped away by the wind. I suggested that she compensate for the wind and cast well left of and to the back the fish and let the wind carry it up. She said that I should take the shot but I convinced her to take it. She did, the first cast fell short but the second one was a pleasure to watch. The cast went left, the wind caught it and carried it up in a curve to the fish. The dry and nymph landed about a meter in front and the trout started to rise to the dry immediately; sailed up and confidently ate it. The strike was bang on and battle was not an easy one. Between scrambling down the high bank to the river, and being connected to an extremely strong fish she did well to land it. A fish like that makes any day a really great one.

I’m at a transition of sorts with my blog. For the last 5 years my blog has been about my own experiences, trips with my friends, my observations in and around the sport of fly fishing. To a certain extent I want to keep it like that but I also want to share my guiding experiences. I guess for the moment I’ll use what ever content and photo’s I feel like and in time a healthy balance of my guiding and my fishing will evolve.

If you’re planning a trip to NZ and need a guide why not get in touch! You’ll be in good hands.. ronan@sexyloops.com

Tight lines everyone.

Ronan..

PS.. If you like this, please subscribe!

Another swims away..

NZ is not all about big trout, far from it. Some of the best fishing you can have is for trout in the 2 to 4lb range.

This sighted from a shallow riffle..

P1040041

Rosy red cheeks!

The man and his best friend..

A bright fish for Jeff Forsee..

On the way home after a day on the lake..

To be a good guide means I need a huge bank of water to choose from, this was some exploration..

..on a pretty little stream..

What a fish! Simply stunning..

The fish put up some scrap!

A great cast from Iza where she had to compensate for the wind got her attached to this great fish.

A few flies for a mission to the coast..

..which paid off! Wind, rain and cold didn't put the fish off but it might deter many anglers from venturing out.

P1040138

It took me all day but I finally Got one too!

Not as pretty but not bad at all!

I love the coast!

No visit to the coast would be complete without a visit to a river mouth. I hoped for a big sea-trout but I was very happy with 5 of these!

Some exploration paid off. I landed 2 and saw one more on a 1 hour scout.

Dinner for two.

P1040177

Ready to settle in for the night, spuds on the boil and steak and mushrooms ready for the pan!

There's feck all a "MR Glister" wont catch!

A mighty west coast river..

P1040211

A recent exploratory chopper flight, what a great way to view a river!

A happy client! 4 fighting fit trout for his morning on the river..

Bryan Wrighton enjoying his red letter day. He nailed it. Lots of fish all between 4 and 5.5lbs.

I explained a lot about fly choice and how to approach a pool with Bryan, all of which he put into practice successfully.

Fat and strong!

Doing battle!

Very striking..

All in perfect order..

Fat and strong..

Perfect..

Bryan's best fish of the day.. He had one heavier but the condition of this fish is outstanding.

A classic jump shot!

Back he goes..

I could not resist the urge to go back to the coast for another mission. After an epic, full on Saturday catching 3 species I set up camp on a wild South Westland beach. Just myself, the sound of crashing waves, a roaring fire and a few beers under the stars. No better way to spend an evening! A whitebaiter woke me in the morning. He opened the truck to see if I was inside because he was worried by the sight of my vacant camp chair and smouldering fire. “I though you might have been washed out to sea” he said! We chatted for a bit, me still stretched in the back of my truck, and him leaning in the door. The whitebait season had opened an hour before at 6am. Shortly after our chat I got up and took on the day. Waking up exactly where you want to fish is always sort of magical for a fisherman.

The tide was going  out in the morning and fished pretty well but I was banking on the flowing tide to produce the best results like it did the day before. I had planned on taking a sea-trout and a kahawai home but it was not to be! Nothing happened after the tide turned so I went home empty handed! I’m curious to see what these sea / estuarine  trout are like to eat. The 2 days were completely different. I would have put money on the Kahawai coming back on the flowing tide but they didn’t. There are no guarantees in fly-fishing.

The fishing and whole wild experience was great as always! It fired at different times each day making it hard to nail down. Watching the place come alive with Kahawai was pretty cool. They were the biggest I’ve encountered. 10 trout, 10 kahawai and a stargazer (what a cool little fish he was!) in total. All the kahawai bar one were 5lb plus. My best brown was about 5lbs too. I didn’t get many trout pics because I caught most of them in the surf. No place to set up the camera and timer and I didn’t want to take the fish too far from the water.

I still don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow!

Ronan..