Here’s to 2022!
It feels like the season has only started and it’s January already. This is why I try to get the most out of winter fishing – once the regular season opens, it’s over in no time, it accelerates. I guess thats why we have to make the best of everything. Life is short and we don’t know whats coming. On that note, I’m certainly trying to make the best of these challenging times. Yes, my business is in ruins and I worry about and miss my family in Ireland but all other aspects of life are better. Family time, my own fishing time, time in the workshop and restoring our old house and garden. In a normal guiding season I don’t see the inside of my workshop and maintaining the house is limited to mowing the lawns now and again. I know I’ll miss this when things go back to normal. In fact, it’s made me rethink what’s actually important so much so that I’m considering reducing my number of guide days per year to keep more of this work / life balance that I’m enjoying so much. I think when all this is over many people will realise the good points of this strange time – and there are many, at least there are here in NZ. I want to enjoy the good bits right now and forget about the negative as much as I can. I’m not going to look back and think I missed out or could have done things differently. I’m thankful to be in NZ where our freedom has not been affected like peoples in other parts of the world.
I’ve been on the water 3 out of the first 4 days of this year. Good results from various conditions. I have a very exciting exploratory backcountry mission coming up so this year is kicking off in style. More on all that in my next blog.
I’m attempting to improve my photography a little. David Lambroughton has been giving me a few valuable pointers. I’ve taken my wifes 10 year old Lumix GF2 out of the closet and got a polarising filter for it. I love the results. Polarising was always something I wanted from my picture taking but waterproof cameras are limited in this regard. Putting my sunnies in front of the lens wears thin! Don’t worry, you wont see “Photography” after my name or watermarks on any images! The photo’s below tell the story of a great finale to 2021.
I have 4 new patterns coming out this year with Fulling Mill. 3 streamers and a dry. I’m excited about that. More on those soon. My nymphs are currently available here.
Feel free to get in touch about guided fly fishing whether your in NZ or abroad. ronan@sexyloops.com or visit my website.
Tight lines and I sincerely wish you all a great 2022. Ronan..
Day 1 of 2 with Dougal. Off to the highcountry. 
Beautiful water. Very few trout about.. 
Not ideal sighting conditions but things improved in the afternoon. 
Some sunlight! 
Split Fins old pool.. I think he’s finally done his dash. 
Enjoying the view..
One small trout for the day.
Day 2. After a very slow morning things picked up in the afternoon. 
A fiesty 5lber for Dougal.. 
On the board! 
A large trout with a larger eel behind him. The eel passed the trout like a ship in the night. 
Worth a streamer shot. 
One at the end of the day on my brown nymph! 
An hour on a small still-water with Kevin.. 
Not many fish about today.. 
Just half an hour to fish on the way home.. 
Off to the wilderness with Wesley. 
rigging up.. 
Windy! 
A great start on a sheltered shore – my Killer Smelt took this one. 
Same fish better showing the beautiful copper tones. 
Unrelenting wind!
Wind like this brings me back to fishing Corrib and Mask. I love it! 
Not much action in the waves today. 
It didn’t let up for a minute all day.. 
Wesley takes a nap.. 
Fishing the rolling wave.. 
Lunch time. 
Back to the gales! 
Some shelter behind points, bays and islands – On this day, this is where the fish were.. 
Brilliant fish.. 
One more to finish the day.. 
Walking back. 
Still no let up from the wind. 
Another day, another still-water – a farm dam. 
Beautiful.. 
Wesley stalking one.. 
A hefty lump of a brown for me! 
Wesley is in.. 
Back he goes. 
Great to have options when rivers are high and coloured. 
Off to another lake during a cold southerly. 
I had some great fishing.. 
This on on “the Bruiser” My possum and marabou
streamer, soon to be available from Fulling Mill.
The HT6 bent again! 
Super fish. 
No Irish lake angler wouldn’t love these conditions.. 
They were in the waves today.. 
Guiding Philip. He had a great day! 
The best of about half a dozen. 
Same trout on my faters little dry – also soon to be available from Fulling Mill. 
Superb. 
Out with Graeme and John.. 
Fewer fish than I expected but we made up for it by covering more ground. 
A good brown for Graeme. 5 for the day! Graemes worm was deadly!
