Ronan's Report

During a mission to North Canterbury with Jeff Forsee at the end of last season, I witnessed something that made me re-think what I thought I knew. Jeff was onto a fish on his bank, a big one. The fish was deep. Jeff persisted with a range of weighted nymphs until he had the heaviest one in his box on, with the little trailer off it. He felt he was not getting deep enough so he pulled out a box of split shot and added some weight, then a little more weight. I’m not sure just how much shot he added but eventually he hooked the fish. A long battle was ensued but we finally got it into the net. That fish was one of the most spectacular fish I’ve seen and it turned out to be Jeff’s personal best. Afterwards, I thought to myself “would I have caught that fish?”. The answer, probably not. I had no split shot and my heaviest nymph was the same as Jeff’s. The only time I ever used shot was in Croatia years ago because of their single fly policy. I thought I had no need for it. I remember Paul Arden talking about split shot for early season NZ fish. I simply thought “just tie a heavier nymph”, which is true but split shot is handy, quick and easy to add and there’s no limit to how much you can put on (within reason!). I had to see this in action to really see the value of it. Shortly after that trip I got some split shot.

Recently, in Otago, about half way through a great day, I sighted a large trout happily feeding. He was moving from shallow to deep water feeding constantly. After a number of careful casts the fish became aware of my presence. He went a little doggo but then continued to feed, this time in deep water only. This gave me a great and rare advantage. The fish continued to feed despite my presence. I could not spook him easily so I cast and cast and cast. As long as a fish is feeding he’s catchable so I persisted. I put on my heaviest nymph, then added lead, then more lead. The river was boiling and up-welling making it hard to get even a heavily weighted rig down, but once in a while, as Robbie pointed out, the current went “clean”, no up-welling. At one of those moments I placed the cast in the right place and the added weight got my fly into the zone. The fish ate. I knew It was a big fish, I’ve caught lots of 9s and this felt just plain heavier. I gave him stick none the less and eventually landed him with Robbie’s help on the net. There were a few unnerving moments as he went under banks and around rocks but we landed him. 10lbs on the dot (Though Robbie thinks he was more, despite the weigh-net!). Thanks, Jeff for the lesson in lead and Robbie for the help landing one of my personal best brown trout.. Finally we cracked a double together!

Tight Lines All..

Ronan..

If your planning a trip to NZ, why not get in touch with me! I’m available to guide and happy to answer any questions you may have.. ronan@sexyloops.com

Old and new.. I hope the new ones are as good as the old ones!

Robbie at the beginning of a great weekend!

Nimble as ever over the rough terrain..

First of the season for Robbie Mcphee..

A strange cloud..

Robbie finds a fish in a very tough spot.. the "Dore's Mr Glister" did the business.. Another big fish but I was too far away to get a decent pic. Crossing was not an option! (again)

Back he goes..

My second of the day. This fish ran me ragged! Down lots of rapids, thought I lost him around a rock, Superb condition and fit as a fiddle!

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Close up!

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The dark shape near the rock is the fish..

Big water!

Difficult terrain for playing fish..

A truly great place..

These fish are very few and far between but I got this one after about 50 casts.. maybe 100!!! The addition of lead shot made the difference..

Iza into her first of the season..

Spotting was still possible in the murky water..

Last weekend on the river. Quite high and coloured but good numbers of fish about.

And this is the fly.. My size 16 2mm tungsten bead nymph. Specific materials or colours are not important.

The feeling of catching such a fish is real high.. This is only my 4th double in 13 seasons.

Happy angler.. We had a ball on the river!

Worth a close up of this stunning fish..

Back he goes..

The largest of the day. We hit one amazing pool stacked with trout!

A fish of a lifetime!

This was the magic pool...

Recently I had an encounter with a trout I’d caught about 18 months ago. The fact that I had caught him before meant that I had no great need to catch him again, or so I thought before our re-encounter. I knew where he lived, during a day on the river I was never too pushed If I fished that pool or not. On this day I did get to the pool, I scoped it up and down and didn’t see him. I did see a smaller trout of about 4lbs but never managed to get a shot to that one. When I was leaving the pool I spotted my old friend in a slack back eddy at the head of the pool. He was cruising around sipping down dries like a 3lb brown in a Mataura backwater.. But this was no 3lber! He may well be a double by now considering he was 9.25lbs when I caught him. I didn’t hesitate in getting into position well away from the trout, my heart rate increasing. I quickly removed my nymphs so I had a single size 12 dry left on the cast, my go-to dry. I felt no need to put on a smaller one. The tippet was 4x, so nice and fine. The fish turned on his beat and I sent in my cast. I was as happy as I could have been with my shot.. I landed the fly well in front of the fish and a little to his right so that on approach to the fly most of the tippet would be on the other side of the fly. He cruised towards it, raised up in the water column just a little and then continued under my fly. After seeing my offering he went into high alert moving out of the slack water into moving water. Still maybe catchable but much more difficult. I changed tactics and put a nymph on. First attempt with the nymph and I picked up some scrub on my back-cast which landed beside my old friend. With that, he was gone. He didn’t bolt off, just cruised into the depths. I was haunted by him that night, every time I’d close my eyes I’d see that head on profile with pectoral fins like a jet plane, changing to a huge pink and green flank as he turned. Now I have to catch him again. (This is fly-fishing!)

I’ve had plenty other great days on the water since my last report. Jeff and I pushed into some new terrain and found more trout than we expected. We did pretty well, catching fish on dries and nymphs.

I caught up with my great friend Bob Toffler last weekend before he headed back to the States for another northern hemisphere season. We had a wonderful meal together cooked by Bob’s partner, Carol. The following day, Iza, Bob and I fished the Mataura where the hatch lasted from morning until evening! It was fantastic fun. I got to know Bob on a visit to the US about 13 years ago. He told me that he fishes in NZ every season, and he invited me to join him during my planned NZ visit. I took him up on his offer and we’ve been friends ever since meeting up a few times a season. Through Bob, I met Guy; through Guy, I met Paul and the rest is history still in the making.

That’s all for now, Enjoy the pics and feel free to subscribe if you’re new here and you like what you see!

Oh, and Happy 40th to Mike Wilkinson! He looks a day over 39. The party meant I didn’t fish on Sunday last! I doubt any one else did either… Jeff?

Ronan..

Omarama with Iza, March 2015 019_576x768

..and I found this! ..but there were no fish..

Exploring new parts of well worn terrain..

One landed for this day.. I had a re-encounter with an old friend, possibly a double by now! I'd like another reel screaming encounter with him!

2 incisions, one from outside and one from inside the mouth.. It was a success!

Back on the river with Jeff!

2 beautiful browns he landed on the day.,This the smaller of the 2.

Jeff lost this one in the end.. a solid fish we both wanted to look at!

We continue.. There were a few fish about!

About to cast to a fish that would not eat..

Kisses the fish!

Using my rod to poke him out was a last resort!

One for me at the end of the day, a real beauty from a riffle!

Holy shit... Death?

Some nice flats close to home..

Bob into one on the Mataura..

Me and the man I've known in NZ for the longest time, Bob Toffler. A legend in my book! Come what may he returns every year to fish the rivers around his other home in Balfour.

Very interesting water indeed!

One under the willows..

Slightly different angle, very nice fish..

Willows provide great cover and habitat for trout and stabitity for rivers.