The Tongariro in winter is not a secret. The car park makes that clear before the river does. I fished the upper river anyway, in the rain. At least that thinned the punters down and I had it somewhat to myself for two hours.
The river was low and clear, sitting around twenty-one cumecs against a yearly average closer to twenty-eight. Rain overhead and gin clear, which is a combination that fits an El Niño year and not the one you'd order for winter fish. Prevailing westerly winds, drier and cool. I fished Tongariro Bomb style, which if you haven't met it is a long leader and nymphs heavy enough to worry the rod tip, or your head if they hit you. It always surprises me that this is likely the main way that fish are caught on the river. Some people make it look easy, but the easy bit is getting yourself in a tangle and then having to re-tie the whole set up.
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There are snakehead babies around. Let’s see, one chase this evening. Two chases yesterday evening. Broken on one midweek into a snag. All big and annoying fish.
At first my shots were not going where they should and that’s what I’m going to talk about. But also the shots have been very tough and brief. This happens sometimes. Fish that have been partly spooked, or turning down fast because of the wind, or just sometimes they don’t give you a money-shot opportunity. That I can handle, but not putting in the shots is unacceptable.
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I foul-hooked two fish. I hate that. It’s been awhile but a foul hooked fish always colors my mood for a while. I’ve foul-hooked carp too. I think the mechanism is a little different for them but with both carp and corbina it’s a problem that stems from the combination of weighted flies, and bottom feeding fish in shallow water. I think, can always be avoided by right fishing. It’s a sin of inattention and imprecision. My joy of a perceived eat is infused with doubt. I hate it. Hate hate hate.
Corbina showed in a variety of postures, crowding the backside of flooding waves, surfing in front of them, tailing in pooled water when a set flooded a flat, and nosed into the beach fighting the currents while making divots. Conditions were good all week - the middling tides fished well. Still only a couple ate and I failed to hook those.
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When I started to work with Paul I didn’t really know what I wanted to learn in fly casting, or specifically single handed casting. So everything seemed like a good start. Well more distance was off course a goal. My main fishing is blind casting for seatrout a long the coast. Distance and fighting the wind is hard to avoid then. But the rest of the things I didn’t know specifically when I would need, but nice things to have in the toolbox. So I was a bit surprised that it seems like almost everyone else working with Paul is shot taking saltwater anglers. I think that if you are a stream fisherman you want everything that Paul offers in the curriculum.
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We arrived late Saturday evening to Kraddsele and had nice dinner from friends. We have small cottage with table and beds, there is coffee machine yet cooking, toilet and shower are in other building. Really nice cabin for sleep, and have morning coffee as it is only purpose to be inside.
Sunday I went check upper part of Vindelån, not really up part yet area which requires walking pretty much. I took bicycle and shortened time to reach area. I found a lot rising trout yet small ones. I saw few bigger fish rising yet either on other side or totally in middle, so out reach. Wind died totally during evening and there was even hatch yet I couldn't find decent trout. I got one small up. It was absolutely peaceful day by the river.
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Just a quick one from me this week as I'm walking the West Highland Way, soaked and more focused on my blisters than fishing. But I am going mullet fishing soon, so it's
spectra shrimp.
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Many years ago, at the beginning of my career, I remember being in a technical meeting with some colleagues when one turned to me and whispered, with a cheeky grin, “if you want a straight line you should only make two measurements”. He was, of course, joking and it was more of a sarcastic comment on the quality of the data analysis that was being presented to us at the time by a scientist who should have known better. What brought this anecdote back to mind was some conversations regarding the scoring at the Game Fair competition a couple of weeks back.
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A ridge of high pressure sat over the North Island this weekend and gave the Waikato a proper winter's day: a 1°C frost to start, fine, light winds. No excuses in the weather. Snow is hitting coastal cities in the South Island as I finish writing this now. NZ is cold at present. Back to the fishing story and to the lower Waikato for round two, below Huntly this time, working the new spots off the latest map. The list of spots is now three maps long.
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I have a couple of slots available for fly casting coaching. So if you want coaching directly from me then please email or WhatsApp. These slots don’t come up very often!
It’s possible to do the compete course that I’ve been giving for the past 7 years, which I would thoroughly recommend. It takes about a year and you will become a truly outstanding and complete flycaster as a result.
I don’t only coach “elite” casters!!!! I know that a few are surprised by this, but I coach and enjoy coaching ALL levels of ability, and of course welcome everyone!
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Conditions at the beach and home limited me last week but I got out a couple of times. Despite forecasts of a substantial swell I imagined the full moon would bring grunion in close. I went out Thursday at dawn and fished a green and white clouser in the incoming tide. I paired the overweight SA Sonar 6 wt with my HT8 instead of the HT6 I usually take to the beach. It handled the clouser nicely. I didn’t see any signs of bait in close - two moons ago I saw cormorants slurping grunions and strange big tails. Not this time but an hour in I saw a few corbina in the swash and switched to casting a pink merkin crab at them. The fish were showing randomly, in differing postures, and the big surf created enough foam to make spotting and following them difficult. No one ate. I went out Friday filled with hope, but fewer fish showed and I’m pretty sure I didn’t show anyone my fly. Still starting the day on the beach is a joy.
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Our vacation tour in northern Sweden continues, or middle of Sweden might be more correct. It’s just that everything north of Stockholm feels like northern Sweden for us. It has been eventful and the second week a bit more so I would say.
This week we are back in the cabin we rented last year in Särna. I like the cottage better than the container we stayed in last week. The container had the advantage though that it was located at the end of a field that could be used for distance practice. Even if the lean and other forms of the field made you fall and feel seasick it was available. Distance practice this week has been less and a bit more interesting. It has consisted of stopping at available fields I’ve found when we have visited the village center for supplies. So one session took place in the middle of a camping site. Decent lawn so I took the chance while Minna did hide to not die because of embarrassment. She had to come out of hiding to help me get some pictures, staged, or my practice.
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