Graeme Christie | Tuesday, 19 May 2026
I have family down south in NZ. Always fun to visit, catch up on life, and maybe drag my son out for a fishing trip.
The weather forecast was positive with somewhat low wind, day in fog to start. The day wasn't going to be warm but you can't always get everything in life. Plus activity warms you up at some point.
Off we set, a bit of a journey in the car. Low fog was the order of the day.
There's a spot I haven't fished this time of year, but it always seems productive at other times. Plenty of food present, I suspect, even if the surrounds aren't the most picturesque. Still beautiful in its own way. Farm land that pays its way is at play, the NZ standard. Cow lanes cross the waterway in places where the cattle go through to milking. The banks and lanes are fenced off from the waterway, but it's a thin strip, sometimes non-existent, more just the fence. Birds work the margins. Always a good sign for what's living in the water. Maimais sit out in the channel, reminders of duck season as is the odd shotgun boom. In a perfect world the government would buy this back for wetland preservation. As it is, it grows grass.
Your casting has to be on point. No dropping of the cast at the last minute. You'll catch a fence or a neighbouring flax bush. Stopless deliveries work well even on what you'd judge a low wind day, since being this close to the coast tightens the margins.
My son and I moved around, casting and checking. Cloudy, so fish-spotting visibility was low. We decided to strip buggers and see how that went. Most retrieves came back with the fly dressed in weed. Clean it off, cast again.
I had a slow follow. He had a bite. We both spooked fish. There is an exposed island I waded out to. Then a follow that's classic for the area: a bow wave after the fly, then boom, attack, fish on. The fish took in shallow water so landing wasn't too difficult. 5lbs and in superb condition.
My son tried wading out and went over his waders. The ground has a sinking sand quality in spots. "F&%#ing quicksand," he said when he found a soft patch. How would I explain to Mum I lost him on a fishing trip? :-) The route I came out through was difficult but manageable, though I had to talk to myself a bit to stay upright. I tried getting off the island a different way and aborted: same sinking quality. Same route of deception and doom, as he'd put it.
Another good follow, and the fly broke off the line. Checking after the other fish landed had clearly been inadequate.
We walked out. Son was cooling off after taking on water on a day sitting under ten degrees. He'd worked the 8 wt by then, I'm hoping to teach him how to haul. I know it will revolutionise the cast for him.
Whether it's your approach to the water, a safety element like what happened to him, or refining the rig, there are always lessons. Enjoyment is a big part of it.
One element I keep coming back to is my HT 8. If there's wind on a NZ still water, it's the rod that copes with weighted fluffy streamers and the longer leaders used to deliver them in a way the fish don't clock. I notice from yesterday's front page that Paul has one for sale, if you need one!!
I take too much gear. I like some sinking lines but on certain waters the floater does the job. Lengthen the trace for depth, or heavy up the flies. Worth tying some lighter options for shallow water and smaller sizes for days like this.
Overall a success. I'll look forward to the next time. As a weekend warrior who likes to get to a level of mastery, there’s more to work on! But it showed promise.