I’ve got a week without guests.... and a chance for ME to finally use the rod for a change! That’s what guides do when they've got a few days off - go fishing! Seems odd, I know, but when I've got guests here fishing, I don’t use a rod myself. So, on a joyous spring day when I’ve not got clients, I go fishing! We’ve had plenty of fine days on end now and river & lake levels are falling fast. While the North Island has been getting lots of rain, down here in rain forest country, its verging on a drought again. The trout are still hungry though - and on each of the past few days I've spent at least a couple of hours on our little corner of Paradise - Lake Brunner. The fish are in superb condition and feeding avidly on cockabullies. Today (10th) one of the 3 fish I caught during the lunch hour was a lovely jack fish. Only 21 inches long, but he weighted 4 lbs! Short, fat and feisty! Took nearly 10 minutes to quieten down and into the net after several savage runs, tail-walks, and some serious aerobatics! I love spring fishing, while the water temperatures are still chilly, the fish are very aggressive and fight like hell! Later on in mid-summer, they can become almost lethargic. Right now though, it’s truly excellent fishing. Last night, in the gathering dusk, Luke the Labrador and I took our evening stroll along the lake shore, rod in hand. The first of two fish was lively enough and provided a show for a boat-load of passing visitors who paused to watch the trout in action. The second fish was a mean fighter, who did not linger long - one head high leap, one tail-walk, then one crash-dive to the bottom! Tore like a torpedo straight through the bottom of a deep weed bed and dislodged the hook, leaving the angler shaking his head in disbelief.... This is not the way brown trout are supposed to behave, right?

 

From Southern Guide Services Ltd

Report type: Freshwater

Report date: 10 September 01

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