I've been amping for the season to open for a fair while. Mainly
because I've been having truly rotten luck in the few open winter
waters. So it was with more than a little bit of excitement that I
awaited my trip with Andrew (curly25) into a mysterious location in the
South Island that most of you will probably recognise anyway. If you
recognise it then don't broadcast it, just keep it to yourselves. I
was a little worried because I knew that Friday night was going to be a
large night and that I wouldn't get much sleep/sobreity...so the 5am
wake up was a little daunting. But I managed to rouse myself, pack my
bag and make it out to the car. Thankfully I didn't have to drive.
Adrenaline and excitement kept me conscious for the first hour or two,
though I'm not sure I'd have been the best conversation for Andrew. I
had a cheeky doze in the car, and then we arrived at our destination.
Out to stretch the legs and then straight on with the packs and up the
track we head. The track follows a river that looked promising, but
wasn't reputed to be up to much. Still, as human nature (or at least
those of mad keen fishos) is we couldn't resist having a peek. It was
clearly running a lot higher and faster than usual, but thankfully it
was still clear. At our first stop I notice a shape in the water...then
it swings left...then right...actively feeding. It looks about 2-3lbs,
perfect to start of the season with. On with a dry and dropper (Glister
Nymph under a Royal Wulff). First I throw a cast out wide, but it
doesn't notice it...then closer, until WHAM. Indicator drops and I
strike hard into a fish...which jumps...showing its full 5-6lbs... and
then promptly spits the hook. The whole thing happened so fast that
looking back I wonder if the hook ever actually hooked up, or if the
trouts mouth had just closed around the fly. Anyway, needless to say I
was absolutely gutted... I haven't had a good run lately, and this just
compounded my feelings. We didn't see anything for a fair while after
that, so we rejoined the track and slogged our way up for 20 mins or so
until a nice break appears. Out into the river we jump, rods out and
armed. Two braids ran side by side separated by a small grass bank. We
each prospected up a braid. I had about given up hope in mine... oh one
last cast... and the indicator drops in that slow way that always means
a snag... Reactions have me striking anyway...and yup, feels like a
snag. Until of course it decided to storm madly downstream... I managed
to get my line onto the reel without too much drama, then it was just
me v fish. He was a sly chap and tried to take me under an undercut
bank on a couple of occasions before jumping up into the air. Looked to
be a good fish...little did we know... Managed to get him pretty much
under control in the shallows, but he kept surging out. Finally got him
in real close and Andrew netted him. Man oh man was this a good fish.
9.5lbs of backcountry brown.
The scales to prove it...
The water it was taken from...
Well
after that I was absolutely shaking. Just couldn't believe it. Before
that my pb was about 7lbs, so this was a really serious improvement.
First fish for the season at 9.5lbs, stoked! The photos really don't do
it justice, the depth and breadth of the fish was just out of this
world. Well after that we headed back up the river, but couldn't get
into anything, despite Andrew covering some real nice pocket water. We
basically just headed up to the lake after that. When we got there the
weather was not so friendly, and we bunkered down in the hut for an
hour until the weather eased off. Well it didn't ease off much, we were
still fishing in the rain and snow and hail. It was kinda ridiculous
really. Andrew fished a floating line with an olive woolly bugger,
whilst I fished a sinking line with an olive booby that I tied up.
After ten minutes, just when the cold had about got the best of me, I
felt a really strong tug on the line and I was soon connected to a
gorgeous rainbow. It was a really really scrappy fish and took a good
long time to get in. When we got it to the net it turned out to be...
A perfect 4.5lb rainbow...
Released
him, then headed back out and within 5 minutes, when it was well and
truly hailing, I got another hard take. This time a slightly weaker
fight, but still a really nice fish of almost exactly 4lbs.
4lb Rainbow....
Well
that was it for the day fish wise. We had a few more casts later on,
until exhaustion and alcohol got the better of us and we retired to bed
very early. Up at 7 the next morning and out on the lake to try spot
some cruising trout. Sadly we couldn't see anything, so we came back
for a big bowl of porridge. Then back out onto the lake and back round
the edges. The weather today was a lot nicer than the previous day, but
the fish weren't quite so responsive. I got one strike, but it didn't
hook up. Kinda drifted into a nice little routine, but that was
interrupted when Andrew shouted out "I got one, MAN" or something to
that effect. Really hard fighting fish that took some bloody long runs.
Eventually a 5lb bow was brought to the net
The
photo really doesn't do it justice as this fish carried its weight in
its breadth and depth rather than length. Andrew was fricken buzzing
after this catch. In fact I bet he's still buzzing! I know I am.
Just
as we were about to leave the lake for the hut we saw a few fish
cruising, made a cast to one of them...and Bang. Really hard fight with
a lot of strong runs. A 5lb Bow brought to the net.
5lb Bow.
This
proved to be the last fish for the weekend. We walked out that
afternoon with only a few little looks at the river on the way down.
Overall we caught 6 fish for a total of 30lbs, so an average of 5lbs
each. It was a really fantastic weekend and great to spend it with a
really good guy.
Hope all of you guys had equally successful opening weekends!
Jack/TheBadger
P.S. MICE...