Hi,
On the weekend I made it out to the Wairoa for a few hours. The water has been low lately, and the last few times I was out it has been very muddy. This is common for the Wairoa, unfortunately, but it is still a stream I really enjoy. Here's one stretch that I like to give a try to when I'm out there:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... gPool2.jpg

I call it the SwimmingPool because often I have to skip fishing it because kids are having a swim there.

I landed 4 small rainbows, in the 8-10 inch range, and hooked up on 2 more in the same size. Here a shot of the first one:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... inbow2.jpg

Three of the ones landed took the middle dropper of my team of 3, which was Sylvester Nemes "Red and Black Dun", (sz14; body 1/2 red 1/2 black dubbing, rib: flat silver tinsel, hackle: dun partridge, though I used a black starling hackle). The other one took a winged black gnat wet fly that I tie with Possum tail fur. (also sz14). I've generally found that black flies work well on the Wairoa, probably because of how discoloured the water tends to be. Even when it's at it's clearest, it tends more towards tea than gin, if you follow me.

Anyway, as I was putting away my gear, I spotted this flying ant on the door of my car:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... ngeAnt.jpg

The colours don't show as well as I hoped, but it was decidedly orange, with black stripes like a tiger over the abdomen, and light greyish wings. I was thinking this would be easy to immitate iwth an orange floss, black rib, dun hackled fly (similar to one of the variations of Pritt's Water Cricket). I didn't see any of these near the water, but the red and black combo of the soft hackle fly that took the majority of the fish that day may have been taken for one of these flying ants?

- Jeff