Parkinson?s Lake:

Just outside of Waiuku is Parkinson?s Lake. Not a large lake, and filled with stocked Rainbows. Members of the Angler?s club I belong to have mentioned it a few times so I thought I would take a peak. My wife and her Dad were going out to see the end of a steeple chase at the nearby forest, so they dropped me off at the lake. It sits next to a gun club, so the fishing is accentuated with the reports of large rifles. Not a ?quiet contemplative? location by any means, but it was a new place to fish for me. There was a bit of a breeze coming over the water, so I decided to stay at the end where the wind was blowing to and cast into it. I figured any insects would be blown down the lake and be at that end, which also just happened to be next to the road. This was something I?ve picked up reading here at FAOL from various stories and reports.

Also, I realised I wouldn?t need any waders, as the lake gets very deep very quickly. You sort of walk along the edge of a hill, and there isn?t really much room for back casting. I kept my backcast ?upeth?, but the hill behind me upethed more on a few occasions! Anyway, the day was sunny, and the wind was not too high. There was the occasional fish rising as well. I couldn?t see anything coming off the water, so I tried a few midge larvae. But, the wind just caught the indicator and, after a few tangles worthy of mention, I decided that wasn?t the way to go.

I switched to trying a mini-cosseboom (size 12) streamer. I knew they were looking up so I pulled this along close to the surface. Though it looked very good in the water to me, no luck. After losing it on a backcast (I think; I just noticed it was gone at one point), I decided to switch again.

This time, I tried a partridge and orange tied on a dry fly hook. This floated nicely at first, and when it finally water logged, it still stayed near the surface. But still there was no interest. So, on goes a size 10 brown dry fly with white calf hair wings ? a ?brown Wolfe? maybe? Just a generic mayfly I tied up. I couldn?t see anything flying around of this size, but nothing sub-surface seemed interesting to the fish so perhaps things were blowing onto the water at the far end where the rushes were?

After a while, I started to think of changing again. I hadn?t even seen a rise for some time now. I was thinking I should perhaps try a damsel fly nymph. There were damsels around at least. At that point, a confident rise occurred in the vicinity of my fly. In fact, I then realised it wasn?t just ?in the vicinity? but it was a confident take. So, after me thinking ?Hey, that?s me!? (no, not as an intentional timing thing, just a sudden realisation that I was supposed to do something) there was a slightly less confident lifting of the rod tip. Sure enough, a good solid hook up followed. After a short fight, I brought to hand a 28 cm (11 inch) 225g (half pound) rainbow.

Shortly after that my wife and her Dad returned and so it was time to pack up and head on home. But, I?m sure I will return. I mean, there?s damsel nymphs to try next!

- Jeff