...while appreciating the New Zealand countryside, here's the journal i wrote some time ago while i was in new Zealand getting frustrated chasing trophy trout... at least i had a hookup!

Well, well, today I went trout fishing with John Hamill. W I had loads of fun even though I was unable to bring trout to hand due to bad casting and lousy hook sets, I did however get some very subtle takes? they were so subtle that the indicator didn?t even twitch! Today was one of the days that I wish I was taller, we had to climb around a whole lot, up the banks and all that kind of stuff. It is good to be small (which I am) but it?s possibly better to be tall and lanky so that its much easier to climb up the banks!! Trout fishing is challenging! The fish were so so picky about flies and taking them, it seemed to me to be that they wanted. For the record of my poor trout fishing skills when sight casting, I messed up 8 shots. Sight casting seems to me to be very challenging but extremely fun and requires great perseverance, as well as super quick, quiet and accurate presentation skills. Apparently this afternoon, water was slightly discoloured, due to recent rains! I thought it was really, really clear, especially when compared to the murky Singapore water. Apparently the rain had flushed many large fish back into the lake which accounted for the low number fish per unit area and unwillingness to feed... well, i'll keep trying to catch a trout... i think i'll have to do it in the south island though...

Having had a long and hot afternoon challenging fishing, we drove back to Uncle Mike?s house. I?m a little sad that we?re leaving tomorrow? but one has to move on to see more of New Zealand. Life would be much easier if we had 3 weeks instead!

this may not be the ideal success trout trip but i sure learnt loads about handling 12 feet of leader in tight quarters!