Wairoa (Clevedon) Jan 3, 2014

[JeffHamm]

Hi again,

I must say, 2014 is looking good. I've been out twice already, which is close to my total number of trips out in 2013! Gregor has moved into a "big bed" and now occupies the bottom bunk in his sister's room (their room now). The two of them have been asking for some time to share, so that has finally come about and I get my man cave back. So, I tied up a generic soft hackle (hare body, fine gold wire rib, peacock herl thorax, a feather from the underside of a cock ringneck pheasant for the hackle; size 14), took my 3 weight, and off I went. The Wairoa is a small stream, lots of riffles and runs, a few short pools, and some nice slow glides as well. The water can get very cloudy and muddy after a rain, and never runs super clear, but it was pretty good today. Water was a bit low, but not bone dry. This time of year the weeds start growing (there's a lot of farm run off into this stream, so lots of fertilizer gets into the water and when the water gets low and warmish, the undergrowth takes off), and you can see some in the photos. Anyway,the fish are typically pretty small in this river. Fish and game haven't stocked it in years, or so I've been told, so the fish are a self sustaining population.

Anyway, I fished a section that I've fished many times, a nice series of riffles and pools, and wasn't having much luck when just after noon, I finally hooked this one on the fly I tied this morning! Nice! It put up a great fight, took to the air a few times, pulled line, etc. When I got it to hand, I realised this was probably the best conditioned fish I've ever seen in this river. It was around 10 inches, and fat like a football!

FatRainbow_Wairoa_27cm_Jan3_2014B.jpg

I headed back to the car around 2 to finally have my lunch (tomato and blue cheese sandwich - I made the blue cheese and it was very tasty). I debated whether or not to just pack up, but decided since there was a new section accessible, I would go down and have a few casts. So, lunch box on the bank, and a few casts later, I was into a 2nd good sized fish (for this river). Took the same fly, and while it wasn't as fat, it was about 30 cm (12 inches) long. And, as the rain started to sprinkle, I figured that was a good time to call it a day. While two fish may not seem a lot, in this stream not getting skunked is a good day and getting two fish that actually can put up a fight is unheard of! Was a lot of fun.
Rainbow_Wairoa_30cm_Jan3_2014B.jpg

- Jeff

[WarrenP]

Jeff,

I enjoyed your story and fishing trip. Both fish were nice. That sandwich sounded pretty good too!! : )

[farleycat]

Nice trouts and sandwich sounds enticing.
How do you "make your own blu cheese"?
Bernie

[JeffHamm]

Thanks guys! Making cheese isn't all that hard, just takes time. To make blue cheese, you just add a bit of blue mould from a blue that you already like, and it will grow in your new cheese. You can make a really simple cheese, called "Quark", by just putting 4 tbls of cultured buttermilk in 10 litres of milk, warm it to about 30 C, add a drop of rennet, and let it sit overnight. It will thicken and you'll get this gluggy stuff like yogurt, and then just pour it into a cheesecloth bag, hang and drain for a couple hours. This won't be a hard cheese, and you couldn't make a blue version of it, but it is very tasty and is good for cheesecake! You can strain yogurt and get cheese too. Hard cheese is, more or less, a similar idea but you add more rennet (which is what makes the milk form a curd), and you cut, stir, add salt, and press it in a mold (ok, a bit more details would be needed, but that's the basic idea).

- Jeff

[farleycat]

In my "retirement" I have been making all sorts of goodies. My own yogurt, pickled eggs, pickled beets, applesauce and now can add CHEESE...thanks Jeff. Sure wish I had the wherewithal to go to New Zealand for fishing....looks like Gods own country.
Bernie

[jimsnarocks]

Thanks for the new year report Jeff. Looked like some nice fishies. Jim

[Grubb]

Hey thanks for the report.. I like the simplicity of your trips and also you including the home made lunch.. Your trips go alot like mine... Time on the water a fish or two at hand, a a nice lunch to sit back and enjoy, while at the same time checking everything out all around, ( and in most cases thats when I see things I might not have noticed, like a cool flower, deer walking by, or a brookie feeding in the corner of a pool) nice looking trout you caught there..

[JeffHamm]

Thanks guys. Most of the time when I go out I'm out to relax and just enjoy the outdoors. I've scared up the occasional pheasant at this river, and a few wood pigeons (which are a protected native bird) too. Spotted a possum one day, which was odd as they are typically nocturnal, but this one was out and about like a real trouper. I'll often change flies or technique if I'm catching a lot, rather than keep doing what already seems to work. It's my way of experimenting with the idea of how particular the trout are. Often, it just seems that they've come on the feed and changing flies doesn't matter too much (I'll change from soft hackles, to wee wets, to nymph, to streamers, to dries, etc), mixing up collared wets, with throat hackles, with palmered bumble type things, and so forth. However, it's not often that I get to the river when the fish are really on the take, but I'll usually get my one or two and be happy.

- Jeff

[ronnie_mckee]

Thanks for the report and pics, enjoyed it.