Waiteti, New Zealand
Hi,
Just back from our long weekend holiday trip to Rotorura lake area. We used to go and stay at the holiday camp there quite often, but over the last few years, with travel and a young one, we realised that we've not been there for a long time. Anyway, the weather was mostly rain, with a few patches of showers and light drizzle. Still, Vanessa and Genesta went out and did some fun things like a farm tour, pet a baby lion, while I stood by the river waving a stick.
The fishing was pretty hard going. Most of the fish have run up the rivers by now, though it was quite full on about a month ago. Still, I did spot a few holding in some of the holes, though none at the mouth of the Waiteti (pronouced Why tuh tee). None of the locals were out fishing, which is never a good sign.
Still, at a spot I call the "Chicken Run" (a family has a chicken coup on the ohter side of the fence by the river), I was roll casting to the far bank and drawing the fly back. After awhile, with not much happening, I tied on a size 10 Doc Spratley and flicked that about, initially with hope, but with a growing sense of futility. Finally, I started reeling in to move on as I still hadn't seen a fish, one obligingly dashed out from the bank and followed the fly! I got it to follow a couple times, but that was it. It was like pulling a spnner and getting some interest but not enough for a take. Eventualy, it lost interest, but mine was peaked.
I swithed to a wine coloured cosseboom with red and black hackle. Again, followed, but no takers. Then it lost interest in that. I then tried a Fuzzy Belle (a fuzzy wuzzy tied in the colours of a parmachene belle), but no interest at all in that. I decided it was only interested in dark flies, so I switched to a Black Ghost. Although the white wing isn't dark, the black body seemed a good idea. Sure enough, after a couple swings, it rose from the bottom and ambushed the Ghost from below. After a good fight, though, I had this one to hand, later to become a lovely supper of smoked trout. It's a nice 2.4 kg (5lbs 4oz) of brown trout.
It's not an exceptional Rotorura trout, in fact well below the average size of brown, but it was the only hit I got all weekend.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and very tasty. Must try and get out on holiday more often I think!
tight lines.
- Jeff
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