Hi Guys, just back from Rotorua’s Ohau Chanel Lodge. Fished with my new Sage Switch rod and had a blast. We started swinging Green Orbit and Yellow Lady Dorothys down and across on Friday. I found the new gear dificult to get used to, but gradualy got the hang of it. Q got a Small rainbow and I got a very small Rainbow before we decided it was beer o’clock!
Saturday bright and early we had another go with the same results. It was the first time ever however that my lovely wife Paula has deliverd me a Flat White and a Biscuit on the river side, very civilised!
We both switched to Nymph rigs for the afternoon and Q managed 3 good fish and lost a good one, while I managed to stick with the small ones. As it got dark I went back to the sinking line and a glow in the dark smelt fly and first cast I hooked a big fresh run Rainbow, battled it to the bank and then as I was about to land it the 8lb leader snapped with a crack so loud I thought the rod had broken:???:.
I re rigged and after about 3 more casts hooked and landed a Rainbow of 26 inches and just under 6lb, not bad but much smaller than the one I lost!
Here are some pics.
Ohau Chanel.
A fellow fisherman
and finaly my rainbow.
All the best.
Mike.
Great report Mike! Sounds like the new gear will be just the ticket once you’ve got it all under control. I must say, I’m not used to seeing photo’s of the channel where you can actually see the channel! Usually the pics are from opening day, and it’s just wall to wall anglers. Looks much nicer to fish mid-winter!
- Jeff
Hi Jeff, yes I must admit I have only seen pics of the chanel and they always feature lots of fishermen, this is the first time I have ever fished there and it was not too bad. I think the word was out that Rotoiti was fishing well and the waititi had a good run of fish so most of the locals fished those and left the Chanel to us out of towners!
The Switch rod is good for distance, I can hardly wait to give it a go on the Tongariro, but it may be a couple of months before I can get down to Turangi for a long weekend. If you and Vanessa would like to come I can organize some very cheep beds for a couple of nights.
All the best.
Mike.
Hi Mike,
Keep me in mind, although I’m not sure if I’m going to have any spare time until after next semester and into the summer though. Comming up I’ve got some extra lecturing to do, and running a graduate paper solo this year while the other fellow is on sabbatical (like I was last year; what goes around comes around!) so lots of extra marking too! Not to mention a PhD student who should be submitting this year, so a defense to prepare, etc. It seems like after my year sabbatical I’ve now got two years of work to do! How does that happen?
- Jeff