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Michael Bednar
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2001 - 6:14 am: | |
Subject: Fiordland Fly Fishing
G'day
Nov/Dec 2000: Anglers giddy with glee at the amount of fish caught. The local river and spring-creek hold trout reaching 7 lbs or so. The spring-creek, perfect dry-fly water, sunlight a must to spot fish. A two-weight rod is sufficient for this water with minimum 3x tippet. These are not hatchery fish and display the steelhead characteristics of their Sonoma River ancestors, do not skimp on your backing.
Dec/Jan: Save some of your angling hours for evening fishing. The caddis hatch begins at dusk and rivals Montana's Big Horn River for it's blizzard of bugs and trout activity. A Wooly Bugger will unfailing work, hit after hit. And like the fishing schedule in Argentina at this time of year, fish late and sleep late.
February: River levels lower, allowing safe crossings to unfished waters and the landing of maniacially jumping rainbows. Fiordland back- country
rivers are noted for their crystal clear waters and large fish which are not difficult to spot but a huge challenge to catch. Unlike our englightened anglers
in the USA, New Zealand does not have a catch & release policy on blue ribbon waters and it is heart-breaking to see Kiwis yank out trout for the skillet,
will they ever learn? Fortunately there are rivers in Fiordland that can withstand the lack of sane fishery management.
Bring a 5 or 6 weight rod with floating line.
Flies: Sizes 12 - 16
Pheasant tail or small hare and copper patterns,
Bead head/black nymphs, Royal Wulffs, caddis patterns and Wooly Buggers.
Golden Ribbed hares ear.
Light-weight chest waders and felt-soled boots are important. Orvis and Hodgman have inexpensive canvas boots that are light-weight and can be used for hiking too. Polarized glasses are a must.
Tight Lines!
Michael Bednar
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Michael Bednar
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 9:50 am: | |
Subject: New Zealand Flyfishing Methods
The most important difference between fly fishing on rivers in New Zealand and those of the USA has to do with the kind of rivers New Zealand is noted for; namely, gin-clear waters, (referred to as back-country rivers.) Because of the clarity of the water in these rivers, the name of the game is to spot the fish first. This is in contrast to flyfishing blind, that is, working a section of river with either a dry-fly, nymph or streamer without actually seeing the fish.
Please don't think that blind casting isn't practiced here in New Zealand, it is. NZ is blessed with many different types of rivers and as we know, every river has its own personality. There are heaps of rivers on both the North and South Island where you can just wade in and begin casting. However, on crystal-clear, back-country rivers, the method used to fish relies heavily on spotting the trout, referred to as "sight-fishing," before making a presentation. These back-country rivers, generally speaking, don't hold many fish. Instead, they have large, solitary fish and they are often spaced far apart. A lot of walking may be required in the course of a day.
When I take an angler who's a newcomer, to one of these back-country rivers, their initial response is usually a gasp of delight at the sheer beauty of the river. Most of these rivers run through valleys of native bush (forests) and all is framed by rugged mountain ranges. One look at these rivers and you can't help feeling you've arrived at trout Valhalla. The runs are so pristine, the pools a deep jade colour: it all looks so fishy! But looks can be deceiving. What most anglers have a hard time grasping is that the river isn't jammed with fish. But the truth is, not only is the river not loaded with fish there are entire sections that are devoid of fish. Nothing.
That's why blind casting is pretty much
a futile exercise on gin-clear rivers. You could cast yourself silly for hours and never be near a fish. As I said earlier, the modus operandi is to spot the fish first, then enter the water. Once a fish is located, the angler stealthily takes position downstream of the trout and, while the guide monitors the fish's movements, the angler begins to make presentations. Usually a dry fly is tied on first. With the guide watching where the fly lands, he instructs the angler as to the next cast: more to the left, more to the right, more distance etc.
If the fish doesn't rise to the dry, then a nymph is tied on. When flyfishing with the nymph, however, if the fish takes, because the take occurs sub-surface, the guide will tell the angler when to set the hook. It's exciting fishing but by no means easy; particularly if there's a stiff down-river wind blowing. Also, because the fish in these back-country rivers tend to be large, many anglers get a wee bit nervous - duff the cast and spook the fish. If you've walked a distance to find a fish only to watch it bolt out of your life forever, this will not make you happy. So in a nutshell, when fishing back-country rivers in NZ you need to know that:
Spotting fish is vital
Blind casting is highly unproductive
A lot of walking may be required
If you need more information about NewZealand fly fishing or any aspect of your trip please visit my website: http://www.flyfishnz.com
Regards, Michael Bednar
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Michael Bednar
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 9:49 am: | |
Subject: New Zealand Flyfishing Methods
The most important difference between fly fishing on rivers in New Zealand and those of the USA has to do with the kind of rivers New Zealand is noted for; namely, gin-clear waters, (referred to as back-country rivers.) Because of the clarity of the water in these rivers, the name of the game is to spot the fish first. This is in contrast to flyfishing blind, that is, working a section of river with either a dry-fly, nymph or streamer without actually seeing the fish.
Please don't think that blind casting isn't practiced here in New Zealand, it is. NZ is blessed with many different types of rivers and as we know, every river has its own personality. There are heaps of rivers on both the North and South Island where you can just wade in and begin casting. However, on crystal-clear, back-country rivers, the method used to fish relies heavily on spotting the trout, referred to as "sight-fishing," before making a presentation. These back-country rivers, generally speaking, don't hold many fish. Instead, they have large, solitary fish and they are often spaced far apart. A lot of walking may be required in the course of a day.
When I take an angler who's a newcomer, to one of these back-country rivers, their initial response is usually a gasp of delight at the sheer beauty of the river. Most of these rivers run through valleys of native bush (forests) and all is framed by rugged mountain ranges. One look at these rivers and you can't help feeling you've arrived at trout Valhalla. The runs are so pristine, the pools a deep jade colour: it all looks so fishy! But looks can be deceiving. What most anglers have a hard time grasping is that the river isn't jammed with fish. But the truth is, not only is the river not loaded with fish there are entire sections that are devoid of fish. Nothing.
That's why blind casting is pretty much
a futile exercise on gin-clear rivers. You could cast yourself silly for hours and never be near a fish. As I said earlier, the modus operandi is to spot the fish first, then enter the water. Once a fish is located, the angler stealthily takes position downstream of the trout and, while the guide monitors the fish's movements, the angler begins to make presentations. Usually a dry fly is tied on first. With the guide watching where the fly lands, he instructs the angler as to the next cast: more to the left, more to the right, more distance etc.
If the fish doesn't rise to the dry, then a nymph is tied on. When flyfishing with the nymph, however, if the fish takes, because the take occurs sub-surface, the guide will tell the angler when to set the hook. It's exciting fishing but by no means easy; particularly if there's a stiff down-river wind blowing. Also, because the fish in these back-country rivers tend to be large, many anglers get a wee bit nervous - duff the cast and spook the fish. If you've walked a distance to find a fish only to watch it bolt out of your life forever, this will not make you happy. So in a nutshell, when fishing back-country rivers in NZ you need to know that:
Spotting fish is vital
Blind casting is highly unproductive
A lot of walking may be required
If you need more information about NewZealand fly fishing or any aspect of your trip please visit my website: http://www.flyfishnz.com
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Michael Bednar
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 6:15 am: | |
Subject: New Zealand Fly Fishing
The fishing season in New Zealand runs from Oct 1st to the 30th April, with the gin-clear backcountry rivers opening 1st Nov. This past season in the Fiordland area of the South Island saw unusually larger sized trout caught. The trout were feeding on mice, which in turn were feeding on the beech nuts that the forest bursts forth with every decade or so. Mice falling into the river or washed in by the rain gave the trout population a robust diet supplement that they rarely get. I look forward to posting NZ flyfishing reports when the season kicks in. To find info about NZ fishing tactics, such as "sight-fishing" available at www.flyfishnz.com/newzealand.htm
Michael Bednar
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