Keep 'em Secret!

Everyone has secret spots, that’s part of the fun of fishing. However we are seeing increased publicity of some lesser known streams and this concerns me a little. I don’t know what it is but I love having those spots where you feel like you are one of the few, if not the only one who fishes this spot. There is a real sense of intimacy with the particular body of water that you might not get if you fish a river that gets flogged.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not being a snob about this. I still love to fish the Mangatutu in the height of summer and the Tongariro in winter but I certainly prefer our little known stream up in the Mamakus that we fish. ;)

That little known stream - was even hesitant to post the photo...

The point here is that people shouldn't give up their secret spots so easily. You have gone to all the effort to do the homework on Google Maps and spend an hour cutting a track through some really thick bush only for someone to else to start hammering your ‘secret spot’. By keeping it secret it makes it more fun for everyone else. Part of fly fishing is that sense of adventure you get when fishing new water, a sense which is only heightened as you fish a new water that no one else fishes!

I therefore have devised a system so one can more easily decide as to who they should tell about particular rivers. Find a spot for your river on the graph Secret Spot Matrix below, the more secret a spot is, the better the mate you let in on that information.

Spot Secretivity Levels (Scale of 1-10)	Goodness of Your Mate (Scale of 1-10)
10 This is type of place that only you know about and is teeming with massive fish that will take any type of fly. A spot so good you will consider not telling another soul about. This is an “if I told you I would have to kill you” fishing spot.	10 These people are those closest to you in the fishing world. This is not your wife or girlfriend or your Doctor or Lawyer. This is your best fishing buddy and your old man territory.
7.5 These spots are the ones that only a handful of people ever really fish. You will tell people about this spot, provided that they only fish there when you are present and that they take vows of secrecy.	7.5 These are the people who you know pretty well and fish with on a regular basis. You are also social outside of fishing and enjoy each others company over a beer. This is also the good looking foreign tourists zone, as they will appreciate the remoteness of the location but more importantly, leave the country and not tell anyone your spots.
5 Rivers that only those who have been fishing for a little while will manage to discover on their own. You will only really tell people about this spot if after conversation about fishing and a quick mental assessment of their attitude toward fishing. If you feel they will do the spot justice, you will mention the spot in broad terms only.	5 These people are mates of mates or guys you inadvertently ended up having a beer with and you decided that they are good bugger. These are also people you view as having the potential to reach a higher rating on the mate scale however you need to ensure that they on the level first.
2.5 These are rivers and lakes that are totally public knowledge however they receive much less pressure than people think. You have no problems telling all but your worst enemies about these spots.	2.5 This a tough category to define, as it extends to those who you know just well enough to talk fishing with. These are also people who are complete novices to the sport and are wanting some info on rivers. You do not tell them about better spots as part of the fun is discovering them for themselves.
0 E.g The Tongariro in Turangi. These are the waters that see more anglers than the state highways see roadworkers. You will talk about these spots openly and frequently and you prefer to fish them on weekdays if possible.	0 You do not know these people from a bar of soap. You walk past them on a popular river, nod your head, tip your cap or if they are really lucky, give them a quick “g’day”. This category also extends to people you really do not like.

With opening day just around the corner, everyone will be heading to their favourite headwaters. We will be exploring some new water, which has the potential to be very high on the above scale!

Wherever you are headed, keep your cards close to your chest - you may just stumble upon a fishing goldmine!