A Hike in the Hills

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a fantastic start to the year and that you managed to get out for a fish over the break. We have been doing bit of everything, including some salty fly action in amongst some schools of kahawai and trevally. Nothing like double bent 10wt to start the year!

On New Years day, my girlfriend Aymee and I heading onto the hills to stay the night next to river. I had heard some good things about the fishing in this area and wanted to scout out the place for myself, as well as just get away from the city and spend some time sitting around a campfire. 

First outing for my new hiking tent - really impressed

The 4 hour walk in was pretty flat and the couple of hours fishing I did manage to do was pretty hectic. Quite a few solid fish in the 4-5lb region and very, very fussy. I had just started to work out what they wanted as it was time to head back. I ended up only hooking a couple and making a complete meal of a classic dry fly take and was given plenty of encouragement to make me want to head back there.

Cheese Kransky's over an open fire

Time to play "Spot the Brown Trout"

Last river crossing before heading out

Fishing aside, it was a spectacular couple of days and a great way to start the year. 

Other than this, the Rotorua stream mouths should be firing, there are tuna and kingfish in abundance offshore and the cicadas are starting to sing. This combined with the settled weather we are enjoying should make the fly fisherman very happy. Get out and get in amongst it, it won't come to you!