Exploring New Water

When you get a chance to go fishing, you generally want to get the biggest bang for your buck. You will often want to catch plenty of fish and this usually means fishing a water you know like the back of your hand and catching fish you have given names to. While fishing your tried and true rivers and lakes can be a nice nostalgic experience, there is nothing like the reward of catching a fish on water you have never fished before.

So how does one find new water? For a start, it is highly improbable that you have fished every single stream or lake that is listed in the Fish and Game regulations booklet. Give a new one of these a try, especially the lesser known ones. You may not catch as many fish as you would on your reliable, regular waters but you may just find you stumble across an underfished goldmine!

Then there are the streams that aren't even listed by Fish and Game. These streams are usually very small with tight forest coverage and very remote but can actually provide some really awesome fishing. With advances in technology like Google Maps, finding these streams has become a whole lot easier.

On Tuesday, Josh and I hit up a western King Country stream we hadn't fished before. What we found was a beautiful stream surrounded by typical New Zealand bush and plenty of rainbow trout in the 1 to 3 pound range. We didn't catch as many fish as we would fishing a stream we know really well like the Mangatutu but we did learn a whole heap and had a really rewarding experience.

New water success!

I understand that most people don't get to go fishing as much as we do, we are pretty lucky like that. Because of this, when most people do manage to get out, they want to head somewhere that will net them some pretty good results, which is fair enough too. However, as Josh mentioned in the last post, fly fishing is not just about catching as many fish as possible but enjoying yourself and finding enjoyment in the little things. There are few things more satisfying in fly fishing than discovering a new area that may become one of your favourite spots.

Josh leaning into one

So I challenge you to go beyond what you know next time you head out and find something new, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Just Breathe

So the last post was about the gear. That's cool, as there is a shitload out there and lots of it is awesome stuff, but I thought it was time to share a bit about the other side of fishing. Why we fish. To catch all the fish? Nope. To be the best? Nope. To prove that we can beat nature? Nope. To some people perhaps these can be answer yes but for us it is not the case. I am not going to get all philosophical and preach about deep feelings here but there is a lot more to it to a lot of people than it first seems.

There are many different reasons to want to spend all your free time pursuing a tiny creature that lives where we can't. Mostly it is because of the places they are, the lengths we have to go to get there and the people we go there with and meet along the way. Experiences are what stay with us. I would like to have my gear stay with me but some cheeky bugger stole my boots from my doorstep. I can replace them piece of cake. What they can't take is what I remember while wearing those boots. Being out in the wild, free of judgement and purely there to enjoy the moment. That's what it is all about.

Maybe I am just fully getting over the city at the moment. There are lots of people here with opinions on how you look and act and that can sometimes consume them. I think they need to chill out. Sure part of fishing (for me) is about the people you are with, but they are in the same mind frame. They know how to breathe and let life be easy. These two guys here are two of the best I know at doing this, even though one is studying to be a lawyer and the other is a manager who faces stresses every day. They still know how to get out and let life really consume them.

This is a classic dorky, guide style photo and is made even better knowing how much it took to get the fish. Bev (our Trout Guru Master Sensei) got this awesome looking brown out of some shit. Showed us how to do it! Such a mint day!

So while this is all heading to a bit of a mush pit of philosophy and all, remember to enjoy it when you can, crank some great tunes and live fishing! This guy knows how its all done. He got sick of the city and left for a while. Met up with some awesome people and recharged the batteries. Cam put up a trailer to this a while ago but I think the full film is worth a watch. There are a few people who sum it up better than my rambling nonsense, especially the old guy!



Breathe: A people film about fly-fishing and work. *FULL MOVIE* from RC Cone on Vimeo.

RC Cone has some good stuff and this little film always puts things into perspective and keeps the city from getting to us all. Enjoy it! Breathe!

Keep 'em dry!

During the summer, it can be quite pleasant to wet wade. Fishing under the burning hot New Zealand sun, it can almost be a relief to get in the water for a bit of splash. By personal favourite would be the full head submerge after a few beers the night before in order to truly wake you up. Instant hangover cure!

Then winter rolls round. Wet wading in small streams in May and June can often be fine as well but as soon as the cooler water jumps up into the nether regions, it's game over for wet wading. This natural indicator for wader use has already happened to me this season and with the water getting rapidly colder, its time to jump into some Gore Tex enjoy dry family jewels for the winter.

Jokes aside, the importance of a good pair of waders cannot be overstated. I believe that neoprene waders still have a place among the modern breathables available these days. I will still use my neoprene waders for night time lake fishing, as it generally requires less effort than layering up and putting boots on, particularly if I want to take them on and off when changing spots.

However, if you are going to spend any length of time on the water and if you are going to be doing any walking, then breathable waders are the way forward. Simms Fishing Products make a variety of different waders in different price ranges. The most cost effective ones are the Freestone wader, made out of Toray fabric and price that rivals neoprene waders. With anything in the fly fishing game, the sky is the limit in terms of price. I (and Josh too) have recently bought myself a pair of Simms G3 Waders. These are made from highly breathable, multi layer Gore Tex fabric and are incredibly comfortable. They are also quite rugged and able to withstand a fair bit of punishment which I certainly need.

Bottom line is, don't let your little fellas suffer the cold this winter, get some decent waders that will last multiple seasons. Preferably do this at Fish City and help pay mine and Josh's wages! Check out the Simms range of waders here.

In order to further distract from the lack of fishing I have been doing, here is a sweet video I managed to dredge up when procrastinating from my Uni assignments.

This video is from the guys at Montana Wild and was their first decent crack at a mini film project, something that Josh and I are currently scheming up. Watch this space...

Plan and Prepare

Nothing beats looking forward to a good trip out on the water. Well, actually being on the water does, but that's beside the point. As we are coming into weather that can be a bit on the wet side of things, nothing is worse than getting to the days before or day of the trip and finding your intended river running too big to fish. I know, it sucks! Luckily there are a few things to help.

Firstly the weather forecast. Obvious I know, but following long range weather patterns can help you better decide on areas to fish. Some weather patterns will break up before reaching your fishing area but the news weatherman will probably just tell you its raining or not. Its pretty much 50/50 for them... Some rivers will be less affected by rain, while others blow out at the sniff of rain. Some fish well before and some after.

Taking a bit of time to figure out which rivers are which can really be the difference between a good trip and an utter shit, sitting on the riverbank doing little to no fishing at all trip. Working out river flows isnt as hard as it may sound. Just jump on the internet, find a website for your local council and most should have an environmental or services section to it. Waikato regional council for example. There is a services section to it that has a link to local river and rainfall levels. Someone else has done the job for you. Brilliant!

Taking note of how the river fished last time and trying to match it up again with as many of the same natural factors as possible goes a long way to having another cracking day on the water. This could, in some peoples minds, require a bit of effort but it will surprise you how much info you will retain if you take note of things.

Lastly, well probably not really lastly, but lastly for now is get your gear in working order. Nothing sucks more than when all the conditions are right and you find your rod is snapped somehow (or by someone) and you need it fixed 2 minutes before hitting the water or finding that big fart you let go in your waders really did blow a hole in them somewhere (not the best thing to do in waders) and you end up wet wading unintentionally...

Enjoy the time leading up to these trips and enjoy the planning and monitoring weather conditions that go with it. Enjoy even more the little trips you just decide to up and go on because the city is driving you batshit crazy and you have to escape. Unfortunately for these guys, work is fun. They get to fish for a living. Oh and travel a lot. Hard life really... (pause) Not! Anyway, here is the Trout Bum crew with the awesome trailer for a project of theirs. You may or may not have seen them before but they are living the dream, chasing fish all over the world and enjoying it the whole way. Great success!



GEOFISH Trailer from GEOFISH on Vimeo.

You should probably buy the DVD too!

Bright is Better!

Josh and I fished the Tongariro on Tuesday and did pretty well. Water was a bit dirty due to rain the night before but it was awesome to see some good sized freshies up in the river. We fished solely switch gear with bright and shiny flies that seem to be the go at the moment and will become more effective as winter rolls on.

I thought I would give a quick run down on a fly I tied up that worked on a nice fat rainbow from the Bridge Pool right after some guy had just dredged the hell out of it with nymphs (he was pissed).

This fly is yet to be named. Some possibilities have included the Tongy Rocket, Troll Slayer (referring to the fish that was caught under the bridge) or what my Dad said when I showed it to him, "What the f*** is that?"

Despite its quirky looks, it appears to be functional pattern for winter run fish in coloured water. The contrast of the pink marabou neck around the wrapped olive zonker strip body stands out well and pulses like crazy in the water. This fly could be fished very slow as a result as it has built in action (the reason woolly buggers kick arse). The stinger hook is effective as it helps stop fish nipping at the tail of a fly and not hooking up and the dumbell eye helps with sinking and keeps the hook upright and not scraping on the bottom.

The sweet thing about tying flies like this is that you can really mess around with a whole lot of different stuff. The hardest part is having the confidence to actually bust it out and fish it over your tried and true patterns. As you can see below, sometimes it pays off.

The result of an experiment gone right. Turangi Chrome!

The biggest fish of the day, taken on a black egg sucking leech from Manic Tackle Project.

So next time you go to tie on an olive woolly bugger (or a hare and copper for that matter), stop and think about the situation you are faced with. If there is a bit of colour in the water then colour up your fly. Even it's running clear a bit of brightness can be enough to induce a strike. Don't be afraid to be a bit different and try something new!

Young People and Fly Fishing

Had a great day yesterday guiding James and Chris, two 21 year old students from Virginia in the US. These guys were really surprised when I told them I was in the minority when it came to my age and fly fishing. In the US particularly 'out West' (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado etc) it is now pretty fashionable and cool for young people to get into fly fishing. This is partly due to the 'trout bum' culture that has emerged, a culture that Josh and myself can relate to very well and one that we have tried to adopt here, although I am yet to meet a girl who is really impressed by the fact I can fly fish. One day perhaps...

For a long time I have maintained that New Zealand has traditionally adopted the English approach to fly fishing. This is a very technical, fish number hungry, sometimes elitist perspective of the 'sport'. The North American trout bum approach is becoming more popular here and has many aspects that we can learn from. The main thing would have to be the minimalist approach to the whole idea. This includes sleeping in the car, having fun with mates and just generally caring more about having a good time than catching fish. Ironically, this then can improve your catch rate as you are more relaxed when fishing and this is when you can have some of your better days. Trying too hard when casting or putting too much pressure on yourself can also result in poor fishing performance. So chill out and try to see the bigger picture when out fishing. Sit down under a tree for fifteen minutes and have a beer or a coffee and just take a bit of time out. I can almost guarantee you will fish more effectively after this.

Here are a few snaps from James' and Chris' day out.

The fishing out there is getting real good after the rain over Easter. Plenty of fat fish are feeding up in our small streams as we got onto a few guiding and I had a good afternoon today on a local stream. Water levels are about standard and the clarity good, so get out this weekend if you can, or even earlier as there is some rain forecast. Get amongst it.

Winter is coming!

Winter is definitely on it's way now. Although the mornings haven't hit the single digits yet, the days have lost a great deal of their warmth along with the hour we lost after daylight savings ended. I miss not having enough bloody time to go fishing after work!

Anyway, with the change in temperatures, a few different methods of catching our trout in particular will start coming to the fore. Dry flies will generally spend their days locked up next to the rest of their kind, wishing it was warm again like a lot of us. Their strike indicating prowess will be replaced with synthetic indicators which will be able to stay afloat with more weight dragging them down. This point leads to the nymphs.
Heavier nymphs will appear once more as the depths of larger rivers are plumbed with a myriad of bright heads in often coloured water.

Another fantastic technique is targeting them with streamer flies. Cam and I were on the Tongariro river yesterday swinging some wet flies with fairly good results! You can generally cover a lot more water and fish it more thoroughly. Best success was on darker olive woolly buggers fished on relatively long leders on the end of fast sinking poly leaders. Seemed to work for us but there are certainly no rules to catching fish!

So best of luck for the coming cold months. Air out the warm gears and man up (or woman up) and brave the cold wet days for the shot at some brilliant fishing!

Just to leave you on a totally unrelated subject (still have to put the footage together from yesterday) here is a great little clip to get you thinking. It is based in the States but we can certainly relate this to ourselves here in New Zealand. Our waterways are precious and you just don't mess with nature man!


 
DamNation | Trailer from FELT SOUL MEDIA on Vimeo.

So give it a watch, and even some of their other cool stuff as well, and let us know what you think. Cheers Felt Soul Media!