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| Post Number: 1
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thommo 
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 02 2006,16:37 |
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This might be giving away some well kept NZ secrets, but here goes! Anyhow - there are so many fish, there's planty to go round.
Just got back from 2 weeks on the South Island - 6 days in Christchurch, then went to Franz Josef, Queenstown, Te Anau, Twizel, back to CC.
Did about 20-30 hours of fly-fishing in that time, with a mate who is a novice fly-fisher & he also did some spinning.
For what it's worth, this is what I discovered:
Christchurch - got great advice & local flies from the Complete Angler. They recommended Hurrinui? R where I got a 4-5lb brown on a dry in about 30 mins! River conditions were less than ideal (way too much water) so fishing was limited - only saw one other decent fish feeding.
Franz Josef - got another 4-5lb brown in lake just outside FJ on a Mrs Simpson, again after just 20 mins casting, but then nothing more.
Queenstown - Lake Dunstan on a v windy day had my first go at wind-lane fishing. Hooked a visible brown on Mrs Simpson but it ran like a freight train & ping went the leader (BTW can anyone tell me - can you tie normal monofilament tippet material to flouro-carbon leader material - my knot broke twice at this join, losing me 2 good fish - are these materials incompatible? I've never used FC before). Another small lake near Qtown was absolutely teeming with fish - 3 takes, 1 hookup, knot gave away again  Very spooky fish in the still areas, but they would readily hit a nymph under a dry in the wind disturbed areas.
Te Anau - visited Fish & Game who suggested Eglington, Up? ? rivers & a small lake - these were hopless - only saw one fish. Much wasted time walking. Found a lake near Milford Sound teeming with browns, but very spooky in shallow clear water & just veered away from my flies.
Athol - a classic - quick stop on a road bridge, all family hanging over spotting numerous good trout, saw a beauty in impossible spot between willows, did bow & arrow cast with No 12 cocky bondhu - fish swam past it twice, then turned and sipped it down. Bolted down under willows but managed to extract him - miracle - a few pics then let him go (as I did all my fish) - brown of 6-7lbs & my best fish ever of fly  And my kids saw it all happen!
Twizel - stinking hot evening - more fish than you can poke a stick at - 4 strikes on small nymphs, 2 hookups, both broke my 4 lb tippet (which was a surprise for such a small stream). The stream here is most similar to Oz streams in my area.
Lake Alexandrina - nothing doing, weather too hot & still I suggest.
I used a 5-6 weight 8 foot rod with a 6WF line, with the first 30 feet dyed olive green (line was bright yellow). I used 6-8 lb tippets, except in Twizel where I went down to 4lb and paid the price!
My mate hooked nothing on fly (hooked & lost one on lure). Lure fishing seems like a bit of a waste of time in NZ to me, though I did witness some lure success in lakes. Even though the trout are numerous & big, they are far from dumb - you need to be able to cast reasonably well but the main ingredient is stealth - if you can cast a long line from your knees, you're set.
Sandflies - got absolutely nailed by these & I'm a bit alergic so suffered somewhat Repellent works, but washes off when you wade. I waded wet which was the way to go (forget waders in summer). I swapped my shorts for longs & wore a long sleeve shirt which stopped most of the sandfly bites.
All I can say is that you Kiwis live in trout Nirvana - I now come back to 0.5-1 lb rainbows in my local streams, with the odd 3 lber to make it interesting. I'd post some pics but don't have any webspace or the technical knowhow to make an http link 
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HerkDrvr
Group: Members
Posts: 477
Joined: Nov. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 03 2006,03:00 |
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Great post, thanks for the trip report. I can't wait for my next trip down. My wife heads back home next month but unfortunately I wont be coming along as I can't the time off work.
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"When My Ship Comes In, I'll Probably Be At The Airport"
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| Post Number: 3
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scottrods
Group: Members
Posts: 2760
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 03 2006,06:55 |
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I'm off to Mt Somers this weekend camping. Hopefully I'll get some time away to scout out and have a cast.
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Jonathan
www.overland.co.nz 4x4 hire 4 NZ
><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>¸.
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| Post Number: 4
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scottrods
Group: Members
Posts: 2760
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 04 2006,09:31 |
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I assume you are getting the breakages at the knot. What knot are you using for a dropper? A 4 turn water knot?
Why not (no pun intended) tie to the bend of the hook, New Zealand style, that way you can have two different materials? One to the eye and one to the bend and the next fly.???
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Jonathan
www.overland.co.nz 4x4 hire 4 NZ
><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>
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| Post Number: 5
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scottrods
Group: Members
Posts: 2760
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 04 2006,09:33 |
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| Quote (thommo @ Feb. 02 2006,2:37) | | Lure fishing seems like a bit of a waste of time in NZ to me, though I did witness some lure success in lakes. |
Lure fishing works well on Rainbows. Most especially I've found late in the evening and dark or just before dawn in the morning. They need to be attacking it, like they are taking cockabullies or fry.
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Jonathan
www.overland.co.nz 4x4 hire 4 NZ
><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>
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| Post Number: 6
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thommo
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 04 2006,15:43 |
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| Quote (scottrods @ Feb. 04 2006,7:31) | I assume you are getting the breakages at the knot. What knot are you using for a dropper? A 4 turn water knot?
Why not (no pun intended) tie to the bend of the hook, New Zealand style, that way you can have two different materials? One to the eye and one to the bend and the next fly.??? |
The break was above the first fly, where I had tied some 6lb monofilament to the end of the 8lb flourocarbon to extend the tippet. I use a blood knot (I think that is the same as a 4 turn water knot).
Yes - I did tie the dropper for the nymph to the bend of the hook on the dry - this works much better for me than having another dropper coming out from the leader above the dry.
So the break was happening at the knot above the flies, not where I had tied a dropper in. I was thinking perhaps MF & FC materials when knotted slip more easily. Of course, could have just been my crap knot tying 
I really hate losing fish I don't get a good look at - don't mind so much if they're nearly done & I can see their size/features etc.
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| Post Number: 7
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graham
Group: Members
Posts: 73
Joined: Jul. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 04 2006,22:47 |
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Very interesting post! Sounds like there were a good few top moments.
Fluoro and mono are compatible. I use 6lb fluoro and tie a 3 or 4lb tippet to it with a Surgeon's Knot a.k.a. Double Overhand knot. If it's going to fail, it most always does it when you clinch it tight. If you want, you can add an extra turn in (i.e. Triple Overhand) but I have my doubts it helps. It pays to keep the loops the same size while tightening, and to moisten with good ol' spit.
I gave up the blood knot as soon as I discovered the Surgeons- it's far simpler, far smaller, and in my experience, far superior to the blood (except when there is a big difference in size between the two lines being joined).
Cheers
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