New Zealand Brown Trout

Julie let me adventure with my guide Hanare to a crystal clear spring creek just north of Queenstown New Zealand.  We were fishing under some of the mountains that made up the backdrop for the Lord of the Rings movies.  Simply awesome.

The fishing was the toughest I have experienced.  The banks were 4-6 feet about the creek surface and the water was gin clear -- therefore spotting fish was easy!  And they were huge and many seemed to be feeding.  But no matter how I presented the fly or nymph, they would not take.  I would crawl up to the bank so they would not see me and still no take.  My nymph actually hit one in the mouth and rolled down its body and STILL it would not take.

We then moved up to the head of the creek to a pond.  A guy was in the middle of the pond fishing with spinning gear and Hanare said, "He won't catch anything there."  Sure enough, as Hanare explained and I observed, the big browns in the bound patrol the shore looking for food.  We saw many - again, easy to see in the clear water and sand bottom.  Big black sea monsters moving through the shallows.  Very cool.

Then . . . WIND.

Here we were in a grass banked pond with nothing preventing a perfect cast -- except the wind.  On a delicate cast (so to not spook these spooky fish), the line would move at least 5 to 10ft.  Very challenging to get a fly in the right place and not spook fish.  No luck but a couple of noses at my Royal Wulff (for those who know me, this has recently become my favorite fly).

After some missed opportunities, I started casting decisively at the fish. One turned.  One went for the Royal Wulff.  One took.  One jumped THREE times.  A brown jumping.  No way!

One was landed.  See the video and pictures.  GREAT MEMORY.   Thank you Hanare.  Thank you New Zealand.

Watch the Video