I was out scouting one one of my favourite small streams yesterday and found a number of rainbow trout have moved out of the main stem which this spot x stream flows into and have begun their spawning runs.This is the first wave of about 6 runs up this stream and there will be trout in this stream now for about the next 6 weeks before they all disappear back to the main stem.
This means that there maybe an opportunity to have a crack at some of these trout when the season opens on this spot x stream which is on the 1st of November – it’s always a bit of a lottery whether there are any left or in good enough numbers to make it worthwhile – but rest assured I will be keeping my eye on it and if there are still some good size trout holding in it come opening you can rest assured I will be into them. I am even thinking about hitting it as soon as the clock strikes midnight on a streamer for a bit of fun.
Our other rivers and streams (the lowland systems) are now only 10 days away until they opening so excitement is building to fever pitch to get back on the water for many fisherman.
Early season is one of my favourite times to fish our southern New Zealand streams as the trout have had a solid 5 months rest from angler intrusion, other than the opening weekend the angler numbers are not high – in fact very low. One of the only things to work around is the spring weather which can be violent at times given that we are right in the middle of the roaring forties.
This is when seriously good local knowledge comes into play to be able to beat the weather and find good water and glorious New Zealand trout to fly fish for – book your guide!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciated everything you did to make my fishing trip unforgettable. That trophy brown was totally unbelievable! Frankly, I’m surprised we were able to land him. That was one of the longest fights I’ve ever had with a fish. Fighting that trout and the river current was a whole new experience for me. Your advice and help were invaluable. I will definitely call you the next time I get to New Zealand. And I really enjoyed your website article and photo. Thanks again for putting me in position to catch the fish of a lifetime. And it was almost a few fish of a lifetime. All in all…brilliant!!!
