Quote for the week: A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it. (Arnold Gringrich, co-founder and editor of Esquire magazine, remarks on his love of fish in his book – “The Joys of Trout” 1973.)
Brian's Big Brown Twizel Canals - 18 lb
Greetings fellow fly fishers,
Well, I am reporting this week from The Twizel Canals. I like to visit here every now and then before the guiding season really kicks off and when the guiding season slackens off, i.e. normally September and late April. It is just something a bit different and believe you me it is a real rush catching some of these horses down here on relatively light fly-fishing gear. I have had some pretty good success with a number of double figure fish caught (and some lost) as well as some fish around Taupo size. Being the school holidays the canals have had a fair hammering, and you have to be up real early if you want to get a decent couple of hours in before the crowds arrive. I am talking setting the alarm for 4am, having a good breakfast, then be on the canals around 5am. It is still pitch black of course but between 5 and 7am is your best chance to hook a big one. Now these trout are not entirely stupid as they have had all sorts of things thrown at them and they are not easily fooled so be prepared to put in some long hours for the best results.
I have just come off the canals after landing a splendid Brown of 18 pounds (see photo). I lost a Brownie yesterday in the same place and almost exactly the same time. The Brownie yesterday was of similar size and I’m not so sure it isn’t the same one as it also took the same bait, an 8mm Chartreuse Cleardrift Egg available from I Love Fly Fishing. The Brown yesterday put up a hell of a scrap (as did the one today) and the longer the fight went on the harder it got. After 15 minutes of a fight at long range it went on a mighty run where I had to literally sprint alongside the canal to keep up with it so as not to be spoiled. It got to a point where I could not proceed down any further as the canal joined another canal forming a T intersection and the fish took up a position in the main canal some 150 metres from me. Try as I might, I could not recover line as I only had 6lb breaking strain to work with between my 2 nymphs. Above my 1st nymph the leader was 8lb. The thing is, the canals are so clear that light leaders are essential to get the strike and I had caught a couple of double figure fish a couple of days earlier on this rig set up. Suddenly my line went slack, that sickening feeling and I knew I had been busted. Nothing much I could do to be honest, but I triumphed today, and I deleted the 6lb breaking strain knowing I would get less hits, but I didn’t want to go through that again. One thing I noticed is the etiquette is a bit different down here.
A couple of days ago I was fishing in a similar spot and had just landed a small bow of about 3 pounds and an older gent moved straight into my spot as I was landing the fish despite heaps of clear water immediately below me. I couldn’t believe it and said, “So you are going to fish there are you”. He replied quite calmly “Yes I think so” to which I said, “Where I come from back in Taupo you would be shot for moving into a position where I was just fishing and almost certainly quartered”. He replied, “When me and my mate’s fish if someone catches a fish, we swap places”. I said “Well, firstly, you’re not my mate and secondly how about showing a bit of courtesy and communicating with me. I am only too happy to share this spot with you, but you need to ask. That being said we did get a conversation going and I really don’t think he was trying to be unethical, and I didn’t mean to bark at him, but it was just so blatant that I couldn’t let it go. Needless to say, the fishing died off and we parted, as it should be, on good terms.
Big Brown 18lb and Rainbow 12lb – Twizel Canals.
The weather has been pretty rough all over the country this week although, surprisingly in Twizel it hasn’t been too bad and there is not one day that I have not been able to fish. Even the gale force winds have somehow been either blowing at night or simply lulled at various intervals. Back in Turangi early next week so the report will be a hybrid of what is left of The Canals and The Taupo Waters. I must put a plug in for the V Access Stealth Rod available from I Love Fly Fishing. Value for money I rate this rod very highly and as a professional fishing guide I have had numerous brands over the years. A fisher can spend an awful lot of money on certain brands of rods out there and in my opinion, they perform no better.
That’s it from me until next time.
For all I Love Fly Fishing gear check it all out out on-line at www.iloveflyfishing.kiwi and order what you need. Feel free to call Barrie, 021-925006 or barrie@iloveflyfishing.kiwi. You will receive your goods in quick order and at a great price.
Brian – NZPFGA Member,
