27 December 07
This was Clacko and my 4th trip to NZ. I know, I know... it's surprising we are still friends. We caught Emirates to Christchurch for $707 each. We picked up out gear from my cousins place and then headed out over the Lewis Pass to Springs Junction. I had emailed a farmer who we had met the previous year and he had said that we would be able to rent out one of his spare houses for a night or two.
It was an awesome place to say, not only was the house great, with 4 bedrooms and a lounge but it was only $30 per person per night. Everything was looking good for our first day fishing, until I got up to water the roses at 1am to the sound of steady rain.
DC and Yours truly prior to leaving Australia
Where we stayed at the end of Palmer’s Road.
Fire on the first night – it was cold and wet.
28 December 07
Over breakfast an executive decision was made to go and fish Lake Daniells. It's a big day of walking when you decide to do that (8km one way in, then a couple of km’s round the lake, then walk back out.) But when better to do that then at the start of the trip when you are nice and fresh.
Lake Daniells
As we get to the lake and start rigging up Clacko reveals that somehow he has broken the tip off his fly rod!! Goodness knows how it happened as he hadn’t dropped it. He had only lost the top inch and a half. So we managed to resolve the situation... I pulled out a lighter and melted the glue holding the tip to the graphite. Once I got the top off we slide the tip onto the broken piece of rod and secured it there with some fishing lined tied down to the next guide. Not bad thinking, me thinks, for thinking on the spot while Clacky was cursing.
Old mate managed 2 fish, 4lbs and 3lbs, on a madam x dry fly with his broken but ‘repaired’ rod. Yours truly didn’t do a whole lot better managing just 5 all between 1.5lbs and 4lbs and there was nothing wrong with my rod.
Clacko with a nice fish.
Yours truly with a rainbow
It was a long day, left the house at 6am (Clacky woke me up with a coffee... very nice of him!) and we didn’t get home until 9.20pm.
Note to self – Clacko is a human hurricane... all wind. The day’s quote from David Claxton... ‘I would have put a piggery to shame’. The human tragedy of this is that I have the horrendous burden of being able to verify his statements.
29 December 07
Up at 7.30am. Quick breakfast then we walked down the Upper Grey for about 3 kms. We found a side water where there were 6 large fish (5 to 6lbs) feeding. I managed to set the hook in the mouth of one but couldn’t keep it out of a log jam and got broken off. Then managed to land another one of 5.5lbs. Clacky had had a go in the meantime with no luck, but least he got to practice his casting.
Then later in the day while trying to pull my fly out of a bush I..... snapped my rod!!!! Aaaargh!!! I was Captain Cranky for a while there and Clacko invoked the ‘Quarter K’ rule. Loosely the rule is that if something ‘untoward’ happens to your fishing partner, sometimes it's best to give them some space. In this case 250m, or a quarter of a kilometre.
I did however manage to hook another one with my broken rod (had lost 8 inches off the tip – but could still cast it). I lost that fish though while playing it. Still, that made me feel a bit better!
On the way back upstream we came across a nice fish feeding in front of a rock. It was Clacky’s turn and he hooked the fish on a bead head nymph. Unfortunately the fish spat the hook.
Day’s tally – 1 fish, 1 broken rod, 1 sore throat from cursing and 1 slightly improving bad attitude.
30 December 07
Today we walked about 2km down below the Robinson confluence with the Upper Grey. We didn’t see any fish feeding till about 12.30pm when we came across 4 fish lined up in a run feeding. I got into position and hooked one on a pogo nymph. It then took me under a downed tree and I got broken off.
Clacko’s turn next. He spent some time casting a nymph to a feeding fish and hooked him. He had it on for about 30seconds then it spat the hook. This time I almost had to invoke the Quarter K rule.
Later in the day I managed a 6 pounder from the pool below the confluence with the Robinson. Then as we walked up the Robinson I saw a nice fish in an edge and put Clacko on to it. It came up nicely and took his well presented Stu Tripney Blow Fly pattern. But it too broke off.
Day’s Tally – 4 hooked, no photos, no glory, no idea. Time to take up golf.
31 December 07
Drove to Christchurch. Went into the Complete Angler and paid $NZ 270 for a new Loomis. Was glad they had the one I wanted. We had some lunch and I spent the drive back over to Hokitika sanding down the grip so that it matched my specifications! (I.e. so the grip felt good in my fat hand). New Years eve spent in the Hokitika campground ($30 a night).
1 January 08
Fished Berry Creek today (near Hari Hari). Dropped in and had a chat to Gordon who lives in the last house on the tar just before the dirt. We drove down a stop bank to the river and had a great day.
Berry Creek
DC managed 2, both about the 4lbs mark. I caught 6, biggest was 4.5lbs. It was a superb day with awesome water clarity , great weather and tip top fishing.
Most were caught blind fishing on a dry nymph tandem rig.
Clacko casting on Berry Creek
Stayed the night back at Hokitika
2 January 08
Moved into the motel over the road from the Hari Hari pub. Met the owner Dwayne, he charged us $40 a night for a room each. We had our own ensuite too which was a bit novel for us.
Fished the La Fontaine today, and smashed it. Caught 12 between us, (8 for moi and 4 Clacky). Started near the Hari Hari International Airport (ie a paddock where the first trans tasman flight touched down in the 30s I think it was). I caught one with my first cast for the day (as we had spotted it feeding in the current just downstream from the ‘airport’.
Then we fished upstream. I caught 5 between 3 and 4.5lbs and managed one 6 pounder (caught on a Stu Tripney Bionic Bug). Clacko’s ranged in the 3 to 4.5lbs mark too. So we were both happy with our day. The water wasn’t quite as clear as Berry Creek but it was still pretty damn good nonetheless.
3 January 08
Today we left camp (ie the Tomasi Motel) a bit late – about 9am. I had slept in, which is most unlike me. I will have to find a way to blame Clacko for that. I woke up to the sound of rain. It didn’t last long though.
We headed out to fish the Ianthe creek outlet. We stopped in an go permission from Andy and Jackie on Evans road. Their son Scotty came for a fish with his grandpa. I about 4 hours with him trying to help him catch a fish but we didn’t have any luck. It was a hard going creek to fish and not very scenic at all. So we decided to go and fish the La Fontaine again.
Stopped in at Hari Hari on the way, for an impromptu feed as we had left the creek by about 2pm. Old mate was at it again with the tucker.. a corn beef sandwich, hot coffee, soft drink, 2 bread rolls, trail mix, 3 large cabanossi sticks, an apple and a muesli bar. I swear to the Almighty that list is true! Simply world class effort from the Clack man.
I on the other hand had a 600ml Lift, a 45gr bag of chips, a banana and an apple. Later on the river I had 2 eggs and tin of tuna.
We went in at the Guy Menzies crash landing site. He was the first person to cross the Tasman in a plane he then crash landed near Hari Hari. So we went and fished from the crash site up. Incidentally that’s where we had finished fishing the day before. It was good to see some fish feeding. I managed 4, Clacko managed one massive dummy spit that involved hurling a 4 wt Loomis through the air. It was actually a pretty good chuck. I won’t go into the reasons for the dummy spit. Actually why the hell not, he was just a little cranky when he lost a fish. I don't know why he got so cranky I mean it wasn’t even a big fish, only 3lbs or so. Maybe it was cause I had come up to a run, hooked one then lost it, then next cast hooked a landed a 3 pounder. Then next cast hooked and landed another one? But that’s only a guess, he maybe just wanted to check out the aerodynamic properties of a 4 piece 4 weight carbon rod.
Dinner was at 10.40pm, bacon, scrambled eggs, baked beans! Yummy.
4 January 08
Fished the Waitangitaona Rv today near Whataroa.
We went down Gunn road then walked downstream. Saw some really good fish but they were all really spooky. I caught a nice 6 pounder on one of my green foam tail cicada patterns. It was feeding along a ‘)’ shaped edge and first cast I got the fly in front of it and whoosh ka! Clacko lost a nice one further up the same edge of bank. He had put a dry fly in front of it and it had come up and taken it. Pity about that as it was a good fish.
After lunch we went downstream as there was another car parked near us. DC caught a nice 5lbs fish on a nymph tied by yours truly (thats me, not some twit with an English sounding name). I stood on the bank and yelled strike when I saw the fish move for the nymph. Great stuff by the Clacko. I then managed one later on in some shallow water on a pogo nymph.
Another good day for Team Zarifeh (yep, given I am writing up the diaries I get all naming rights).
I should add that I lost 2 others, one on a Bionic Bug that it took twice but the hook didn’t set either time! Talk about one lucky fish!! Another saw a nymph I had cast, chased it downstream, took the nymph jumped 3 feet out of the river and came off. An action packed day all in all.
5 January 08
Davey Cakes birthday today – he turned 47! So as a present, I thought I would act as a bit of a guide for the old boy. We fished the Waitangitaona again today. Clacko dropped me off down where the jet boat goes to the White Heron colony and then drove back up and parked the car right by the river. While he walked back down to me I rigged up his rod for him (wonder who got the better deal there?!) But I should add that while old mate is a prodigious walker, his knot tying skills need some work. So he was happy with the deal.
We had a fantastic day, one of those days you don't ever really forget. I spent a few hours up on a high bank spotting for DC.
He caught 5 fish in a 300m stretch! Bloody good spotting that was.
DC managed 8 for the day, I managed 6. So to catch 14 between us and loose another 4 was simply outstanding. I think Clacko really appreciated the time I spend ‘guiding’ for him. But given it was his birthday I thought it would be a nice present. This was the best day Clacko has ever had (to date anyway) in NZ. So we were both really happy with the day!
I should add that today we used a dry fly that I had ‘concocted’ the night before in the camp ground/motel. It has a 4mm thick green foam tail (so that it can support a heavy nymph tied off the bend) a dubbed body, some wings and some hackle. It worked a treat – here’s a photo of the real thing!
6 January 08
Today we drove south from Hari Hari to a place called Jacobs River. We stayed in a camp ground about 4 kms before the little township of Jacobs River. And when I say little I mean little. There is nothing there but a bridge over the highway and a school of all things?! Anyway these Kiwis are a strange mob. We paid $80 to rent a 3 bedroom house for the night. It was a nice place to stay.
The view heading into the Jacobs Rv.
We dropped and said g’day to a bloke called Anthony Sullivan who owned the joint on your left just as you go over the bridge. We had a great days fishing.
I caught a 6 pounder with my first cast - the photo above, (and got it all on video) so I was pretty happy.
I managed 8 ranging from 3lbs to that 6lber. Lost another 3. So a pretty good day.
The Clacko landed 2 and lost another 2. One of them I spotted for him as I was on a high bank and Clacko made an horrendous cast to it, with all the fly line landing in a pool basically on top of the fishes head. So what does the fish do.... but come up and eat the fly! He tells me it was an intentional cast....either way it was good stuff! We had a tough hour 20 minute walk home over the rocks.
7 January 08
Woke up to rain on the West Coast, so Clacko and I both had a bit of a sleep in... till about 8am. We then packed up and drove over the Haast Pass to Wanaka. On the way we drove over the Jacobs River, unbelievably it had risen about 3 feet overnight and was not a dirty gusher.. quite amazing to see the difference.
We had lunch at Wanaka. I had some dodgy Indian chick pea dish that was too hot in taste and temperature to enjoy. We then drove down to Athol and stopped in at Stu’s fly shop to have a look around. We then checked in at the Mosburn campground. I paid $50 a night for my salubrious accommodation (bit of a rip off really) and Clacko paid $30 for his room/cabin. Next time I reckon I will get a cheaper cabin too.
Then once we were settled we headed off to the Mataura at Nokomai Station road. I hooked 3 but landed none! But I was happy. Stopped fishing at 9.45pm.
Had a great evening on the Mataura. At one stage I spend 50 minutes casting to two feeding fish but they did not like my offering. Still it was a challenge and I really enjoyed the evening.
Had found out during the course of the day when we stopped at Stu’s shop that Stu Tripney was a FFF Master. That meant nothing to me but I thought as I was walking back to the car that night with Clacko enjoying the cool evening air that I would check this FFF thing out. I will never forget this day, mainly due to that walk back to the car and the decision I made. (As aside this was a great decision that really opened up the fly fishing scene for me. 197 days later I passed my FFF Masters exam in Whitefish Montana to become Australia’s 3rd FFF Certified Master Casting Instructor, and only the 184th person to pass the test worldwide.)
8 January 08
Clacko and I did the Hamilton Burn today, fished it down low, accessing the river from Wreys Bush Rd. And speaking of low, it was very low. Still there were a truck load of fish in it still. I managed 6 up to 4.30pm (Clacko had caught one by then). He decided that he had had enough for the day and knocked off. He went into town and had a feed and a bit of a snooze.
One jumping on the Hamilton Burn
He came back later for me and picked me up at 7.30pm. I had caught another 4 by then and so ended up with 10 for the day. Which wasn’t too bad.
9 January 08
We drove up to one of our favourite rivers today.... the Von river. We went into the Mount Nicholas Station to get permission to fish the Von lower down. After speaking with the owner he told us that there were no fish in the river and so he wasn’t going to give us permission!! So we thought **** that and went and had a look from a bridge that runs near the road – ie to make sure we weren’t trespasing. We saw one feeding and Clacko went down and caught it, a nice 3 pound fish. We then walked up the road and bush bashed down into the gorge. In the gorge I missed the strike on one and dropped 2 others that I had on the line for about a minute each. We fished from 11am until about 5pm (actually 4.50pm).
Afterwards we went and fished Mavora lakes until about 9.45pm. It was cold up there. We both caught a couple of little ones. I lost a decent fish that jumped out of the water (so at least I got to see it before it came off.) This was when I was fishing the inflow.
The last cast for Trout Tramps 2008 was shot through the guides at 9.48pm. A wonderful trip.
10 January 2008
Drove from Mossburn to Methven and stayed with my cousin Mark. Left on the 11th of Jan on Emirates EK413 at 6.45pm.