Monthly Highlights
Below are photos and a story from the recent month's guided fly fishing trips in New Zealand's Central South Island.
March 2023
Pat and LeAnn
Nowadays, later in the season, I prefer to guide folk who are flexible with their dates as it becomes problematic if you strike crap weather and rivers which are unfishable compared to earlier in the season where there are more options.
As luck would have it, Pat and LeAnn had a week available for their stay in Twizel. Perfect! We chose the best days weatherwise and great fishing ensued. Not only were we blessed with the fishing but it also transpired that Pat was a former partner of my US supplier of materials I use in the making of my steelback nymphs. What a coincidence!
Pat is a hardened "pro" when it comes to fly fishing and LeAnn, although less experienced, was no slouch either and also very easy to coach. I would explain the plan of attack for a particular situation and 'hey presto' LeAnn would execute the instructions to perfection.
Between them, a good number of brown trout, including one that tipped the scales at 8lb, ended up in the net, photographed and subsequently released.
As well as nymph fishing, we were also able to present emergers to surface feeding trout. A new pattern, I've very recently created, proved to be irresistible.
[click image to enlarge]
The smile says it all! What a fish! LeAnn does it again! On his way home! You need a decent size net for a fish like this! A great side cast accounted for this fish Easy does it The guide comes in handy sometimes!
