# South Island Adventure Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing Kiwi Style

- Site: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/

## Careful Catch and Release Tactics

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/careful-catch-and-release/
- Published: 2026-10-10T13:11:14+13:00
- Author: admin

# Careful Catch and Release Tactics

The careful care and handling of trout to give them the best chance of survival 
is something I am very passionate about, and I don’t see it discussed as much as
possibly it should be! I have been fortunate enough to study and work with trout,
salmon and many different species of New Zealand native fish for the last 24 years,
during which time I have often been able to monitor and assess different handling
methods and the short and long term effects of these on fish. The following points
are my views from my experience on this topic.

The theory that trout are as tough as old boots isn’t quite true. They do put up
with some pretty extreme environmental stresses, including flooding, warm water/
low oxygen, predation, and sometimes intense competition, but like any animal they
have their limits. Sometimes even just a second or two of careless handling while
being played, or in the landing/release process, can lead to a prolonged and painful
end for these beautiful creatures.

With our fisheries under increased pressure and with more frequent extreme flooding
events becoming the norm, our trout populations need all the help they can get in
order for them to remain the world class fisheries that they currently are! Ultimately
you want to know that when the fish swims off it will have the best chance of survival
possible. We should all be working to reduce the factors that can have a negative
influence on or stress the fish, and the following points in my opinion help to 
mitigate the potential harm to trout when being caught and released.

## Use strong tippets

Use as strong a tippet as possible which cannot be detected by the fish or negatively
affect the natural movement/presentation of the fly, and check tippet condition 
constantly when fishing to reduce prolonged fights, and snapping off flies and tippet
on lost fish.

Before casting to every sighted fish I go through a routine of testing every knot
and running my fingers up all of the terminal tippet material to make sure that 
there are no weaknesses or damage. Do this and you will lose fewer fish! Using strong
tippets usually allows an angler to more quickly land a fish, resulting in less 
stress and exhaustion for both the fish and angler.

## Barbed versus barbless hooks

Most anglers want every advantage they can over the fish, but the use of barbless
or crushed barb hooks, to allow for quick fly removal and reduced harm to the trout
when removing hooks from sensitive areas, can only be positive for the fish.

I have seen various forum discussions on how barbless hooks penetrate further than
barbed hooks and are therefore worse, but I have never seen any evidence of this
causing a problem in my past 30 years of fly fishing, probably 25 of these using
barbless or crushed barbed hooks. I have heard that some earlier designed barbless
hooks in the 1980s were found to cause some damage to some trout’s jaws by penetrating
into the bony structure, but that the same ill effects do not appear to be caused
by the more modern barbless hook designs. Interestingly, crushed barbed hooks are
often considered better than barbless by some anglers, as they are easily removed
and usually don’t penetrate as far as pure barbless hooks. It only takes a second
to crush a barb to possibly make a difference!

Quite often I find my fly will have fallen out of the trout’s mouth in the landing
net prior to me manually removing it, and from my experience it only slightly reduces
landing rates when compared to using barbed hooks. Ultimately it makes me feel good
that I know the fish will much more likely be fine if lost.

There is no question that barbed hooks do fall out over extended periods of time,
however the theory that hooks rust out of a trout’s mouth doesn’t quite ring true
to me. I once placed a standard bronzed Kamasan fly hook in a jar of water and monitored
it for over a month, with the hook remaining brand new in condition with no signs
of rust or corrosion. Different water chemistry or varied dissolved oxygen levels
would influence the oxidation of the steel differently, as potentially would the
fish’s blood enzymes, but I suspect that the theory often espoused, that lost flies
will rust out of a trout’s mouth relatively quickly, is pretty inaccurate, with 
the likely exception of a saltwater or estuarine environment! This theory is further
strengthened by a study in which hook retention was scientifically tested. This 
article and several other interesting links are listed below if you would like to
check it out.

 * http://www.nesportsman.com/articles/article11.shtml
 * https://anglingunlimited.com/fishing/catch-release-properly/
 * https://www.fishingskillz.com/do-fish-hooks-dissolve/

The following short term scenario is one of my largest motivations to use barbless
hooks myself, as in some situations there could be a significant problem with fish
which have broken off entering and becoming entangled in snags, especially if a 
double/dropper rig is used with strong tippet. In such situations the tired fish
will likely head for the security of the cover of an undercut bank etc, where the
trailing fly could then entangle in tree roots or other objects/structure. A 4 pound
fish cannot get up enough swimming momentum to snap off 7lb/4X tippet to escape 
a snag, and may therefore not likely survive an exhausting attempt at getting free
of being attached to an object with multiple flies and strong tippets. So perhaps
at a minimum it would be sensible to consider using a single fly only, or crushed
barbed flies, in waters with snags and abundant tree root cover in order to improve
the likelihood of a lost fish’s survival!

## Gloves or bare hands

There has always been the big debate on whether it is better to use gloves/pantyhose
or bare hands/no gloves when handling fish. Once again I have seen this discussed
in many forums over the years, however as yet I haven’t seen the results of any 
definitive scientific study on this topic.

There is no question that you will have a better grip on the fish using gloves, 
possibly sometimes even preventing the dropping of a fish held above the water, 
but the most important factor to consider is that you will notice more protective
mucous membrane is removed from the trout’s skin onto even pre-wet gloves, compared
to pre-wet hands.

The protective mucous membrane is the trout’s anti-bacterial/antifungal and osmoregulatory
protective coating, which is the fish’s natural defence against the growth of unwanted
pathogens/fungus on the fish’s skin, and also in some instances helps to maintain
the constant internal environment within the fish. Although this layer can be replaced
by the fish, even temporary removal of this protective layer can allow the unwanted
growth of fungus. From just a few moments of careless handling I have watched a 
15lb rainbow trout slowly (and likely painfully) meet its end, as fungus slowly 
grew from the areas which had been in contact with a person, all over the fish’s
body.

It is important to protect against this whenever possible, and to me it appears 
that less mucous is removed by wet hands compared to wet gloves. All the scientists
I have worked with over the years have preferred the use of pre-wet hands over gloves,
so this in itself must add some strength to the argument!

## Pre-saturate sun gloves

If you choose to wear gloves when handling fish, try to consciously wet them well
in advance of touching a fish. I make a habit of doing this while playing a trout
prior to netting. If dry, the open porous weave structure of the nylon material (
usually used in the construction of fly fishing gloves) will absorb the protective
membrane of the fish as it absorbs water for several seconds upon immersion, and
overall using gloves, although providing more grip, also removes more protective
mucous membrane from the trout’s skin. If you compare the two surfaces, gloves will
be much more slimy compared to wet hands when checked after releasing a fish.

On many occasions in the excitement of landing a fish I have seen anglers grab for
a floundering fish’s tail to help direct it into a net prior to wetting their gloves,
very likely causing increased loss of the protective membrane. The pre-wetting of
gloves and hands is also very important to cool down the surfaces coming in contact
with the fish, and this point will be touched on in more detail shortly.

## Avoid prolonged holding in one location

Try to avoid holding onto fish at one location (i.e. the tail) for extended periods
without periodically (every 20 seconds or so) reducing the grip slightly to allow
fresh cooling water to surround the fish’s skin. This is especially important when
handling fish with bare hands, as it reduces the apparent thermal effect which I
have heard some experienced anglers comment on as potentially “burning” the trout’s
skin.

## Pre-wet landing net mesh

Try to remember to pre-wet the landing net mesh in the water when the fish is being
played, prior to landing. Depending on the type of netting used in the construction
of the net bag, this will both soften and cool down the net mesh material that will
come in contact with the trout prior to landing. Black plastic mesh landing nets
transported on an angler’s back in direct sunlight while fishing can sometimes get
quite hot, and will take several seconds to cool down when submerged in the water!

It is definitely better for the fish to use knotless mesh, and ideally the newer
plastic coated mesh which absorbs less protective mucous membrane. The black plastic
mesh is harder to hold in heavy water flows compared to the older green finer mesh,
due to the increased surface area and subsequent larger water resistance, but the
older green knotless mesh also usually entangles the jaws of some fish (especially
jacks) more easily, resulting in increased handling time when releasing a fish.

The entanglement of the trout’s maxillae is also much more likely in the finer green
mesh with the wider gaps, and it is possible to tear this part of the fish’s jaw
if it is entangled and the landing net is lifted from the water to weigh the fish.
In such situations it is always good to detangle the trout’s jaw and maxillae before
lifting the fish, and it is always a good idea to lay the fish flat in the bottom
of the net bag to avoid excessive bending of the fish’s body when being lifted. 
This is especially important with larger/heavier fish in “mousey” condition.

## Keep fish close to the water when lifted for a photo

It is good practice to keep fish close to the water at a low height when removing
it from the water to take a photo, just in case the angler accidentally drops it.
It usually makes for a much “sexier” natural photo as well, which will be respected
by other anglers! The “Keep Em Wet” movement can also only be positive for those
anglers who are happy to have a photo of the fish in the water, as opposed to the
common out of the water “grip and grin” shot.

I always try to choose a location where the water is deep enough to remove a fish
from the net, so that if it is dropped the water will soften the impact on the fish.
Seeing a fish dropped onto hard rocks on the bottom in shallow water, or any hard
surface, is something that can usually be avoided with a little foresight.

## Avoid beaching fish on dry, sharp or hard surfaces

If possible avoid beaching a fish on sharp rocks or any uneven/rough surface, and
make sure the surface is already wet. If the fish is not fully tired it can flap
around aggressively, resulting in sometimes harmful damage to the fish.

## Allow time for a good blood clot to set if a landed fish is bleeding

Remove the fly quickly and leave the fish in the net in a quiet flow area if possible
to allow the bleeding to clot (sometimes up to 4 minutes in my experience). Don’t
think that the trout won’t survive if it is bleeding, as has been documented in 
previous historic articles. A little blood can look like a lot, and can appear to
always come from the gills due to the respiratory water flow in through the mouth
and out through the operculum/gills.

In my experience most bleeding will clot, the fish will swim away, and trout should
not be expected to die! By letting a fish go carefully there is at least a chance,
and survival should be considered likely! Salmon smolt can have their very sensitive
gill filaments cut off using scissors, causing significant bleeding, and still have
this clot, so in my opinion there is hope for fish even bleeding significantly.

Once the bleeding has stopped it is important to keep the fish in the net for at
least another 2 minutes to ensure a good clot hold at the site of the wound, before
carefully releasing the fish. This just prevents a sensitive clot from being dislodged
due to premature release and exertion on the fish, as it swims away to find cover.

## Choose a safe release location

In a moving water environment always try to find a safe location out of the heavy
flow to release a fish if possible, especially if a long hard fight has occurred.
It is sometimes necessary to carefully walk a tired fish up or downstream to a suitable
area, with the fish remaining in the water at all times/as much as possible, to 
reach a safe release location. A quiet edge can be good enough, but a large quiet
area nearby can give the fish a better recovery location.

Also, if the fish is exhausted and heavy water/rapids are present at the release
location, it is good practice to remove all your gear/rod etc to a location well
below the fish, and then slowly release it into the water where it will hopefully
sit and rest. It is then possible to slowly back off behind the fish out of view,
and with all the gear removed you wouldn’t then be seen by the fish again, thus 
preventing it being scared into the surrounding rough water prematurely, prior to
a good recovery.

If there is some water flow at the release location there is no need to actively
push the fish back and forth to increase water flow over the gills, as the gill 
movements of the fish will be adequate to allow effective counter-current oxygen
transfer. This may be necessary in a stagnant water location, or where there are
a lot of loose sediments on the stream/lake bottom causing the fish to inhale sediment
into the gills, thus causing blocking/clogging of the gill membranes. Ultimately
any reduced physical stress or premature exercise can only be a positive thing to
increase a fish’s chance of survival.

## Remove flies with the fish’s gills in the water

Remember these fish have just been fighting for their lives and are likely exhausted,
just like us having run a marathon. After heavy physical activity such as being 
played on a fly rod, the metabolic nitrogenous wastes such as ammonia built up in
the fish’s blood need to be excreted from the trout’s blood system via the gill 
membranes, into the surrounding water.

After a fight, if a trout is removed from the water for excessive periods, not only
can they not get the essential oxygen they need, but also these metabolic nitrogenous
wastes, which would normally be excreted into the water, then build up in the blood,
essentially resulting in blood poisoning. The fish may swim off and appear fine,
but perhaps a few hours later or even longer, the fish may not survive due to being
held out of the water for too long! Think “Gills in the water at all times!”

## Only remove the fish from the water for short periods when taking photographs

I base my timing on 5 seconds, then if I take a little longer this shouldn’t be 
a major problem. I have heard a maximum time of 10 seconds bandied around in some
forums due to information from a scientific study, but aiming for a shorter period
of time can only be good.

I have the camera ready and get the angler to remove the fish from the water for
5 seconds at a time to take several quick photos, before placing the fish back in
the net to get some oxygen. After a brief removal from the water the fish should
then be allowed at least another 20 seconds of breathing time before being removed
from the water again, if a second photo opportunity is necessary.

In my opinion there is nothing cooler than seeing a photo of a fish being admired
by an angler with beads of water dripping off its body, strongly suggesting that
the fish has only been removed from the water for a short time and handled carefully!
Often with modern technology it is possible to set a camera or cell phone for rapid
fire photo taking, in order to get multiple photos of the trout in different positions
as it is lifted from the net and released in a single several-second-long motion.
Alternatively a quick video of the release may be preferable to an angler as well.

## Avoid lifting fish vertically just from the tail

Avoid lifting the fish by its tail, as all its weight is transferred through the
spine. This is important with heavier fish, perhaps 5lbs and larger, where the vertebrae
can dislocate in some instances because of the increased weight stress involved.
Instead hold the tail and support the fish under the pectoral girdle/the head operculum
area, making sure not to allow fingers to enter the sensitive internal operculum/
gill area, or come in contact with the sensitive eyes.

This is especially important with larger overweight fish, such as fish showing “
mousey” condition, where when removed from the neutral buoyancy water environment,
all the fish’s weight may be point loaded on the sensitive internal organs if held
further back in the stomach area, away from the strengthened pectoral/bony region
of the fish.

## Removing flies can be easier when the fish is turned upside down

When removing the fly from the trout, turn it upside down in the net by holding 
its tail. This can sometimes be difficult with fresher/less tired fish, but inverting
the fish will cause them to go into a state of “tonic immobility” or a “mellow out”
type state, like that exhibited by sharks in many wildlife documentaries. This allows
for much easier handling of a relatively less active fish, allowing for easier hook/
fly removal.

## Tail first fish removal from the net

I have found the safest way to remove a fish from the submerged landing net bag 
prior to being photographed is to remove the fish from the net tail first. One will
often see people lifting the fish head first out of the net, and at this point all
it takes is a flick of the tail and the fish can be lost prior to a photo being 
taken. I have seen this happen on many occasions, and the usual disappointed look
on an angler’s face, although “priceless”, is always something to try to avoid if
at all possible.

## Limit squeezing or large amounts of pressure when holding a fish

Hold the trout’s tail reasonably firmly without too much pressure to cause bruising,
but do not squeeze the fish further forward of the tail. As listed above, the trout’s
gills and eyes are the least protected and most sensitive areas, which should be
carefully avoided, with no pressure or squeezing of these areas occurring when the
fish is being handled.

The fish can be supported just using the fingertips up under the pectoral fins or
head, and when taking a photo you will see more of the beautiful side of the fish
if it is cradled on fingertips, rather than with the fingers protruding up the front
side of the fish which is being photographed. This will give you a much better photo
showing the full beautiful side of the fish.

## Wooden floating landing nets make excellent floating cages

Although they may not be every angler’s preference, a floating net anchored to the
stream bottom of slow flowing water using an attached nylon strap acts as an excellent
floating cage to securely hold a landed fish. The floating frame of the net does
not collapse over a netted trout as with other net types, which can sometimes restrict
gill breathing movements.

It also acts as a self-secure cage which the trout can sit in while you sort your
camera for a photo, or to place the fish in between 5 second photo taking intervals,
to allow it time to recover without escaping. This also acts as a great place to
carefully drop a fish into if it starts wriggling when removed from the water, preventing
an angler from having to squeeze the fish too hard to prevent it from escaping when
completely removed from a sinking type net.

A floating frame net is also ideal for use in boating situations, where the net 
can be allowed to float in the water securely holding a landed trout, making the
handling and release of the fish a much easier two-handed procedure. This further
prevents a fish from having to be lifted from the water into a boat for easier removal
of a fly.

## Some other things to remember when out on the water

 * If possible avoid fishing water warmer than 20 degrees Celsius. The warmer water
   will contain less dissolved oxygen, and played fish can be put under extreme 
   stresses when exerting themselves in such conditions.
 * Don’t always aim to catch every fish you see. If you and your companions have
   had a good day landing a good number of fish, don’t over-pressure the fishery
   by continuing to catch every fish you see. Maybe this is a good opportunity to
   check out another alternative location.
 * If a fish appears to be in poor condition or stressed in some way, then maybe
   leave it alone and try to find other “happy” fish. Often darker coloured fish
   sitting in the quieter edges are showing signs of stress, whether due to being
   previously caught, or perhaps some other environmental or condition related factor.
 * Pick up rubbish and retain used tippet material carefully instead of discarding
   it. The “Monomaster” waste tippet holder is the best product I have found here
   in New Zealand which carefully stores waste tippet of all lengths, until it can
   be safely cut up and disposed of at a future time.

## Final thoughts

I hope that some of this information will prove helpful, and that some of the points
listed above will hopefully represent some good topics of discussion amongst other
friends and fellow anglers when next out on the water. As previously mentioned these
views are my own, based on my experience, and are not gospel; however I think they
are a pretty good representation of many careful catch and release tactics that 
some of you might consider thinking about or practising next time you are out fishing.

My ultimate aim with writing this article is that more fish will swim away and have
the best chance of survival after being released. All the best with the coming fishing
season!

## Randy F

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/randy-f/
- Published: 2017-01-01T09:00:00+13:00
- Author: admin

I had the opportunity to fish a day with Chris Bell a guide in New Zealand, having
been a fly fisherman and have been lucky enough to have fished all over the world
it was great to finally get a chance to fish the South Island. Chris and I were 
scheduled to fish for 3 days, but a huge storm came in and mudded all the rivers,
so we were only able to fish one day and had to take a helicopter into a head water
to find some clear water. Chris did an excellent job of finding some fish for me
to cast to. We caught some great fish, but what happened is what happens all too
often the big one got away. Chris spotted this beautiful brown of between 8 and 
9 pounds. I snuck up to see the fish and it drifted back down right in front of 
me. I had to freeze and wait for it to move back up in the run, it just sat right
to the side of me. I carefully backed away and snuck down below it. We saw it come
and eat something from the top of the water, it came up again while we were getting
into position. We couldn’t see anything on the water so Chris suggested an ant pattern.
We tied it on and extended the leader to 18 feet. The big fish was clearly visible,
I was able to drop the fly a few feet in front of the fish and we both held our 
breath as we watched the big brown slip up and suck the ant in. It was a great fight
but the big fish finally wrapped the 4x leader around a rock and was gone. I will
always remember the sight of the big brown sucking in the small ant, it was the 
highlight of my trip.

Chris was a great guide and even better than that he was a great guy to fish with.
We had a wonderful time fishing together. I am 65 and have bad knees and Chris helped
me across the river in all difficult spots. I would highly recommend him to anyone
wanting to fish in New Zealand.

## Bob N

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/bob-n/
- Published: 2016-11-01T09:00:00+13:00
- Author: admin

Just wanted to thank you for a couple of great days fly fishing South of Christchurch.
Excellent fun stalking, and then casting for sighted fish in the clear waters. A
new experience for me, and I learnt a lot, particularly how to spot fish, but also
the techniques and methods you use fishing in New Zealand, including trying a number
of methods to catch one fish. Successful outing with plenty of fish seen and caught.

## Matt and Deb, USA

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/matt-and-deb-usa/
- Published: 2016-11-01T09:00:00+13:00
- Author: admin

Chris provided a great experience for two first time fly fishermen. He took the 
time to show each of us the correct process and provide constructive feedback when
needed. We even learned about how the fish live in their surroundings and what they
eat. We started fishing right away as Chris was excellent in spotting the fish. 
Even after a couple snags, Chris was always very patient in showing the right technique.
Very quickly we both had fish and his excitement level kept us both excited to keep
fishing. It was great getting to know Chris and learn more about New Zealand culture
over lunch. We would highly recommend Chris for any level of fly fishermen, especially
if it is your first time.

## Angus B, NEW ZEALAND

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/angus-b-new-zealand/
- Published: 2015-12-04T20:22:40+13:00
- Author: admin

I have been fishing now for many years and was taken away by the extent of new knowledge
Chris had when it came to still-water fishing big browns on lake flats. With use
of his specialised lake flats boat we could access water completely undisturbed 
from other anglers before hand. It was a breathtaking day and I wouldn’t hesitate
to recommend Chris to others. Cheers

**Chris’s note:** Angus and I spent a day stalking good browns on shallow lake flats
and ended up landing 12 fish up to 6lbs in weight over a 5-6 hour period. We had
takes from several other nice fish and lost a few others in some classic calm weather
conditions. Just Magic fishing action! Thanks Angus.

## Toby & Freddie WD, SCOTLAND, GB

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/toby-freddie-wd-scotland-gb/
- Published: 2015-12-04T20:20:35+13:00
- Author: admin

My Dad and I had a sensational two day trip fly fishing in Canterbury with Chris
from South Island Adventure Fly Fishing. Over the years we have had a lot of experience
with fishing guides all around the globe and we felt that Chris was amongst the 
best that we’ve ever fished with: Chris maintained a great sense of humour and worked
really hard to put us onto great fish (and I mean GREAT fish!). Chris took us to
some breathtaking scenic trout fishing areas where we could stalk both brown and
rainbow trout using nymph and dry fly techniques. We stayed at a comfortable well
serviced hut and Chris always tried his best to satisfy any request we had, whether
it be while fishing or with meals/our comfort. Great memories Chris – thank you 
so much. If you are looking for an enjoyable South Island fly fishing experience
we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend giving Chris a try.

**Chris’s note:** Toby, Freddie and I fished a still-water and several rivers with
some exciting fishing eventuating from the two day trip away. They really enjoyed
the scenery and the relaxed environment of the hut we stayed in. Thanks for contributing
to such a fun trip away guys! Looking forward to catching up again in the future
and hopefully introducing you guys to some fantastic west coast rivers/streams closer
to Christchurch this time.

## Alex B

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/alex-b/
- Published: 2015-12-01T09:00:00+13:00
- Author: admin

My first fishing trip to New Zealand turned out to be an unforgettable adventure.
Despite the excessively long New Zealand leaders, we managed to land a good number
of spooky fish which just kept getting bigger and bigger every day. Thanks a lot
for a great trip in a wonderful country – I can’t wait to be back in December!

## Ryan S

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/ryan-s/
- Published: 2015-10-01T09:00:00+13:00
- Author: admin

My buddy and I hooked up with Chris through the South Island Adventure Fly fishing
website to plan our fishing trip. We are both experienced fishermen, but neither
had experience fishing in NZ so we decided to hire a guide. Chris responded to our
email inquiries right away and made planning the trip a breeze. Even through email,
it was obvious that Chris was courteous, knowledgeable, and absolutely loves to 
fish!

Based on Chris’ recommendations, we booked a two day helicopter trip to a remote
headwater river. Chris helped us make all the arrangements and locked in dates with
the pilot. We met up, helicoptered in with all our gear, set up camp, and were fishing
within the hour.

I have done a lot of trout fishing and usually do quite well wherever I go; however,
fishing with Chris took us to a whole new level. The man is a trout-finding machine!
Within the first hour of fishing we hooked up and landed a 6 pound trout, and not
5 minutes later landed an 8 pounder.

The day continued on in the same fashion, with Chris constantly keeping us on good
sized trout. I think the smallest fish we caught was 4.5lbs. Chris is an excellent
teacher and we learned a great deal from him, which helped us greatly as we continued
our fishing tour on our own.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Chris for the expert, intermediate, or beginner fly-
fisher as he is a world-class guide and can cater to any experience level. On top
of that, he is a great guy and a pleasure to be around – fishing with Chris felt
like fishing with another buddy, not just a guide. Not if, but when I return to 
fish NZ, Chris will certainly be my first choice for a guide.

## Back to the Coast – Day 2

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/back-to-the-coast-day-2/
- Published: 2015-08-22T10:44:17+13:00
- Author: admin

The day dawned clear and calm as the easterly had now completely died away. After
a quick breakfast we were on the road to fish for some cruisers around the margins
of Lake Brunner. We arrived to a glassy clear lake that had been quite peat stained
only a week before, after significant rains in the Westland region for several weeks.
My client spent a little time stalking the lake edge in search of cruisers while
I assembled the inflatable dinghy. Having sorted all the gear, we proceeded to some
submerged bush edges where there are usually plenty of good cruising browns to target.
Upon reaching our destination we immediately located a few cruisers. It wasn’t long
until my client was into his first fish of the day. We were mainly using small damselfly
nymph patterns with a small dull yarn indicator located approximately 45cm up from
the terminal fly. The aim was to cast the fly approximately one rod length in front
of the cruising fish. As the fish approached the fly, a brief retrieve or twitch
would get the trout’s attention. The fly was then left to naturally sink, during
which time the fish would usually take it. Using this technique we were getting 
takes from most fish that hadn’t spooked by seeing us before they had seen the fly.
This often happens in such close quarters fishing like this where fish will sometimes
take the fly within 2 metres of the boat. As long as you are not wearing bright 
colored clothing or move at the wrong time, often the fish will be oblivious to 
your presence in their peripheral zone, as they visually focus on the fly. It’s 
exciting visual fishing! One thing I noticed was that the average fish size was 
down on previous years. Usually we would regularly encounter 4-5lb fish but these
were few and far between, as we were mainly finding 2.5-3lbers. My client proceeded
to land 3 fish within a short period but then lost several more under logs and on
unlucky strikes. We were all having a fun time but unfortunately the weather forecast
wasn’t as accurate as hoped, and the wind started to really blow just before lunch.
This dictated that we fish amongst the shelter of the submerged trees, but the swell
was even penetrating into this zone, resulting in less desirable fishing conditions.
Despite this, my client still got stuck into some more fish, landing a beautiful
3.75lb specimen with lovely spots. The wind caused an early departure but not before
encountering some fantastic sight fishing, described as some of the most exciting
fishing my client had ever done. Happy client, happy guide! We packed up our gear
and headed home having had a very enjoyable two days fishing on the coast. Thanks
for the great company guys and I look forward to another trip away together when
you visit Christchurch again in the future!

## Back to the Coast – Day 1

- Link: https://www.adventureflyfishingnz.com/back-to-the-coast-day-1/
- Published: 2015-08-22T10:42:02+13:00
- Author: admin

The next outing was with a client who was visiting Christchurch for a wedding and
who had a few days spare for some fishing. We had decided to do an overnight trip
to the West Coast with a combination of river and still-water sight fishing on the
cards. The weather was looking good and other than a strong easterly breeze, we 
were greeted with a relatively warm and sunny day upon reaching our first fishing
destination, a beautiful coast river.

My client’s wife had decided to accompany us on the trip, and it was great to hear
all about their lives and experiences on the drive over. She was really interested
in bird-watching, so I had chosen this Westland river location as the riparian native
bush held a reasonable variety of native bird life. While she searched the nearby
bush for birds we rigged up and started scanning the water in search of the first
fish of the day. I was happy to see a nice trout feeding in the first pool. It lay
in a difficult lie where drag became an issue in the presentation. My client made
some good casts but eventually the fish wised up to our presence and disappeared.
I proceeded to spot upstream but the next pool was absent of any fish. Luckily the
next nice section of water housed a good sized trout which appeared to be actively
feeding. My client was excited to see a fish in the 5-6lb range regularly nymphing
in such a scenic location. His explanation of this being one of the most beautiful
rivers he had every visited made me feel pretty good about selecting this river 
to fish. I spent a little time checking all the terminal knots to make sure we had
the best chance of landing the fish if eventually hooked. After watching the fish
for a while he snuck into a good casting position, and made a nice cast up towards
the feeding fish. A few casts later, the perfect cast laid out and drifted down 
towards the fish. The small size 14 black tungsten glister nymph was the fly of 
choice and proved interesting enough to the fish, as it swung a metre to the side
to engulf the fly. The indicator dipped and the client struck. The weight of the
fish made a sizeable bend in the rod as the fish fled to the other side of the river.
Luckily after a short time the fish began to tire, and he gradually drifted back
across the flow to settle in an eddy in front of us. He appeared to be a reasonable
fish as he hydroplaned in the current, surfacing every so often. He seemed to be
lacking a little condition but was still a beautiful trout. The opportunity to net
him came shortly after, and a successful netting resulted in a lovely spotted 5lb
trout glistening in the net, and a very happy client and guide. The first fish certainly
takes a little of the pressure off the guide, and allowed me to relax a little more
for the rest of the day. We proceeded to take the all important photo but upon preparing
to pose the fish, it took its opportunity to escape and bolted to the safety of 
the river. Not to worry, as the client was stoked and was ready for some more action.
He didn’t have to wait long as the next nice glide just upstream held another feeding
fish. This time the fish was a little smaller and was sitting a
 little deeper in
some disturbed water. I checked all the knots and tied on a slightly heavier caddis
bead head nymph. The clients first good cast drifted to the right of the fish and
it quickly moved in the direction of the fly, before rising as little in the water
column to take it. The disappearance of the indicator was followed by a solid strike.
The really active fish bolted all over the river, before eventually coming to the
net. The day was going well as the wind was slowly dying away and as the fishing
hotted up, so to did the temperature. After a quick lunch and a few stories about
all the different bird species his wife had encountered, I proceeded up the river
to spot another fish. Three to four hundred metres upstream I finally found another
fish, but this one ended up cruising down and spotting my client while he was preparing
to cast. Oh well, not all opportunities work out. Another 150m upstream I peered
over a large log only to find another nice fish feeding in a gently flowing eddy.
I watched him for a while and was excited to see him rise for a mayfly dun on the
surface. The client came over to check out the fish and while he inquisitively watched
his feeding behavior, I changed to a size 14 parachute mayfly pattern, to hopefully
get him on a dry fly. The client got into position and proceeded to cast to the 
trout. He was unable to see him while moving about subsurface, but was able to clearly
see his head break the surface as he inhaled the odd terrestrial insect. I guided
him to get the cast he needed for the fish to see his fly. A good presentation resulted
in the fish slowly rising towards the surface, gently sipping in the parachute fly.
I was located directly above him and was in a great spot to watch all the action
unfold. There’s not much more exciting than watching a nice fish rise only mere 
metres in front of you. Magic! I called the pause and then the strike. The fish 
immediately exploded out into the current upon feeling the penetration of the barb-
less hook. The client tightened up to gain some control of the rapidly departing
line, and unfortunately parted company with the fish. Maybe a little disappointing
to have lost the fish, but it had been so exciting to watch all the action that 
we were both satisfied with the experience. A further search upstream did not uncover
any more fish, so we met up with his wife and walked back to the vehicle. Well what
a good day! Some classic fishing amongst good company, surrounded by spectacular
scenery and a diverse variety of native bird life. Everyone was happy so we headed
back to the hut to relax and have some tea and to get ready for all the action on
the water tomorrow.