I started my season off before opening.

In July I went to the west coast and fished Lake brunner from a float boat. Super time on the magic woolly buggar AGAIN!



Sept, I scouted out the tidal areas in local rivers, looking for whitebait and sea runners. Only caught some small ones but best discovery were shoals of small kahawai up to 1lb as the tide came in. They loved my lures and were fantastic fighting on 6wt especially catching up to 15 in one evening.

Opening saw me go down to Trout Cottage, Southland where I met guys I'd only seen on DVD's. The verbal diorreaha ran frequently but the craic was mighty. I fished new water and really enjoyed the whole experience.



On the way home I also caught the swamp fish on the old favourite streamer.



This season I mostly fished a couple of choice small canterbury rivers and streams.



My fly tying changed to suit and I really got into tying size 16 & 18 parachutes, emergers and generic pattern nymphs. I got frustrated as usual at willow grubbers and at trophy trout sitting in converging pools throwing me the bird.

At Christmas I managed to get into the high country backwaters again, spotting monster browns but having the fly taken by their smaller rainbow cousins in the same confluence.

I didn't get anything out of the kahawai or sea runs at the rakaia this summer mainly because of the mouth position and the weather.

As the season progressed I managed to get to the southern clave, absorb some knowledge and fish some new water on the way home.



I also got to return to my roots and fish the drift with a club colleague on a Canty lake and ended up in double figures for fish caught on streamers.



As the season finished I really didn't get out until last week when I returned to Southland again, enjoyed great mates company and the deleatidium hatch.



So as the season finishes I'm tying streamers and lumo doll flies for the winter rainbows and sometime in the middle of July I'll return to the west coast for streamer fishing lake Brunner. Then it will all begin again.

__________________
Jonathan

"The first men that our Saviour, dear
Did choose to wait upon Him here,
Blest fishers were; and fish the last
Food was, that He on earth did taste:
I therefore strive to follow those,
Whom He to follow Him hath chose."

Issac Walton - The Compleat Angler

Hey Johnathan.. think i met you at the clave..... although that particular weekend was and still is a bit of a blur....

I'm betting that the trout cottage was in lumsden? and the characters Simon and his mates? or am i way off?? Was there myself this year....

Great pics mate.. Makes me itch even more to get back there for next November... All i need is a wee lotto win.....Don't think the credit card is able for another pasting...

Yep, right on all accounts.

I'd reccomend anyone coming to NZ to hook up at Middlemarch for the clave in Feb. Simon is top chap.

__________________
Jonathan

"The first men that our Saviour, dear
Did choose to wait upon Him here,
Blest fishers were; and fish the last
Food was, that He on earth did taste:
I therefore strive to follow those,
Whom He to follow Him hath chose."

Issac Walton - The Compleat Angler