Spring is here!

As snow begins to melt on the mountains, we start to gear up for a big summer of fishing and sunshine. Recent walks up the Twizel river have shown some larger brown trout (3.5 to 5lb estimated) in the holes, but not much spawning action as yet. We'll keep an eye out for the spawning 'bows and let you know when the are in the river. I'm about to set off on a four day camping trips with my lads, to explore some new water further north, so I'll keep you updated as to what we find.

A quick trip to the mouth of the Tekapo River late last month saw a flurry of action for an hour or so that let me hook up 6 fish in 40 minutes, but not much else for the other 2 hours. This was one of the nicer ones at 22 inches. What a great way to finish the season!

Take Two Fishing Trips:

Not too much has changed for us over the winter, but our ever popular Take Two fishing trips have had a change that people need to be aware of. Our trips now start on a Saturday, arriving in Christchurch, and conclude the following Saturday, when we deliver you back to Christchurch. Speaking of Christchurch, despite the shakes and rattles of the past 12 months there, it is pretty much business as usual for most places outside of the centre and east of the city, which also had to battle decent snowfalls over the winter. The last thing they need really, but after the year they have had so far, I think most people are thinking, it can't get any harder so bring it on... For those of you contemplating a trip over here, you'll hardly notice the disruptions out on the airport side of the city and the trip down to Twizel will not be affected in any way. We do have a few weeks available for guiding over the summer, especially late in the season, so do drop us a line to find out which weeks are free and what the prospects are like. We also have a couple of people looking for fishing partners over the summer, so if you're on your own and looking for a fishing partner, once again, get in contact.

Vegies Ripe for the picking:

We were most impressed with our vegie garden last season and will look to develop that even more this season, introducing some other fresh vegies for the dinner table in the future. With Chef Chris off for some rehabilitation on a troublesome foot injury over the summer, Dawn Goorah is joining us as our Chef - ready to make use of those fresh vegies! Former propriator of the well regarded Korner Kafe in Twizel, she is keen to try out a few new recipes and keep our anglers well fed.

Some Key Fishing Tips

Knots

There are two vitally important steps to remember about your knot tying.

1. Knots weaken over time. Test them during the day and each morning before fishing, with a gradual but firm pull, as they will slip or break after temperature changes - you don't want to lose a fish because of a knot failure, first thing in the day.

2. Speaking of slipping; the main reason knots fail is that they are not pulled tightly enough when they are tied. A gradual pull, then a gentle shock test to check it. I usually also test my knots again after I have trimmed the tag end. Do use plenty of saliva as a lubricant. A well tightened knot will have no daylight between the wraps. Any gaps in the wraps when it is pulled, will slip either when a fish is on, or when you test the knot.

Speaking of fishing gear, check your flies from last season, to make sure there is no rust, get new tippet material and ensure you have a good clean of your fly line and grease your reel if it needs it. These simple steps will ensure your first hookup of the season is as successful as it can be.

Fish Under the Banks

This is one that always surprises people. Even small overhanging grasses and banks hold big fish. Working a Woolly Bugger along overhanging banks (yes, even dapping right under your feet), can bring the big fellas out with a charging surge to hit the fly. This is great if there is no surface activity, but if cicadas or grasshoppers are on the go in the height of summer, slap one down close to a grassy overhanging bank and there will almost certainly be a trout lying there, looking out for just such an opportunity and resting up in the shade. Trout will move a long way to grab a large food item. As a general rule of thumb, when it is on, the bigger the temptation, the further they will travel. Sometimes a swinging fly fished under bushes with the 'down and across' technique is the only way to access some bits of water. Once again, the dragging fly will be too tempting for many fish. So fish those bits of bank with confidence and suspect that every bank has a fish under it. Your catch rate will multiply dramatically!

Fly Hatchery Closed

Mary Payne has closed the Fly Hatchery fly shop in Twizel, permenantly. Discovering newfound freedom for her has been a treat and she is looking forward to being able to take off from town when she wants to, not when she can. We wish her very well in her retirement and will miss her conversation and wonderfully tied flies. Thanks Mary for all the years - oh and all the great flies.

For details of what is on this summer information please contact me at:
email: will@spryfly.co.nz

Or phone +64 3 - 4350-135
moblie +64 272-841-801
 
Spry Fly New Zealand Ltd