It might be winter here, but it is summertime in New Zealand.   Direct flight Houston to Auckland then to Nelson on the north end of South Island.

Fishing in New Zealand usually means crystal clear water and casting to fish you see (rather, that the guide sees first).  Stealthy approaches, dark fly lines, long leaders (15-18 feet) are the order of the day.  Accurate casting is a must because many fish won’t stand for much commotion.

Miles of water can be reached by vehicle but there is always the concern of who else might be there or was just. There are many miles of river in roadless back country only accessible by very long hikes or helicopter.

But, the problem remains; who was there last and when?

As always us fishermen are at the mercy of the weather.  First four days of a six day fishing trip were overcast and rainy.  Those days were extra challenging but fish were caught.

Some by searching likely water when it was impossible to see.  Some rivers are predominantly rainbows.  Some mostly hold browns.  Most fish were caught on nymphs and occasionally on dry flies.

The weather cleared for days 5 and 6 and the helicopters were busy.  Caught some very nice big browns on those days.  An interesting phenomenon occurs periodically in New Zealand.

When the beech trees make a good nut crop, the local mouse population explodes.  AND when there are lots of mice, many end up in the river to the delight of big brown trout.  There were lots of mice in this area this year and many double digit fish have been landed.

I caught two over 9 pounds, one at 10.5.   Several in the 6-7 lb class.

The lodge where I stayed can take up to six fisherman.  Perhaps we should organize a TFF trip?  New Zealand 2021 anyone?