Fishing

A lot has to fall in together in order to be successful at fly fishing. Everyone has their own version or idea what it means to be successful. For me it's time on the water; getting lost in the moment where your mind completely shuts off. All your worries about work, the weather, where you're going to spend the night vanish.

The last couple days have been tiresome. With tons of traveling and all my concerns were brought to the forefront. It didn't seem like there would be any end in sight until today.

I arrived at my spot to fish shortly after two guys arrived. They were headed upstream, so I hiked for a couple hours downstream and was going to work my way back to my vehicle.

The drive to my spot was overcast, slight showers and strong gusty wind. The stream I was going to fish is your classic freestone river with deep pools, short riffles and long glides. It also flowed over pastureland, which with the weather at the time would have made spotting fish nearly impossible.

As I began my hike down the sky began to break up and the sun came out. The only weather obstacle to overcome now was the wind. I started to walk up a high bank trying to spot my 1st fish. (When I mean walking it means one step every 10 seconds as you try to search for a fish). It can be a nose on a rock, a tail poking out behind a rock or even the slightest color distortion. Within 10 feet I saw a tail of a fish. I found a landmark to peg where the fish was and moved downstream into the river to get into position to cast. The wind was still gusting and it was going to be a tough cast. My first cast the wind blew my fly back into my face. 2nd cast the wind threw my fly and line up into the bank. I reeled up and climbed back up the bank to see if the fish was still holding in its spot. Nope!! Time to keep moving up.

I crept my way up a few runs only to keep stepping on fish and see them as they spooked. The ones I was able to get into position to  cast didn't much appreciate my shitty casting from the wind.

Halfway through the day and not a solid chance at a fish. Things began to creep up in my mind and I wasn't having fun. So I decided it was a good time to have lunch and try to push everything out of my mind and to remember where I was and what I was doing.

The next run I came up to began with a shallow riffle (8 inches deep) with rocks creating the odd deflection. As I got onto a high bank to spot fish the sun went behind the colds. I decided to wait it out and wait for the sun to come back. After 20 minutes it finally poked back out and I was able to see into the riffle again. I didn't have to move to find my fish. It was a slight color distortion behind a rock and every so often you could see it's tail sway in the current.

I found my marker in the river and slid downstream into position to cast. As I got into position I lost my marker in the river, so I had to climb back out and find it again. I stripped enough line off my reel for the distance I was going to need to cast. 1st cast over it's head I saw it's lips break the water and suck my fly back. I waited my 2 seconds and set the hook. The fish went airborne then made a mad dash upstream and I had to follow. I finally get him under control and bring him into some slack water and go to net him and he takes off again, but this time downstream, so I give chase once again. Slowly the fish tires and I'm able to bring him back into slack water again, and I was able to slide my net under its head. After a quick weigh at 6 lbs and a few shitty photos I let the fish go.

Everything fell in together. The sun came out, the wind eased, my cast was good, my fly selection was right, and the fish decided to eat. For the 1st time since being in NZ I was at peace. I didn't care what had happened or what was going to happen, I was completely lost in the moment.

Oops, wrong setting!

6lb Brown Trout