Fishing - TR: The Swede and the Yankee do New Zealand

"riverman"

Well, once again I guess I'm in the front line running for "arsehole of the
year" award on ROFF.

I had my time planned to get away from work and spend some time with the
guys but it just didn't pan out. My wife told me the guys had rung but
didn't leave a number and by the time I left the ranch (No cellphone
coverage) and got a contact number they had left. So we never met and never
fished. I am grateful to Sean Andrews at the Fly and Gun Shop in Taupo for
looking after you both and wish I had been able to get away from the people
I fished with to spend some time you with you, hopefully next time. Geeez I
feel like a ****head about not being able to link up.

Following your trip reports it sounds like you had a great time and the info
you got was spot on and I've said it here before, be very careful in taking
information on fly-fishing from New Zealand locals because most of them
haven't got a freaking clue if you take them away from the stream mouths at
night and spawning run fish in the daytime. They will talk about Taupo
tributaries and the "resident" fish they hold and it's all just waffle...
you got your best fishing away from there as your reports outline and that
is exactly how it is... Mohaka, Waipunga etc exactly the places to be and
keep away from Taupo in Summer, it's ok but there are far better options as
you found out, the any reason the locals continue with that crap in the
summer is because they don't know where else to go or the sight of a big
fish caught at 11 o'clock at night is considered a triumph... there is
plenty of dry fly action or nymph at sighted fish in pristine conditions if
you know your stuff to make all that rivermouth night time eight weight
stuff redundant.

To Willi, you are 100% correct the fish do get bigger in the headwaters here
and at odds with else where in the world where they get smaller. The reason
is simply water temperature. Our fish get big because they grow at their
optimal rate throughout 12 months of the year. This isn't supposition, this
is fact based on scientific research by our fisheries managers. The
headwaters are the best environment for trout because although alpine they
still do not freeze in winter and do not become too hot in winter so they
are perfect trout environment. because of this big trout will take up
residence and chase everything else out. In other parts of the world,
outside of spring and fall, these areas are not perfect environs and the
bigger fish will move too look for cooler or warmer water... hence in other
parts of the world most headwaters yield the juveniles post spawning... in
NZ the big fish live there because it is perfect throughout twelve months of
the year. The biggest fish are in the headwaters unless you want to talk
about tributary streams of big lakes where most Kiwis fish on the North
island and most true fly fishermen stay well clear of... the backcountry is
where it is at. I have posted warnings here before about listening to "run
of the mill advise" from Kiwis about fishing the north island and this
reiterates it. The best fishing is off the beaten path and not at stream
mouths in lakes at night.

If I had caught up with Roger and Myron I would have done my level best to
get them drunker than they'd ever been, walked them harder than they'd ever
walked and made them scale rock gorges like they'd ever have believe and I'd
have got them some good fishing. Fortunately they had a great man (and
friend of mine) in Sean Andrews who helped them out and I doubt they'd have
done any better if they had fished with me personally.

I regret deeply a chance to meet fellow roffians and to make personal an
electronic connection but please understand that my work is seasonal and I
was being offered work which will help keep my family for the next (quiet
work wise) few months and had to continue with that when it was there. If I
had a contact number (Prior to clearing my messages on my cellular too late)
I would have. I did e-mail them the contact number of my lodge but never got
the call.

I hope their trip was everything they wanted it to be and everything they
planned it to be and apologies to the group en-masse that I let the side
down in not being able to participate in their adventure. I doubt it would
have changed much anyway. New Zealand is a wonderful fishing destination and
it is misunderstood more by the locals than the visitor which is why I've
have posted several "warnings" here over time. I heard, loud and clear,
Myron's reference to my chance at worldwide publicity here, but I have to
reiterate at risk of starting the next round of "arsehole of the year"
voting, that I am not here to tout for work. I am a busy guide and don't
need to come to these places the get bookings and it's not why I am here. I
am here because I am a fly fisherman and I want people visiting NZ to have a
positive experience. It is so easy to not do so if you follow the wrong
advise from locals here. That might sound like BS but I hope Myron and
Roger's TR helps to put some perspective on that.

In future I hope to be more "accessible" than I was for these guys and if
anyone plans a trip to NZ. please e-mail me as I am only to happy to help
with advise. I learned from this latest trip that I should have put some
advise to paper (e-mail) ahead of time in case we didn't make contact, I
didn't think that would happen but it did.

I'm glad it appears to have all panned ojut in any case.

Regards

Clark Reid
(Arsehole of the Year)