A DAY OF GUIDED FISHING

IN THE MURCHISON AREA

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After packing up and heading out, I warmed up to Mike a bit.  He bought the Lodge 5 years ago and is now selling and getting out of the guiding business.  Although he didn't expand on why, I suspect it is a combination of tired of the B&B thing, increased fishing pressure and more difficulty in finding secluded areas to take a client, less access to private lands and declining fish stocks.  We headed up a valley to fish The Matakitaki River, one of the rivers I almost fished the day before!  We drove up to the headwaters to fish a section called the Glenroy River.  To access the latter, we had to go through a locked gate!  It seems that the rancher that owns the land has about 25 kilometers of river through a beautiful valley.  The station is presently for sale for $1,000,000 NZ.  The whole property is fenced in with 10 ft page wire to keep the deer in and there is a "hut" at the head of the valley.  A hut is equivalent to our "camp" although most are like The Lucky Duck in size and furnishings.  They are used for hunting deer, shooting possum, rabbits and wallaby's, all of which are considered nuisance animals.  Hunting season is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  You can hunt at night with spotting lights, you just can't shoot from the car!  But, I digress, back to the Brown's.

Mike asked me the usual questions to get a handle on my fishing abilities and then explained how the day would work.  The river was fairly clear although still some silt from the last "fresh" or rain.  Visibility was about 16".  Mike would slowly walk up river to sight fish and I would trail behind "blind fishing" the pocket water.  Blind fishing is considered boring and has a stature somewhere between dry fly fishing and spin casting!  But, Mike didn't want me to be bored.  I also think he wanted to see my casting technique and wanted me to warm up a bit before presenting a fly to a fish.  After a while, Mike waves me up and shows me a Brown lying in a small pool.  All I can see is a shadow and I'm not even convinced that it is moving.  But, after presenting a Hare and copper to it a couple of times in a clumsy manner, the shadow finally moved on and I was convinced that it was in fact a fish and a good sized one at that.  I've learned that spotting fish is extremely difficult and that I have probably walked by a fair number of nice Brown Trout!  This scenario played out a couple more times.  Sometimes I presented a fly to a very weary and intelligent Brown, sometimes to a rock.  Even Mike says that, "when in doubt, cast it out!"

Finally, we get to a pool and I get a good set up to a feeding Brown with only a little headwind.  We try a Royal Wullf, no luck.  Next we try a Black Gnat.  The first cast passes what I think is too far lateral to the fishes position and after it drifts past the fish, I turn my head to prepare for the next cast when Mike yells "SET!" 

I instinctively lift my rod and before I know it, line is disappearing from my reel and I'm struggling to keep my eye on a fish that is bouncing across boulders and pools in the small river.  The battle is short and soon the hen is beached and I'm posing for my first guided Brown photograph.  After a quick hand shake and discussion reliving the excitement and debriefing the whole presentation, I realized that no cast is a bad one.  I was surprised at how far this Brown traveled to take this little black fly and how she ignored a more "perfectly presented" but inappropriate morsel of food.  I've also learned that an actively feeding fish is easier to catch then a "sleepy" one.

Mike and I spend the rest of the day playing this scenario out to moving shadows of fish and rocks!  I never landed a male and I'm surprised at how silvery these "Brown" trout are!  The final fish of the day is spotted by Mike again while I'm blind fishing a pool down river.  After he points the fish out to me, I watch it for a good 3-4 minutes to convince myself that it is in fact moving and therefore a living, feeding fish.

After trying a couple of dry patterns without success, I'm feeling that we're probably not going to hook this one as she must already be alerted to our presence.  But, Mike hands me a small dry spinner and I cast it out.

I can barely see the little thing as it drifts down the river to the feeding fish.  The Brown does an about face and attacks the little imitation like Federico splitting hardwood.  The set is successful and after a short fight, we weight the 3.5 lb, 29 inch female and return her to her home.  This completing the day, I'm satisfied with the days catch and education.  I reflect on the cost of the days experience and realize that I spent more for a days fishing lesson and guiding then I spend on tuition for a half year of Medical School in Newfoundland!  But, the classroom was nicer and hopefully this new found knowledge will serve me longer then that acquired in Med School!  "There endth the lesson!"

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