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THE HUTT

VALLEY ANGLER No 376

Newsletter of the Hutt Valley Angling Club Inc March 2013

March Activities

11th Club Meeting — King Lion Hall 7:30pm

16th Line Control Workshop 9:00am

22-23 Mohaka River Trip

23rd Wairarapa Excursion — Upper Hutt Station 4:00pm

25th Copy deadline for April Newsletter

27th Fly Tying — Community House 7:30pm

Hutt Valley Angling Club Incorporated .March 2013 2

Editorial

I should say ditto this month because the expected Cicada season

is only just getting underway. Unfortunately due to this dry spell

the rivers are warming up and of course the Cyanobacteria is

proliferating in the Hutt River. We need a flush every three or four

weeks to freshen the riverbed.

It is most gratifying to see the interest and enthusiasm at our

Introduction to Fly Fishing courses. Hopefully some of the

participants will take the next step to join a fishing club where they

can expect to learn a great deal more about the sport.

It’s great to welcome back Wood’s Waffles after a short sabbatical.

Jeff always gives us articles to get the grey matter working a little

bit.

John Millar Editor

President’s Piece

Isn’t it great to have such a stunning spell of

weather, although others are not so happy

with it! No doubt many of you have been

out with those cicada patterns on local rivers

as a result.

It was very pleasing to see several new faces

at the February club meeting and others

have made contact about joining the club.

This is in no small part to the accessibility of

our website. A number have commented on the information it

provides. The updates from a number of you on your fishing trips

over the summer made for an interesting session.

By the time this goes to press, we would have held our two

Greater Wellington Regional Council sessions with over 40 people

attending. The first session went extremely well with very positive

feedback received from those attending and from our colleagues in

Hutt Valley Angling Club Incorporated—March 2013 3

Green Trout Guiding Sponsor of the Club’s Guiding Raffle

Phone Jim Rainey (06) 382-5507 Kawhatau Valley Road, RD7, Mangaweka

[email protected] www.greentroutguiding.co.nz

the Greater Wellington Council. I would like to thank the members

of the committee and those others from the club who provided

assistance on both days. Also our thanks to Fish & Game who had

input and were able to provide information on their activities.

It was good to welcome Pat van Berkel from the ‘Friends of the

Hutt River’ at the February meeting. Pat gave us some insight into

their activities and what concerns they shared with us. The health

of the Hutt River in particular and all rivers generally should be of

concern to us. A long term sustainable fishery is vital, as well as a

sign of a well-managed and healthy river environment. We will

look to have updates for on this over the year ahead.

It was very pleasing to see the support for the Wainuiomata day

and also the numbers going on the Mohaka trip. If any of you have

ideas for club trips then can you please let one of the committee

know, we are more than willing to look at new locations.

We now have confirmed dates for the sessions being run by Paul

Bell and Paul Dewar respectively. The club is very lucky to have

someone of Paul Bell’s experience in the club and I would

encourage those that are available, to attend. The same with Paul

Dewar– having a member of the Silver Flies being willing to lead an

on-river session for us is a great win for the club so we hope that

these are well supported.

We are also working on the Fly Tying Competition that we are

hosting this year and planned for October. We are looking at some

minor changes and will be progressing this over the next month or

so with the Kapiti and Wellington Clubs.

Quote of the month:

"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but

attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope." –John Buchan

Fraser


Line Control Workshop- Saturday 16 March 9:00am

This session will be run on the Hutt River (Location to be

advised) by Paul Bell who will demonstrate how to control a

floating fly line when nymphing or fishing upstream.

Paul will coach club members to improve their technique. The

workshop will end with a sausage sizzle just before midday.

Members will pay $2 for food and a drink of tea or coffee. It is

necessary to register for this workshop for catering purposes.

A clipboard will be placed beside the raffles at the March Club

meeting. Alternatively you can register on the club

website, by phone, or email to John Millar before Friday 15

March. Contact details at the back of this newsletter

Wairarapa Excursion - Saturday 23 March

This is an excursion to fish rivers in the lower Wairarapa.

This month we will be making an afternoon trip to catch the

evening rise on the Ruamahunga River (and avoid the jetboats).

Meet at the Upper Hutt Rail Station car park at 3:50pm for a 4pm

departure. It is expected that we will return around 8.30 pm.

Please register on the Website.

With a very busy monthly schedule for the club we elected to go on

a Sunday in February to take advantage of the unusually great

weather. The water levels were very low and we started

downstream from the gliding club on the Ruamahunga, it did not

look too promising with recent bulldozer work and the arrival of

several jet boats. However we, (myself, Peter Jacobson and Tim

Trengrove) gave it a good shot and the arrival of more and more

jet boats meant a move was necessary. We had the choice to go

above their furthest point or go where they had come from given

that they were no longer there. We chose the latter and headed

Club News

Club Monthly Meeting 11 March — 7:30pm King Lion Hall

Film Night — We will watch a new DVD on Fly Fishing.

The high quality of the photography which includes underwater

footage brings the viewer into the fish’s world.

There are tips on fly tying included in this movie.


off for Morrisons Bush which was Jet boat free for some time and

while the fishing was poor, Tim managed a couple, one of which

was a nice 3½ pound brown. Tim is a new member of the club and

it was great to have him along and learn something from his

obvious experience.

Steve Doughty

Fly Tying Meeting — Wednesday 27 March, 7.30 p.m.

Upper Hutt Community Meeting House off Logan Street beside

Upper Hutt Medical Centre.

Fly of the Month — Caddis larva

Caddis larvae are a very important

part of a trout’s diet on most rivers.

There are many variations so this

month we will dress several different

types of Caddis Larvae. These

invertebrates make up quite a sizeable

proportion of the trout’s diet on most

rivers and therefore our fly box should

carry a range of artificials to represent

this important class of insect. Our fly of the month will be the free

swimming Green Caddis larva.

Most often this “fly” is overdressed and too fat. It should be a

slimmer model to look more realistic. One feature common to most

is a black or at least dark head and some legs at the head end of

the insect. A curved hook gives a more natural look to the bug.

Future Activities

The committee has been busy preparing a programme of events for

the coming months:

April Meeting — Skills Bases

May Meeting — Fishing Alaska with Strato Cotsilinis

June Meeting — AGM

April 27 — whole day excursion to Ruamahunga River includes

half-day workshop “Advanced Angling Techniques” presented

by Paul Dewar, Silver Flies team member.

A BBQ lunch will be served at this event. After lunch members can

try the techniques they have learned. Cost to members $12 for a

designer Burger and a drink.


These workshops are aimed at our more experienced anglers but

are open to all club members. Even if you consider yourself to be a

beginner, come along, watch and listen. You will learn a great deal

from the experts.

Members will need to register for the workshops because food will

be included and there will be a charge to cover costs.

You won’t get another chance like this for quite a while so don’t

miss out.

Library

A new set of DVD’s on fly fishing for trout has been added to the

library. These feature fishing action and fly tying tips. The high

quality of the cinematography is a hallmark of this series and

includes underwater sequences showing fish feeding and taking

artificial flies as well.

There will be a limit of one DVD per member per month to ensure

that they are distributed fairly. For more information, chat to

Maureen.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations on other new

books or DVD’s for the library, Maureen would be interested to hear

from you.

Club Trips

Mohaka River Trip 22-23rd March

A booking has been made to stay

with Jenny and Bruce McCormick.

Their property is close to the river.

Cost is about $25 per person per

night, with full kitchen, toilet, and

shower facilities. Bring your own

food, sleeping bag, and pillow.

Bookings are closed but if you want to

join this group phone Robin Bound (529 8330) for details.

The club committee has discussed other possible trips for later this

year so watch this space.


Last Month’s Meeting

The first club meeting of the year is quite a social occasion where

members get a chance to catch up and listen to some fishy tails

(some would say tall tales).

Bob Curry should have been awarded a prize for his true story

about the trout he caught and ate at Taupo. He almost broke a

tooth on some very hard object that turned out to be a miniature

signal transmitter that was lodged in the trout. It is questionable

whether the recorded data would be recoverable after this device

had been cooked and partially eaten but Bob will send it off to DOC

at Taupo nevertheless, and he will give details of where he caught

the fish, its size, etc.

Other members related their fishing experiences since our previous

meeting in December and there was a mix of freshwater and

saltwater stories.

Club President, Fraser Gibbs introduced Pat van Berkel, a

spokesman for “Friends of the Hutt River” (FRH). Pat gave the

meeting an outline of the aims of “Friends of the Hutt River”. He

pointed out to the members present that the Hutt River is far from

pristine in quality and is subject to mild pollution throughout most

of its length. Mr van Berkel explained that the Hutt River is fed by

smaller tributary rivers in five catchments. FHR consider that these

feeder streams are all part of the Hutt River.

Pat van Berkel stated that since FHR was formed it has made

submissions to Greater Wellington Regional Council when they

applied for a change to the resource consent to increase the water

take down from a minimum level flow of 600 l/sec to 400l/sec at

Kaitoke.

Editor’s Note

These and other submissions against the change to minimum flow

levels have been sidestepped by assuring the public that IF

ecological damage occurs then GWRC will rectify the matter.

Periodic testing of the health of the river will be carried out but as

we all know only too well, any test results will show these

deficiencies after the damage is done, not before it is going to

occur.

It has been noted that testing will be undertaken in the Hutt River


Gorge where there is not going to be a problem of reduced flow,

higher water temperatures and an increase in proliferation of

cyanobacteria. These effects will all be found downstream ie from

Te Marua and down through the CBD where most recreational river

use takes place.

“Friends of the Hutt River” has a powerful lobbying voice and will

become a strong ally of HVAC in future.

Club members who would like to be placed on the FHR emailing list

can do so by emailing Pat van Berkel at [email protected]

Raffle Winners in February

Green Trout Guiding Raffle Entry — Ian Burgess

Fishing Cap with Headlight — Keith Tourell

Waterproof Fly Box — Ross Goodman

Disappointingly there were a lot of unsold numbers this month.

Fish of the Month

Details of trout caught can be entered in the club fishing diary and

will be considered for our fish of the month award. Hunting and

Fishing (Alicetown) sponsor a $10 voucher each month for heaviest

fish.

December winner was John Millar for an 8lb brown hen from a local

river.

January winner was John Millar for a 7lb 3oz brown jack from the

same river. Both fish were caught on a size 16 CDC Caddis

emerger.

Please support our Sponsors

Photo Competition

Photos need to be submitted each month by the

Friday evening proceeding the monthly meeting

At our AGM an annual winner will be selected from

the monthly winners.

Members can submit up to 2 photos per month.

Photos that have previously won a prize in any of the club’s photo

competitions are not eligible.

Entries should be forwarded by email to Steve Doughty

([email protected])


Period/deadline Winner announced

Up to 9 November Wayne Butson

10 November to 7 December Ross Goodman

8 December to 8 February Damian Bengree

9 February to 8 March 11 March

9 March to 5 April 8 April

6 April to 10 May 13 May

11 May to 7 June 10 June (AGM)

Introduction to Fly Fishing Courses.

These events are hosted by GWRC as part of their Summer

Outdoors Programme and allow our club members a chance to

explain and demonstrate what fly fishing is about. Here are some

images from the latest course.


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Tales from the Riverbank

During the last month……………..

Club members have been doing a fair bit of fishing with most focus

being on the Hutt River and the Wainui River. Several members

have also taken advantage of the fine weather to pop over the hill

to the Wairarapa.

Our Novice Day on the Wainui was very worthwhile. Although no

trout were caught, good numbers of fair sized trout were spotted

and fished to, by the guided members. This outing gives our less

experienced members an appreciation of what is required when

fishing a small but challenging river.

From an angling point of view, the good weather brings mixed

blessings. The Hutt River becomes “the beach” for many local

families on fine days and warm evenings. This is great to see but

does clash slightly with fishermen who are taking the easy option

to fish the most accessible water. The other activity that summer

brings is much less welcome and that is an increase in the number

of cars seen driving in the river. This may be all very well from

local government and Fish and Game’s points of view (as long as

they check, clean and dry before entering the river) but there is

potential for vehicles to spread Didymo particularly if they have just

travelled north from the South Island. Our byelaws should ban

privately owned vehicles from being driven in the Hutt River.

During a night visit to the Hutt River recently, the writer saw

another two anglers within two hundred metres so the good

weather certainly brings out the fishers.

As reported at our February meeting, the night fishing on a local

river has yielded some outstanding fish. The flies that have been

doing the damage are small emergers and dry flies that incorporate

natural CDC feathers in the dressing.

When tied in size 16 and fished at dusk these small flies have

represented the Caddis hatch and been accepted by some

otherwise very fussy, large trout.

John Millar and Ian Lawson have both caught fish of eight pounds,

using these tactics. All of these large trout have been in great

condition, so although fish numbers appear to be lower than in

recent seasons these big guys are testament to the quality of

feeding available.


Eight and a quarter pounds. Check out the condition of this 8lb beauty

Seven pounds plus! And a 5lb 8oz fish

The Rangitikei in February By John Olds

Ross Goodman decided to head to his

holiday home in Taihape for three days from

Thursday 14 February so, given the weather

and the fact I had some leave owing, I

decided it was too good an opportunity to

pass up. The Waterstriders were left at

home this time and the plan was to fish the

Kawhatau and walk as far up the Rangitikei

as we could as the flow was running at

around 12 cumecs, well down from its usual

summer level of 21.


We got to Taihape on the Wednesday evening having enjoyed a

kebab in Bulls on the way (anyone passing through Bulls has to

have one of these!). No need to set the alarm as Ross is an early

bird so we were up at 6am and on the road to the Upper Kawhatau

at 7am. Given the lack of rain this river had a relatively good flow.

A walk of about 5 kms downstream, fishing some pools but leaving

some for the way back, resulted in a complete blank for both of us

which was most unlike our previous visits into this water (see the

December photo of the month). The fish we saw on the way down

weren’t there on the way back so we decided from then on to take

the opportunities as they arose.

That afternoon we decided to head for a farmers property where

we had been successful previously. I dropped Ross off at the top of

the track so he could fish a bit further downstream. With the river

being so low it was a breeze to wade at the top of the first pool and

get across to some good water. My favourite corner pool yielded a

fish of 1.5 lbs. I then fished a nice little drop off that has formed at

the top of the pool. This water is fairly fast and second cast the

indicator shot under and the rainbow took off for Mangaweka. The

plan was to give the fish its head down to the bottom pool and net

it from there. Good plan John – pity the fish wasn’t listening. It

took me out to the backing in about 5 seconds flat and then

proceeded to duck round a snag (we have been told there’s a

sunken jet boat in that pool). You guessed it – ping as the hook

pulled out. A couple of “river rats” were hooked upstream. Ross

managed three fish one of which he kept for the pot.

Day two and we took the opportunity to walk down further from the

quarry at the confluence of the Rangitikei and Hautapu rivers. The

tail of the pool is usually impossible to wade. The next pool is a

cracker with a nice run on the true left leading to a drop off.

Unfortunately this pool is known to everyone that has an inflatable

so it gets a bit of a work out. Ross fished the drop off for nothing

then right at the end of one drift my

indicator disappeared and a good

fight with a 3 lb rainbow was

underway. Pound for pound these

fish are scrappers and this one

certainly deserved her freedom.


Nothing else in this pool and we moved downstream. Some of the

water downstream is better suited to spin fishing but we gave it a

crack. I had a river rat self release but apart from a foot long fish

continually attacking my indicator (but missing every time) in one

pool that was it for the morning. A guide had fished the pool I

took the 3lber from so we decided if he was going downstream

we’d pack it in. Wetting our lines further up around the quarry

was about as much use as a one legged man in an arse kicking

contest so we adjourned. Further upstream Ross managed a

1.5lber from under the bridge.

Part of the afternoon was spent with neighbour Paul laying weed

matting at Ross’s place and straightening out some of the posts on

a fence that is due to have new railings and palings.

Around 4 p.m. we decided to head for the Kawhatau and head

downstream from the quarry. This is a place that Ross fishes

regularly but I hadn’t fished it for around two years so because the

Kawhatau has a wide river bed, a lot

had changed. I spotted a nice fish in a

gut at the end of a run and after about

6 casts with a change of fly she

swallowed a Polish Nymph variant. A

spirited fight and then in the net –

3.25lbs and in tip top condition.

We saw other fish on our way down river, including Ross’ favourite

brownie, but nothing would tempt them. Those who know

“Fraser’s Point” will be interested to know that it seems to be

reforming.

Day three was back to the farm for the

day. This was the spectacular sunrise

that greeted us.

Ross headed downstream again but

nothing was co-operating. The drop off

from day one yielded another fish of

about 1.5lbs and there was also one of about a pound further up.

Due to the river level we were able to walk about 5kms upstream

something that we can’t do normally. A very narrow run against a

cliff where I have had no luck on about five previous trips finally

yielded a strong take. This fish shot all over the pool and was a


jumper. As it was just about in the net it made one last bid for

freedom and broke me off. No less than 3lb and it was going to be

released anyway. I had retired to a shingle island in the

middle of the river when a boulder the size of a football dislodged

from the cliff and hit the water near where I had been standing.

Mental note made!! I also lost a smallish fish in the opposite pool.

There were several fish rising in the next long flat pool but nothing

of any size. The next pool had a nice riffle at the head and a drop

off at the tail. There were a couple of fish in the drop off but

nothing tempted them. Moving up to the head a number of casts

resulted in me just watching the indicator drift

downstream. Just like the next pool which had

a wide drop off but no takes. The next shallow

run resulted in my first brownie on the

Rangitikei – 2.5 lbs and a little cracker.

I fished the next pool at which stage Ross had caught up and had

hooked a nice fish in the drop off I had just fished. My excuse is it

came from water I hadn’t covered. The most fateful thing Ross

said all day was “do you want to net this for me John?” I knew it

was trouble from then on. The fish wasn’t giving in but just as we

thought we had her measure and the net was close – ping she was

off. I have this on video and the language is not fit for a family

newsletter! Further upstream Ross had a fish of 2.5lbs and I

managed to spook one. On the way back I had a nice fish of 2.25lb

from the pool where I had just watched the indicator. For its size

this one put up a real fight. Another fish of about 2lb further down

and that was it for the day.

The weather for the whole trip was absolutely perfect with a nice

breeze to cool things down unlike our usual Wellington howlers.

We fished dry/dropper all the time having to adjust the dropper

length because of the shallow water and the weed that accumulates

in summer conditions. I’d have to say this was the most enjoyable

3 days fishing I’ve had for a long time. The most successful fly was

the Polish Nymph. It’s a simple fly to tie and if you want to know

how go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA6_S8EJl-4

—oooOooo—


Whirlwind 5 day Fishing Trip

Two weeks ago, club member Paul Bell joined his two fishing mates

Andrew Harding and Dan Thomas for a quick trip to some spots

where Paul hadn’t fished before. This was a North Island tour

instead of their usual visit to the mainland.

The first stop was the Makuri River in the Wairarapa. Paul found

this small river to be quite a test. Dan’s almost legendary fish

spotting skills made all the difference here because they saw a lot

of fish as they stalked the river. Paul wasn’t keeping score but

remembers that he hooked four trout without landing a single fish.

Andrew hooked six and Dan hooked two trout.

From there they travelled north to the Whakapapa in National Park.

It was here that Paul hooked and landed a fine 3kg rainbow on a

cicada dry fly.

Their next stop was the upper Whanganui River. This was a wild

river where they fished. It suited Paul because there was a lot of

pocket water to fish amongst the big boulders. Paul hooked

seventeen trout but lost ten of them in the fast, tumbling waters.

When these trout made a run downstream it was quite dangerous

to follow them around and over the large rocks. However, good

sport was enjoyed by all.

The next day they fished the TT at Taupo. Most fish were caught

above the Ladies Mile and all were taken on nymph. Paul caught

five or six and every one was a fresh fish.

If you would like to see some exciting video action from the first

three days of their trip then it is posted on Youtube. Click on this

link http://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz?feature=mhee

Discovery Page If you are new to trout fishing this page is for you.

As a fairly recent “convert” to fly fishing you may be puzzled by

talk among the more experienced members in the club. Some

fishermen talk about “picking up a fish” or even “dropping a fish”.

When I hear this I still visualise someone physically lifting or


allowing a trout to slip from their grasp. I know what is intended

but I must be thinking in a literal way. Of course “dropping a fish”

means that the angler had hooked a fish which subsequently came

off the hook. Some other anglers talk about “jagging” a fish and

this denotes a take by the fish, then the angler tightening or

striking to set the hook; but the hook engages then pulls out of its

hold. In both these cases the fish has felt the hook and will

immediately stop feeding if it hasn’t already scarpered to a safer

spot.

Judging by the casting difficulties we saw on our “Novice Day”

recently it may be some time before some of our less experienced

members manage to hook up (to a fish).

Casting a fly is the most important skill for the beginner to

master. An expert in entomology who cannot cast properly is

unlikely to catch any more trout than any other beginner.

Your club runs regular casting clinics to help our novices to get

over this hurdle. When the beginner has gained competence then

they are given further mentoring through our “Buddy Programme”

where they will be assigned to an experienced angler who will take

them for a couple of on-river sessions to show where and how to

catch trout. Hopefully throughout this process the novice angler

will continue to practise their casting and so they will develop as

an angler.

As Chris Kuchel puts it so well in his article, it is no accident that

the anglers who catch the fish are also the ones who spend most

time fishing.

Casting Clinics will resume in April and the co-ordinator is Ian

Lawson. A notice will be placed on our website and in next

month’s newsletter.

The Buddy Programme co-ordinator is Ross Goodman.

Contact details for Ian and Ross are given on the inside back page

of the newsletter.

For further information on member development, contact Ross or

Ian.

—oooOooo—

“It is no more difficult to cast a fly than to toss a pound of noodles

through the mail slot of the house across the street”


Meet the Member –

My name is Brian Jones, I was brought up

in Wellington, went to Victoria University

and worked for the then Department of

Agriculture and Fisheries in the Fisheries

Research Division.

My first student job was working as a

technician for the late Dr Bob McDowall

(the authority on NZ native freshwater

fish).

I graduated as a specialist on diseases of

fishes and continued to work for the

Department but in the marine section. In

1995, when the Fisheries Research

Division became part of NIWA, I left to

take up a position as Fish Pathologist with

the Western Australian Department of Fisheries. This year I have

returned to NZ to work as an advisor on fish diseases for the

Ministry for Primary Industries, based at the Wallaceville

Laboratory.

My trout fishing skills started in my teens when my father took my

brothers and I fly fishing on the Tongariro River. I've fished the

river on an irregular basis since those days, more recently

including the odd trip "over the ditch" as a tourist! My time with

the Department of Fisheries enabled me to fish many of the rivers

around the North Island and West Coast of the South Island, and I

was a keen tyer of my own flies. However, in the 18 years spent

in Western Australia I only once took up my rod there - so my

skills are decidedly rusty.

I am married to Priscilla (for 36 years), have two daughters, a son-

in-law and three grandchildren in Western Australia. We are

currently living in Featherston while we look for a house to buy.

—oooOooo— What Style of Fly fishing should I use?

Having watched a number of good fishermen competing in a couple

of fly fishing competitions lately, I observed that the majority of

these anglers employed the Czech Nymph style for most of the

time. This has to be considered in context of course. The rivers

were both populated with a mix of Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout.


Not only this, but both were medium to large rivers with some deep

fast flowing runs at the head of a few of the pools.

I have always considered these runs to be the best spot to use

Czech Nymph in order to reach trout that are lying deep.

It was interesting that some competitors stuck with Czech Nymph

style in slower water but usually without hooking a fish. No doubt

the fast runs and drop-offs yielded the best results.

There seemed to be as many brown trout caught as were rainbow

trout, which did surprise me. A lot of the fish took fairly colourful

flies that I would consider were chosen with rainbow trout in mind.

Hot orange beads were a fairly common feature on the flies I saw.

Gold beads up to 4mm were also common on other heavy but

sparsely dressed flies.

Clearly, Czech Nymphing gets results otherwise these guys would

be using another technique.

If there is a disadvantage with this style of fishing it has to be that

deep wading is often necessary. The casting range is fairly short

and so wading is essential to be able to cover most of the fish lies.

I intend to try this style of nymphing on a few parts of the Hutt

River to Czech (excuse the pun) if I need to add this technique to

my repertoire. Grey Dun

—oooOooo—

Observations of a Novice Fly Fisherman - by Chris Kuchel - Instalment 1

It’s interesting to reflect for a moment on why

certain pursuits or hobbies appeal to us. I’ve

always liked being outdoors, out in the elements

away from civilization and imagining that I’m

seeing things and places for the first time. As a

young lad, I remember going on a scout camp in

the Adelaide Hills one Easter. There were 4 of us

in pup tents camped by a small stream. It was

bitterly cold at night; so cold that wet tea towels

left out on the line overnight would be frozen solid in the morning,

but by the time the sun had been up for a couple of hours, you

could feel the warmth coming on and promising yet another

brilliant sunny day.


As it happened, we were camped about a mile downstream from a

trout hatchery. I should mention that there are virtually no self-

sustaining trout rivers in South Australia, so trout fishing was a

very rare, secretive and perhaps elitist pastime. By the time I was

about 14, I was already hooked on sea fishing for the wily bream

in the Port River and I was aware of fly fishing but didn’t know

anyone who actually did it. Anyway, to get to the point of the

story, one crisp sunny morning we decided to go for a hike along

the river. We left the campsite and headed downstream and

eventually came to a bridge. When you’re a group of young lads

out for an adventure and you come to a bridge, the first thing you

do is find the biggest rocks you can then walk to the middle of the

bridge and have a contest to see whose rock can make the biggest

splash in the pools below. Well we got to the middle, boulders in

hand, and looked over the edge. There waving in the current,

larger than life were 2 trout sitting in about 6 inches of water.

Yes, actual trout! At first there was a bit of a debate. Were they

eels? No, we decided that they had to be trout and that this

particular river must be part of the trout hatchery.

Well, we stared at those trout for a couple of minutes then decided

that we needed to catch them and we all agreed that the best

method would be to drop our boulders on them and stun them,

dynamite style! It was not very pretty or sporting, but simple and

potentially very effective. Plus, the thought of sitting around the

campfire eating freshly caught trout was the icing on the cake.

Now the trout were down there but not straight below us, so a

direct drop was out of the question. We decided that a shotgun

approach was our best bet, so on the count of 3 we launched our

barrage of fire. Of course, we missed by miles and only succeeded

in giving those fish the fright of their lives, but I remember the day

clearly...the day I first saw wild trout.

Now, fast forwarding a few decades, I come to the present day.

I’ve been fly fishing for about a year now and I see a steady

stream of new club members who were in the same position that I

was a year ago. During this last year I’ve managed to catch 4

trout, hook and lose about 10 and scare off dozens as my fly line

hit the water. What I would like to do is write a few pieces with

the novice fly fisherman in mind. Not to give advice...there are

already plenty of excellent articles in the club magazine...but

rather, to share the lessons I have learnt as I have stumbled my


way along and to offer some encouragement to other new fly

fisherman.

During the year, I’ve done most of my fishing in the Hutt River and

started seeing more and more trout. They must have always been

there, but funnily enough, it took me a long time to recognise

them in the water. And I have to say that every time I see one, I

get the same excitement that takes me straight back to seeing

those first 2 trout under that bridge. Although my first reaction is

no longer to bombard them with rocks; quite the opposite!

This brings me to the first and perhaps most important lesson I’ve

learned and that is to think positively. On the Hutt River, more

often than not, you can spend 3 or 4 hours fishing and not see a

fish or get any strikes. At these times you start wondering

whether there are any fish there at all. However, during the

summer months when the water is low and clear, you can see just

how many trout are actually there. All you need is a pair of

polaroid sunglasses and some patience. Start by going to any

bridge and having a good long look over the side. From your high

vantage point, you will be amazed at the number of fish that seem

to just materialise out of nowhere the longer you look. The fish

are there alright, they’re just not easy to catch. If they were,

everyone would be a fly fisherman and there would be no

challenge in it at all.

The next question to ask is “if the fish are there, why are they so

hard to catch?” Once you start asking yourself this question, you’re

on your way to success. There are many books and videos which

can be an excellent source of helpful information, not to mention

the wealth of invaluable information you can pick up from

experienced club members. The fish are there. The challenge is to

present your chosen fly to them in the right way to give yourself

the best chance of success.

The key is to learn as much as you can, then go fishing! You’ll

find that the best fishermen just happen to be the ones who go

fishing the most. Funny that!

So my fellow novice anglers, there ends my first observation.

Don’t give up. Think positive and go fishing.

—oooOooo—


FURLED LEADERS

Review by John Olds

Robin Bound obtained some of these from Cutthroat Leaders

(www.cutthroatleaders.com) in the States and also got some

freebees at the same time which he handed out to committee

members to try. I have had a 76” Ultimate Camo dry fly for a few

weeks. This has a micro ring to attach a further length of nylon (3

feet). The positives of this leader have been that it turns over dry

flies really well and punches out well into our Wellington winds.

The only downside is that it needs to be treated with floatant after

a day on the river as it starts to absorb water and sink after a

while. You can buy floatant paste from the company with your

order. This leader is USD12.50 so the price may not grab

everyone. But there are packages. I know that Ian Lawson has

also tried the leaders so talk to him if you want to know more.

There are a number of nymphing leaders one of which has an

adjustable “thingamabobber” indicator. This is USD10.

Have a look at the site. If you are interested let Robin Bound know

because the company has offered to arrange a discount deal for

bulk purchases.

—oooOooo—

Woods Waffles

This being the first waffles for some time I thought I would start

with something that is good news. And that is the reports coming

out of the Taupo fishery. For some time this has been in a state of

decline, mainly I suspect because of the abundance of smaller fish

due to the lower limit bag, better river conditions etc. But because

of the actions of DoC in dropping the size limit, allowing the smaller

sweeter eating fish to be taken, this seems to have seen an

increase in the quality of fish. Some of the guides have always

talked the fishery up, but as their livelihood depended on it I am

not surprised, but it got to a stage where the thought of fishing

Taupo and environs was, well to put it bluntly, a little bit

underwhelming.

So I didn’t. And I let other pursuits take over that I have

thoroughly enjoyed ( enjoy a 42km Mountain Marathon is a bit of

an oxymoron I know, but the beer at the end tasted oh so nice –


even for Speights).

But the latest reports have got me really interested again in fishing

the rivers and lakes of Taupo. Some of it is because of the fish,

some of it because I actually miss walking up the rivers and some

is because of new techniques and flies that I want to try.

For some years now I have been playing around with UV products,

mainly the fine flytying ones that come out of the Hareline factory,

amongst others. I really haven’t given them a fair go at fish but

some recent information on UV products has got me keen to try the

different UV chenilles, dubbing, flash material and cements out

properly.

Apparently UV products are more easily seen by fish due to a 4th

cone of vision in their eye. We humans can’t see UV properly due

to not being able to see in the spectrum required, but fish can.

Even the scales of some fish reflect UV light making them easier

prey. It is also able to be seen at depth more easily than glo

materials due to being a reflector rather than absorber. Some of

the photos of UV products have me convinced that there is

something in this, but yes, I am usually easily convinced of most

things. While there is a lot more of the scientific stuff available,

this was all my little brain could absorb.

So my heave and leave style flies, glo bugs, nymphs and lures,

even spinners are all to go under a major change that hopefully will

see a lot more leviathans landed, rod’s broken by the size of the

monsters or even just some good old trout landed.

The other change that is coming for me is that I have seen one or 2

flies that I want to try as well, and places like the Island Pool, and

bottom of the Major Jones, as well as a number up in the middle to

upper reaches.

All because I have been looking at the Rainy’s Flies catalogue, I

have seen, amongst others, is a Woolly Bugger tied with dumbbell

eyes. While this style has been around for many years overseas as

a streamer, along with others like the Comet, I haven’t tried it

much here.

I like the idea of dumbbell eyes as I believe that they turn the fly

over having the weight below the point (point riding up) and so are

more snag proof than beads. This means that they can be used in


rockier runs, behind those boulders that have good little lies that

fish have to go through to get to the spawning grounds. While the

pools are used by fish for resting, they are also where the majority

of anglers crowd, and I don’t like crowds. The flies can be tied up

quickly and efficiently, meaning that I’m not worried about losing

them, and the colours and sizes available are only limited by my

bravery to try them

So this style starts opening up a lot more water but I also will be

using the flies on a floating line, casting 45 degrees down and

across so that I can get the flies into the lies with control and

minimal mending but can also manipulate them as well by letting

slack go, using the rod tip to change the line angle and, most

importantly, be more in touch when, not if, the fish strike.

But really, is this style of fishing only limited to Taupo. I think not,

as I can recall of a number of places where it would be useful,

especially in rivers that have lots of snags. The ability to

manipulate the flies will need some practice to perfect the

technique but will add an interesting dimension to my fishing. A

few years ago an experienced angler of my acquaintance told me of

fishing a back country stream, many miles from here, but still in

the North Island. He got into the area for a day’s fishing, set up

his usual nymphing rig and started to catch fish. When he reached

his turn around point, decided to put on a weighted streamer and

fished back down to his car. He proceeded to catch 3 times the

amount of fish in water that he had already fished.

So maybe it is a return to the time of the Streamer.

One question I have is for those that fish Lake Taupo. I read a

number of blogs on websites, magazine articles and fishing club

newsletters ( I must have too much time on my hands), but for all

those fishing from boats on the lake I never see anyone doing

much different.

You read about them trolling, jigging and harling. Anchoring up at

The Hole or one of the river mouths.

But you never hear of any of them fishing the weed beds in

Tokaanu Bay, much like they do on Lake Otomangakau. Why is

this? It isn’t too far out from the boat ramp, there are good size


fish there and a good mix of Browns and Rainbows, it can be sight

or swirl fishing at its best and often you don’t need to cast far.

But no they go and cast as far as they can out into the lake, let the

flies sink and then slowly retrieve them in. Effective yes, much

like bait fishing yes, challenging maybe, different no, skillful no,

making them better or decent anglers not even.

John’s Fish Finder In the puzzle below there are many fish waiting to be found.

Please help me to find these lost fish.

I have given some clues to get you started.

All of the answers are fish except one.

“Never ask a fly-fisherman if he really thinks trout live in trees.”


CLUB CONTACTS

President Fraser Gibbs (04) 499 8606

Vice President Steve Doughty (04) 527 7799

Secretary John Olds (04) 934 4150

Treasurer Grahame Kitchen (04) 971 6696

Committee Robin Bound (04) 529 8330

Maureen Burgess (04) 238 2304

Ross Goodman (04) 233 0087

Ian Lawson (04) 563 5486

John Millar (04) 563 6491

Buddy Programme Coordinator

Ross Goodman [email protected]

(04) 233 0087

Trip Coordinator Robin Bound [email protected]

04) 529 8330

Librarian Maureen Burgess (04) 238 2304

Newsletter Editor John Millar [email protected]

(04) 563 6491

Newsletter Publisher Grahame Kitchen [email protected]

(04) 971 6696

Fishing Diary Holder John Millar [email protected]

(04) 563 6491

Club Web Site www.huttvalleyangling.org.nz

Club Web Master Steve Doughty (04) 527 7799

Club email address [email protected]

Club Mail address PO Box 40135, Upper Hutt, 5140

Any articles published in this newsletter are the opinions of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the views of the Club as a whole or other members of the Club.

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