Our prayers were answered in the form of cloudless skies and a scorching sun. In turn this encouraged cicadas onto the the wing and the tiny larvae of sawflies (willow grubs) to emerge from their blister like cocoons that form on the leaves of riparian willow trees. With river levels dropping away too and as clear as gin, dry fly fishing seemed to be on the cards…
…Tussock cicadas provide NZ trout with a hearty meal and the sound of them chirping nearby got us all excited…
~We searched out streams where overhanging trees were loaded with the blood red blisters of willow grubs~
~Willow grub larvae are the tiniest of creatures which require imitations of equally minute proportions to put you on an even footing with feeding trout~
Sitting close the the surface and constantly rising, willow grubbing trout are fairly easy to find-the art lies in deceiving them..!
