~Happy Days-a far cry from the UK weather~

Back to Blighty:

All good things must eventually come to an end and it's with a heavy heart I boarded my flight back home. At least the last few days were spent with Mat McHugh and some good friends. Better still, the weather improved no end.........typical as I prepared to leave! Despite some testing conditions this experience easily ranks as my best to date. If you're thinking of doing NZ then look up Mat McHugh at Fly Odyssey http://www.flyodyssey.co.uk/ His trips down there represent excellent value for money and he has an uncanny habit of finding trout (I reckon he's got a fish whistle.........). Be quick though, Lee Watts (the Welsh Wizard) and I have already claimed two places for next year.

Paul~

~Good friend-Mark Irvine turns loose a decent brown trout~

~The Pukaki river erodes away our access~

~Mount Cook in all its glory~

The sun shines on the righteous!

Sun at last and time to hit more rivers. However, such was the flow of some waters, we needed a stint of serious off-roading to reach them. Thankfully, many small spring creeks remained unaffected and better still the trout were prepared to take dry flies. With a cloudless sky we had a ball sighting fish holding tight against undercut banks. Just about one more day off fishing and it's back home to Blighty.....

Paul~

~A stubborn trout digs in~

~Spots like a leopard~

~Over a foot of rain caused this annoying land slide~

~Casting to a trout on the Maryburn~

Rain, rain go away:

More storms have caused some serious flooding and we've had to revise our plans yet again. Our drive into the mountain regions was cut short by a massive land slide blocking our route. With that we headed to the lowlands near Twizel and onto the Maryburn river. Although levels were high, frequent sunlight gave us enough visibility to sight a few trout, which Mat McHugh, Lee Watts and I were able to tempt using dry flies and the occasional nymph. Lee was first to strike in the early part of the day when cloud cover persisted. Of course, he was prepared to fish water blind using nymphs. I sat it out and waited for the sun to come out before knotting on a blowfly imitation.

Paul~

~This beauty gave me the run around before yielding.....phew~

~Lee Watts with a stunning 4lb plus Maryburn trout~

~It might be raining, but we're going fishing.......!~

~Mark Irvine fishes the margins of a small lake~

Rain doesn't stop play!

So far we've endured raging gales and somewhat persistent rain. Though a tropical storm swept over us last night and caused many waters to rise. Whilst such streams and rivers might be our main focus, lakes should not be overlooked. We managed to find a couple of shallow lakes which afforded reasonable sight fishing (cloud cover was always there to scupper our plans...). Mark Irvine latched into a huge fish, only to lose it in play. Then it was my turn when a fit trout seized my #14 beetle pattern. With weedbeds nearby, I had to apply a fair amount of pressure. Fortunately the hook held though did suffer some reshaping! Thankfully, the rivers are dropping and it should be business as usual tomorrow.

Paul~

~A solid lake trout taken on dry fly~

~This hook got opened out on the fish above~

~A belter from the Oreti~

Southland smiles on us:

We've been having a tough time with only one in three days of decent weather. However, when the sun shone, trout came out to play. A keen Nor'wester can test you're casting skills to the limit and if you're able to cope with such grueling winds then the rewards are high. Half a day on the Oreti brought a couple of spanking trout before the gale became too unbearable. Then we winged down to the Waikaia to find willow grubbing trout.

Paul~

~Lee Watts tackles a nice trout behind the willow tree~

~A plump Waikaia trout~

~Easy does it-casting to a big trout holding in shallow water~

~The first fish always calms your nerves~

The Big Boys are looking up:

Cloudy weather has plagued us for days now. And because bright weather equals good spotting conditions, imagine our excitement to see a couple of sunny days on the horizon. Guide Steve Carey couldn't have timed his days off better. With that we winged it up to one of New Zealand's fabled trout rivers the Oreti. A long walk put us on some remote water where we were rewarded with a string of thumping trout. Better still, I managed to tempt all of them on various dry flies. Of course there were a few stubborn fish, but overall we enjoyed sensational fishing....

Paul~

~Steve Carey charmed this Oreti stunner~

~This bruiser beat me up during a hard fight~

~Preparing to fly~

Heli Trip:

Naturally, some of the best fishing nestles in the more remote areas, well away from the usual access. By way of begging and borrowing (though not stealing), I managed to blag myself on a heli trip into an unnamed river on the west coast of NZ. Part of the deal was that this river remained secret... As you can see, it was back to gloomy weather, pity really. Anyway the cicadas were singing and better still, trout were looking up. Using large foam dry flies we managed to tempt some stunning fish from the deep, crystal clear pools. This is perhaps one of the most memorable days I've had ever. Not because we caught heaps of fat trout, but the whole experience and seeing a river from the air gives you a totally different perspective on things. I'm already scheming to arrange another trip!

Paul~

~Flying into a secluded river~

~Touching down next to the river~

~A trout rises up from the mossy depths~

~Uncharted trout...........stunning~

~Clear skies......ideal for willow grubbing trout~

High pressure at last:

In the more remote areas of NZ internet access is understandably patchy. However, I've managed to get on line for a quick update. The weather has been ropey at best down here (I thought I was escaping that when I left London.....). Anyway, we had a high pressure for a few days which brought out the sun and encouraged willow grubs to hatch. These are grub like larvae that cause blistering on the leaves of willow trees. Many of these grubs emerge and fall into the river below, a welcome meal for watchful trout. Now, when willow grubs are in full swing they're present in their teens, so a good representation is required, as is some accurate casting. And when it all falls into place, you can expect some fairly explosive sport. Ian Cole and I had such a day when we tangled with trout up to 5lb. Granted, not double figure specimens, but bloody good fun on a 5-weight and size 20 fly. We're heading west now to more remote rivers in the search of cicada falls.

Paul~

~about the size of grass seeds, trout relish these tiny willow grubs~

~Willow grubs cause blistering on willow leaves~

~Persistence and careful casting will get you trout like this~

~Ian is the first to taste success~

NZ Final Arrived:

I've been quiet the last few weeks-planning a trip to NZ. With the help of Mat McHugh of Fly Odyssey http://www.flyodyssey.co.uk/, everything finally fell into place. Mat's bringing a bunch of folk down next week and has sent me out early to do a little bit of scouting (a lame excuse on my part...). I'm lucky enough to be spending a week with top guide Ian Cole http://www.iancole.co.nz/. We checked out the rivers yesterday and not surprisingly they were running high. Coloured water pushed us onto nearby lakes where trout were found cruising tight along the margins. Some careful casting was reward with a handful of fat, hard fighting browns. We're currently praying for fine weather and no more rain!

Paul~

~My first 2011 NZ trout-not bad for a weary traveller~

~Trout could be found foraging along the weedbeds~

~William fuels up with morning coffee before preparing his skiff~

Unsung Heroes:

I've fished with many saltwater guides and can only say the team at Casa Viejo Chac are second to none. Aside from giving you an experience to remember they're extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the environment. Friendly and upbeat they understand our British sense of humour so a day with them is always fun. At the hub of a successful operation they're the unsung heroes and I'm already looking forward to seeing them in 2011. Fly Odyssey have reserved two weeks in Nov 2011. These trips offer great value for money and include accommodation, all meals, guides and fishing-for further details contact Mat McHugh:

email: m.mchugh@flyodyssey.co.uk tel: 01621 743711

Paul~

~Marcus and Tara prepare to ferry lunch for our final day~