New Zealand
2 March

We are now on our last few days in New Zealand and quite frankly we are just biding our time around Christchurch as our flight out is in three days or so. I have had a little bit of fishing, two hours maximum on the Hironui River just below state highway 1. This was a marked Anglers Access point.

We had booked into a nearby motel in Cheviot about lunchtime, the weather was nice and the wind not too bad. The river here was very attractive, a single channel which is unusual this close to the mouth, usually they are braided with unstable bed and not really very good for fish habitat, particularly trout! We drove right down to the riverside and parked, B got out her bit of foam and found a comfortable spot, I donned the waders and got right in at the top of a run opposite a large limestone cliff. The water, as usual, here had a turquoise tinge and groups of birds squabbled over hollows and perches in the cliffs. A slight upstream breeze was perfect.

This part of the river is not renowned for its trout, but is for its run of Chinook salmon. Bearing this in mind I attached my strongest leader of 10 lbs breaking strain. Better to be safe than sorry!!! The fly - my trusted and most successful Olive Woolly Bugger. There really wasn't much chance of a salmon as apparently they stay deep and most are caught by deep spinning in the powerful currents. Anyway, as I said, the weather was nice so why not pass away a couple of hours!!! To get my fly down a little I pinched on 4BB shot about 2 foot above the fly. A bit unconventional I know but needs must when you have limited tackle available. This also requires a somewhat unconventional cast to get it out and across the stream.

Eventually working my way to the end of the run, to my surprise there was a sudden thump.... a fish was on and running downstream.... against full drag. I was in the middle of the river so shouted to B and made my way carefully to the bank. After a minute or so I could see the fish, and disappointedly it was a small brownie about a pound and was foul hooked in the side, so it doesn't count as a capture. After unhooking it was released and seemed to swim off OK... Next I took a walk upstream under the highway bridge where I spotted a fish, I spent maybe ten minutes trying to coax it... but it was having none of it so I left him in peace.

JULE