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TROUT FISHING WITH MAURICE RODWAY - Weekly Column: 04 December 1998
 Southland, New Zealand

DRY FLY FISHING

A summer of little rain is a dangerous time for river trout in Southland. First because angers have more opportunity to fish for them, but more importantly, because the rivers they live in become strangled in the sun and they shrivel, crowding trout into remaining deeper pools and smothering their favoured food items, the Deleatidium mayfly.

Mayflies, like trout, prefer cooler water.  Anything over 20 degrees stresses their respiratory systems and they are replaced by other animals, such as snails, worms and caddis flies. These stream animals are harder for trout to catch, they don't provide such good food value and for anglers they don't drift in the current during the day time to provide angers insects to imitate and so trick trout into biting their lure.

While the dry period seems likely to continue, up until the present fishing has been very good. Mayflies are still abundant and trout are feeding during the day, providing anglers with fishing of the highest quality.

Anglers should concentrate on dry fly fishing if possible. Even if trout are not rising regularly they can usually be tempted to the surface as the water levels are low and trout are on the lookout for bit of floating food. I find size 12 or 14 Adams patterns work in almost any situation, especially in lowland streams. Others will have their favourites, and any fly that an angler fishes with confidence in the right one.

Last weekend I fished a small hill country stream in which trout were rising intermittently in the pools and some were up in the ripples. The most memorable trout was one of a pair that were rising fairly steadily in a pool just downstream of a bridge. It seems most anglers who park their car at a bridge fish upstream, so looking downstream for a fish can often produce a nice surprise.

We frightened the first fish so our second cast was well to the side of the trout. As it was close to the surface I thought the fish would not see the fly, but as it drifted closer the trout glided slowly over to inspect the spiky ball of fluff that drifted amongst the foam. We had the clearest picture possible of the trout as it edged towards the fly. It touched it with its nose as if to sniff the offering, then slowly, and almost unbelievably, opened its mouth and quietly closed on the fly.

We waited the correct time that is required for a trout that slowly takes a dry fly in such circumstances then lifted the rod firmly. A trout was removed from the pool, but at least one other was left for our next trip.

Maurice Rodway
Southland, New Zealand                           E-mail: fishgame@southnet.co.nz

Article ©1998 Maurice Rodway, All Rights Reserved.

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