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Plenty of fish in the river but its not easy.
Sat 8th February, 2014
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Up until a couple of days ago anglers fishing the cicada had been getting plenty of interest from rainbows and the odd brown and there were more stories of good fish hooked and lost.
Slightly cooler , overcast conditions today which temporarily shut the cicadas up but even before the weather changed they didn't seem to be quite as noisy as they have been ... so may be this years cicada numbers have already peaked.
One things for sure they'll be around for a little while yet and now that trout are used to taking bugs at the surface its still well worth trying big patterns with or without droppers.
With more anglers fishing dries trout have seen a lot of cicada imitations made of olive dyed deer hair and they're not as keen on these as they were. If they're ignoring yours it may be worth trying different colors or some of the more unusual attractor patterns out there.
James Miekle from Wellington tempted this one on a black, rubber-leg thingummy.
 
I've been pretty tied up lately with one thing and another and still haven't managed to get down to the lower river but I'm told there are some crackers down there taking big dries.
If you stand above Admirals or Cattle Rustlers you'll see there are plenty further up as well.
Spotting them is one thing ... getting them to take is another!
I clocked this one sitting in a few feet of water earlier this week but it took a while and a bit of experimenting before it felt sorry for me and chomped on the Cadillac nymph.
The dry and dropper is always a popular method in the summer and the little bit of weight provided by the bead on the Cadillac or Quasimodo make them excellent dropper flies.
But the last couple of days the fish must have signed up to Jenny Craig or something because they weren't the slightest bit interested in any of the "food" in my fly box.
Mind you at present they can afford to be picky.
Trout are really spoilt for choice now ... mayfly, caddis, cicadas and all kinds of other terrestrials. Jared over at Sporting Life beat me to it but you'll also find big green scarab beetles all along the river and before too much longer that other summer phenomenon we see every year on the Tongariro ... Scolypopa Australis ... that's Welsh for the Passion Vine Hopper.
Perhaps having some of these in our fly boxes might be the answer when we're casting to fussy fish.
Next time your passing, pop into Creel Tackle House & Cafe and have a look at the J:son range of flies from Sweden that Grant has just got in. These are probably the best commercially made "realistic patterns" I've ever come across and I'm looking forward to fishing with some of them ... especially if they start stocking the smaller size mayfly nymphs and caddis pupa.
If you prefer to tie your own flies like these, you can. Klaus Johansson who developed the system produces a complete range of materials, tools and clever accessories which are available from stockists or you could order direct from www.jsonsweden.com But that would probably cost a bit in postage and as you may have guessed you pay a premium for flies of this quality.
The site loads in Swedish ... I'm told Swedish sites usually do ... but if like me you're definitely not computer savvy then before you rush out to find an interpreter, click on the "English flag" at the top of the page and all will be revealed.
The following text taken from the web-site explains a little about the concept :
"Just like all other fly tyers, I’ve experienced joy and satisfaction when fishing with my own flies, but I’ve also experienced frustration when dry flies wear out too quickly and refuse to float. Not to mention all the flies and nymphs I thought were absolutely perfect–only to be snubbed by fickle trout in my home stomping grounds of Säveån, my local trout stream in Sweden.
This was something that really irritated me and kept me awake at night. Was there any way to make dry flies and nymphs look and behave like real insects, while also taking a real beating when fishing…?
The end result: I simply found a way to create these types of flies. I call it the “J:sonSystem”.
With my system, you can tie realistic dry flies that leave a perfect impression on the water’s surface and are virtually unsinkable. Nymphs made with the J:son System have a natural silhouette and are taken for real insects. J:sonSystem flies are durable, so you can focus on the whole point of fly fishing, which is to fish.
I do hope that you like my system, and that it gives you the same experiences it gave me: inspiration and pleasure while tying, excitement on the water and loads of fantastic memories from some of the world’s most incredible fishing spots.
 Why J:son Match'n Catch?
Match'n Catch makes your fly fishing more fun and exciting, and increases your odds of catching selective fish.
It gives you information on which J:son fly will most naturally imitate what the fish are eating at any given time.
J:son flies are a truly unique combination of realism, durability and functionality. Qualities that make them one of the most complete and effective fly collections on the market today.
J:son dry flies have natural-shaped wings that contain air, which - together with an extended floating foam body - make the fly virtually unsinkable, leaving a natural impression on the surface.
J:son nymphs are soft and flexible, with lifelike silhouettes that replicate real insects in the water".
It'll be interesting to see if they take off !
 
Lots of river and very few anglers again this week.
With temperatures passing the mid twenties some days, it paid to get on the river early.
I wet waded most of the time but that first hour or so before the sun got up was pretty chilly.
There are still silver rainbows turning up and unless I'm imagining it the trout seem stronger this year.
With the lighter setups we use in summer even mending fish are giving great sport, something that overseas anglers often comment on.
February is usually one of the most settled months of the year with light winds and warm temperatures but it looks as if there's showery cooler weather on the way.
Some days are harder than others but there's plenty of fish in the river and with more good browns on the move someone will get lucky.
Have a great week guys.
Mike |
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