heathcote
09-25-2010, 10:25 PM
On September the 4th 2010 at 4.35 am a 7.1 earthquake hit Christchurch NZ. Life for us all changed at that moment and for many will never be the same. We were lucky! We have, we find, a strong well built house on solid rock foundations and suffered no damage what so ever. Now some two weeks later the urge to fish was too much to be denighed so I headed off to my local urban stream on the other side of town to "Flick a Fly"
Now after the earthquake all the streams and rivers ran like chocolate mud with the disturbed silt and run off from the shaken waterloged earth being squeezed out from below. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly supprised to find the water clear with just a touch of colour. However the stream had changed subtlely. New riffles were formed, one pool was much shallower and in places the banks were a little closer together than before. How had the trout fared I wondered, they could not go anywhere except down to the sea and that I thought unlightly.
Polaroids on, tackle in hand I started off up stream, the light was good, a low early morning sun from over my left shoulder and I slowely glassed the water.
Two hundred meters later at the bottom of an old riffle were two trout slowely edging up stream on the far edge. One rose and sipped something off the surface then the leading fish slashed forward with a mighty lunge and whitebait scattered taking to the air. That settled the fly selection a glittsy white and pale green streamer tied on a long shank hook with a 3.5mm bead to hold it well down in the water column. I fished this down and accross and retrieved in little jerks up the edge of the current.
Two minutes later one of the pair of trout hit the lure in mid stream and the fight was on.
The fish, a brown male in exceptional condition for early spring took off at high speed down stream jumping and thrashing the surface all the way. He ran fast and I followed rod high to keep control until he turned some 40 meters from where I had hooked him; there we slugged it out until at last the head came up and I was able to drift him down into the waiting net. A real beauty, just over 4 lbs., golden brown flanked, red spotted, green backed drop dead gorgeous brownie. Just 8am and a wonderful start to the morning.
Needless to say I fished a further two hours, changed flies many times saw plenty more fish but never even looked like getting one to accept my offerings. Thats the way it is on my small urban stream, the dog walkers, joggers and others were out and about and the trout were on the QV for danger so a tactical retreat was made for morning coffee back at home.
Now after the earthquake all the streams and rivers ran like chocolate mud with the disturbed silt and run off from the shaken waterloged earth being squeezed out from below. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly supprised to find the water clear with just a touch of colour. However the stream had changed subtlely. New riffles were formed, one pool was much shallower and in places the banks were a little closer together than before. How had the trout fared I wondered, they could not go anywhere except down to the sea and that I thought unlightly.
Polaroids on, tackle in hand I started off up stream, the light was good, a low early morning sun from over my left shoulder and I slowely glassed the water.
Two hundred meters later at the bottom of an old riffle were two trout slowely edging up stream on the far edge. One rose and sipped something off the surface then the leading fish slashed forward with a mighty lunge and whitebait scattered taking to the air. That settled the fly selection a glittsy white and pale green streamer tied on a long shank hook with a 3.5mm bead to hold it well down in the water column. I fished this down and accross and retrieved in little jerks up the edge of the current.
Two minutes later one of the pair of trout hit the lure in mid stream and the fight was on.
The fish, a brown male in exceptional condition for early spring took off at high speed down stream jumping and thrashing the surface all the way. He ran fast and I followed rod high to keep control until he turned some 40 meters from where I had hooked him; there we slugged it out until at last the head came up and I was able to drift him down into the waiting net. A real beauty, just over 4 lbs., golden brown flanked, red spotted, green backed drop dead gorgeous brownie. Just 8am and a wonderful start to the morning.
Needless to say I fished a further two hours, changed flies many times saw plenty more fish but never even looked like getting one to accept my offerings. Thats the way it is on my small urban stream, the dog walkers, joggers and others were out and about and the trout were on the QV for danger so a tactical retreat was made for morning coffee back at home.