Stream life

[heathcote]

The other week I was in the stream helping with a survey of the drift biota. This was a real eye opener as I regularly fish here. Samples from the top, mid and bottom were done with a fine mesh screen opperating for 1 minute intervals accross a riffle approximately 2 ft in depth to a total of 50 samples.
From the surface drift only one Diptera fly was taken; from mid water a few midge pupae but from the bottom came 95% of the diverse biota taken.
From this the following results were calculated:
Caddis Olinga feraday (horn Caddis) 46% 3 to 8mm
Caddis Triplectides (stick Caddis) 6% 6 to 8mm
Caddis Hydropposyche (free swimming) 3% 6 to 8mm
Shrimp/Scud 33% 1 to 3mm
Worm green 3% 2 to 3 mm
Waterflea 3% 1 to 2mm
Diptera lavae 3% 1 to 4mm
Diptera pupae 3% 4 to 5mm
No mayfly or damsel fly lavae were found at all though in summer there are always a few to be seen.
Armed with this information and a few hours at the fly tying bench a new fly emerged to be tried last weekend.

The OLINGA NYMPH:
Hook 12 or 14 heavy Grub
Thread black
Body to a curved horn shape from mid brown floss with heavy varnish finish.
Hackle a short beard of grey partridge

As the water is not deep I thought that weight for the new nymph would be sufficient with the heavy hook alone to take it down to the food zone where obviously the trout would be. I only had two hours to try the new creation out so spotted and stalked individual fish. Conditions were not the best dull, cold with threat of rain and spotting has been better to say the least. Only two fish were seen and the first saw me move into position and bolted. The second was in a nice steady flow below the bridge and about 15 feet from the bank; heavy tussock shielded my approach and with just my head and rod showing the first cast was made. The nymph landed on the button just inside the trouts position and a couple of feet above. It was ignored, to high in the water column by far, another pitch four feet above but a little wide and again it was ignored though I judged it in the taking zone. A third pitch and this time it trundled down to almost on it's nose. The trout didn't move at all but the new nymph shot into its mouth as it showed a flash of white. Lift and it's on. A great thrashing of water on the surface and a single run denoted great displeasure at the hooks intrusion into lunch time gorging. After a short slugging match my prize slid over the net rim and was mine. A beautiful 20 inch brownie, pretty markings typical of this stream and in full pre spawning condition. Still in the net the offending piece of steel was removed from her jaw and my lady companion of the morning was released back to her home and slowely swam away. I should have doffed my hat in farewell but just grinned from ear to ear for the pleasure she had given and the success of a new fly.
I give you "The Olinga Nymph" May you enjoy the same success as I with it.

[willowgrub]

The simple bread and butter nymph of low country streams in Canterbury . I hope you are talking about the Stream you frequent in suburban christchurch , because that will mean some fish have survived the disasters of siltation and sewerage overflows resulting from the earthquakes

[Jax]

Glad to hear that you are still able to get some fishing in in your area. Can't believe that you are all still suffering so many aftershocks. But your trip to the stream proves that life goes on. Stay Well. Jax

[heathcote]

Yes it is a local stream and nice to report something positive - the trout are spawning. Not so many and the real big ones haven't shown yet if they do at all. The other side of the coin is that the Health Dept. has closed all water activity and contact as there is a severe health risk with fecal coliforms and other nasties such as Hepatitus. When this will be clear again is anyones guess, possibly not until all the sewers are fully functional again.

[ofuros]

From what i hear about nz waters, with waters so clear, theyre tough to fish at the best of times.
The Olinga Nymph has been christened.......
All the best to the Christchurch area, hope its recovering from its wobbly feet.

ofuros

[edeltrouts]

Well done!

Many times I thought, that better knowledge about what's going on in the trouts food chain would improve fishing sucess. Personaly I use the old recipies. If i see flies, I chose similar once from my box. If not, I try nymphs in color of the stream bottom or just classic wet flies. In spring or if stocked fish in the stream red or yellow works well. Early season my flies are bigger - end of season smaller. Clear water - light colour, invisible water - dark brown or black colour. That was always a bank for sucessful fly fishing.

In every case I need to have a look on the stream and I imagin what could work. Never I tied on a fly just coming out of the car (as my buddies do).

To put it in a nutshell. Your story remembered me, what I wanted to have done since seasons. Spotting the food chain in my favourite stream. The project is founded now. Without any investigation I will try the Olinga Nymph as well. Sure it will work.

Thanks for your inspiring thread!

Thomas

[heathcote]

This is really an update as a second survey has been done further up stream on a cold and frosty morning with similar results but in the weedy margin the addition of damsel fly nymphs, just a few. Feisty little creatures, they attacked some of the small free swiming caddis nymphs in the sample tray we use for counting. This urban stream is clear in winter with the lower temperatures but with summer heat and lower flows becomes cloudy with algae. Another spring fed stream just out of town which is closed to winter fishing has also interested me and I went for a look last weekend and here were mayfly nymphs on the underside of the cobbles besides the other life that I now expected to find. Now I know why a size 16 Hare & Copper works so well as does a Darth Vader Nymph. Further up there is a wheat field, just stubble with young steers grazing it off and in a slack where the pumping station is for the farm where I found Daphnia of all things. I was alerted to this by a Kingfisher diving from the electric wire overhead that provides the power for the pump. Every few minutes he drove in and came up with a small fish. The bullies had also found the Daphnia. Stream life is facinating but the first snow has arrived so I shall spend this weekend tying flies in the warm.