heathcote
01-02-2012, 11:01 PM
Familey had all converged for the festive season in quake damaged Christchurch NZ, having had a surfit of Christmas good cheer a more active New Year was proposed with a day tramp for the young and young at heart and a spot of fly fishing for the more sedate of us. The Rakia River area catered nicely for both and at the gorge bridge we farewelled the walkers agreeing to meet up at 4pm.
The river had come down from the flood level of 240 cumecs and was now at 170ish with about 18 inches of visability .... just fishable. We had 9ft 6wts and a choice of floating or intermediate lines; I chose floating line an 8 ft leader and a weighted black kabari fly (A very successful Japanese tenkara fly) to fish the margins and eddies. Soon I was apparent we were fishing where fish couldn't hold in the heavy water down below the bridge so moved up above to what is normally a long slack. Takes came thick and fast, so fast in fact we missed them all. Thinking caps and heads together came up with small fish and a change to smaller flies, mine a size 16 3mm tungsten bead head hare and copper. Bingo! A good move and soon a flurry of small and I mean small fish 3 to 6 inches were coming to hand. It was fast approaching 3.30 and time to go when from the middle of the slack I had a solid pull, Bugger! I've caught the bottom, then it moved bumping and boreing along the bottom and my next thought was a big eel. At that point it must have realised it was in serious trouble and took off in fine style down stream and accross. Running accross the large cobbles was not the excersize for a well fed 74 year old on New years day but it payed off and the fish turned and was now safely up stream fighting current and me. A few more runs and my son netted the fish, a lovely 5 1/2 lb brown cock fish in lovely condition. Celibratory whisky all round and an excellent start to fishing 2012 agreed by all. Next week back to solitary stalking with my new tenkara rod on my favourite small spring creek ............. lovely thought!
The river had come down from the flood level of 240 cumecs and was now at 170ish with about 18 inches of visability .... just fishable. We had 9ft 6wts and a choice of floating or intermediate lines; I chose floating line an 8 ft leader and a weighted black kabari fly (A very successful Japanese tenkara fly) to fish the margins and eddies. Soon I was apparent we were fishing where fish couldn't hold in the heavy water down below the bridge so moved up above to what is normally a long slack. Takes came thick and fast, so fast in fact we missed them all. Thinking caps and heads together came up with small fish and a change to smaller flies, mine a size 16 3mm tungsten bead head hare and copper. Bingo! A good move and soon a flurry of small and I mean small fish 3 to 6 inches were coming to hand. It was fast approaching 3.30 and time to go when from the middle of the slack I had a solid pull, Bugger! I've caught the bottom, then it moved bumping and boreing along the bottom and my next thought was a big eel. At that point it must have realised it was in serious trouble and took off in fine style down stream and accross. Running accross the large cobbles was not the excersize for a well fed 74 year old on New years day but it payed off and the fish turned and was now safely up stream fighting current and me. A few more runs and my son netted the fish, a lovely 5 1/2 lb brown cock fish in lovely condition. Celibratory whisky all round and an excellent start to fishing 2012 agreed by all. Next week back to solitary stalking with my new tenkara rod on my favourite small spring creek ............. lovely thought!