NZ WINTER SEASON LAST DAY

[heathcote]

Deep down south it is almost spring and the high country waters that have been open are closing for the Rainbows to spawn in peace. My buddy and I have chosen Lake Lyndon just over the other side of Porters Pass and a little over an hour from Christchurch for the days fishing.
It's cold, just 5 degrees when we arrive and the water is 6. The bright sun peaking over the mountains and a slight ripple on the water bodes well for the start of the day. We both tackle up with 9ft. 6WT rods, one of us with a clear sink tip and the other with floating; fly choice is a bead head caddis, mine with a pale green holographic body Bobs with a green lurex body. Not much difference you might think but with gin clear water and cold temperatures the differnce does matter.
We head off to where the drop-off is fairly close to the bank and I win the toss and get to wade the gravel bar at the heads of the bay. Second cast as the fly sinks a fiesty 1.5 male takes on the drop. Lovely fish in spring colours even the gill plate is brilliant blood red. An excellent start for the day and my duck is broken.
We fish on for another hour then it's Bobs turn then 2 casts later another the twin of the first both about the 1.5lb mark.
The weather is changing, the clag is over the hills and the wind is round to the NW and picking up. Spindrift from the Alps is producing a fine drizzle at this lower altitude and the temperature is dropping. We stop for a brew of tea and a bite to eat in the lee of a rock outcrop parker hoods up, we warm our hands on the mugs of tea.
We separate after this, Bob back towards the car, me round into the shelter of the bay and it's steep mountain shoulder. In the calmer water I spot fish crusing between the drop off edge and a long weed bed only a short cast away. A few casts later my second fish is on, again male and a little over 1.5lb but the fish have moved and so I follow. The bay prooved to be the place to be as during the afternoon five more came to the fly for me; the last came as Bob came round to say it was time to leave for home. He arrived just in time to net the best fish of the day for me, another jack fish of a fraction over 3lb. He had fished hard and caught 1 more and lost 2 others.
We both agreed a most successful ending to a raw day at the fag end of the season up in the mountains. Roll on Spring! and the rivers singing a new song under the budding willows.

[soupmix]

"my duck is broken"
"the clag is over the hills"

That is why I love this forum. I have no idea what those two things mean and yet I loved reading them.

[Doctor]

Duck is a cricket term for no score , we cricket fans talk about being out for a duck ,thats a nil score ,sadly some of our batsmen have been doing a lot of it recently and we have an appointment with Australia later this year and I fear we will be slaughtered.
Clag I assume from context is mist or fog maybe low cloud .
we all speak English but it really does have its regional variations.

[heathcote]

Hi "Clag" is Scots in origin adopted by climbers and passed on to trampers and fishers of the high country waters and refers to low cloud or mist restricting visability on the hills (for which read mountains) "Trampers" NZ speak for a person who carries a pack or rucksac to undertake a mountain or bush journey ie trecker, hiker, backpacker etc.