What summer?

[heathcote]

Most of the south island of New Zealand had summer in the last two weeks of January, this was when the sun shone for at least a whole week. Since then a day a week is all we seem to have had but rain days have been many. All the streams that I fish have been high all summer some frequently over the banks. Trout have done well, high flows, plentiful weed growth and lots of tucker has produced phenomenal growth; this is shown by small heads, solid shoulders and deep flanks. Fishing has not been at all easy as all the wet has made the banks so overgrown it is like jungle fighting made even worse by the hidden earthquake cracks waiting to swallow the unwary.
Now it is March, the trees are colouring up and officially the first month of autumn. The first winter storm came straight up from Antarctica and dumped snow on the mountains,flooded rivers and blew trees down and roofs off. The grain crops if still standing still need a lot of sun to be harvested even though ripe a month ago and will probably rot or have to have the cattle put over to clear it off. Birds have flocked up and the trout are starting their run up to the spawning grounds a full two months early. Indoors we have had the first fires, not just to combat the chill evenings but all day and all night. Roll on winter! it may be better weather and provide some good sport with plenty of ducks and hares for the rough shooters and some feisty perch and trout coming to the fly for the anglers but please God some sun!

[Jax]

All I can say to what you have asked of God is Ahmen. Although we have not had snow up here in the North. The weather seems to have mirrored your s down there.

They say you can have Four Seasons In One Day Any where in N.Z. Well; I would settle for that just for the Summer Component.

One thing that will come of this prolonged stint of very little fishing and plenty of tucker for the trout as you have mentioned, will be some real feisty trout when Mother Nature gives us a spell of SUNNY Weather. Go well my friend and may the Bendy Rod Imp sit on your shoulder. Jax

[Alpinefly]

Weather has just been plain wierd all over the place. Tornados and snow at the same time in North and Midwest. Day before yesterday was 84 degrees here. Then it turned way cold and windy (with more fire danger here like last year). Does not feel like Winter here. Then you are having bad floods in other places. Got to say, when the weather has been great here (Tucson, Arizona), it has been fantastic fishing up in the Mountains.