Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 189 - Winter 2024 i Trout Fisher

April 19-21 saw the holding of the inaugural “Kiwi Cane”, at the Ruapehu Ski Club’s (RSC) Turoa Lodge in Ohakune. The feedback received from the participants confirms that the event was a resounding success. Around 25 people attended, with a mix of Kiwis and Aussies. Most of the Aussie contingent were regulars from the “Cressy Cane” Annual gathering that formed the basis of this year’s get together. THE FISHING My love of cane rods has always flowed from the fishing. Yes, bamboo is beautiful, it is connected to history and tradition, and like tying your own flies, it can add to the experience of catching a fish. But if cane wasn’t as good or better than other materials for making rods for the sort of fishing I love (close quarters…

I can't resist second hand book shops and particularly angling for fishing books. I've landed some beauties too like many years ago coming across Roderick Haig-Brown’s "A River Never Sleeps," in a second hand bookshop at Paraparaumu. As one critic put it "A River Never Sleeps", is one of the enduring classics of angling. Roderick L. Haig-Brown writes of fishing not just as a sport, but also as an art. He writes lovingly of moving water and the moods of the river and its fish. If you haven't read "A River Never Sleeps" try to get a copy. It’s available on-line. The book’s very arguably Roderick Haig-Brown’s best of a couple of dozen he wrote and that’s high praise in itself, because all of his books are very good to…

All hopes for the 1995-96 salmon season were that it would be the same or better than the previous and so it proved for a lot of salmon anglers, big fish and plenty of them. For me it started really well and early, with good numbers of fish caught in the Rakaia in November. For cousins Martin and Owen, brother Colin, wives and kids, our fishing season started as usual, at Lake Coleridge. We were in those days able to rent for a weekend former electricity workers' quarters at the head of the lake which we did for the 3 day Canterbury Show weekend. It’s one of our favourite fishing spots. Up at five and onto the water at the picket fence, so named as the High Country opening weekend,…

I rounded a bend on the Thredbo River to find my mate Scott, hunched over, completely dialled in, casting to about a 1.5 pound brown trout. Passing him by, I rather brashly remarked, "What are you casting to that fish for Scotty?’ "There’s not enough meat on it to fill the holes between your teeth.” We had been away together on a weekend trip, fishing the spawning run in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, many years ago. Although Scott didn’t reply much at the time, other than a half-murmured "Bloody Kiwis!”, the conversation resurfaced as we were driving home that afternoon through the Kosciuszko National Park. Scott naturally wanted to know what my preferences were for fly fishing. I had no hesitation when admitting, I had become fixated on the…

Ratropinna. In this fish’s mouth and my hand to the right, the sparse clump tail and lightly dubbed rat spine fur looks pathetic but has caught me more trout in this lake than any other tying over the past 25 years – thousands of them. Better still, with or without this spawning-orientated orange bead or a yellow smelting one, it’s broken so many blank spells over the same period, that logically, I should never take it off my tippet when fishing on or near the surface at dawn. It’s also caught enough fish in the thermocline to make me wonder why I do not leave it on the tippet year-round, whichever fly line that tippet may be attached to. Infact, Ratropinna has caught me trout anywhere smelt are present and,…

There are so many variations possible in this type of recipe. A little preparation is involved but it can be all be done in advance and the result is a classic, eye-catching table dish. The rice and mushrooms, as well as adding flavour and texture, provide layers that allow the pastry to cook without the fish becoming overcooked. INGREDIENTS 350-400 g skinned boneless trout or salmon fillets3 sheets puff pastry1 egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of milk1 smallish red onion, finely diced4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped½ cup basmati or jasmine rice (rinsed well)4 leaves Silverbeet (Swiss Chard), green part only, chopped, or a small bunch of SpinachAround 30ml olive oil1 cup water1 teaspoon stock powder200g button mushrooms (200g), finely choppedGeneral Seasoning THE RICE Put a little oil into…