Angling Report: April 2002 Lake Brunner Fly Fishing Report
April is definitely
autumn, with willows changing colours, and water temperatures dropping after the
first snowfall in the last week of March. Fish abruptly vanish from lake
margins, and favourite summer lies in rivers become deserted. However, local
knowledge is a great thing, and even after spawning migrations commence there
are still trout to be found in pools here and there....
Our guest for several days during the second week of
April was Dr Akimitsu Kobayashi, from Japan. An experienced spin fisherman, he
was eager to try fly fishing for the first time on his first trip to New
Zealand. Day one was spent in teaching him some casting skills, and a very adept
pupil he proved to be!!!
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| An early start in the
autumn mist along the shore of Lake Brunner. |
And rewarded with his
first fish caught on a fly rod! |
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| Connected to a nice
brown on the Crooked River, his second fish.... |
And a beauty, approx
2.5kgs, or 5lbs, on a #14 Flashback nymph |
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The third fish of the day was a
monster! Aki was a very happy man, with this 3.5kg brown trout
to his credit... he was still smiling hours after letting this fish go! |
Akimitsu was a very good student, and mastered casting to a basic level very
quickly, as these results prove. All in all, it was a very memorable 3 days, and
we greatly enjoyed his company.
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Hostess & chef Petchara
Kemp, fishing guide Ben Kemp, and Dr Akimitsu Kobayashi. celebrate the
day with a nice dinner. |
30th April brings about the end of the fishing in our
smaller rivers and streams, these close for the spawning runs. Lake Brunner, its
outlet the Arnold River, and major portions of our larger rivers remain open for
fishing throughout the winter period.
Angling Report: April 2002 Lake Brunner Fly Fishing Report
                                
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