Angling Report: October 2004 Lake Brunner Fly Fishing Report
Opening Weekend - 1st & 2nd October:
The start of the new fishing season is always the same - boundless enthusiasm compounded by 6 months of constrained fishing opportunities. The promise of good weather, rivers in good condition, and trout unmolested by anglers for 6 months, never fails to stir the blood to fever pitch - every year, for over 40 years, its always been the same! Opening Day... 1st of October... more important than your birthday, Christmas Day, sundry anniversaries...
This one was a little damp, and the local rivers sustained a modest fresh. This often makes for good fishing, especially as it starts to drop back again as it did on 2nd Oct. We had a walk-in camping trip planned, and although rain and rising rivers forced us to adopt our Plan B - a 4WD camping trip instead, it did not diminish the excitement and enjoyment. Not a bad thing, as comfort levels can be maintained when you can load up the 4WD instead of your backpack!
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Laugharne Kemp - 6lb brown, his best yet!
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Jon Eagle - 5lb brown |
Most fish were taken on a #14 Hare's Ear bead-head nymph, suspended under a Royal Wullf. A cone-head olive Woolly Bugger accounted for a couple of them... all fish landed were in very good shape, considering the time of year, and included a couple of around 3 lbs, one of 4lbs, one of 4.5lbs, one of 5lbs, and one lovely 6lb fish, shown above.
This bodes well for the season, and terrestrial insect populations are just beginning to become apparent - we saw a number of big Brown Beetles adjacent to stands of manuka trees, and river bottom was teeming with life in the form of stoneflies, mayfly and caddis nymphs.
Angling Report: October 2004 Lake Brunner Fly Fishing Report
                                
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