Return to the Wild West Coast

It all goes to plan in the backcountry... sometimes!

Ever noticed how a raindrop can flip a leaf when it hits it while it’s lying on the ground? Sometimes they bounce just a bit, but every now and then they’ll do a complete somersault. After sitting under a tarp with my fishing mate Andrew for almost three days in the NZ South Island wilderness waiting for the rain to stop, you start to notice the minutiae that goes on around you. Coffee, more coffee, keeping as dry as you can, watching for leaves to bounce, occasional excursions to the river's edge to see how the level is going against your marker stick that you stuck in the bank a day or so ago. So much to do.

But eventually the rain eases and the river begins to drop a little. Stonefly nymph patterns and worm flies are the order of the day while you wait for the water to clear, and whilst it’s not exactly the polaroiding experience you were hoping for, at least you’re fishing and even managing to catch one or two beautifully-conditioned browns.

Then the water clarity returns sufficiently to see the riverbed, and it’s safe again to make crossings. Definitely time to move camp further upstream.

As the weather improves, cicadas can be heard chirping in the beech trees. Out comes the cicada pattern as I approach a large brown trout that has been spotted in a lie that requires a fairly straightforward upstream cast. Unfortunately though, cicadas aren’t on this trout’s menu as it flees out of the shallows to be lost in the main current. After a couple of similar encounters for both of us, it becomes apparent that we aren’t about to enjoy the cicada fishing of last year.

In fact, although we managed a few trout on dry flies this trip, including the very first fish which Andrew spotted then caught on his second cast using a Royal Wulff, it was usually a small dull olive or brown bead-head nymph in  size 14 to 18 that did the trick.

I find that most of these backcountry experiences leave you with one or two fishing moments that really stand out; moments which you remember for years while the others blur and then fade into oblivion.

For me, one such experience involved covering a fish with a variety of flies and strategies: from dry to smaller dry, then dry/dropper then a smaller dropper without any response, until eventually, I settled on a size 18 black bead-head caddis grub with no indicator. However, whilst tying on the nymph I noticed another larger trout to my right – but with a fair bit of current between me and it. So I abandoned my intended target and went for the bigger fish. My first cast didn’t get a response and I felt the current had probably swept the tiny nymph out of the fish’s path. So the next cast, I put a little further across, adding a bit of slack to the line. When I saw the fish move slightly to its left and open and close its mouth, I tightened and was stoked to be attached to a beautiful 5lb plus brown. Good fortune followed with a clean fight and Andrew netting it. I can still see the take so clearly in my mind’s eye. I suspect it will be another memory of a lifetime.

With the rain out of the way, we continued to slowly make our way upstream. Hiking in these wilderness areas is definitely challenging as there are no tracks. Often, it’s a case of trying to find the right terrace or contour, while the map neglects to include the nuances of the landscape such as swamps, thick scrub, unpassable fallen trees and swarms of aggressive European wasps.

Andrew has found a way of coaxing me along with Werther’s Cream Caramels, although as the years go by, I’m finding I need a lot more breaks than I used to and I’m starting to think I may need something a bit stronger than Werther’s!

What's that cliché... no gain without pain? And the overwhelming gain in this case is being in a beautiful, pristine rainforest environment, away from human interference and noise, listening to the sound of the water, wind in the trees, intermittent birdsong, fishing gin-clear water, and enjoying good company by a campfire in the evening. Oh, and did I mention that the trout are really BIG!