I just recently took my boy Louie to fly fish the Mataura river for his very first time. The fishing season opened back on the 1st of October and he’s been gradually developing his casting and river abilities with the goal of striking the Mataura river late season, a season when long great leaders, tippets and little movie flies are needed to trick the fussiest of brown trout!
We chose early April to head down and followed the weather report carefully, choosing to head to the Mataura on the very first Saturday of the month. The projection for the day was for light winds, somewhat over cast with the day time temperature reaching a pleasant 21 degrees Celsius around midday best conditions for this time of the year!
We picked a beat I understood well, rigged up our rods, connected on fresh leaders and great tippet avoided for the day filled with interest regarding what lay ahead. The very first we discovered 4 great fish drinking off the surface area in the foam line. Louie entered position and set out a stunning cast too which the very first fish increased and drank down his small CDC emerger … await it I mumbled … STRIKE! … and he was on. After a good5 minute battle and a near netting mistake from Father (do not fret he let me learn about it LOL) … he was holding his very first Mataura brown. A stunning fit Jack that was simply under 6lb! A fast grip and smile and the fish was securely launched to combat another day. He handled another 3 or 4 well conditioned fish throughout the day and even let me have a couple of shots LOL.
All up a really effective, enjoyable to begin with day on a river that has actually brought lots of a competent angler to there knee’s in tears on lots of a celebration!
The borders here in New Zealand have actually resumed to our Australian buddies and we eagerly anticipate seeing them back on our coasts in the future to enjoy our rivers and streams!
