We arrived in Haast, Gateway to New Zealand’s West Coast, late in the afternoon hoping to check out a new beat (new for us) on one of the numerous streams nearby. The weather was beautiful and had been for a couple of days. I was confident the quick to clear West Coast Rivers would be in shape, but hadn’t fished the particular section I had in mind. We drove to the end of the road and asked the farmer for permission. He granted, and gave instructions to the river. We made a beeline, and had a short walk upstream. As we approached I saw another angler on his way back to his truck but on the other side of the river. Not a great sign, and there would be no communication in terms of how far up he’d fished. Oh well, were here. In the short stretch we walked that evening a two fish were sighted. They had the “I’ve been fished over” demeanor though and simply moved away after the fly drifted near their deep stations. The troops were a bit restless and we needed to get them some dinner, back to the car, room and pub for dinner. Before we head back I thank the farmer, and ask if we can come back tomorrow. “No Worries” see you tomorrow!
Morning came and the West Coast was back to it’s typical self. New Zealand’s West Coast is fantastically beautiful when the sun is out but the fact is it rains a ton. Not that the rain forest isn’t beautiful, it is and if the Sand flies weren’t absolutely miserable many more folks would reside nearby. The good news for anglers is the rivers on the coast are used to “yo-yoing” up and down and they can take huge amounts of water and be clear very quickly. They have large estuaries that are largely in tact thus fish move in and out with water conditions, water levels and bait fish.
February is “Cicada Time” for anglers in New Zealand. Wherever we have been the last three weeks the forest has been buzzing. Most of the fish we have taken this trip have been on a size 6 and 8 foam Cicada patterns. One of the reasons we booked our trip in February was to experience some of the Cicada fishing. Despite the awful wet weather we’ve had for most of the trip, Cicadas have been present. Our West Coast beat was no different. Spotting was tough although we did find a few willing customers. The best fishing was simply finding the likely run and casting blind. The fish came to the fly strong and they were hot fish, jumping and running better than Browns usually do. The day was awesome and will keep us dreaming of our next South Island Fly Fishing Trip.–CD
