READER’S IMAGES 2011 – PART 12

Len Olyott on catching estuarine trout in North Island New Zealand

Len Olyott sent photos of a trip he made to New Zealand last month. With only one day to fish, he hired a guide, Kyle Adams, and managed to land two estuarine browns and two rainbows from the Taranaki River in North Island. And he caught them within earshot of the surf! They were silvery fish that Kyle doesn’t believe migrate out to sea, seemingly spending their lives in the estuary feeding on whitebait.

 

Len used a tapered leader with an 18’ fluorocarbon tippet (per instructions of his guide) and a large nymph (size 12) that Kyle indicated imitated mayfly creepers or Dobsonfly nymphs, both extremely abundant in Taranaki rivers.

Len wrote an article on this outing for the NZFisher eZine. (This is a free magazine and it’s possible to subscribe and get the latest issue emailed to you. See www.nzfisher.co.nz. )

Agostino Gaglio's first visit to Rhodes

Agostino sent a wonderful picture essay of his first trip to Rhodes. One of the pictures is of a typical Gaglio-type, stream-side fly fishing lunch. I know them. In fact, I’m on record as saying I have never eaten so well on a riverbank as the day I guided Ago on his first ever outing on a Cape stream. Parma ham, coppa, salami, salad leaves, olive oil … I could go on! One thing I am sure of. This will not be Agostino's only visit to the streams around this pretty hamlet. He was very taken with the fishing, the landscapes, the whole deal!

The Bell on Claremont

The Bokspruit at Gateshead (above and below)

Gateshead (above and below)

Gateshead

First day ever on the Bell River

First rainbow from the Bell

Agostino with a Bell River Rainbow

Snow storm at Gateshead

Mario Geldenhuys at Balloch

Snowfall in the village, Rhodes

The Willow Stream at Balloch (above and below)

Tony Kietzman on the Rell River at Claremont and below at Gateshead

The Willow on Balloch

Pictures from David Kleyn fishing a stream in Japan

You must look at the pictures of this stream. It is heavenly and the clearest water I have seen. David has fished around the world, but he is rediscovering the joys of Japan’s tiny mountain streams. His first day turned out a minor disaster, but if he didn’t catch a fish he at least sighted a Japanese bear in the wild. Over the next day or two the fishing improved. In his last email to me he says, ‘I am still in the same town and have now fished the same area for three straight days (unusual for me as I like to move). This morning I decided to have another half-day on the same river to fish the section below the stretch I fished yesterday. The next thing I knew it was 5:30 pm.

 

This turned out to be the most beautiful stretch of water I have ever been on - it was simply fantastic. But also very challenging; the water is very clear (and fast), the fish very aware, and the terrain very unforgiving. I did however manage to catch one fish: a beautiful iwana (a Japanese char). This guy was no more than six inches long, but he was fat, healthy, richly coloured and heavily spotted, and was an absolute pleasure on the 2 weight. My plan was to fish the first half of the session and photograph the second, so I did not have my camera when I caught him, which is a pity.’
(To view the iwana follow this link http://www.japan-fishing.com/shasin/iwana3.html)

Above and below the Akita River in Japan

 

More pictures of Rhodes under snow from Tony Kietzman

I can’t remember ever seeing so many pictures of fly fishing in the snow around Rhodes. There may be three reasons for this; the fact you CAN now fish these streams in winter, climate change and the shift many anglers are making towards using a camera on fly streams. And Tony Kietzman is no exception. He’s getting keener and better by the day.

 

From Jan Korrubel in Nottingham Road, KZN