Back to the estuary

I have been out to the local estuary and river to chase our regular estuary targets since returning from NZ trip.

I must say fishing has been bit frustrating. I have been checking around various spots and trying at different tidal phases, but things have been quiet.

It has been particularly hard mentally after having a good time in NZ, and I began to believe that fish have disappeared all together from the river while I was away.

However, my persistence finally started to pay off, and I managed to get a few fish and got my confidence back.

ニュージーランドから帰って来てから、何時もの様にクロダイを狙いに川へ行ってはいるのですが、この所、殆ど釣れていませんでした。

旅行に行っている間に魚は何処かに消えてしまったのでは？とも思いましたが、この週末にようやく今年の初物（小物ですが）に出会えました。

Canon D10

A game of finesse

Fishing for trout on a small stream is a type of fishing that I love most. It is a game of finesse that I like. Casting needs to be precise, and wading and approach have to be quiet and slow.

To me, a big trout river has an element of conquering like a climbing up a big tall mountain. It is big and fast, and it feels like I am there to stand against a river and a big fish swimming in it.

A small stream on the other hand feels much closer. It is more intimate, personal, and peaceful.

Here are some pictures that I took on those lovely streams in New Zealand.


世の中には、色々な釣りのスタイルやターゲットがありますが、やっぱり僕にとって一番好きなのは、小さな川でドライフライでマスを狙う釣りです。

大きな本流で大きな魚を狙うのもエキサイティングで良いのですが、一発大物の釣りは、どうも肩に力が入ってしまい、釣りの善し悪しも結果重視になってしまいます。

それと比べると、ストリームフィッシングと言われる小さい川での釣りの方が、ゆったりとしていて遊びがあり、釣りのプロセス自体を大事にできる様に感じます。今回のニュージーランドへの旅行では、そういった小さな川で釣りを楽しめました。

This is probably the most beautiful brown I have ever caught.












These small mayflies were everywhere on the Matuara system.


A dun of Leptophlebidae. It should have three tails but one got lost.


A beautiful mayfly spinner. The body size was about #18 or #20 hook.




Spinners normaly came out just before the sun set.


Fish became selective during the fall, and a fly had to match closely.


Trying different flies to find a right answer during the spinner fall.




CDC spent spinner & CDC dun. Worked well during the hatch and fall.


CDC spinner with upright wings. It worked when a spent pattern failed.










Keep dreaming


Canon D10

Gore, town info

Gore is about 500 km South from Christchurch. It is a fairly large country town with a couple of big supermarkets, a few restaurants including Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurants, different banks, and other shops like a book and hardware store.

The town was much bigger than I expected, and I was able to get everything I needed from a bottle of soy sauce to a small tube of silicone to fix my tent.

I found two shops in the middle of the town who sell fishing gears . You might not find a pair of wading shoes in your size or your favourite fly rod in these shops, but you should be able to get other items, such as, tippets, leaders, floatant, etc.

An interesting old building that I saw in Gore

Gore Motor Camp had been my home while I was there. People running the place were very kind, and it was a nice place to set up the base camp.

A kitchen was fairly large and well equipped, and toilets and showers were neat. I hate those caravan parks where they skimp hot water. It wasn't the case at Gore Motor Camp.

The cost of a tent site was $15. They also have two very nice self contained units which my friends and I used until they left the place.

I guess the only problem with this place was that it is standing close to train track, and I was woken up by a freight train passes every early morning. You don't hear that, if you are in the cabin, but it gets pretty loud and it is very noticeable if you are in a tent as it shakes ground.

My sweet home

It took us nearly 7 hours to drive to Gore from Christchurch (including a lunch stop and coffee break). On my return leg, I took Intercity Bus and it cost me $66. The bus left Gore around 10:00AM and it arrived at Christchurch at 7:00PM stopping here and there for lunch and break.

I kind of wished if they stopped bit longer at various places. Towns like Dunnedin, Oamaru and Timaru, looked very interesting to walk around.

On the other hand, some locals told me that many people around Gore fly out from either Queens Town or Dunedin to go oversea holidays, and this could be a goo idea if people want to cut down their traveling time from and to Christchurch.

Intercity Bus that I was on was much better than this one

NZ trip overview

I came back from our NZ trip yesterday. We were there for two weeks, and I had a lovely time down there catching many fish, seeing interesting stuff on rivers and along roads, and meeting with new people.

NZ旅行から昨日帰って来ました。天候的にはちょっと恵まれなかったけど、それでも良い釣りが出来たし、新しい発見があったり、親切な人たちに会える事が出来て、満足の結果。

We picked the town of Gore in Southland as our base because we wanted to fish on Mataura river and having other rivers like Oreti, Clutha and those in Fiordland within a relatively easy driving distance.

Unfortunately, Many parts of the South Island were hit by heavy rainfall, and those major rivers became pretty much unfishable.

The stretch of the Mataura around Gore was running like chocolate milkshake on the day we arrived, and it pretty much stayed that way until the day I left the town ten days later (other friends left the place early to Mackenzie area only to find out the rivers up there were also dirty).

今回は、Goreと言う町をベースにし選びました。Matarua本流が町の横を流れているし、Oretiなどの他の有名河川へのアクセスも比較的良いので、オプションが広いと思ったのが理由。 ところが運悪く、滞在中に南島中部から南部全体は集中豪雨にあってどの河川も濁流状態。場所によっては洪水警報が出て釣りどころではありません。

Matauraも上流でかなりの量の雨が降ったらしく、Goreの町を流れる区間は水量と濁りがすごく、その後天気が回復しても結局帰る日になってもずっと濁ったまま。




We could see the Waimakariri running dark


The Rakaia River was running like ocean


Oreti. Also running murky


The Mataura River in the rain

While the condition of the main river was being poor, a few small streams in the area were fortunately remained fishable and they offered me a quality fishing time.

There were many fish in these small streams including some nice ones. Fish in these tea colour stained water had a beautiful colouring on them. Gold on their back and yellow flank with vivid red spots. I caught some of the nicest looking browns in these tiny streams.

The water was flowing slowly through meadow and there were many weed beds in the water too. Willow trees and bush along the bank were offering a protection for fish, and I caught many fish casting tight under the willows.

They looked bit like a small spring creek, and they were my kind of water to fish. Fish were ready to respond well to a well presented dry fly during the day, and when the hatch or spinner fall came in the evening, fish became very selective, and it was really fun time to be on the water.


本流のコンディションは結局最後まで回復しませんでしたが、数本の小さい支流の方は二日で回復して、それからは良い釣りができる様になりました。

川は、ゆっくりと牧草地を流れて所々に水草が生えていて、どことなくスプリングクリーク風の流れで、僕の好きな感じの流れ。川幅も小さくて、僕の持っていったショートロッドの竹竿には最適でした。

本当は、Westcoastのスプリングクリークに行くのを楽しみにしていたのですが、あいにくWestcoastは大雨。そういう事で、この疑似スプリングクリークで釣りを楽しむ事に。Goreの周辺には、こんな感じの流れの川がいくつかありました。

小さい川でしたが、魚影はまあまあで、サイズの方も良い型のが居ました。それと釣れる魚は、黄金色に鮮やかな赤い斑点があって、本当に綺麗だった。







I believe a part of fun of going on the fishing trip is to meet with new people and I have met some nice people while I was in Gore. I also saw a few fellow fly fishers on the river and on the road, and we went to fish together and exchanged some thoughts. These things are an important part of fly fishing trip to me, I think.

It has been over ten years since I went to NZ last time, and although there were some changes like those ugly fast food restaurants have popped up everywhere, NZ was still a place of good fishing and good people.

I had a great time guys. Thank you. Kia ora.

Goreの人たちは、『南に行けば行く程、人が良くなる」と言っていましたが、Goreでは、キャラバンパークや農家の夫婦や、川から歩いて帰える途中に町まで送ってくれたマオリの青年など、色々な人に親切にしてもらいました。それとフライフィッシャーにも数人会いました。情報交換をしたり、アドバイスをもらったり、中には、一緒に釣りが出来た人もいました。今回の旅では良い出会いが沢山ありました。

十年ぶりのNZ旅行でしたが、人も釣りも相変わらず良い感じで、本当に楽しかったです。


















Canon D10