Bruiser Bow

Chad Post
Sunday:

We woke up to rain, our first rainy day of our trip.  PC, the cabin host offered us another night at a good cash price, he was incredibly hospitable, if time was on our side we would have stayed three more but we're in New Zealand and there is way too much to see in our little time here, so we left.  We went down to Te Anau, stopped at the Mitre 10 - the New Zealand Equivalent to Home Depot - and bought a can of fix-a-flat.  No service stations are open on Sunday so we still rode on the donut.  We stop and get some snacks, cash and a Pie at the Best Pie Shop in New Zealand.  I had a Venison Pie, it was great!!!  Here Venison is a big seller, they harvest deer like cows and, boy, does it make a good pie!!! 

"Care for a spot of pie?"

"Mmmmm...Pie...."

 It was a cold and rainy day.  I got a tip about on a spot on the Waiau river along the Kepler Trek.  We walk in the rain and I wet wade the cold river and try to figure out the bugs, while Kristie walks the trek for a bit.

Part of the Keppler Track

South Island Robin. My little friend on the trail.

A fungus among us.

Forest exploding at the seems with ferns. Moss clinging to trees and rocks.

The tip was for a good spot, the tip on the flies on the other had was incredibly poor.  Once I made the switch to Bead Head pheasant tails the bites were on.  I hook a monster hog river rainbow and do not mess around...fish is in and Kristie shows up in time for a picture.  

Fishing the Waiu River

He gets one on....

Chad gets his fish. A beautiful 'bow

I get back out and get my bottom nymph broken off within 5 seconds of the next bite.   Now I only brought 15 total flies to New Zealand, 15 flies to mimic every shape and size from dry to terristrial to nymph to streamer.  I'm down to two nymphs.  I fish a bit more an bam, Hog on, got this on video, fish jumps and I freeze, what do I do?  Let it run or rip it in on the 3X I am fishing...I hold it tight and pull, SNAP....NOOOOO!!!
  Lost the pig, Lost the nymphs.  I try to cut down dry and add weight to mimic a good nymph, but the bites go away.  It is time to leave.  I am very grateful to have landed a monster rainbow though...made my trip complete.

We left the river and headed south.  It was still raining, I was a little concerned about driving so many miles on the donut but we risked it anyway.  We drove with the southern tip of the island in mind.  We ended up in a pub/bed and breakfast in Tuatapere, the Sausage Capital of New Zealand. 

We ended up drinking in the Pub til later than planned with Orry, the pub owner.  He was pretty opinionated and hard to understand, it was a pretty interesting time, I learned a handful of racial slurs from New Zealand....welcome to the locals pub!!! Another day of Holiday Enjoyment!!!