past month or so we have had higher temperatures than average and the lawns need mowing, the lambs are arriving and the rivers look great. Opening day is only a few weeks away and I'm looking forward to getting back out on the water and catching some trout. I have been watching a good section of one of my local rivers and there has been some major changes since last year. That's typical of our braided river systems and that's why they are so much fun to fish - constantly changing and providing new opportunities.
Over the winter I have been spending a fair bit of time putting together some packages for the coming seasons and tending to all the promotional stuff that's required when you are a guide. Below is a couple of pictures from the past 2 years showing the quality of some of our spring trout.
Spring Special. Our fishing season starts in spring and it often takes a few weeks for fishermen to take advantage of a new season. In spring we can often find trophy trout in top condition and keen on feeding to put on more condition. This is a 6 days 5 nights package priced to take advantage of the opportunities available early season. Based in Methven, fishing the many rivers lakes and streams in this area. Comfortable motel accommodation, airport to airport, all inclusive of guide, access and concession fee's, all meals, licensed 4WD transport, waders and tackle if required. For the keen waterfowl hunter, there are often opportunities for some spectacular goose hunting during these trips.
NZ$7250 1x1
NZ$4700 pp 2x1
Also in spring we still have some great hunting opportunities - Canada geese are still on the license and are tending to disperse in to smaller groups along the river valleys. This makes for some good hunting as we are able to decoy in smaller less wary groups of birds and then move on to other areas, rather than the very large groups often encountered in winter hunting.And I have had several requests for spring tahr hunts. After the winter the bulls move away from the nannies and start congregating in their bull groups and usually lower down the mountains. Unlike chamois, tahr tend to keep their winter coats much longer and its not unusual to find bulls in full winter coat as late as November. Being lower down the mountain and with the winter snows receding, October and in to mid Nov is a popular time for the locals to secure a trophy bull. Most free range tahr hunt packages start at around NZ$5500 per hunter. This spring I have several opportunities for helicopter accessed hunts and these are a SPRING SPECIAL price of NZ$4300 pp for a 2x1 hunt, 6 nights, 5 days, all inclusive of guiding, meals, accommodation and transport. Valid until mid Nov 09
What flies for early season? First day on the river for months, clear sky and clear water, trophy brown finning in the current and what do you put on to tempt him? For the first month or so I still like to use my tried and trusted - Cat and Copper or Wee Brown One. But I do go smaller in size. And never one to waste an opportunity, I still like to use a dry as an indicator in the hope that some of these spring trout will rise. Bit optimistic really as the temperature is often on the chilly side, but I have found that sometimes early season fish will rise and take the indicator and one of my favourite indicator flies is a Stimulator, a Royal Stimmy in particular like the picture below. Lots of shimmer and movement from the rubber legs.
And one of my favourite fussy water nymphs is the variation of the Hares Ear as below. Black tungsten bead to get it down fast, not too bright, flashback, and again, good old rubber legs to give it some movement. Like many of my other choices for early season I tend to use smaller sizes and as the season warms up I go up a size or two, 10 or 12 for the nymph and even up to an 8 for the Royal Stimulator.
I have also included some of the highlights from this past winter, a good bull taken way up in the snow in fairly inhospitable weather, Gregs first pig taken with a fantastic offhand shot at 250 metres - yes offhand, and a nice shot of what I woke up to one morning when I was away working in the backcountry.
I'm looking forward to another top fishing season with several major expeditions in to new territory planned. If you are keen on coming down for some fishing or hunting, better still, a combination of both, drop me an email and I will put together the trip of a lifetime for you.
Cheers
Al Kircher
NZ Backcountry Guides
fishing and hunting since 1985
Over the winter I have been spending a fair bit of time putting together some packages for the coming seasons and tending to all the promotional stuff that's required when you are a guide. Below is a couple of pictures from the past 2 years showing the quality of some of our spring trout.
Spring Special. Our fishing season starts in spring and it often takes a few weeks for fishermen to take advantage of a new season. In spring we can often find trophy trout in top condition and keen on feeding to put on more condition. This is a 6 days 5 nights package priced to take advantage of the opportunities available early season. Based in Methven, fishing the many rivers lakes and streams in this area. Comfortable motel accommodation, airport to airport, all inclusive of guide, access and concession fee's, all meals, licensed 4WD transport, waders and tackle if required. For the keen waterfowl hunter, there are often opportunities for some spectacular goose hunting during these trips.
NZ$7250 1x1
NZ$4700 pp 2x1
Also in spring we still have some great hunting opportunities - Canada geese are still on the license and are tending to disperse in to smaller groups along the river valleys. This makes for some good hunting as we are able to decoy in smaller less wary groups of birds and then move on to other areas, rather than the very large groups often encountered in winter hunting.And I have had several requests for spring tahr hunts. After the winter the bulls move away from the nannies and start congregating in their bull groups and usually lower down the mountains. Unlike chamois, tahr tend to keep their winter coats much longer and its not unusual to find bulls in full winter coat as late as November. Being lower down the mountain and with the winter snows receding, October and in to mid Nov is a popular time for the locals to secure a trophy bull. Most free range tahr hunt packages start at around NZ$5500 per hunter. This spring I have several opportunities for helicopter accessed hunts and these are a SPRING SPECIAL price of NZ$4300 pp for a 2x1 hunt, 6 nights, 5 days, all inclusive of guiding, meals, accommodation and transport. Valid until mid Nov 09
What flies for early season? First day on the river for months, clear sky and clear water, trophy brown finning in the current and what do you put on to tempt him? For the first month or so I still like to use my tried and trusted - Cat and Copper or Wee Brown One. But I do go smaller in size. And never one to waste an opportunity, I still like to use a dry as an indicator in the hope that some of these spring trout will rise. Bit optimistic really as the temperature is often on the chilly side, but I have found that sometimes early season fish will rise and take the indicator and one of my favourite indicator flies is a Stimulator, a Royal Stimmy in particular like the picture below. Lots of shimmer and movement from the rubber legs.
And one of my favourite fussy water nymphs is the variation of the Hares Ear as below. Black tungsten bead to get it down fast, not too bright, flashback, and again, good old rubber legs to give it some movement. Like many of my other choices for early season I tend to use smaller sizes and as the season warms up I go up a size or two, 10 or 12 for the nymph and even up to an 8 for the Royal Stimulator.
I have also included some of the highlights from this past winter, a good bull taken way up in the snow in fairly inhospitable weather, Gregs first pig taken with a fantastic offhand shot at 250 metres - yes offhand, and a nice shot of what I woke up to one morning when I was away working in the backcountry.
I'm looking forward to another top fishing season with several major expeditions in to new territory planned. If you are keen on coming down for some fishing or hunting, better still, a combination of both, drop me an email and I will put together the trip of a lifetime for you.
Cheers
Al Kircher
NZ Backcountry Guides
fishing and hunting since 1985
