Thus I
arrived Tuesday evening at Lake Rotoroa, passing the famous according lodge (to
my surprise it was pre-seasonally closed) and setting up camp at the simple
campground close to the lake that seems to have a special appeal to sandflies. Some years ago we had the same
plan but due to the even worse sandflies invasion we choose to go for a hard
roof at a nearby B&B - that as many other houses in that settlement - is
now up for sale.
The whole
day I could not reach the boat taxi to arrange for the morning transfer to the
lake head, thus my delight was high as they arrived with their boat to slip it
to the lake. Seemed they were out for the day. I made arrangements for the next
morning transfer to the chosen river mouth.
Cooking
dinner (beef filet nicely structured and some read) right on the lake beach,
camp, sleep, sandflies.
Next morning
packing the back pack for the overnighter with the new Vaude Ultralite Tent and
the Yeti VIB 600 luxury down sleeping bag (the last trip we had the VIB 250
which is a good blanked as long as it is +10°C but not below - I learned from
experience...) and off we were across the lake.
The trail's
first section is flat out, then around 100meters of steep elevation again and
back down to the river reaching what I would call the first meadow (using
Yellowstone's Slough Creek famous meadow system here) to put up camp. Did that
and started to fish.
It started to rain sometimes lightly and sometimes more heavily.
But the fish - hard to spot due to the overcast sky - came more or less ready
to my flies (Adams and special Florian PT nymphs). Five fish of something of
around 4,5lbs up to +7lbs - a good start! And good to be back to such a nice
river with water tasting so sweet!
No campfire that night, just some tortellini and two cans of beer and then horizontal position.
The night
saw some more rain. Unfortunately proofing that my ultralite Vaude SUL was not
so well constructed: as inner and outer tent unavoidably touched each other the
tent was just leaking and by sleeping bag was in danger to get soaked up...
Making a picture of that mess did not work as the front lens was immediately
fogged up.
Breakfast
in some drizzle. Getting ready for the next round. I started somewhat below the
camp and fishing part of the day before stretch again - not wise and not to be
followed. Still I caught three browns of around 6 lbs. - again on the dry and
nymph. The rain eased and got stronger and so on, but the river did rise only
inches over the rainy night and was still clear as gin. This river seems to be
quiet tolerant to some rain and only rises and discolors after heavy rain.
Looking back to that overnighter, hiking up for the camp some half hour further
would have been good, but I did not want to overstress it and start it lightly.
I was relying for the start on known terrain.
Early
afternoon I went back to my packed (right after breakfast I broke camp) back
pack and started the hike back out with some time for the odd cast at the lower
section of the river. Arriving at the gorge and its bridge I could see a couple
of fish feeding at the end of the gorge. I could not resist having a few casts
aiming for one of these "bridge fish" as the last fish on that river.
And to my surprise I was lucky on one of them - again something of around close
or above (I cannot even remember the weight of fish of one single day...) 7lbs.
A good end of this first overnighter to the bush. Not abnormal many fish but
good fish and some on dries as well.
Back by the
boat to the car and off to St. Arnaud, picking up a hitch hiking tramper, which
turned out to be a German traveler doing several of the great and less known
walks.
