Top of the Lake & Queenstown

That evening the rain kicked in. Sometimes heavy sometimes none at all but in total it was more than enough to make even the preferred spring creek running high and dirty. I checked it and continued right towards Haast down south on the West Coast. It was the 31^st of December 2014. The plan was to find accommodation in Haast, pack and fly in or out – however you want to term it - the next day. Accommodation was not available and not knowing the river I wanted to chopper to, I considered the risk to high that it was still running high. Besides, as I did not want to lose too much time to head further down towards Te Anau anyway I changed plans and drove up the road over Haast pass, along Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea showing quiet some spectacular views with sun and rain. Over the Crown range – the direct route from Wanaka towards Queenstown – with hot brakes and hot clutch. Using the broken center line of the road as the orientation it is intended for. It is not a solid line. Just mentioning this, as several Kiwis get really excited if you cut turns and use both sides of the road even if the next car is miles away.  But some of the tourists sometimes do mix up the sides of the road to drive on. Beware of that!

At the Crown Range I passed the festival Rhythm & Alps and was briefly thinking to join the festival. But I was here for fishing, the ticket prices for just a couple of hours would have been rather high, availability questionable and it was somewhat cold up there. But it was tempting. Though it might not have been Tomorrowland… 

Friend and guide Bruce Leitch in Queenstown gave me note that he won’t be available before the first. Thus I had an issue in terms of how to spend the night leading over to the new year 2015. Every kind of accommodation in Queenstown was booked. V.Know in Fernhill was about to close the kitchen so my preferred location for a quick dinner was not available. I ended up searching a parking space that I found after a while (QT might be one of the few cities on SI that has a real trafic issue, it was even worth the two days afterwards), packed my backpack, warm jacket and went downtown. It was chilly. Everything was unbelievable busy, at least a couple of ten thousand young party people to welcome the new year came to town. Dinner was junk food from a stand. Walked around and observed the more and the less beautiful young ladies – most of them dressed in nothing and some of them more than drunk (drying to drink from the lake and falling over... such things). Considering the chilly temperature lots of them might spend the first days of the fresh year in bed… Got a good place right at the harbor to watch the huge firework. And the new year was there: 2015. Bizarre feeling to be alone among thousands.

1:30 am that night I arrived at the 12miles delta campground out of town – just finding a corner for my car. Repacked the stuff so I could sleep in the car, which was ok but not overly comfy. New Year started with blue skies! Breakfast in Glenorchy right at the lake. Some girls having fun jumping in the chilly lake.

I was back to ‘Top of the Lake’. An impressive, must be seen, TV-series of 6 / 7 episodes. Check it out - it is worth it and can be mentioned right besides Twin Peaks.

Around noon I arrived on the first flowing water to be fished but without luck and just one fish spotted that was briefly attached to my fly (no pictures of that water as it is absolute secret, only some locals know it). I relocated to another more common stream and fished it for a while. Green beetle cast towards sighted fish (sometimes close sometimes further away) made them turning their head and smashing the fly. The beetle caught two or three, for that piece of water typical browns of around 3lbs. Actually these were the first fish of the new year!

In a blog post before I wrote about friends you eventually make if you travel repeatedly to a country. One of them is Bruce Leitch. He guided us on two overnight trips the years before. The first one was legend (and the second one not bad either). He and his friend Chico (and we) still talk about it after years. Bruce (and Chico) with a background in gastronomy has that special sense that makes trips or days with him outstanding. You might not catch the biggest fish but his way to setup a day is just perfect to have the real good relaxed time and atmosphere. The homemade pie as lunch or the lamb chops at night with a couple of beers and a bottle of red under the central Otago milky way are just what fly fishing is about besides catching the one big fish. In case you are in need of a guide in the Central Otago / Greater Queenstown region: ask him, he might have the one or other day available for you!

This night I met him at his home overlooking the Queenstown area with a not to be missed view of the Remarkables. He took care of the steak, I organized the red. Fish talk, not only, as life is most of the time more complex than the trout that just does not like your crude imitation. As he offered me a bed for the night early that day, I just thought how relaxed and uncomplicated he was. 

The next day we had breakfast and later he had a client. For me it was a peaceful day in Queenstown. Some shopping intention, did not found anything I needed following the rule “think three times before you buy”, lunch right          at the lake (WTF - why do people cue for 30 minutes for a burger? Guess where in QT… Would never do that myself), some flat whites… average vacation stuff. The Remarkables shopping mall provided little more success and ended with a new ultralite gas cooker and some flies.

Driving southerly from Queenstown you will pass a river after around 40 Minutes that is so famous that a brief stop over there cannot be avoided. On the most frequented access an other couple just left but they mentioned they fished just close to the car, thus I went up as they mentioned nobody would be there. A misinformation as I walked upstream the river was barren. Not a single fish and the answer was simple: two bricks coming down IN the river walking back to their car parked a little bit off site. There was not a single reason to walk in the river. If they fished the river before in the same manner they walked back in the river, no wonder that no fish would show up. Some are just idiots. I relocated to section further downstream, found some fish spooky as hell or aware of every movement on the bank. No fish to the fly there either.

Before those last casts to the spooky fish I briefly drove to a cottage that we rented twice two years ago. Naylor’s house close to Garston. A very nicely renovated old house, sleeps six with large kitchen and living room. Perfect for the fly fishing traveler fishing around the south corner of lake Wakatipu. I made contact to the owner to hear the sad fact that his wife had died just recently. It was good to hear his intention to keep the accommodation business up for the years to come if all works out.

After the last unsuccessful casts at the river, I packed my gear and drove south west towards Fiordland and Te Anau heading to some big adventures…

Mataura family fishing - or avoiding falling in a hole

After a relaxing night without meat poisoning we got up to fish the Mataura – on a Sunday! Before that Tobias had its first close encounter with a close to adult lamb. He enjoyed it and was excited. 

Arriving on the access the picture was unbelievable: NO other car, no other fisherman. So we could work our way upstream, less fish than the last time but still some that went for the fly. Adams, standard nymph etc. I spooked unfortunately a couple of actively feeding fish. So did Ines with a pot of three fish. No score for her so no pictures ; ). 

I was lucky to manage an unbelievable unlikely cast to place the fly in a window the size of a plate between trunks, the fly was literally screwed in that place and the fish took it. 

A nice family fishing day!

Dinner: same procedure as last day. Most likely a different bottle of red.

The other day I went to fish a little downstream and drove there by the car – I drove exactly to the next access point just 1,5km down the road. Not a wise decision, as it turned out I would have to walk that way anyway to fetch the car after fishing upstream. So letting the car sleep would habve been more logic. I caught a couple around 3-4,5lbs. Of note was one real decent fish of close to 6lbs that took my fly from an awkward casting position. Just short before the cast I discovered a very deep hole exactly left to me covered with grass. The fish took, I tried to take care of the line warped around my arm and avoided successfully not to fall in the hole, slowly sliding down the high bank to the water, fish still on – shoot – no he was gone. These kinds of fish are the ones that gona stick much longer to your memory than the other ones caught without any obstacles ore curios casts.

On the way back from the exit above Naylor House I walked down past the house, where I could see Ines and Tobias on the terrace in the sun. They enjoyed the morning at the house. 

We packed our belongings and set course towards a stream in central Otago. The stream mentioned earlier, that back then was fished by Bruce with his client by chopper as the landowner seems to be reluctant to allow access to guided parties. 3F as a bonus - we got access from the landowner I called beforehand. With high anticipation we hit the road!

Fjordland continued and back to the Mataura – or the search for accommodation that ended up with a whole filet in Garston

The next day was turn of the tributary. Shortly after the camp it has a gorgey section than can be circumnavigated by following the track on its true right side. That means, in case you find the track and don’t lose it too often. Which is quiet impossible if you are there for the first time and don’t know the track as most of the markings can only be seen from the other direction and the track by itself is most of the time absolutely not obvious. That is tramping about.

After the gorge there should be a pool with big big trout. But before that there was sweat and severe bush bashing. Coming out of the bush after the gorge the river flows through a lovely valley with low gradient. The pool is right on the end or start, however you wana term it, of the valley. And the pool is like an aquarium in which the huge fish chase the big fish of around 5lbs. The big ones looked dwarfed. The huge ones must have been considerably more than 10lbs - all of them Rainbows. And on a no-wind bright day with the structure of that pool more or less uncatchable. I was watching and filming them for half an hour. Preparing for a few unsuccessful casts, as the fish were altogether ignoring my flies but chasing each other around.

I headed upstream trough the really nice valley. Just seeing to more fish of which one briefly inhaled my fly but did not stick to it. Unfortunately I had to turn around 2pm, to be leaving the camp around 3pm to be at the hut at 5pm where the boat taxi would arrive at 6pm. Too bad. On the right day with more time this could be fun up there.

The way back went considerably quicker than expected, because as mentioned before, the trap line track was much better visible going downriver than upriver. Still it needed very close attention not to lose it. Turning around to see the track in the other direction without the markings, there were some sections which were absolutely not visible. For the next time, I now have the GPS track.

Oh by the way, the only fish this day where from the camp pool. Or did I get none to the net – cannot remember. At the camp, packing, getting ready for the way out. The track / trap line out has the same structure, better marked on the way out. Some sever detours with danger of losing the track due to fallen trees. But I think I now have in 98% correct in my GPS for the next time. In a forest where you sometimes can only see 10 meters and there are no obvious marks it is good to have this digital line.

Arriving after exactly two hours at the hut, I was happy to end the five hours walking of the day and to get rid of the backpack. Ines did pack everything and swiped the hut, so I was ready after twenty minutes, just about in time for the a head of time arriving boat taxi

Bye bye to the hut, with more good memories and nice fishing. Again we had the luck to fish fresh water and did not get in interference with other fishermen.

The way back went smoothly, some more waves and wind than on the way in. Ines picked me from the boat ramp at around 7pm and we headed towards the Motel she had found a room the day before. Coincidentally exact that Motel I spend a night two years before. Everything else in Te Anau was pretty much booked, prices where high. 

The day before the plan for Ines and Tobias with the boat taxi went pretty smooth. Except that the Milford Track boat taxi is not used to transport guests by short notice that do not have a ticket. But they nevertheless took care of Ines and Tobias. And the captain did this in a special way, looking like a real pirate, Tobias was so afraid of him, that he started to cry seeing him. Very unusual for him as he is always excited seeing new people. Reunited we spend another night in the Motel. A Motel Ines fixed for the two nights at some kind of “last minute Te Anau is booked price”. Traveler’s advice: Te Anau can get busy and prices change by demand. 

The idea for the next days, was not yet determined as the weather looked unclear and some rain was likely. For the next day nevertheless the idea was to relocate to a shearer’s quarter 15minutes outside of town that I found in the net (accommodation for sheep-coiffeurs). But we were unable to get in touch with the lady in charge. Too sad as it seemed to be available for the days we planned. Hanging undecided around in Te Anau. Doing some internet/Café-stuff, groceries we did not know what was going on. At the afternoon we gave Karen and Rob a knock, as announced. We had a nice Saturday afternoon with them at their second-home in Te Anau. Fishtalk. Did you fish that? How is access there? How was this stream? Tea. Fly swap. Tobias playing with the toys of the grandchildren. A real nice afternoon!

Still not knowing how to continue, we drove to the station to find it deserted. The shearer’s accommodation had the nice typical stile of the 50ies of the last century. After considering plans and weather (rain for Fjordland) we decided to go back towards QT / Garston and called Naylor House close to Garston (see post before on this fabulous vacation home near Garston!). And it was available again – lucky 3F! Within in shorter than usual time for that stretch, we were again close to Garston in the Naylor House – welcome home! Fishing the Mataura the next day was not a too bad option.

This night we had our traditional dish again: beef filet. But this time in a special form as at the supermarket in Te Anau, the ready cut filet steaks were pretty much sold, but there were whole filets still available. For a price per kg we are normally used to pay for good diced meat at home. But one filet pretty much meant either inviting people from the street or having beef filet three days in a row. We went for the last option. Starting with steaks for the first two days and a very special dish for the third day I will mention later. 

Doctor’s advice: do not eat so much meat, it is not good for you and not good on the environment (but it tastes good)!

Plan for the next day (Sunday) was to fish Mataura River on an access close by. Wondering, if we would have the stretch of the river for ourselves, or if a coach full of fishing tourists would be on the water before us.