HI Guys :)
Hope you are all doing as well as you can and those of you that are lucky enough compared to some countries in the world are sneaking around fishing and getting out there.
After the first month of the season right up until this week, there was no one most days fishing on the usually crowded upper Mataura river. No fishermen even at the campsite across from my home.
A good friend of mine here in Athol fished the Matuara over the festive period and he's first to admit hes not the best fly fisher and usually in a day, he may catch one trout, most of the time zero during the busy time as the fish are too wary for him and his poor casting lets him down he says. This time in one day he hooked five and missed may others and the trout were not spooky. Best fishing hes ever had on the river.
At the start of our nz summer as you can see there was a bit of snow. Seems to happen most summers nowadays. Trust me to have only my Jandal's after my boots were soaking wet and there was so many farm gates to open to get back home, hot shower when i returned home to thaw out my feet.
Then I had a tooth issue so managed to get that out.
Then since my hip operation I then got slammed with two hernias one of which started to get quite large, sticking out up to go on missions would only work for a while.It became a catalyst for a book story i was working on.
luckily I got in for an operation just days before the festive season. Had to cancel all my guiding and casting lessons untill i get better. So been on my back yet again have been re writing over a month Chasing Tigers again trying to make it better. so a slight delay on that book coming out. phew!
My alarm has been going off at 5am and I write until late and enjoying it all very much. So just so you know where any of your supports funds go- they all go back into fishing in some shape or form and despite having no work or at the moment or fit to do any fiscal work as i,m recovering from the latest operation, that I,m busy doing fishy shit and you shall be rewarded. :) Oh yes I,m now a Bionic guide:). I may now sink quicker than most.
Sadly the day before I went into hospital George my father passed away. Who many of you got to know and meet, years ago when I had the fly shop. He ended up in hospital back in Scotland, two days later in the ward they found covid.Then that was the end. Thank you all that chatted and laughed with him, considering he never fished. RIP Dad.
Cheers
Stu & the Trigger xx