Fly Fishing with Chris Dore

April is my favourite time of the year in the South. Massive mayfly hatches return to the Mataura like clockwork and the lake tribs come alive as browns begin their run upstream. Big sea run browns enter our coastal headwaters and our backcountry streams turn on the sight streamer action.

Check out my Awesome April offers here to get you amongst it this Autumn

Found myself with a couple of days off this past week and so a quick call to a couple of Christchurch mates and surprise, surprise - I went fishing. Theres nothng like good mates and a great time on the water to wind down and relax. Following are a few random pics of our adventure. Enjoy!

Following my previous blog on summertime tips and catching more fish I have recieved numerous requests for more advice on how to improve your catch rate. The following are a few random thoughts over a glass of vino.

Who says the Upper Mataura is tough in summer? Make the right cast with the right gear and you will catch fish.

So I'm back from a great week in the Canterbury High Country. Some interesting rivers and good fish in them thar hills. Glad to be back in the south however ready for another action packed week on the river. Apologies for the lack of email corrospondence to those who have tried to reach me over the past several days, however broadband doesnt reach the backcountry. I hope you are all well and gettin...

Well the summer weather is truly here! Hot, sunny days with high temps have both cicada, manuka beetle, as well as willow grub out in droves. However, this also means that rivers are at a very low level, and those smaller waters and others of the low country rise to rather high water temperatures during the day. Mo...

Well this recent hot spell sure got things moving. Rivers dropped and trout rose, with manuka beetle and cicada beginning in the high country. And the trout sure were ready; those previously only reached by double tungsten bombs now sat higher in the water actively searching bugs. Mcneils manuka beetle and the usual collection of parawulffs, blowflies and the like were top producers but after a month of fluctuating river flows, fish became a little wired.

The title says it all.

In another chapter of getting my wife out fishing, I took the lovely Amy up to a local high country lake close to home this afternoon for a couple of hours throwing the fly around. There were several anglers already on the water and after chatting to a few of them was surprised to hear that the fishing was slow. Hot and sunny, however with gusty so...

Tapani and Leea returned for the fourth season in a row and were welcomed by some rather difficult weather. Backup plans were invoked daily as rivers blew out and heavy wind warnings were widespread. However with determination, a little local knowledge and a variety of techniques we brought some nice fish to the net each day.

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Mike Wilkinson of Cromwell is a good guy. A lof of fun to hang out with, a cracking fly tier, and the host of a very informative fly blog centering around his homke waters of Central Otago's, Lake Dunstan. Check out http://evolutionofaflyfisher.wordpress.com/ for some interesting thoughts,and great ideas on successful stillwater ties and technique.

Chris