Fly Fishing with Chris Dore

Well the short, sharp change to autumn sure has the Mataura firing! The past week has produced well with plenty of early fish nymphing throughout the shallower riffles and spinner falls once the grasses have warmed.

Brendon Nicholls with a great autumn brown

Mid afternoon dun hatches are gaining momentum and the fish are just starting to lock onto them. Its non stop fly fishing heaven!

For the persistent angler there are good numbers of fish to be had. It is important though to adapt to the situation. Just yesterday a client and I were working a riffle with a tungstan glister nymph and after a couple of quick hookups moved up a little, only to begin picking up on the bottom. A quick change to a pair of lighter nymphs put another fiesty fish in the net before the action slowed again. Another quick change to a little more weight, along with a slightly longer leader set up and we were in the game again!

Simon Hill scores!

Over the course of a single run you may change flies and tippet set ups several times if you are working it right. Along the shallower edges with more gentler flows you may utilizer a short indi-nymph set up for some hard and fast action before re-working the drop offs with a longer leader and heavy nymph combo, this time removing the indicator and utilizing 'contact nymphing' tactics to attain depth.

On shallower, wider riffles lacking features such as drop offs, guts, current changes etc a pair of nymphs or soft hackles swung 'across and down' style will cover the water efficiently, as will a small dry dropper combo, the shallower water lending itself perfectly to a wee emerger or para pattern worked through carefully.

Simon Chu 'contact nymphing' likely water

So call me now and get in amongst it all! Some of the finest fly fishing action of the season is yet to come!