On the fly _{by Susan Barker}

Central Plateau (Summer 2017)

A few years ago, I read the book A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean and ever since I have been intrigued by the art of fly-fishing. Turangi, located on the banks of the Tongariro River, is well-known for fly-fishing; fishermen flock there year-round seeking to hook a rainbow or brown trout.

My partner and I arrived in Turangi and our first port of call was Sporting Life, a retail shop that sells everything fishing related. I found the staff there extremely friendly, highly experienced, and possibly best of all – very good humoured. They are the go-to guys for hiring or buying gear, finding a guide, and getting general info regarding river conditions.

After sorting out our gear we checked into our accommodation, Creel Lodge, which is within walking distance to the river and the township. The Lodge is comprised of different sized self-contained cabin units that are nestled in very well-maintained gardens. The rooms are affordable and modern, and there is a small fishing supply shop and café onsite, which I must say, offers the best coffee in town.

I have tried fly-fishing twice before without success. Learning to cast at an expert level can take years, so fully expect to get tangled up in your own line and for flies to get caught in your clothing (and quite possibly your skin). At the beginning of our trip, I spent many hours wading in the river with no expectation of catching a fish, just trying to improve my cast. I found this relaxing and peaceful in itself – standing in the river, taking in the surrounding mountains and the greens, browns, and yellows of the bush.

But at the end of the day, I wanted a trout. If you want to accelerate your success rate, I would highly recommend hiring a guide, which costs around $250 for a 3-hour period. My partner and I arranged to go out on a boat to the Tongariro Delta with Bill Grace, who has over 20 years of fly-fishing experience. We left the dock at 7am and the scenery was stunning – all water, mountains, and clouds. Bill was the perfect guide for me because he was knowledgeable, easy-going, and provided gentle coaching without being too pushy. After being out for a couple of hours, I hooked into my first trout. It was mad excitement on the boat and I realised hooking the fish is half the battle, because there is still the matter of ‘playing’ the trout. These fish do not go down without a fight, and you have to master letting the trout run and then gently winding it in. However, with the expert instruction of Bill and my partner, I managed to get the trout close enough to be netted. Getting your first trout is a real rush and justifies all the hours you have put in to learning techniques.

The following day was spent trying my hand on the river, as the next milestone was to land a trout on the river. This involves wading out to your comfort level and just casting, casting, and more casting, waiting for a tug from an elusive trout. I felt several but lost them and then finally it happened – I had a fish on the line. The trout was definitely feisty and I had to play the fish while balancing in water up to my chest. After a tense five minutes, my partner scooped up a beautiful rainbow trout in the net. What a victory! It reminded me of a quote from the book I mentioned before: “To him, all good things – trout as well as eternal salvation – come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.”