Day 20 and not one fish has been caught by my man.  Perhaps I am his Jonah (bad luck charm) and instead the Fish Fairy for the rivers of New Zealand.

I will gold pan instead…..

Geoff is no amateur fisherman.  He has been trout fishing in the Lakes of Tasmania since he was a wee lad.  Every February sees the annual 2 week men only get together, friends and family that have been going to the same lake for the last 35 years. Strangely always around Valentine’s Day, smart buggers.

So here we have an experienced fisherman with a desire to catch a fish in New Zealand.  The rod and reel came along in the suitcase, the fishing license was bought and rules and regulations carefully read.  Every trickle of water we drove past was studied intently and believe me NZ has HUNDREDS of waterways, no shortage of water here.  Conditions have to be just right to catch a wily trout.

And look at the 1000’s of sheep, cattle and deer in paddocks we drive by …..

Down we went to the very tip of the South Island to Lands End – The Bluff, back up along the West Coast, over the top to Picton and wended our way back down the East Coast.  There are tons of lay byes to pull over and look at the magnificent views but most were too high to reach the water, or the water was running too fast or the day was too cloudy.  You need to see the tell-tale splash of a fish ripple, the dark shadow under the water and then cast your line.   There is no point throwing a line in the water if no fish are present.

And stop to admire the tiny blue toadstools growing in the forests……

We did come across a few ideal conditions, water, visibility and FISH!  I stayed in the Camper van, made myself a cup of tea and read a magazine.  Eventually though curiosity overtook me and I would wander down to the water to find my man and see if he had a beaming face and a poor dead fish.  Empty handed he would be trudging back along the shore.    ‘They were right there!  I could see them, playing and swimming about but they just weren’t interested.’  It might have something to do with the regulations, no live bait is to be used,  the favoured worms and grasshoppers, only lures.  And the NZ fish are obviously immune to ‘fast food’ – artificially coloured plastic lures with deathly hooks hidden in between.  Pretty much like human fast food chains, brightly packaged non-nutrient junk food with deadly preservatives hidden in between.

And be amazed at the Cathedral Cliffs we came upon by accident……

Sometimes I watched the line being thrown out time and time again and I sent messages to the fish, swim away quickly!  Sorry Geoff…..    And then I felt guilty and tried to make up for it by finding rivers on the map and suggesting we travel that way, just so he could have a last chance at catching just ONE.

Time is up, the fish are laughing!  They are there, I can see them! Will have to photograph them instead…..