Hmm. Drink less. Get up more hills. Do a bit more exploratory fishing, rather than just going back to places I already know to be productive - I think I got a bit bored of visiting the same haunts last season. Catch a decent Pollack on the fly. Work smarter. Make more Art. Eat the last six mince pie...

Hi Andrew, I have fallen foul of the exact same anxiety as you, and in NZ. I had promised myself that I'd stop and explore places that I had driven past on previous trips, but I never did. I was always in way too much of a hurry to get to places that I knew would fish well. I think its a perception ...

I'm with Paul - I'd want the tippet to sink. I guess the spiders will end up where they end up, sinking rate-wise - but if they are small, and on light wire hooks I reckon they'll sink pretty slowly anyway. Maybe they won't have time to sink very far, what with being taken by trout as soon as they h...

No, but wake flies can be good for Sea Trout on a dark night. I don't see why a popper would be refused in similar circumstances. What fun, if it worked! Salmon can go nuts for a wake fly too - a riffled hitch, or a floating stripped Sunray. Very visual and exciting fishing!

Hi Rowland - what about spider patterns, just sub-surface? They imitate loads of stuff successfully. Easy to tie too - just any old hen hackle and a thread or silk body. Add some sort of bling if you like. Fish them static, or slowly.

Al.

I have landed several Bats, a Coot, and a couple of Gulls. I have no clue as to how one might land a Train.

Copied from an NZ forum. These seem to be the issues that has everyone in a funk - not without cause. Clause 5 gives DOC’s freshwater fisheries management plans priority over Fish & Game’s fish and game management plans. Clause 5 allows the Minister to adopt a national freshwater fisheries manag...

Seriously, Paul - this place has had a major and long lasting influence on my personal voyage as an angler. There is simply nowhere else that provides this calibre of content. You did it, Dude. You opened the gate, we just went through it. Happy fucking birthday, and bloody well done.

Happy Birthday to 'Loops! What an incredible journey, Paul - I'm glad we're all still enjoying the ride

Al.

Why don't they spook? Aren't you throwing a whopping great shadow across them? Or is the sun high enough for that not to be an issue?

Al.