FlyLife Australia & New Zealand — Winter 2017

FLYLIFE^35

THE REWARD
The sixth lake visited on the glorious
January day was on this occasion,
after 18 summers of Western Lakes
searching, the right place and time.
Climbing down into the bushes on the
shoreline, I confirmed that this was a
solid fish, although it was close to the
bottom and the surface was ruffled
by a light breeze, so it was hard to
tell just how solid. The small black
spinner I had tied on for the previous
shallow lake was completely ignored.
Should I take my eyes off the fish to
change flies? Seemed like a big risk
when this might be the only fish seen
all day. My mate Scott ‘Dinga’ Ling
was on the opposite side of the lake,
so I had no choice. But it was cruising
very slowly, so surely it wouldn’t go
too far?
Bugger! By the time I had changed
to a small nymph, it had disappeared.
After pushing through the bushes
for 50 metres along the bank and
back, I spotted it close to its original
location. It must have circled around
in the deeper water and was coming
back on another pass by the bank. It
was moving very slowly, just above
the bottom, less than a metre out
from the edge of the overhanging
branches. It also ignored the nymph,
despite another cast that appeared to
be well placed. It had to have seen it
though. I contemplated another fly
change, but my hand was forced when
that ‘one more cast before I change it’

saw the nymph caught in the branch

above. My position in the bushes was

perfect for seeing and intercepting

the fish, but came with plenty of fly-

catching foliage. This time a stick cad-

dis was tied on quickly and carefully

while maintaining the line of sight

through the fly to the fish, switching

focus between the knot and the fish. I

had confidence in this caddis pattern,

developed and tied by Dinga, after

fooling a number of larger, fussier fish

with it over the last few seasons.

It’s about finding special lakes.

Making the best of limited opportunities.

Endemic mountain rocket.