No Ciruclars

Letterboxes for the homes at Selwyn Huts.

My trout fishing education was unexpectedly extended today. A mate phoned me last night and asked if I'd like to explore the lower Selwyn River, and LII (pronounced L 2) River.

Both flow into Lake Ellesmere. The lake has been open to the sea (but the easterlies have probably closed it again), allowing sea runs (sea run brown trout) to enter the lake and make their way up the rivers that flow into it, chasing white bait, smelt and bullies.

The lake is dirty at present and has pushed up the lower Selwyn, discolouring the river. It was probably a bit too dirty in the lower section, but we had a good time. We each had a couple of touches but no sea runs were harmed.

We had a poke around the river in the vicinity of upper huts. The water was clearer, deep and inviting. There are many willows and other growth along the banks in this section. Hooking a feisty brown trout here would be interesting!

I had my first introduction to the LII River. What a delight. It's a true spring fed river though I wander if it's history includes being an irrigation channel. It's more of a night fishing spot, with trophy sized browns - and ells.

Several people were white baiting, and a commercial flounder fisherman made his way up the river in his flat bottomed boat, stacked high with flounder covered with wet sacks. He'd caught them in the lake.

Where the LII meets the lake it was blue meets brown, a clear line of contrast and certainly a place where sea runs would chase shoals of smaller fish.

But I had an optometrist appointment to get back to in town, to replace those prescription sunglasses that ended up at the bottom of Lake Benmore last weekend.

It was lovely to get out of the city, particularly as my high country plans for tomorrow won't be happening. Bugger. But I don't want my cough to develop into a nasty bug, I've had enough of those.