New Zealand: Targeting Trophy Trout

Before we get into the “how” and “why”, let’s take a look at the “what”. For the record, the magical 10lb mark is the accepted benchmark for a ‘trophy’ here in New Zealand, but this does not take into account that in some waters, the best fish in the whole system may be only 6lb but is a trophy for that particular river - being the best that can be caught. This may indeed represent an even greater and more skillful accomplishment than a ten pounder from a river with plenty of them - therefore a trophy capture in its own right and a great achievement. Having said this, for the sake of this article, we’ll focus on ten pound as being the line in the sand.

BY Mike Kirkpatrick

The number one factor in consistent success on trophy trout in New Zealand is simply in the active seeking of them - putting the necessary time in. This targeting goes from the initial idea of chasing a trophy, through to what waterways they inhabit and how to stalk them with the right tackle, flies and approach. For the record, this need not be anglers that ‘only’ chase large fish, but those who have the skills, knowledge and application to chase them at least sometimes.

First things first

The first matter to take care of is where to find them. Historical information is only so helpful in your big fish quest, as although some rivers or lakes with past trophy potential can be amazing at times, at other times, they are simply devoid of big fish. This is caused by a number of elements such as holding water remaining intact after large flood events, fluctuations in fresh fish running into the system, stability of spawning habitat, and probably of most importance, the presence (or not) of a large, introduced food supply (such as mice).

What you need to look at is recent information on big trout being present in a particular system by speaking to the right people, or first-hand information gathered by simply doing the miles and plenty of searching.

“I’ve found that most trophy fish have been taken on fairly small and sparsely tied nymphs”

The right gear

Once you’ve found a spot with some large trout present, you need to ensure you have gear that is up to what will likely be a big test. Find the best tippet you can in 3 - 5X, be it fluorocarbon or monofilament, and ensure you have full confidence in your knots that will allow you to put on the maximum pressure you will need at times if you hook up on one.

Use at least a five weight rod (preferably a six) that will allow you some real grunt in taking it to these monsters. A quality reel with a smooth drag and plenty of backing is a must (50-75 metres) and be prepared to follow, and fast.

Top quality hooks are crucial, and the best way to ensure this is to tie them yourself - or at the very least, go with a reputable brand of flies if buying. You do not want a broken or bent hook to show for you efforts. Just trust me when I say; one of the most hollow and gut wrenching feelings, is losing a trophy to gear failure...

The approach

So now we have identified our spot and are ready to hunt out the big boys. The first consideration is stealth. Move slowly and use cover to hide yourself from what will very likely be much smarter than average fish. These alpha fish will not tolerate anything out of the ordinary like sudden movement, noise, or pressure waves from clumsy wading.

I tend to work on the principal of trying to be as stealthy as I can possibly be, and then double that effort. Look at all structure and try to think like a fish in order to work out where to look and concentrate your focus there, allowing your eyes to scan from pocket to pocket systematically until you find one.

Never ignore the heavy, fast or deep water as they will often be in this type of water, being cautious by nature and in need of the extra oxygen found there. Of equal importance though, is remembering that these are still just trout living in the same environment as their smaller counterparts, feeding on the same available food source, so the approach is the same, just with emphasis on doing everything as well as you can.

Use as long a leader as you can cast and handle well and make your first cast count. I normally dispense with indicators, relying instead on watching the fish for signs of a take. You also get a much cleaner drift and disturb the surface less for a stealthier approach.

The flies

Fly selection should be chosen by logic based on your knowledge of the available food source and what the fish are likely eating.

Of all the really big back country fish I’ve either landed myself or witnessed being caught, I’ve found that most have been taken on fairly small and sparsely tied nymphs, normally fished in tandem with a larger one if the depth dictates it.

With this in mind, make sure you add enough weight to get the small nymph down to where it needs to be. The old split shot still works well, and tungsten putty even better, to keep adding weight until you’re right on their noses.

These are not normally risk-taking fish so they will seldom take overdressed or flashy flies unless water clarity is well down. Nor will they move far, so watch carefully for the subtle signs of a take such as a small swing or lift, the white flash of the mouth, or even the red flash of the gills flaring as the fly is sucked in.

Don’t ignore the larger flies completely though if the naturals are about, especially before Christmas, with Stoneflies, Creepers and Worms at times getting results. To buck the normal trend, this past season has been one out of the box with at least six trophy fish for myself and clients on small dry flies, so although fairly rare, don’t discount them eating off the top either!

Keep an open mind. Cicadas will draw some to the top, but these big fish very quickly shy of the large terrestrials as summer progresses, so this is normally a small window. Mouse patterns at night are always an option and can produce great results but can be a little hit and miss. Nighttime fishing is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you do want to chase trophies at night, find a suitable floating mouse pattern and scout an area well beforehand so you will know the likely lies to target, and have room for a back cast in the dark.

“Mouse patterns at night are always an option”

A defining moment

I remember vividly a defining moment many years ago where I found myself, quite unexpectedly, crouched in behind a brute of a fish in a small tight stream. I was fishing with a mate mid-season, and we had dined out somewhat on a host of beautifully conditioned fish up to about the 7lb mark on a day where it seemed we could do no wrong.

The fish were feeding with such cavalier abandon that we could throw almost anything at them and still expect a take. We were as relaxed and happy as you could be on a river - until we saw him. On the leading edge of a small tangle of branches a meter or so from the bush lined edge he sat, swaying in that kind of languid way only a fish of serious size can manage. It was huge. Suddenly, our relaxed and happy mood was now tense and confronted. It’s more than a tad ironic how finding your dream scenario can render you sweating, shaking and unable to even tie a knot. Hardly relaxing stuff, but this is why we fly fish, and the enjoyment is still there, it’s just hidden away under a few layers of anxiety!

“I’m of the opinion that success is measured by enjoyment”

My trembling hands necessitated several knot attempts before I was happy with that all-important connection. A few deep breaths and the cast was in the air, landing softly a meter ahead of the fish. Everything seemed to slow down (and I was soon to wish the same of my strike) as the adrenaline coursing through my body caused me to lift too early as the fish moved towards the fly, pulling the small nymph away before the huge jaws had closed. My heart sank. I slumped backwards and my friend groaned in disbelief. I’d stuffed it up. I never do that, so why now?!

This was many years ago but I can still hear my mate saying those glorious words: “he’s back mate!” My next cast was a good one and this time the set was met with solid resistance.

The next ten minutes were a blur of frenzied action with this great brown using every trick in the book to beat me until I finally slid his impressive head over the rim of the waiting net and let out a triumphant scream. It was the most wonderful fish I’d ever landed, and the glow inside me was one of the most rewarding and contented feelings of my life. “This is why we’re here!” I thundered out amidst all the smiles and back slapping. The ‘defining’ part of this experience for me, were several firsts... I always figured you never get a second shot at these really big fish. Never say never!

Another was that I didn’t really appreciate just how special a truly big fish capture could be. Now I knew. I’ve personally never been a trophy hunter per se, but do gravitate towards waters with bigger than average fish, so they are often there and every year I tangle with some of them. The point for me is that although I see these magnificent fish as the icing on the cake, I’m a lover of the layers beneath too, so accept these trophies as the wonderful bonus they are - to add to the fish that make up the vast majority of the total experience.

No quotation sums up my feeling more than this: “Unless one can enjoy himself fishing with the fly, even when his efforts are unrewarded, he loses much real pleasure. More than half the intense enjoyment of fly-fishing is derived from the beautiful surroundings, the satisfaction felt from being in the open air, the new lease of life secured thereby, and the many, many pleasant recollections of all one has seen, heard and done.” by Charles F. Orvis, 1886.

The right reasons

We all have our reasons for going fishing and I think we all harbor hopes, in varying degrees, of landing a trophy fish. The burning question remains - how much energy do we expend in chasing them? Are we willing to risk missing out on the total experience by becoming too focused on the size of capture? After all, the accepted trophy size for trout is set, as a convenience at 10lbs, as quite simply, it’s ‘double figures’ on a scale. Does this random figure of weight qualify the value of a capture, by saying for example, that a beautiful 9.75lb trout is a lesser capture than a battle-scarred 10lber?

Of course not, on the contrary, I’d take beauty over size any day, except maybe if it was my very first… This trophy ‘goal’ is symptomatic of modern society’s competitive standards, where labels are placed and the measure of success listed in pounds and inches. I’m of the opinion that success is measured by enjoyment. I’m not saying for a second that I don’t like big trout - I love them. I’m just aware there is a risk in becoming too reliant on them being the only measure of the day’s success, particularly if they start to disappear.

Also, these large fish are not only special captures, but the top breeders with superior genetics, so please consider releasing them to help both the fishery and your fellow angler – In the words of Lee Wulff, “The finest gift you can give to any fisherman is to put a good fish back, and who knows if the fish that you caught isn’t someone else’s gift to you?” The last ‘mouse year’ in New Zealand, gave me the chance to make back to back feature movies focusing on targeting these huge mouse eating brown trout during the day on generally tiny nymphs. The fact that I personally recorded my largest brown trout 17+lbs just before dark on a floating mouse pattern, still blows my mind to this day!

The first movie focuses on 6 days in the heart of the mouse season, with the second (filmed the following season) on seeing if we could find any trophy fish after the mice were gone. These movies are available to buy or rent on Vimeo: