Em and Rusty tackle the ruakituri

[emmy]

Dad and I had been dreaming up an exclusive fly fishing trip to New Zealand all summer. Waikaremoana a lake in central north island was always a favorite hiking trout fishing spot growing up so we wanted to go back there but this other place the Ruakitiuri river that dad was telling me about sounded like a trip to Jurassic park.

We set out hiking around Waikaremoana being back in NZ was a nice contrast from a hot aussie summer. We cast out in all the old spots we had had success before but the fish were not biting. We saw trout patrolling along snags and beaches but still no luck and a few near misses. It was really cold at night and coming home to camp was sad because being a true Babcock and counting on catching a fish for dinner we didn’t have any substitute meal beside jerky and rice!

We hiked outa Waikaremoana and drove on passed Hobbiton into the depths of folding hills and valleys and parked the rental car at the base of the Papuni station a sheep ranch to start our trek up to the Ruakituiri. It was a crazy hike in there is no track and you have to navigate with GPS and when reception drops out it’s a good old compass. We got stung by lots of stinging nettle and saw huge families of bush pigs slid down mountainsides but finally we were there.

The river was amazing with the sides of the banks like walls and at the southern end a massive waterfall. We fished all kinds of fly’s till we found the golden ticket and then we were on we were spotting the rainbow in the water and casting out. An eel was attacking dads trout while he was bringing it in we have it on video ill try up load it.

[Katie]

Awesome!!!