Chasing down fish

Hi again
Those of you who fly fish know that 10% of the time is fishing, the other 90% is checking out maps, driving or hiking down various roads/paths to river banks, prepping gear, building leaders, looking for fish, tying and untying knots and swearing. We were told by the local guy that we didn't need waders, and we didn't need 4 WD--well, that was a lot of bunk. There were many attempts to reach the river (this is after driving gravel farm roads, opening and closing gates, driving a ways and then finding out that you either have to have 4WD, or you abandon the car and hike in through marsh) and a number of dead end roads. However, the most challenging, frustrating and entertaining experience is encountering the cattle crossing. This happened, not once, but twice. After driving a considerable distance on gravel road we saw a huge line of dairy cows in our path. The cows are moved from one field and holding area to another field and the milking area. Dairy production is probably the number one industry in NZ and so there are many, many cows! You sit in your car, watching one humongous cow with engorged utters after another, hoping for some kind of green signal light that will make them give you the right of way. This does not happen. It's like a railway stop--watching 200 train cars go by. Anyway, we finally did make it to one of the river outlets. Many of the roads near the ocean are made of round, smoothed river stones that measure from the size of an egg to a hot water bag. No two ways about it--you have to walk over them and it is slow going because if you're going downhill you tend to slide. I fished a stretch without results and then headed further down toward the mouth. The offshore winds are strong and the current is moving up the river because of the ocean. The water is a clear blue green with a distinct seam into tawny colored shallow water with muddy bottoms. It is nearly impossible to see fish until they come into that shallow water--and only when they are very near. After a frustrating couple of hours we decided to look for easier water and climbed back up to the cliff top and that is where I spotted two huge grown trout. Joel agreed to spot (he only did this because it was my birthday!) and I scrambled back down the cliffside. He was calling out constantly--"2 o'clock and 20 ft out", "right in front of you and 10 ft out", "no, he turned to the left--no, he turned to the right". I have a 6 wt rod and 1x leader with a #4 hook. My shoulder took such a beating because it is impossible to cast in that kind of wind with my little twig. I was wishing I had a 10 wt! I quit! We drove around and around and finally parked and climbed down the side of the Waitaki bridge onto gravel and rock shores and I worked that stretch for a very long time. I stomped through mud and sludge and smacked willow branches and forded the shallows. When I wrapped up for the day and we were walking back, I spied three rainbow trout in a slow moving stream several yards back from the main river. This entailed changing leader and tippet and fly and rethreading my rod and damn I'm a fishing addict! We had a dinner date with someone and so at 7PM, we called it! Thank God! Put an end to my misery.
We met up with Alex and celebrated my birthday at the Star and Garter. We had a feast of Waitaki Salmon, Blue Cod and Lamb Shanks, accompanied by salad, veges, garlic bread and three kinds (!!!!) of potatoes: new boiled, french fried and mashed and let us not forget the wonder NZ Sauv. Blanc, topped off by a warm deep chocolate cake with a framboise glace and smattering of cream. Yikes! Incredible meal and conversation as we all went over the activities of the day. We will part ways tomorrow and that will be a wee bit sad. While walking to the car, Joel and I heard the penguins calling and so decided to walk down behind the old warehouses, railroad tracks and dry tall grasses to catch a glimpse of the penguins walking back in from the ocean in the dark. There were so many it was down right ridiculous. We feel so lucky to have experienced this. We saw two penguins mating (they do this while they are running!), many penguins crossing the road and making their way to nests that are in log piles, the bush, the warehouses, the parking lots--we almost stepped on one as we crossed the railway tracks and then once we got in the car, we almost ran them over. It is surreal.
Tomorrow we go back to that masochistic thing called fishing. We will head for Geraldine and the Peel Forest in a couple of days and then on to Arthur's Pass and the Canterbury area. Weather permitting we will then head back down to catch the loop we missed: Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook, Lake Ohau and anywhere else the wind blows us. I am now exhausted and it is after midnight, but I have to wash the river off of me. So, goodnight all. Much love, L