August Fly Fishing Weekend on the Hinemaiaia

Members and friends of the Kapiti Coast Fishing Club - Pip, Jane, Neil, Wayne and Graham - headed to the central North Island in early August for a winter fly fishing weekend based at Hatepe. Our accommodation was a comfortable lakeside house belonging to Pip’s family, providing the perfect base for exploring the Hinemaiaia Stream and relaxing beside a roaring log fire at the end of each day. 

Pip and Jane were first to arrive on Thursday afternoon, greeted by classic winter weather—overcast skies, a biting cold wind and a choppy Lake Taupō. A walk down to the lake at dusk revealed one hardy angler fishing the rip despite the conditions. Deciding the weather was better suited to watching than fishing, they retreated to the warmth of the house, lit the log fire and settled in for the evening.

Neil was next to arrive on Friday afternoon, but not before stopping at the uppermost reaches of the Hinemaiaia to begin the weekend in style. His reward was an impressive ten rainbow trout, all carefully released to continue their spawning run. It was an outstanding start and set a high benchmark for the rest of us.

Wayne and Graham were the last to arrive after travelling up from the Kapiti Coast. Wayne didn’t just bring himself - he arrived carrying an enormous homemade lasagne that quickly became one of the highlights of the weekend. Friday evening gave everyone the chance to get to know one another better and discover the many connections that exist in the surprisingly small world of fly fishing and NZ. It didn’t take long for the ice to be broken as stories were exchanged about favourite rivers, memorable catches and mutual acquaintances.

Before dinner, Neil treated us to a delicious homemade guacamole made from avocados and limes grown in his own orchard. It proved to be the perfect starter, followed by Wayne’s magnificent lasagne, fresh salads, and a dessert of plums, cream and chocolate brownies. Graham rounded off the meal with a beautiful bottle of red wine that was greatly appreciated by everyone. It was a memorable evening of good food, laughter and camaraderie that set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

It also became clear that everyone around the table was a Wordle enthusiast. Friendly rivalry soon developed as we compared scores and strategies, although none of us realised just how relevant that would become later.

Saturday morning saw Graham, Wayne and Neil head off early to the lower reaches of the Hinemaiaia to test the waters. Pip and Jane followed a little later, benefiting from the reconnaissance. By then the early starters were able to point them towards the most promising water and suggest a few fly patterns that were producing fish.

After a quick lunch back at the house and another stoke of the log fire, everyone headed upstream to Car Park 3 and beyond. Pip and Jane were joined by Heather Carrington from Women on the Fly (WOTF), who they always enjoy catching up with on the Hinemaiaia. As always Heather generously shared her knowledge of the river, offering advice on fly selection, presentation and where the fish were likely to be holding. As relatively inexperienced flyfishers, Pip and Jane greatly appreciated Heather’s willingness to share her expertise, and her advice proved invaluable throughout the afternoon. 

We all began the weekend fishing Euro nymphing techniques. At dinner however, Graham announced he had changed to “naked nymphing”. That immediately conjured up some rather alarming mental images until Wayne quickly explained that “naked” simply meant fishing without an indicator on the line! Much to everyone’s relief, the only thing stripped back was the leader!!

The Hinemaiaia once again demonstrated why it is brilliant for fishermen of all abilities, especially at this time of year. There were plenty of fish in the river, with a mix of magnificent fresh silver rainbows recently arrived from the lake and others already beginning to colour up for the spawning season. Often the trout could be seen holding in small pods in the crystal-clear water. Drifting a carefully presented fly over the top without so much as a flick of a tail could be frustrating, but I guess that’s the nature of winter fishing during the spawning run. (I think I’m highlighting this as a beginner, to make me feel better about failing to hook them).

Saturday evening was originally going to involve a trip into Taupō for dinner, but those plans changed once we realised the Taupō Marathon was on and the town would be overflowing with runners and visitors. Fortunately, there was no shortage of food left from the previous evening, so staying at the house became an easy decision.

Before dinner, however, there was another important task to complete. A steady queue formed at the fishcleaning sink outside as the day’s catch was filleted, cleaned and carefully packed away into the fridge or freezer to take home. Several of the hen trout were still carrying roe, so Jane and Pip carefully saved the eggs. Rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, making it an unexpected bonus from the weekend’s catch.

Not all of the trout made it into storage, though. Neil put a few fresh fillets aside, coated them in breadcrumbs and quickly fried them to perfection with a squeeze of lime. Served straight from the pan, they disappeared in no time and were universally declared delicious. Freshly caught rainbow trout doesn’t get much better than that.

Sunday’s forecast wasn’t particularly inviting, with warnings of a significant cold snap moving up the country. Wrapped in thermals and plenty of layers, we headed back to the river prepared for a chilly day. Fortunately, once we reached the Hinemaiaia the weather proved kinder than expected. The occasional burst of sunshine broke through the cloud, and with the excitement of spotting fish and the concentration needed to present a fly well, it was surprisingly easy to forget about the cold— especially when a rainbow trout was coming to the net.

As the weekend drew to a close and fishing reports were compared, it seemed the boys had enjoyed their best success with natural nymphs and slushies, while the girls proved that bright pink Barbies certainly had their place on the Hinemaiaia. It was another reminder that trout don’t always read the rule book and that confidence in a fly can be just as important as the fly itself.

Sunday morning saw Graham and Wayne squeeze in one final session on the Hinemaiaia before returning to the house for a quick bite to eat, packing the car, and heading for home. Naturally, the journey wasn’t quite direct - they couldn’t resist an opportunistic stop at the Tongariro River at the State Highway 1 bridge for a few more casts before continuing south.

Neil took a more relaxed approach, enjoying a leisurely chat with Pip and Jane beside the warmth of the log fire before heading north later in the morning. Pip and Jane were fortunate enough to stay on until Tuesday morning, giving them time for a few more sessions on the Hinemaiaia with Heather before turning their attention to tidying up the house and preparing for the trip home. Their timing couldn’t have been better. As they headed south, the forecast cold front arrived in force, bringing snow to the Desert Road and around Taihape. They made it through just before the road was closed, bringing a memorable winter fishing adventure to a fitting conclusion.

The final laugh came when the daily Wordle answer turned out to be SLUSH. After spending the entire weekend talking about slushies, you would have thought we would have guessed it in record time—but apparently our minds were more on trout than five-letter words!

Our sincere thanks go to Pip and her family for once again making their wonderful Hatepe house available. It provided the perfect base for a weekend of outstanding fishing, exceptional food, generous sharing of knowledge, plenty of laughter and, above all, great companionship.

As we all headed home in different directions, already talking about next year’s trip, it was clear the Hinemaiaia had once again delivered exactly what a Kapiti Coast Fishing Club weekend should—beautiful clear river and surrounding landscape, challenging fishing, learning opportunities, and friendships strengthened over good food, a warm log fire and a shared love of fly fishing.  The trout were simply the icing on the cake. 

Jane Inge

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