"To have the man who has written seven books on stalking brown trout in New Zealand as your first-ever fishing guide on your first-ever trip to this fly fishing mecca was quite an exciting surprise. Our farmstay hosts, Bill and Jan Clayton, had arranged this and proudly offered my husband and me a copy of Graeme’s latest book. I am sorry, but I could hardly wait to meet Graeme, thank him for his book and also point out to him that it had NO women fly fishers pictured in it.
Graeme Marshall is a gentle, intense perfectionist who at 59 has spent a lifetime guiding New Zealand’s pristine and challenging waters. He would be our guide on the Grey River located in New Zealand’s buggy west side.
At our introductory meeting, after a glass of wine, I offered my observation about his book. Well, he acknowledged the lack of any women, but suggested that the responsibility was partly due his photographer. No matter. I now had a challenge - to catch a BIG fish and get into Graeme Marshall’s next book.
I guess, in fishing, your motives should be more pure because the fishing goddess was not shining on me; and she told me so right away. Casting to sighted fish is just the way they do it in New Zealand; and Graeme is a master. It didn’t take long before he spotted one. Pointing it out, he said, “Go for it, Beth!” I did and on the FIRST cast of the day, I was on – for a few seconds anyway. I swear, I never catch a fish on the first cast – who does, I’d like to know!
Well, certainly, there would be other opportunities. And yes, after trekking for a good bit longer, a blur of brown in the rippling water spelled big fish to Graeme and just another blur of brown in the water to me. I held my breath and cast hopefully in the direction he wanted. I was a bit short and prepared to pull my line back when Graeme cried out, “he’s going for it!” Where? Where? I thought, and then bam! I caught the MONSTER and it took off like a bullet, powering directly away from me with the wake of a submarine. Then, horrifyingly, my line caught on the butt of my rod and SNAP! GONE! It happened in an instant; I was stunned. I swear, it must have been a 7 or 8 pounder - may be 10 pounder! Graeme had to take a moment to recover. So did I.
Two misses, two glorious fish gone, two chances to be immortalized in his book – kaput. I wish I could end this story happily but this was just the humiliating way it went for me that day. So, don’t look for me in Graeme Marshall’s next book on catching big browns in New Zealand. I’ll pass that prize onto another.
As for Bruce, he had a magical day – landing two or three big browns. He was all smiles and sympathy.
Bruce and I fished ourselves a couple of more days, exploring the Wanaka region and later the beautiful Lake Ohau and its feeder rivers. We fought the wind, sand flies and some blown out rivers. We puzzled our way around blue glacial “flour” and just delighted in the scenery. It is a privilege to be on these gorgeous rivers and to possibly land the biggest brown trout of your life, and it is important to be on top of all your fishing skills. I eventually landed a beautiful brown but remember so well the ones that got away!"
Beth and Bruce Sterten
