Windsor Lodge from North Island New Zealand tell us how the Windsor Cup fishing competition went.
In our 52nd year of Windsor Cup, anticipation was high as all indicators leading up to the day pointed towards the possibility of great results. As June began, we finally had a taste of winter including hail/sleet and snow. The rain that followed lead to flooding on two occasions on the Waitahanui and this has been a rare occurrence over the past decade. Yes, the other local rivers have experienced big flows and floods in this time but our old 'Nui just seems to be able to carry heavy rains a whole lot better. Another factor in improved conditions was regular westerly/south-westerly winds that have been turning over the lake and bay and 'pushing' the trout into the river.
Come Friday, everyone was keen and on deck for a quick 'recon' of the river and, yes, the westerly popped up after lunch and conditions deteriorated. This meant an early retirement to the whare for a strategy session....it has been referred to as something else but we will use the formal term when ensuring the fishermen are properly hydrated for the next morning.
An early 5am start for most as usual and the wind was still howling, just as first light hit the wind stopped on the button and perfect and comfortable conditions resulted. This was evident as we had 10 fish weighed in before 9am and we have not had this many on the scales in total for over a decade. Russel and the Trailer Park boys hit an early and unassailable lead at this point in the team event. Mark then wandered in with two fine rainbows weighing in at just less than four pounds each. This got the Waikato boys on the board in a surprisingly slow start to their day. Our visiting friend from Belgium, Sebastian, saved the Wellington team from being skunked and qualified them for the team trophy. Our river lends itself to many fishing techniques and this changes through the day as conditions change - the light and quality of it is a major determining factor as is the wind and rain. Having a very pleasant morning in particular had most of the competitors nymphing with naturals in the morning and moving towards egg patterns. The early morning results came from the river mouth/groyne where streamer patterns were very effective. A larger globug was also used in conjunction with the streamers. The river had recovered from flooding and is spring fed to heighten the recovery back to a crystal clear, cold and fast running gem. Just a touch of colour in the slower bends created brilliant conditions that were taken advantage of.
A number of very nice trout were caught as the day went on and our final tally of 19 recorded was an exceptional result. The tales of fish dropped was a common theme and we figure that another 400 were lost (according to our reliable and honest team). Last weigh-in at 6pm was the usual hectic scramble and the most pleasing result was young Regan Beere presenting his first catch. He has been on the crew with his (past winner) dad Jason for three years now and his progress has been marked. He looked the part with his new waders and the rest of the boys now believe they can do it! Our prediction of a junior result came good and we are very proud of Regan. Regan was presented with a new landing net which was kindly donated by Owen Hart who was Champion in 2013.
Our evening was always going to be built around the rugby broadcasts so we hit the kitchen early and delivered fish, chips and salads before presentations. There were a few surprised looks when dinner was delivered in newspaper but it certainly saved on washing up! Our back to back champion Russel Wall took the Windsor Cup again with a 4lb 6oz rainbow jack and there were many hovering around the 4lb mark.. Mark Tomsett brought in a pair to finish runner up. The team event went to the Trailer Park Boys in a close finish with Waikato thanks to Russel's winning catch.
Following presentations, Craig Caldwell introduced the crowd to Reel Recovery for whom we hope to host a retreat in 2016. The reception was wonderful and Craig and his wife Wendy were very appreciative of the enthusiasm of our team for their program. It is most likely that we all know someone who is touched by the blight of cancer and it is a subject very close to home here at the Lodge. We have pledged our support and will work with Reel Recovery in the future. Silvereyeflies.com donated a selection box of their nymphs with Steven and Caleb being lucky winners. Tickets sold out in 10 minutes thanks to Glenn and Jake charming the crowd. The funds raised will go towards catering at a retreat for Reel Recovery. This will be added to the funds we have been receiving in our store from customer donations.
During a break in the rugby, our friend Sebastien from Belgium introduced the team to his study program on the Taupo rivers. This went down a treat as our team is very passionate about the river and its environment. Following his PP presentation, Sebastien had a special in store and it was a film created on the Tongariro of spawning trout and the process. Very educational and the young ones were captivated. The ladies in the crowd were also captivated by Sebastien's accent with one young lady quite vocal about it. Many laughs and teasing were to follow for Sebastien.
A great night then followed with exaggerated accounts of near misses and drops. This is always held in the same good humour that the lads, young lads and lasses arrive with. We are most appreciative of the passion that our fishermen bring to the cup each year and now we have a new generation settling in to take it forward for the next 50 years. We think this is a unique event and it is a pleasure to be the custodians of the famous Windsor Cup (since 1963).
For more details about Windsor Lodge please visit their website