Looking back: The 2019/20 fishing season

Thanks to Mark Hubbard (@kiwitroutstalker on Instagram) for sending in this wrap up of the last fishing season- hope everyone else's season was enjoyable and you improved somewhat. I can't wait for next years one!
As promised, the 2019/20 trout fishing season produced some very large trout due to the beech mast in some locations around New Zealand. With mice numbers exploding eventually, they are forced to swim in search of more sweet tasting beech seeds. As they enter waterways and lakes, the tables are turned in the trout’s favour to which the rodents become food. With all this added protein, trout reach trophy size (10lb+) quickly, gaining weight as the season progresses. I saw some impressive pictures of these monsters last season with a lot above 15lb.
Sadly, I only managed one trip into the mice zone territories late in the season, so the fish were very spooky. They weren’t so eager to hit the small nymphs as I’d hoped, but a lovely young brown landed tipped the scales at 9.5lb…. oh, so close!
My district still produced a few personal bests from favourite rivers although due to a few large flood events over the off season, this resulted in fewer numbers seen than in other years.
I generally fish locally, mostly day trips with a few three to four-night exploratory trips further afield.
These are special times for me and no doubt other keen fisho’s as the season seems to race through quickly, never having succeeded in searching all rivers on my “to fish” list.
One trip done annually to the remote wilderness became my most memorable for the season, I got dropped off on the lake edge, full pack and gear with the plan to head up a valley to a hut, stay a night then head back down to search a waterway up another valley the next few days.
With a boat tied up at the river mouth and obvious fresh boot prints following the water’s edge I skipped the lower water, hiking up the valley an hour and a half over a gorge to avoid the guys already on the river and hopefully finding undisturbed fish.
This proved correct although the fish were few and far between, I was almost at the hut before finding a good fish feeding in a shallow run, these offer the best chance of a hook up as they have little time to inspect the fly and  also the ripple can disguise a sloppy cast which may normally spook a fish.
Well after what seemed like hours and hundreds of fly changes and accurate casts the fish moved off to the center of the river, “spooked bugger”, but as I was about to head up I thought bugger it one last shot. The tiny nymph was removed, and a large cicada terrestrial fly was attached. It floats nearer the fish’s large snout. It breaks the surface to take. The strike was timed just right and the result a 9 lb jack brown, the largest fish I’ve ever landed from this river.
The remaining few days bought a few more great fish to the net, but this guy topped my trip and just maybe he will be there again next season.
Another nice surprise was finally exploring a lovely small spring creek, looked at for the last thirty odd years. Discovering lovely golden browns in such a small clear stream was a magic experience, and with some pushing 5 lb making more trips back a no brainer.
Another special part of the season is also hooking up with mates to wander the valleys and rivers with, two of which live well outside my district so it’s a great excuse to catch up, camp out, drink a bit of whiskey and of course have a fish as well. If you wish you can, check out some of our adventures (link at the bottom of the page).
The season for me ended March 25th, the day before the COVID-19 level 4 lock down came into force, to which I landed a nice fish from a new river close to town, so am thankful for that last shot.
I feel I had a very good shortened season with many cracking fish landed, not the elusive 10 pounder but close, as well as the newly discovered streams, campsites, and most importantly newly formed memories. 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXcYKZa2TUtASM0t-wSJKw