New Zealand Monster Rainbow On Tekapo Canal 06Jan23

I researched some rivers at which to potentially stop during our drive from Dunedin to Christchurch. It turns out the current world record rainbow was taken from the Hydro Project area on the east side of the Southern Aps in New Zealand. I found the Tekapo Canals and Kala & I stopped there unguided. These were built to deliver hydroelectricity by damming some rivers and flowing canals between them. I didn't know much about what & where to fly fish around the area ~ most of the folks I saw were chunking spin rigs with big weights as the canal was pretty deep. I found and parked nearish the hydro plant ~ so fairly close to the effluent of Lake Tekapo. I rigged up the Rodfather Stripper 6wt with an olive slump buster (for weight), tungsten head red midge and trailed a #16 squishy salmon egg; my rig was 4X flouro throughout. I'd assure a decent drift by walking along the canal after a cast about 40% across. It started to rain as was getting back down to the car when I "snagged on the bottom." I realized then it was not a snag when it moved upstream and set the hook a bit harder. I got him up to shore and learned it was a ~30" rainbow as thick as my thigh, >10#! Easily the biggest rainbow I've ever hooked. There are no cutthroat in NZ so this cool red monster is pure rainbow trout. Very heartening to be unguided and run a play that worked: my own plan, my own rod, my own fly. There were Kiwis all around checking the fish and my fight ~ I did ask the old guy to help but he did not have a net ~ when he reached to grab my line I told him I'd be ok. I was in the water several times with net deployed and I had to remove my indicator from my 20' mono rig in order to even get the fish close to me ~ I was 16 minutes into the fight and could not get him on his side, and certainly not his head up, yet at this point I was downstream 150 yards with a bridge looming just below me. I couldn't get under the bridge as it was low and couldn't really swim in the area. He broke off right at the bridge and floated away under it.

We made our way to Christchurch and enjoyed a few Behemoth Juice Campbell hazies @ Salut Salut with Ken to celebrate "close but no cigar." Super tasty cheese and other appetizer plates were enjoyed there too.