It's promising to be a long, warm and dry summer and that means as usual we're looking at low and clear rivers and spooky trout. Here's a few tips for success.

1. Go long and fine

The first step in targeting spooky trout is long leaders with fine tippets. If you struggle turning over long leaders then try adding a Polyleader into the system to assist with turnover. With tippets if you normally fish 6lb then try dropping down to 5lb. If you're already on 5lb then what about 4lb!

Hamish Murray (Previous #4 in World, #1 in commonwealth, #1 in NZ) show's his skills in pulling a trophy sized brown out of clear skinny water

2. Reduce fly size

In clear water trout will see absolutely anything, so try and reduce the size of your flies. Smaller flies are often closer to what trout are actually feeding on and what's also important is they don't crash down on the surface like larger patterns.

Gary Lyttle from H&F Taupo with a cracking brown caught sipping dries in skinny water on the Tongariro

3. Take your time

With spooky trout you very rarely get more than one chance, so make sure you take your time and make the most of that chance. When you spot a fish get into a position where you can observe the fish, watch to see how it's feeding and where best to position yourself for the cast.

Mike Davis from H&F Rotorua and I with a couple of nice Rainbow's (although mine is smaller) caught using long leaders in clear water

4. Make one cast and make it count

With minimal false casts make your first cast count. remember to take into account currents and if necessary throw in a curve or reach cast to improve your drift.

If you're into improving your casting skills, eating country cooked roasts, hanging out with good guys and catching some cracking fish, then the FFF Middlemarch Conclave will be for you.

Mike Davis from Rotorua Hunting and Fishing sits in on Paul Ardens Distance Casting Class

At this years conclave casting clinics were held by experts like Chris Dore, Paul Arden and Christian and Tina Strixner (I did one too to help  the organisers fill in an empty time slot). Federation of Fly Fishers Master casters Carl McNeil and Chase Jablonski ran exams for CI casting instructors.

The conclave has been the brain child and pashion of angler/writer/artist/good guy Bob Wyatt. As the clave is run not for profit it is great value for attendants and has become a great addition to New Zealand's fly fishing calendar.

If you are going to try and make it for next year make sure you book some extra time to fish the local Taeri river and other gems ..... one word of advice if you are going to chase the fussy willow grub feeders then make sure you pack a soft 4 weight rod (I fished the Scott 8'8" #4 G2. It's the only way to target these big fish on light tippets and tiny flies).

A nice Taeri brown taken on the Scott G2 8'8" #4 and size 20 willow grub.

Simon Chu gently places a cast to a willow grub feeder on the Taeri

The lower reaches of Canterbury's big braided rivers get raided every summer by trophy browns feeding on silveries and whitebait. Targeting these fish on classic fly tackle has always been hard work, but double handed fly rods are a perfect solution.

Simon McMillan from Hamills Christchurch fishing a heavy sink tip on a double hander for Sea Run Browns

Where the double handers really come into their own is in the ability to handle heavy sinking heads and control bulky flies cast after cast. As we all know this is possible on a single handed rod but hard work to say the least. Consequently when using a double hander you can simply relay get into a rythm and systematically fish your way through a pool  or run.

This is what it's all about Simon with a classic Canterbury sea run.

During change of light the white bait and silveries move into the shallows with the big browns in tow.

These Canterbury sea runs range in size from 2lb through to 20lb, so you never really know what you might come accross. What's more as the season progresses your chances of picking up a salmon are increased more and more......not a bad by catch for chasing sea run browns.