Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/769056
was pointing to a submerged log big enough for the lodge's hearth! I inched forward on my knees until I was about in line with the trout. On this beat, the creek bank was about 15 feet above the water, forcing me to think of both drop and distance on my cast upstream. I was pleasantly surprised when my nymph landed delicately in the pool about just a few feet above this bruiser of a brown. Unfortunately, I was still on my knees when the fish took my nymph and raced downstream. My rod swished through the tall grass like a scythe cutting wheat. In an instant I was down to my backing, and then the fish broke me off, seemingly with no more effort than Muhammad Ali flicking off a weak jab. On my second day I took a ten-minute helicopter ride to the banks of a remote stream on Maori land in the next valley over from the lodge. Heavily canopied, the stream had a dark, primordial feel to it, a place where trout grew to huge proportions New Zealand. Guests can expect, the lodge notes, to fish new water every day, no matter how long their stay. "World class" has become an overused superlative, but not in the case of trout fishing at Poronui. The lodge has suitable water for a range of fly fishing skill levels and physical abilities. If you're up to the challenge, Poronui will offer you the chance to catch a trout, or two, of a lifetime. I'm talking about fish measured in pounds, not inches. As they would say in Boston, these big boys are "wicked smart" and demand stealth and top-notch presentations if you want to hook up. Even then, your best may not be enough. Indeed, my two most memorable fishing experiences at Poronui were with fish I didn't land. My first morning out we fished a stretch of the Taharua, slowly making our way up the bank looking for a feeding fish. My guide, Sean, spotted a big brown quietly finning in midstream. At first, I thought he plan to hunt and fish, mid-March, when I was there, is an excellent crossover time. Many great fly fishing lodges boast that they are close to top-rated rivers or streams, waters that, as good as they may be, are also open to all, whether float-trippers, streamside anglers, or both. That's great for public access but can put a good measure of pressure on the resource, and make for tough fishing even when conditions are prime. By contrast, Poronui has almost 25 miles of world-class trout water on-site: the Taharua, a spring creek, meanders down the valley, while the Mohaka River, a tumbling freestone stream, wraps itself around the property's border. If this isn't enough, the helicopters based at the lodge can, in a matter of minutes, put you on the headwaters of some of the area's remote mountain streams, some of the best but least-fished waters in 230 • S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S taviphoto/istockphoto.com