Croydon Lodge, Gore, New Zealand Feb 2, 1978 Woody, Ted Kennedy and I arrived here yesterday after spending a night in Auckland. A Toyota 4-wheel drive cruiser was waiting for us in Invercargill Airport, c/o MoM Polson. We reached our quarters mid afternoon, had drinks at dinner with Dean and Kay Zimmerman who were en transit to Australia. This morning Peter Cullen called for me about 9 AM in his fancy Land Rover as took me to his brother's place about midway between Mataura and Wyndham, on the west bank of the Mataura River. Fish were rising smartly when we arrived but slowed perceptibly by 10 AM. I hooked a fine big brown on a size 18 Adams but the hook broke after 10 to 15 minutes of playing him, would have landed one about 22" - Peter guessed 4 1/2 lbs. After lunch Peter took Ted upstream and he landed a 20 inches. I stayed near camp and coaxed an 18" with a nymph. Pulled him out from under the willow and played him across the whole river to the other side for netting. So we had one fish species. From 5 to 7:00 we waited around trying for an early evening rise but there was very little. Woody hooked a big one in shallow water but the hook pulled loose after a minute or so. Lots of mallards along the river, and stilts stayed with me all day. Also several spur-winged plovers.