I just wanted to share some feedback on a trip to Highland Lodge last week, as I know that you will be heading that way soon.
The best fishing was at Bernards Dam and Spurwing Dam. We fished Syds one of the afternoons, but not a take.
Of the four days fished two were slow due a glacial front that hit on Sunday.
The wind was never under 25km/h NNW and most mornings were sub-zero.
The average fish were 7 - 8lbs.
I also got to use the Rio - Hover for the first time. It was awesome knowing that you could cast out into/over the weeds with that slow sink rate. When retrieving you can also picture the fly at this super slow speed - sort of maximized fly exposure time with minimum snagging on the weeds. Most of the fishing we did was wading in or on the edge due to the wind; to me this is where the true pleasure of the Hover line come in.
Anyhow, it was awesome to see the fish in perfect condition again at Highland Lodge.