One of my favorite rivers in the central South Island is known for big rainbows and even bigger brown trout in a majestic setting. Some of the best trout are found in the oxbows. We fished a gin-clear lagoon on a windless day. The sky was such a bright blue it made your eyes water, even behind polaroids. Big browns cruised an open beat between the weedbeds and the shore. The water was as smooth as glass. You couldn't ask for tougher conditions.