LOST IN THE PRESENT TENSE
A Guide’s Day off in Murchison, New Zealand
Scott Murray, co-owner of River Haven Lodge in Murchison on New Zealand’s South Island, sits at the far end of the lodge dining room table with his legs splayed out. A cup of tea rests in front of him next to a plate of eight slices of toast covered in honey made just a few kilometers up the Mangles Road. Scott wears a long-sleeved camo shirt with a gaping hole in one of the armpits and the standard Kiwi wet wading outfit: shorts over Under Armour leggings. His leggings have been repaired and stitched with blue 3/0 thread from ankle to thigh like sutures on a crash victim.
Scott has silver hair, ex-rugby player’s shoulders and bad dad puns come out of his mouth faster than I can roll my eyes. He’s understated, quick witted, a bit on the quiet side and is certainly a listener—I can tell from the way he responds to my questions. Presumably in his mid-50s—I never ask—he’s a lifelong resident of the South Island. His grin, though, carries a self-effacing confidence that assures me we’ll have a great day regardless of whether we find fish...
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