Central South Island fishing reports-nzfishing
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 19 Dec 2014 | |
What will the visiting angler find in the region this weekend and during the holiday period ahead. The lack of rain will disappoint mid and low country river anglers, spring, and now a good part of the summer, has not produced enough rain to keep fishing waters at optimum levels.
This will have minimal affect on the many lakes of the region which are a huge draw card for anglers and for those who include water based recreation on their annual holiday activities.
High country waters have been mostly affected by higher flows with some obvious discolouration. A scan along the peaks of the main divide and the obvious lack of snow will provide a clue as to why this has been a common condition so far this season.
Larger snow fed rivers provide interest for salmon anglers and although the WaitakiRiver spawning run usually begins in the new year in the Rangitata River numbers of salmon have been landed. Low, clear river conditions are frustrating anglers with few preferred river levels and colour occurring so far.
The Waitaki River had a very good "opening" for the trout fisher and a high catch rate continues. Spin fishing has accounted for some exceptional rainbow trout however fly fishing with nymph or may fly patterns has been highly successful producing excellent conditioned brown trout. Evening flights of caddis flies have been phenomenal and the trout in the upper river have feasted on this seasonal but nocturnal delicacy for several weeks.
In the high country last week I heard my first chirp of a cicada. If the weather warms, as it should, this large and sought after trout food will become available on rivers and lakes throughout the recognised holiday period. Every fly fisher should have some "artificials" in his fly box.
The hydro canals, a magnet to thousands of anglers during the year, will be well fished and some large trophy trout will be seen and one or two may be hooked and landed. Salmon however will be the prevalent species caught. And all methods, natural bait, soft baits or trout wobblers are proving successful. Reports from this unique fishery indicate that the catch rate of salmon appears to have slowed. This observation may be temporary although considering the numbers of fish that have been removed by anglers, depletion of fish stocks should not come as a huge surprise.
If in the MacKenzie Basin over the next few weeks, Central South Island will be holding their annual "Kids Fishing Day" at Kelland Pond (4 km south of Twizel) on the 3rd of January 2015. The pond will be stocked with salmon for the event. No "big kids" however, you have to be under 12 years of age. For more details check CSI regional news on Fish & Game's web site or contact the Temuka office or the writer at the Kurow office.
This will be my last fishing report for this year. Along with colleagues and Council of Central South Island Fish and Game Region we wish you an enjoyable festive season and if you have an opportunity, a memorable fishing experience in our region.
We'll have a "catch up" in the new year. | |
| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 12 Dec 2014 | |
Seasonal social functions and end of year preparations interfere with fishing. These annual affairs exacerbated by shabby weather have definitely slowed incoming fishing reports from friends, anglers and colleagues. Last weekend was almost respectable for the new summer season but quickly sabotaged by unexpected, cooler temperatures. "After dinner angling" here has not been inviting and for me, evening and nocturnal fishing present numerous challenges without the added degree of difficulty brought about by inclement weather. There has been a noticeable decline in insect night life with the cooler weather, caddis have been conspicuously absent from lighted windows and doorways.
Officers Stevens and Couper report that all lowland rivers received a slight lift in flow this week however the respite will be short lived and fish salvage in many systems is inevitable. The salmon catch is rising in the Rangitata River and on the south mouth "scoreboard" the catch recorded so far is 37 with the heaviest at 7.3 kilos. Hamish tells me that with a salmon turning up he has purchased some new lures in preparation for when the river becomes fishable.
Currently the Rangitata is at 106 cumecs, with a bit of luck it should become fishable on Sunday or early next week.
On home turf, in Waitaki Valley waters, similarly most rivers had a slight lift in flows during the week but I have no salmon catches to report.
The Ahuriri River is flowing at just over 24 cumecs and still carrying some colour. One day it will run clear!
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 27 November 2014 | |
Norwest winds continue to blast across the country, frustrating many anglers and boaters. A lot of planned fishing excursions throughout the region have been postponed.
Free flowing rivers sourced from the main divide are affected and important and popular fisheries such as the Ahuriri River will be high and discoloured again this weekends. A landowner farming adjacent to the river said on Wednesday the river was that turbid "you could grow spuds in it!"
Such was the force of the wind, the upper, lower Waitaki River was discoloured on Wednesday as Lake Waitaki silt disturbed and transported by the stormy conditions passed through the Waitaki Dam turbines or crashed over the dam crest.
One of our dedicated honorary offices called after a day checking anglers on the hydro canals and reports that good numbers of salmon are still being caught. Coastal waters have changed little during the week and remain at low levels. On the rare night where the wind has permitted, the drone of brown beetles is all encompassing and lighted windows attract them along with moths, bugs and of interest to me, caddis flies.
Monday, early evening, the wind "buttoned off" and by 7.30pm the air was almost still and temperatures were mild to comfortably warm. An opportunity. Within minutes I had sorted through various fly boxes and found from two seasons past, a trace with twoWaitaki Sedge flies attached. By 8.30pm I was clambering down a bank to the waters edge.
Three other river users communicated loudly amongst themselves, paddled upstream. They appeared to be complaining about the effort require to paddle into the current. They passed me by, silently, working hard. Thoughtfully giving me a wide berth and then returning closer to shore to avoid the current and to conserve energy. When the current became too swift they angled for the opposite bank, a long pull, again conversing loudly, encouragement to each other as they struggled to reach the far shallows as quickly as possible. Inevitably during the crossing, they lost a 100 metres of progress due to the strong current sweeping them downstream. Obviously they had done this before and knew exactly where they would cross and where they would make landfall. Eventually their loud clamour was lost in the rush of the Waitaki as rounding the bend onto their home straight they were lost from view.
Now, with the river to myself and plenty of daylight left, I optimistically, impatiently, tossed some loose line on the water, to remove kinks from the cast and muscles. Despite the sky being dotted with an encouraging number of airborne caddis flies, caddis feeding fish wouldn't appear for at least an hour. Unexpectedly, a half leap, half porpoise of a fish near where my line was swinging in the current caused an involuntary lift of the rod tip. A surprised trout careered downstream in a series of splashy, noisy leaps. The singing reel was a welcome, wonderful sound.
In the next 45 minutes this experience was repeated 5 times with all but one coming to the net. Considering the length of time it takes to "horse" these fish around in the big flows the actual casting time was very short. Hooking them was in quick time, landing them was almost work, but good work! At 9.20pm I called home with the request to put the jug on as I was on my way. It was quite obvious from her tone, my bride was thinking, no fish so he's coming home early. "Ye of little faith! Fish in the bag, coming home early!"
The experience was reminiscent of how it used to be in the late 70's! Catching caddis eaters in the early evening before dark. Latterly the caddis "hatch" was not until after dark. Not as many fish today but they were taking caddis with gay abandon. It's not often I go home when the fish are still on, well never before actually. Undoubtedly had I stayed I would have continued to catch fish. Those caught were all "browns" and all performed with distinction, with many examples of heart stopping, line breaking, aerobatics. The fish I kept had been feeding for some time as on inspection it had consumed over 100 caddis.
I ventured out again 2 nights later, to provide some fly casting instruction to a spin fisher. The dying wind unfortunately gathered momentum and it was not a night for casting a fly line. After a very short lesson and demonstration I moved our practice 200 metres downstream to productive fishing water where, the pupil immediately, within seconds, hooked a 1kg trout on his first cast. Not to be out done I cast twice to land a very energetic rainbow trout. As the wind became more vigorous we agreed to call it a night to return in more favourable conditions. Due to either his natural ability or my tutoring, for his efforts my pupil has earned himself a new nick name which makes reference to a metallic posterior.
The weekend weather forecast is another shocker. On Saturday morning early, I will be fishing but with electro fishing gear capturing fish species for Fish & Game's display on show (along with 40 other stall holders) at the official opening day for the new Waitaki River bridges. Music, food, retail therapy and entertainment. Take your rod but take some time to join in the celebrations. Norwesters followed by wet southerlies doesn't sound great fishing weather so be prepared and have a Plan "B". Hopefully the met office has got it completely wrong, but I wouldn't bet on it.
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 20 November 2014 | |
Another week of the same scruffy conditions, dominated by winds from the west and a good mix of rain, hail and snow. The rain has been light, intermittent, annoying and has done nothing to assist flows in mid and low country waters. In the high country the "norwest" conditions have not provided the inflows we expect at this time of the year however the Ahuriri River remains at about 25 cumecs and nothing much has changed from last weekend where "murky" would be a good description of the water clarity. The upper river is still closed and does not open until the first Saturday of December which this year falls on the 6th of December.
Following my very mediocre day on the Waitaki River where I caught zero, lost a hat and discovered that both legs of newly purchased waders leak , something I forgot to mention, a couple of days later I met one of my fishing buddies from that day, boat in tow, parked on the street. "Coming or going?" I called across the road. "Been" he replied. "Good?" "Great! They (the trout) were all on the top". "Nothing like last week then?" "No" he replied with a shake of his head. That was refreshing, some good news which restored my battered faith in the Waitaki where coming home fishless is a rare occurrence.
Despite the atrocious climate the spring season has provided, large and small caddisflies have appeared. On Wednesday night, between 10.30pm and 11.30pm while monitoring elver migration and trapping at Waitaki Dam (in a private capacity, not for Fish and Game) masses of caddis, in their thousands, were attracted to the various lights of the power station.
Walking along the stop log platform while checking the traps and various access points for elvers, trout mostly large, were moving about in the non-operating tail races and at the base of the sluice gate ramp. My guess is they were only there for one reason, caddis. Not only were there more trout than I had seen previously and some impressive mature eels, but I saw the largest Waitaki trout I have ever seen.
This fish was so big I was convinced it was a Chinook salmon but after several minutes of observation I eventually decided it was a brown trout. Although viewing it mostly from above I would have to say it would also be the ugliest trout I have seen. With a huge head, and pectoral fins each about the size of my hand there was not much else, its body tapering rapidly to a large well worn tail. Compared to the many obese specimens I've seen removed from the hydro canal this was a very poor specimen indeed. Despite this it was still an impressive sight. How big? My guess, 5 to 6 kg (12 to 14 pounds) in good condition perhaps up to 9kg.
Obviously it's time to sort through my caddis patterns and make some evening visits to favourite caddis fishing reaches of the upper river.
Prior to the hydro canal construction days, when the Waitaki River ran thick with silt and decimated aquatic invertebrate life, caddis or sedge fishing in the upper river was well known and anglers would travel long distances just for a single nights fishing, it was that good! Today, almost 40 years on, the caddis population has never recovered to anywhere near the populations of the 70's but the appearance of lesser numbers are still an attraction for both brown and rainbow trout.
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 13 November 2014 | |
Over the past week weather patterns have been the usual, strong wind, scattered rain and hail showers, more snow and cool and even a frost which had avid gardeners out early, hosing down their emerging crops before the sunrise. Not cold enough to light the log burner in the evenings but too cold not to.
Snow fed rivers had a boost in flows from "norwesters", the Ahuriri River will be about 25 cumecs discoloured, clearing and clearing than last weekend and water clarity will probably rule out the fish seeing too much. Low country waters have changed little and continue to fall. Mid country waters, the Hakataramea and Maerewhenua Rivers have had only short lived benefit from the southerly showers, between 700 and 500 litres per second, and are now on the way down. The weather forecast for the weekend is a shocker with a mix of strong "norwesters", heavy rain in the headwaters swinging round to southerlies bringing rain and snow.
Since High Country opening weekend angling news has been sparse. The Waitaki River is producing fish for those who know where to look, a lot of time can be spent fishing unproductive water, and the Hakataramea River despite the low flow is still holding fish. Should we experience warmer weather some of the population will drop back to the safety and cooler depths of the Waitaki.
The lakes remain popular draw cards to boating anglers, and I received advice that Lake Waitaki has been at a low level and for those without 4WD vehicles launching boats could be a hassle.
There will be an influx of Cantabrians to the region with Christchurch Show Day today, so I expect there to be increased angling activity.
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 31 October 2014 | |
While the weather for Labour Weekend was not wonderful, there were lengthy periods of sun, and wind and a splash of rain. The week just past was another mix of seasons and another skiff of the white stuff arrived on the tops on Wednesday night. For this weekend, the predicted climatic conditions for the opening of High Country Waters do not look angler friendly. "Norwesters" are expected to blow.
Waters of interest in the Waitaki Valley will be the Hakataramea and MaerewhenuaRivers which are at low levels and probably the lowest flows seen on an opening weekend for several seasons. The Ahuriri River has been steady at about 20 cumecs, the only spike in the flow graph during last week, a rise of 4 cumecs, probably not even noticeable. Perhaps an early start will provide a few hours of casting before the "norwester" arrives in force. The upper Ahuriri River, its tributaries and associated tarns upstream of and including Longslip Creek do not open until the first Saturday of December i.e. the 6th of December.
The low flows in the Waitaki tributaries are of concern so early in the season and unless there is a significant rain fall fish salvage will be inevitable well before Christmas. Compare the low and steady flows around the region to this time last year, 2013, high country waters which open on Saturday will not be fishable due to recent nor west conditions. Snow melt and rain along the main divide has slowed but the aftermath has resulted in high flows and zero visibility in those waters which many anglers "gear up" for each year. Rivers such as the Ahuriri , Hopkins, Dobson, Temple, Tekapo, Rangitata and Asburton although receding are still well above their normal levels. The lakes they flow into will also be high and discoloured. The Hakataramea and Maerewhenua rivers have recovered although carrying good flows" and the following report "The high country opening was a bit of a "fizzer", due to many waters affected by high and discoloured flows".
In 2012 I record: "It would be difficult to remember or imagine a more miserable High Country opening day. Overnight rain turned to snow and air temperatures plunged from the early 20's of the previous 2 days to below 4 degrees C. At 11.00am in the upper Hakataramea Valley as wiper blades smeared intermittent rain drops the air temperature lowered to 3.7 C, the water temperature at Round Hill a "tepid" 10.8 degrees C."
In 2011, "Recent climatic conditions have been cold and wet and inland there is new snow to low levels. I had a quick ring round Otematata, Omarama and Twizel this morning and my first contact said "It's snowing, it's blowing and it's bloody cold!" During that weekend I found results of angler effort in the Haka River were not great. "At 10 cumecs it was more difficult to find fish especially in deeper water, a brisk "norwester kept the anglers well clothed and made spotting with "polaroids" even more difficult."
So completely different conditions exist. Fishing in the Haka and Maerewhenua will require some stealth, the fish will be easily seen however they will be wide awake due to the shrinking habitat, about 2.0 cumecs and 1.25 cumecs respectively.
High country weather will not suit anglers with gale force winds developing tomorrow morning and again on Sunday. If planning to boat any of the high country lakes during the weekend, consider what gale force wind means. Internationally there is no one accepted wind speed for "gale force" and there are several types of gale e.g. "fresh gale, "strong gale" and "whole gale" (which may also be termed as "storm") U.S. National Weather Service give wind speeds of 34 to 47 knots (63 to 87km/h) "gale" status".
The Beaufort Scale (a scale for measuring wind speed) extends from zero to 12. Zero is glassy calm, "gale" is at number 8, "storm" is 10 to 11 and 12 is "hurricane". Gale force "norwesters" are not uncommon in the Central South Island Region. Sea conditions during "gale force" winds are described as: Moderately high waves, 5.5 to 7.5 metres, with breaking crests forming spindrift. Well marked streaks of foam are blown along wind direction, considerable airborne spray. On land cause, Some twigs broken from trees, cars veer on road, progress on foot is seriously impeded.
While lake conditions may not meet those of the open ocean, having found myself on large lakes during norwest storms, the raging winds and overtaking breaking waves makes you feel very small, your boat less than sturdy and I do not recommend it.
The New Zealand wind scales appears to be similar to that used by the United States. Southern Lake – Mountains predictions for Saturday, "gale force up to 80 km/h rising to severe gale 100km/h" .That sounds about right, but I wouldn't want to spend time there.
Be careful out there!
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 24 October 2014 | |
Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game Officer
Unreliable spring weather persists, hot, cold, wind, rain and a skiff of new snow on the tops. The rain, although brief, steadied the downward trend in most waters of the region however for fish friendly flows more is required, not necessarily during this holiday weekend. If you're fishing in the Waitaki Valley expect a lot of traffic, already beginning to show, with caravans and boats heading westward many staking claim to a summer camping site.If intending to boat Lake Aviemore you wont be alone. The Aviemore Classic yacht race is on this weekend, competitors will hoping for good conditions which I suspect involves a bit of wind, something the anglers wont be wanting too much of.
While on the subject of boating, and knowing that I will be talking to the converted, with the high country opening next weekend, the 1st November, it is timely to remind jet boaters that there are places where boating is permitted and places where it is not. There are also places where boating is permitted at certain times. Jet boating is not permitted at any time on the Ahuriri River yet each year this activity is reported. Complaints have already been received by the Department of Conservation in Twizel regarding jet boat operation on the Dobson River.
The Hopkins and Dobson Rivers have a 5 knot speed restriction up until the 25th December. From this date until the end of April they have Open Speed Area status, (OSA) Similarly the Godley and McCauley Rivers' speed restriction uplifting begins on the 25th of December ending on the last day of April. From the 1st of May until the 24th December the 5 knots speed restriction applies to the above mentioned waters. North Canterbury rivers have a speed uplifting beginning on the 1st of December, don't get these rivers and dates mixed. To be sure check "Navigation Safety By laws" on the Ecan website.
Why are jet boats restricted in some of our waters? There are the obvious reasons: there is the safety factor, some rivers are small, small rivers and fast boats present obvious risks, banks are fragile and wake disturbance creates erosion, disturbance of fish and wildlife, danger to other water users , effects on anglers and the sports fish they catch, and more importantly the unseen damage caused to ova buried in the gravels of a river.
Studies showed that up to 40% of salmon eggs were killed by the pressure gradients created by jet units when a jet boat passed over a salmon redd. While the experiments were completed on Chinook salmon redds, without doubt trout ova will also be affected, perhaps with a higher mortality rate due to their eggs being deposited under less gravel compared to the deeper redds excavated by salmon. These experiments were completed in the mid 1970s. As far as I'm aware there has been no work done to study affects increased pressure might have on newly hatched alevins.
Significant mortalities occurred especially on the 9th day of incubation:
Water depth mm 150 300 450 Boat Speed m/s 8.9 5.6 4.0 Mortality % 37 39 24
In 1975 the New Zealand Jet Boat Association voluntarily adopted a policy amongst its members of not entering known spawning areas during the spawning season. While this was a responsible and admirable move by the association, not all jet boat owners are members. There will be boaters who are not familiar with spawning periods and known spawning areas or the preferred river flows and substrate used by salmon and trout for spawning. For many operators it is difficult to avoid these critical areas.If jet boating in the autumn and winter, keeping to deep water will avoid redd disturbance. Measurement of water depth in 4 study areas of the Hakataramea River showed that Chinook salmon spawned in water depths ranging from 240mm to 300mm.
With some good catches of whitebait reported and the early appearance of silveries I should be reporting some catches of sea run "browns" but not as yet. White baiters have seen a few but so far scuttlebutt is scarce on the activities of rod fishermen working the tidal zone.
The hydro lakes [Tekapo, Ohau and Pukaki] have been producing good results however reports indicate some concern that fish have been down in condition. This is to be expected as surviving kelts returning from the rigours of spawning need several weeks of good foraging to regain lost weight. A small proportion of the breeding population will be unable to do this and these will become more emaciated and die.
The Temuka Fish and Game staff have little to report except that officers Stevens and Couper attended and assisted with the kids fishing day at Peebles on the Waitaki Plains. Mark and Sonya Eckhold's property has become a popular venue for young anglers who were able to fish on their privately owned lake. 137 fish were caught with the heaviest weighing 3.75 kg. Central South Island Fish and Game Council will hold their high country fishing day on Kelland Pond near Twizel on 3rd of January next year.
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 17 October 2014 | |
Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game Officer
If you took a day off to go fishing because the weekend weather was good you may have been fortunate earlier in the week. Latterly the days have not been so angler friendly, however it is still spring after all.
It could be that the approaching long weekend Labour Day will be busy as there has not been too much activity to report on in the Waitaki catchment. It is pleasing to learn that as it is for me, it is for others, for a peaceful existence the home and grounds maintenance have priority, and that with the mundane tasks taken care of the first long weekend of the new season can be given one hundred percent effort without guilt or thought of the overdue dog kennel repair, rewiring the clothes line, or fitting the new range hood in the kitchen, it's all done, just fishing. I'm sure.
The early appearance and the greater number of mayflies is providing the flyfisher with some good results in the Waitaki River. Fishing to rising "browns" can be short lived, however. Usually the first noses begin to show early afternoon. There is some urgency as at any time the cool and often brisk upriver easterly wind will arrive. As a rule the wind throws a big "Off" switch to any surface feeding and further fishing necessitates a change in tactics. Either changing to the nymph you started with earlier or, if the wind is really annoying, grab the spinning rod.
Boats have been busy on the lakes and while I don't have too much information on the success rate, well none at all really, I haven't heard any complaints which is usually a good sign.
Rainbow trout are in the final throes of their spawning activities, and as some anglers have mentioned, the rainbow spawning run appears to be getting later. There is a line of thought that there may be the normal migration which peaks in June/July and then the late arrival of another September/October. I suspect it may be just an extended run time rather than two separate events. I have been deep in thought on this very subject and, although my recall is often lacking, floods during rainbow spawning periods have been a regular occurrence. As rainbow trout spawn only in tributaries and not the main stem, there is no back up from the stable Waitaki River if things go wrong in these smaller flood susceptible flows. Unlike brown trout which spawn in the main stem and in the tributaries. There is some truth in the old adage which advises us not to put all our eggs in one basket. If the spawning effort is annihilated by a mid season flood event ripping through the tributary spawning grounds, incubating ova and developing alevins during that time are removed from the population. One would think that the later spawning adults, flood free, should be successful and that their progeny might also be late spawners. Eventually there evolves a late run strain of rainbow trout and some recovering "spawners" can be caught well into the summer. Evolution is usually a slow process however in this example perhaps not. There is no science supporting this hypothesis just a collection of idle thoughts by idle anglers.
There are situations, somewhat similar, where sports fish are affected by destruction of redds not brought about by a sudden deluge but by competition for space. In small lake tributaries where suitable spawning gravels are very limited, brown trout excavate their redds in the premium locations and leave. Almost immediately migrating rainbow trout arrive, and with all the good spots taken by salmo trutta there is only one avenue open to them, use the same gravels. In the process of excavating their redds, the recently laid brown trout eggs are damaged or destroyed resulting in a very poor survival and the brown trout fishery spirals downward to eventually crash. Despite some superimposition of redds by their own kind (when pairs of spawning adults outnumber available spawning sites) rainbow trout become the dominant species.
In the South Canterbury area of the CSI region Fish and Game Officer Hamish Stevens reports "Whitebait runs have been pretty good of late and the silveries are already showing themselves. This means any sea runs present will have no excuse for not putting on condition. While not a sports fish, the Kahawai, have turned up in good numbers off the river mouths, no doubt chasing the smorgasbord of food on offer. With the Kahawai turning up early some salmon anglers are predicting a good start to the season however it will be at least another month before we will know if their predictions are correct.Early season trout angling has been good, particularly in the Opihi and Lake Opuha. Rainbows up to 1.5kg are being caught at Lake Opuha and the browns in the Opihi River are in great condition and taking dry flies well".
The earlier mention of "deluge" reminds me that such an event would be advantageous as almost all rivers and streams in the CSI region continue to decline in flow. The hydro storage lakes are lowering as the inflows from a very dry September are outstripped by generation demand.
The weather for the weekend ahead appears to be in recovery mode from today's predicted gusty norwester which swings round to the south bringing some rain tonight and a possibility of thunderstorms. Conditions should improve through to Sunday although the southerly airflow will probably cool things down a bit.
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 10 October 2014 | |
Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game Officer
The weather for first weekend of the new season predicted to be a disaster wasn't too bad, the wind however was a concern. There were periods of rain, hail, snow skiffs on the tops interspersed with brief sightings of the sun, not ideal weather for anglers. While the elements "topside", especially wind, affects anglers resulting in less time on the water, subsurface not too much changes. Conditions for the fishery have been quite stable. River flows have changed little since opening day, several small fluctuations have occurred in coastal waters, and despite some extreme norwest conditions, there has been minimal effects on the larger snow fed rivers. Down country, the lack of significant rainfall furthers a downward trend in most waters and drought has become a topic in rural conversation.
To Central South Island Fish and Game staff it comes as no surprise, it has become a common fact of angling life , while free flowing rivers have just opened to fishing after the closed season, the hydro canals continue to create interest and inquiries from visiting and novice anglers and an increasing number of "wannabe" anglers. If you want to see an array of brand new fishing gear, then go to any of the McKenzie hydro canals. Some of the rods and reels seen have been bought, or sold, with world record canal trout in mind and lengthy surf casting rods are not uncommon.
Best baits for canal fishing.
Central South Island staff received many calls from anglers planning a fishing trip to thehydro canals. Most know that wherever there are salmon farms there are good fishing prospects and will home in on waters close to the salmon rearing enclosures. Other successful fishing locations are the intakes of the penstocks for the hydro power station immediately down stream of a salmon farm. At times, schools of salmon can be seen in these locations. Perhaps the most common question is "What's the best bait or the best method to employ when fishing the canals?"
When anglers first became aware of the "new" fishery, bait fishing appeared to be the most popular method for catching canal sports fish primarily Chinook salmon. Trout appear to be more cautious and there are less of them, salmon are by far the dominant species. Shrimp and huhu beetle larvae have caught thousands of fish and still do. If bait fishing is not your forte then your favourite trout or salmon lures will work in the canals. On some days bait fishers will out fish the spin fishers and on another day the success rate is reversed. More recently however "soft baits" appear to have superseded most other methods. All models, colours and sizes can be seen at any time and everyone has their favourite type.
Fish where the trout and salmon live
Canal fishers should be aware that the depth of water they are fishing is several times deeper than any rivers they may have fished previously. Approximately 10 meters deep, several less for the smaller Ohau canal, it is a long way to the bottom. This could explain why bait fishers out fish spin fishing methods. Most species of sports fish patrol and feed at depth in and around weed beds or in the stony substrate. Fishing on or close to the canal bed is going to be more productive then retrieving a spinner in the upper water column. Although at first not obvious, during normal generation demand there is a strong and steady current. Combine this with the very deep water, it is important that anglers equipped with retrieved spinning rigs keep lures fishing deep. Weight of lure, casting angle and speed of retrieve need to be taken into account.
Compared to the blustery conditions just experienced, the weekend weather is looking much better and all waters are clear and fishable. The whitebait catch is reported to be encouraging, the increasing number of baiters seen recently indicates that recent scuttlebutt heard may be correct. The lower reaches of coastal rivers and tidal waters should be a good place to look for bait feeding "browns".
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| Fish & Game Weekly Report, Friday 3 October 2014 | |
Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game Officer
The opening day of the new season in the Waitaki catchment was exceptional. With a mid week opening day there was only a moderate numbers of anglers about, however, school holidays resulted in younger anglers being well represented.
An early visit to the canals indicated that although many low country waters opened on Wednesday, this unique fishery's popularity has not waned. Small salmon and large rainbow trout were caught while I was there but perhaps not in the numbers expected. Bait fishing with shrimp and huhu beetle larvae are still popular and these offerings killed several large trout from 6lb up to 18lb. Overall however, the use of soft baits outnumbers those fishing with natural baits.
The canals are excellent places of learning for young anglers. I watched a Dad with a smaller fish caught by one of his youngsters, it was netted and the hook removed using a pair of angler's pliers, without the fish leaving the water. Many adults could do with such a demonstration. I saw a line cut at the hook eye when a deeply hooked fish was to be released, the recommended practice when faced with this situation. Chinook salmon are experts at inhaling the entire lure or bait. Ripping a hook from a fish will most likely be fatal despite it flashing off to the deep at speed when returned to the water. The number of dead fish washed down stream and trapped against the penstock grills is a fair indication that this is not an uncommon fate for a percentage of the released catch.
At the Kurow Bridge and Duntroon boat ramps 15 boat trailers indicated that the upper river would be well fished. On my traditional opening day "survey” of some of these anglers I received glowing reports. Last year the jet boaters reported "the best opening for many years”. This year it was agreed results were even better! A 60 - 40 catch of "browns” compared to "rainbows” reported that every fish caught was in top condition, especially the rainbow trout, the largest taken weighing 2 kg. Didymo was mentioned and although it was absent in some parts of the river in other areas it caused some irritation. It was noted that most of the fish were caught in areas where didymo was most troublesome. That's fishing.
Temuka based Fish and Game Officer Jayde Couper reports that the smaller coastal waters Temuka, Orari and Opihi received light fishing pressure and catches were meagre. His compliance duties took him as far as Rangitata's Deep Creek, where three parties were interviewed and at that time two trout had been landed and released. The anglers he spoke to agreed that the outstanding weather ensured it would be a good day on the water. (Jayde reported sighting several "good fish” in Deep Creek while he was there. Fish size and exact locations were not forthcoming however).
Although all anglers mentioned the blue skies and warming sun of opening day, according to the met office these idyllic conditions are about to change. With the first weekend of the new season ahead there will be a lot more fishing activity and for those who brave the elements (snow flakes are falling in Kurow as this report is completed) if the opening day is an indicator it should be a good weekend, but not so for the fish.
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