In April’s Reel Life I suggested that we should prepare  for an early winter, I did not foresee  the very wet start which has been here for a significant part of May. Except for the opening of the game bird hunting season which, much to the chagrin of the duck hunter, was fine and frosty, rain and flooding have been an every day occurrence.” Water, water every where but not a place to fish!”

Salmon usually experience between 250 to 400 cumec flows in the Waitaki River during their spawning period. Presently there exists an unusual situation where the natural and man made lakes are at maximum level. This means that what flows into the catchment must flow out, there are no storage possibilities. Alpine flows are by now usually locked in ice for the winter and inflows are restricted resulting in minimal inflows and lowered flows in the regions rivers during the winter.  Not so far!

 
Flood waters overtop the Waitaki Dam sending 1500 cumecs down the Waitaki River

In most waters of the region there have been 2 large floods less than 3 weeks apart , the first events were high but not as high as the second. The Waitaki River although still rumbling down at an impressive 700 cumecs,  peaked at just over 1500. The Hakataramea River which for the last 5 or 6 years has had autumn  flows  of less than a cumec impeding  salmon migration, shot up to 130 cumecs and is presently receding and at 33 cumecs. The Maerewhenua River suffers a similar but worse situation during most autumns with flows at the confluence preventing access to any fish excepting perhaps a very determined bully. This year any salmon wanting to explore the upper reaches of this the second largest tributary of the Waitaki,  found flows exceeding 30 cumecs and although dropping steadily it will not affect the Chinook , it’s a one way trip for them unfortunately.

It is inevitable that salmon spawning will have been affected however it’s impossible to say to what extent. Some early brown trout redds will have been damaged however the high water has occurred prior to most of the brown trout spawning effort and so far all of the rainbow trout which although colouring up wont spawn until next month. In the high country both the Ahuriri River and the Omarama Stream exceeded mean flows many times over with flows of 350 and 80 cumecs respectively. The normally sedate and well behaved Omarama Stream carving out an impressive  crevasse in Highway 8, a major tourist route to the Southern Lakes.

The winter fishing in Waitaki Valley lakes has been limited. High lake levels due to spill events are usually of short duration and surprisingly the water clarity remains. Presently this is not the case and as a result of the continued rain and snow melt the regions lakes are turbid and have been for several weeks. During the last few days there has been some improvement and  from Lake Ohau to Lake Waitaki  the water at present is  fishable but discoloured. Most affected is the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore  a result of the high flows of the Ahuriri River.

Changing lake levels create opportunity.
The Waitaki Hydro lakes, Benmore Aviemore and Waitaki remain at maximum levels and around Lake Waitaki considerable areas of land are inundated by excess water. Undoubtedly these events provide the fish species a wide range of terrestrial food items usually unavailable to them.
High lake levels when the dams are spilling most often occurs in December and January. At this time the lake shorelines accommodate many hundreds of holiday campers who are forced to shift tents camper vans and caravans to high ground. Knowing anglers, having attended to ensuring the campsite is above the high water mark with due stealth and diligence can target some of the lakes trout population as they wend their way through tussock rushes and lake edge scrub on the lake shore, feasting on insects and worms.

I was told how two teenagers had noticed tails and dorsal fins of trout in shallow water during a spill event. Surmising that the trout were taking advantage of the conditions and enjoying a newly available food source the  lads took a shovel and returned a short time later with half a bucket of earth worms.  With  a couple of worms on a hook suitably weighted with a few split shot pinched onto the line  they returned and soon located feeding trout.  Like a pair of herons the anglers stalked the shallows , looking ahead for tell tale fins or water disturbance.  Using available cover to keep out of sight the baits were lobbed ahead of any fish seen. Trout took the  baits without hesitation.
 

High water feeding areas for brown trout around Lake Waitaki. provide interesting and successful fishing although “fraught with hazards” as shown in this recent image.

The technique however was fraught with hazards. Just getting the bait to land in the water without a hang up on a rush, Matagouri, Sweet Briar or any other foliage was a challenge. If the cast was successfully achieved, a hooked trout in areas of shallow water instantly sought the safety of the lake proper. The return journey was at high speed with little regard for line snagging impediments on the way. Consequently many fish were lost. That aside what a great days fishing they had.  An opportunity brought about by climatic conditions, an observation, and followed up by a common sense deduction.

Salmon Spawning counts affected.
The proposed salmon spawning survey of the Waitaki River and tributaries is  not possible this year due to the high and turbid river conditions.
The Waitaki River remains  high and turbid flowing at 700 cumecs and the Hakataramea River although receding is still six times higher than its mean

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