Central South Island Reel Life March 2018

An April of fishing opportunities

April is the last month of the ‘summer’ fishing season. Some waters are now closed for salmon fishing so make sure to review your regulation guide for details.

In the meantime, why not use the last month of the summer season as an opportunity to tick the box of a goal you have never achieved. In a region with so many fishing options there are plenty of boxes to tick.

Above right: box ticked - brook trout.

Sockeye salmon at it again

These sockeye are part way through their journey up the Ohau River.

We are currently in the thick of sockeye salmon spawning counts.

With the use of a helicopter this year, our understanding of the size and geographical spread of the run is better than ever.

The aerial view enables us to cover a lot of ground quickly in the vast Mackenzie country.

When the survey has been completed we will update you on numbers, but it's safe to say its in the tens of thousands throughout the Waitaki and Mackenzie.

If you haven’t seen sockeye spawning first hand then this video will give you a slice of the action and a look at how we undertake aerial surveys. Click here.

Tekapo flows

Heavy rainfall, high lake levels and maintenance of the Tekapo B Power Station has meant that Genesis Energy have been spilling Lake Tekapo water down the Tekapo River bed over recent months, instead of entirely down the Tekapo Canal.

This has resulted in a high and often unfishable Tekapo River and a reduced flow rate in the Tekapo Canal.

Genesis Energy have advised Fish & Game that they intend to cease spilling in late March, and unless there's an extreme wet period and rapid lake filling, they don't anticipate that any spilling will be required during April, the last month of the fishing season.

Further maintenance is required at the Tekapo B Power Station so flows in the Tekapo Canal will remain reduced from full capacity until around mid-June.      

Canal clean up

After the success of last year’s canal clean up, Roger Spicer, a keen canal angler and member of the Halswell Men’s Shed, has announced it's all go again this year on May 12.

Unfortunately, not all canal users clean up after themselves, so we need to do a little more each to ensure the canal banks stay as pristine as the high country scenery around them.

You and family members turning out for just a few hours of picking up rubbish from the canal banks would be much appreciated. As extra incentive to attend, there are awesome spot prizes up for grabs and a barbecue, all kindly donated by local and interested businesses. Besides, it’s a great time of year to fish the canals.

All participants must meet at Jakes Hardware in the Twizel town centre for registration and a safety briefing at 8:30am.

Come along to council meetings

Licenceholders and members of the public are welcome to attend our next bi-monthly council meeting.

The meeting starts at 7pm on Thursday, April 19 at the Fish & Game board room, 32 Richard Pearse Drive, Temuka.

Not all licenceholders read our newsletters or see the meeting advertisements so please spread the word around your fishing and game bird hunting friends.

Members of the public can address the Council in the public forum at the meeting, but if you intend to speak,  please contact the office in advance with your topic. Phone 03-6158400.

Tight lines

Rhys Adams, Central South Island Fish & Game Officer

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