Otago Reel Life October 2019

Great Start to the 2019/20 Season

For those of you that managed to get out for the start of the new season I trust the experience was well worth waiting for and some nice fish were landed.

October has been a mix of rainy squalls and wind, but fisheries have remained in a good state and anglers have reported catching some very healthy fish.

Right:Riley Smith from Dunedin with a very large perch for the pot!

Put and take fisheries (we put them in - you take them out) get stocked annually with rainbow trout which grow very quickly and provide a range of angling opportunities.

Ponds in the Maniatoto are producing some very fat fish so maybe a Sunday outing with the family could be considered.

Lake Hawea has remained low, and fishing around the shoreline has been very successful for both brown and rainbow trout.

Salmon will now be congregating near the dam and will easily be caught off the camping ground point near the boat ramp.

Use shiny lures, fish deep and respect the daily bag limit of 4 salmon and 2 trout.

Some large perch have recently been caught at Tomahawk Lagoon in Dunedin. They are fun to catch and great to eat. There is no daily bag limit for perch in the Otago region. Click here for useful filleting instructions.

Backcountry River Opening

November 1 is the opening of the main lake tributaries and backcountry rivers.

Otago has 9 designated Backcountry (BC) fisheries which all require a BC licence endorsement in addition to a full seasons licence. Licencing information is available here.

Note that a one-day licence does not qualify for the backcountry endorsements that are required to fish designated backcountry fisheries.

If you are not a NZ citizen or holder of a permanent resident visa you must purchase a non-resident licence and additionally apply for a BC licence endorsement.

The non-resident licence category is now in its 6^th year after it was first introduced in the 2014/15 season.

We would welcome any feedback on your BC fishing experiences so please feel free to contact Fish and Game Officer - Paul van Klink at [email protected]

Feedback Sought on Upper Fraser River

Fish and Game is seeking angler feedback on the Upper Fraser River.

If you have experience fishing the river or dam, or you would like to comment on its current state please contact Cliff Halford at [email protected]

Unlicenced Anglers

Angler interviews on Lake Wanaka have recently resulted in several anglers issued with offence notices for not holding a new season licence.

In most cases these anglers were previous licence holders and could have avoided penalties by spending a few minutes ordering online prior to the new season commencing on October 1st.

A timely reminder for all licence holders to be conversant with the regulations.

Upcoming Events

November 1st and 2nd– Lake Hawea Hotel fishing competition

November 17 – Rotary of Cromwell Lake Dunstan Fishing Competition.

November 24 – Central Otago, Manuherikia River. An introduction to soft bait fishing. If you haven’t tried it and want to know more, get along. Go to the Otago Fish and Game face book page for more information.

December 15 – Taieri River. An introduction to soft bait fishing. Go to the Otago Fish and Game face book page for more information.

For complaints about pollution or damage to rivers contact the Otago Regional Council (ORC) 24-hour pollution hotline on 0800 800 033

Up to date river flow information can be found on the ORC site here

Land and public access information can be located on the NZ Walking Access Commission site here

Quote for the month

If I fished only to capture fish, my fishing trips would have ended long ago - Zane Grey

Cliff Halford Fish and Game Officer, Cromwell