Will Spry fishing report, Reel Life August 2017
- 28/08/2017
Winter seems to be on the way out in the Mackenzie, but fortunately it has been a gentle one for us.
Some excellent fishing has been enjoyed by the hardy souls who fish the canals in winter. Most methods have been productive, but the best results have been on the change of light usually, with the low, clear and slow flowing waters making some of the trout and salmon a bit fussy and wary. However some excellent fish are still there to be had. Egg patterns, soft plastics and streamer flies all seem to be working well, so experiment – try something new and stick at it to get results.
Full season opening in the high country is not until the first weekend in November, so there are still a couple of months to go before we can hit the rivers in the Mackenzie Country. But that really just serves to give us time to enjoy the lakes around the area and of course, the year round open canals.
A recent visit from some mates from locations further south, really opened their eyes to the great fishery on my doorstep. Here’s what Simon Chu had to say about his experience in the region.
“I recently fished the Twizel area – the canal system. It was an area which I had previously avoided – thinking the environment was sterile – I was very wrong. Amazing big vistas and spectacular ease of access allow an angler to fish for stunning fish using a variety of methods. Ignore this area at your peril – the most incredible fishing experiences await.”
The proof of the pudding was in the fish he released after a strong fight. Needless to say there are plenty more still to be caught as evidenced from photos and discussions on the social media pages which the casual reader will come across. Really, this is a world class fishery worthy of more press for it’s abundant high quality fish, ease of access and kilometres of fishable water.
Otherwise, rainbow spawning continues, with the fish now in full colouration and starting to move into the spawning grounds ready to produce the future stocks of the region. Do avoid disturbing spawning fish where you can as your future successes will depend on them. This time of the year is a good chance to set yourself up for the coming season.
Check your tackle from last season and give it a good clean, change the line if needed and go through your old lures, flies and tackle and get rid of the items that really aren’t any good any more. Also, spend a bit of time practising your casting and line management, so that when the clock ticks over on Opening Day, you can hit the water “running” and get straight into the fishing successfully. Maybe even get a lesson or two in the off season to see you with the edge come November 4th.
Will Spry