Fishing report for the North Canterbury Region Friday 30th October 2020

Hello and welcome to the North Canterbury region fishing report. 

The rivers this week are dropping from some high flows that peaked during the weekend. 

There is another Nor-West front that will tip some water into the headwaters on Saturday and a cooler southerly change on Sunday.

The main alpine rivers are currently falling but will be marginal for fishing by the weekend before the next lot of rain. 

My advice would be if you are planning to fish around the river mouths go anyway as a bit of colour in the water is not the end of the world. 

Check out this great scene above sent in from Alistair Bradford. 

The Waimakariri mouth can be a stunning place at sunrise before any wind gets up.

High country lakes have been popular with anglers so far this season, especially when the rivers are unfishable. 

It will be windy this weekend so conditions can be challenging. 

However, fish are often very active, if you are fly fishing, there is always sheltered areas you can find. 

Or you can wade out directly into the wind and cast parallel to the sore to target fish swimming around in the waves. 

They are often in close just past where the waves are breaking. 

Spin and soft baiting can be effective in these conditions as well as fish are far less selective with a bit of weather around.

Foothill streams will be fishable by the weekend, most received a healthy fresh earlier in the week. 

This can be a good time to explore those areas while the Nor-West gales dominate the back country fisheries and the high country. 

Early season is best to explore the lesser known hill fed streams. 

Anything with 2-3 cumecs will hold fish. 

Late spawning trout will still be holding in these systems until around Christmas time when fish tend to drop down into the mainstems. 

I am not going to mention any names here.  Exploring new water is all part of the experience.

Back country rivers will be tough going this weekend. 

The gales force winds on Saturday and possibly dirty rivers on Sunday will make it very challenging. 

Perhaps spin anglers could brave the conditions. 

Fish numbers in the back country are on the lowish side this year but the condition factor of the trout is still high after a winter that lacked floods. 

Well worth pursuing and a privilege to even land just one of these.

Remember that next weekend is high country opening. Below is our ad for the competition we will be running at Lake Coleridge. 

This now includes a map showing where the competition and permitted camping is.

Lake Coleridge Fishing Competition

This year, the opening of the North Canterbury high country lakes is Saturday 7th November, which will be celebrated again with a fishing competition at Lake Coleridge, with a great prize pool generously sponsored by Hunting and Fishing.

The focus of the competition is on participation, and every angler who shows their licence at the weigh-in will be in the draw for many spot prizes. 

The competition will be based at the turn off to Ryton Bay from the Harper Road, where there will be a Fish & Game tent and weigh station.

Weigh-in is from 9am – 1pm, with the prize draw around 1:30pm.

Please ensure you arrive at the weigh-in before 1pm to avoid missing out.

All fish must be caught in Lake Coleridge or the nearby Coleridge lakes.

They must be whole and not gutted for the weigh-in.

There will be a free sausage sizzle all day. Lake Coleridge is the most popular lake in the region for fishing and this event is a great way for anglers to celebrate the traditional high-country opening.

Please note that the landowners are giving us permission to hold the competition in the paddock on the left as you onto the road to go down to Ryton Bay off Harper Road. 

Camping is permitted in this paddock for the weekend. 

If you are staying the night please take all your rubbish with you, use the toilet down at the lake or in the portaloo provided by Fish & Game. 

No dogs are allowed due to lambing.

Thanks, and good luck for the competition.

Tight lines.

Tony Hawker, Fish and Game Officer, North Canterbury Fish and Game Council