North Canterbury Fishing Report Friday 31st March 2017

Over the last week there has been some great salmon fishing in the mid reaches of the Waimakariri River.

One angler caught 14 salmon in 7 days, a limit bag every day for the week with other anglers also having great success upriver.

There are still reports of a few being caught in the lower Waimakariri River and the mid reaches of the other salmon rivers, particularly between the SH1 and Gorge Bridges.

Salmon are on the move heading for their spawning streams and the main rivers are all well worth a look, especially on the receding flows following any small flow increase.

In the Waimakariri, the mouth, Macintosh’s Rocks and the Banana Hole are all still yielding a few salmon, but activity has quietened off over the last week or so.

Fishing in both the Rakaia and Waimakariri Gorges has been yielding a few salmon for keen anglers in recent weeks, although these two gorges are really only accessible by jetboat.

Please remember that fishing for trout closes in the Western Zone of the Rakaia at the end of March with Waimakariri anglers having until the end of April to fish for trout in the Western Zone.

 A friendly reminder to anglers, please remember, there is no salmon fishing in the Western Zone of our rivers above the white posts, as we have had reports of this occurring recently.

Rangers have been actively patrolling waterways this season and will continue to do so in coming weeks, so please remember to carry your licence with you at all times.

A long walk back to the vehicle to retrieve your licence when the fishing action is hot, does not help anyone, let alone receive a criminal prosecution for flouting the regulations, as it is an offence not to produce a licence when requested by a ranger, let alone fish without one! 

The weather for the weekend looks very average with north-west wind and rain forecast to pick up from midday tomorrow in the alps, which will limit opportunities for lake and back country fly fishing.

Tomorrow morning is the best bet for anglers wishing to head into the high country and one option worth thinking about is salmon in Lake Coleridge, as salmon are starting to think about spawning and are often caught either near the mouth of the Ryton River or trolling around Ryton Bay.

Anglers only have until the end of April to take advantage of this as the lake closes for spawning in May.

With the Selwyn River not flowing at present, it appears the trout that usually reside in this river have moved elsewhere, and I have heard the Halswell River has been fishing well around Tai Tapu. 

There have been reports of gates being locked in the evening while anglers are still fishing in the lower Waimakariri River recently, so if anyone sees people doing this, please note their vehicle registration number and let either Fish & Game or ECan know.  

Good luck if you are heading out for a fish over the weekend.

Steve Terry, North Canterbury Fish & Game Officer