North Canterbury Weekly Fishing Report - 23th January 2025

  • North Canterbury
  • 23/01/2025
  • Jackson Meecham

North Canterbury Weekly Fishing Report - 23th January 2025

River Outlook 

With this settled weather we have been having over the past couple of weeks, the rivers have been stable and clear, so this is a good opportunity to fish the bigger braided rivers for trout as they will likely be sitting in pools wherever there is a structure in the water as this not only provides food, but also gives the fish protection from predators.

However, the spring creeks are still holding good flows, and this water tends to be cooler which keeps the trout more active during the day making it, easier for the angler to spot fish depending on the pool and it allows you to see what the fish are feeding on whether they are taking dry flies off the surface or taking nymphs.

Paul van Klink with a 10.5lb brown trout caught in one of the region's rivers

The salmon front has been very quiet with not many fish around at present, the salmon rivers ideally need a fresh (flood) to push that freshwater further out into the ocean to draw the salmon into the rivers. This will happen before the season ends so it's a good time to check over your salmon gear once the fish show up you're ready to hit the river and start searching for where the salmon are going to be resting up as they make their journey upriver.

Lake Outlook 

With the height of summer upon us trout are looking to the surface for terrestrials such as green beetles, blowflies, and cicadas.

For those that spin fish a bubble partially filled with water is an effective technique with a dry fly about 50- 60 cm below the bubble. Use 5 or 6 lb nylon off your bubble in calmer conditions whereas if the water is slightly discoloured or in windy conditions you can use 8lb nylon.  This method is particularly useful in areas where there are trees that might restrict your backcast when spinning or fly fishing. Treat the dry fly with floating and when it becomes submerged retrieve the fly (slowly!) and cast it again to dry it out. If the fly has become submerged and a fish is approaching leave your fly on the water until the fish has passed the fly.

If a trout rises and takes your fly remember to pause for 2-3 seconds to maximise the chance of a solid hookup. It is not uncommon for a trout to take a submerged dry fly. Blue and Green blow fly humpies as well as Black gnats in sizes 12-16 are well worth stocking up on at this time of the year.

Ranger Paul van Klink catching a fish harling on Lake Coleridge

If you plan to target these rising fish on our high-country lakes it is often a waiting game. When you arrive, the lake may appear devoid of fish however a change of conditions such as the sun making an appearance or a light breeze can cause the fish to begin to rise. If the trout appears out of range, it is still worth sending a cast out because there may be opportunistic fish closer to the shore that have not begun rising/feeding yet.

Anglers on our larger high-country lakes such as Coleridge are catching some well-conditioned fish on a variety of methods such as trolling and soft baiting.  Key to their success particularly when trolling appears to be targeting the 10-20 m depth. When targeting these depths troll at 3.5 - 4 km an hour and use a paravane or lead line to achieve these depths.

Life as a Ranger

Fish & Game New Zealand has over 130 warranted rangers, each responsible for enforcing regulations, primarily by checking licences while anglers are out fishing or game bird hunters are hunting. Rangers fall into two categories: field staff and honorary rangers.

Happy Lake Coleridge Angler, what a catch!

Field staff are Fish & Game employees who handle a wide range of operational tasks within their respective regions one of which is completing compliance. On the other hand, honorary rangers are dedicated volunteers from the public who offer their time to complete compliance, often driven by a passion for protecting the species that Fish & Game manages.

Ranger Caleb checking Game Bird licences on Opening Day

At North Canterbury Fish & Game, our team includes 7 warranted staff rangers and 11 honorary rangers. The two groups work closely together, regularly planning both day and overnight trips across the region. So far, during the 2024/25 fishing season, our combined team has completed over 563 licence checks—and the number continues to grow. Each month, our staff keep honorary rangers informed with a newsletter that highlights recent compliance activities, updates on detected offences, upcoming trips, and other operational news.

HonoRary Ranger Chris (Budda) has enjoyed announcing prizes at North Canterbury Fish & Game compETITIons

One of the unique strengths of our North Canterbury ranger team is their versatility. All of our rangers are trained in both fishing compliance and game bird compliance (with staff supervision for game bird checks). This flexibility means we don’t need to assign specific rangers to specific seasons—every member of our team is fully capable of handling any type of compliance task as needed. Before receiving their warrant, each ranger must complete a comprehensive training course through CERT, ensuring they are prepared for any challenges they may encounter in the field.

Harry Checking Licences on Opening Day on October 1st 2023

All warranted rangers are authorized to conduct compliance checks across any Fish & Game-controlled waters within any region. This gives them the freedom to operate anywhere.

THE Rangers teaming up together to get fish weighed in during the annual Lake Coleridge Opening Day CompETITIon

For anglers and hunters, it’s important to always carry your required licences and adhere to regulations. This not only ensures a smoother experience for both you and our rangers but also helps you get back to your fishing or hunting more quickly. A huge thank you to all of our rangers in North Canterbury and around the country, your hard work and time are deeply appreciated!

Great condition rainbow trout caught in one of our region's rivers
Harts Creek Track Closure

The Waihora Ellesmere Trust (WET) have notified North Canterbury Fish & Game that track refurbishment work will begin at Waitātari Harts Creek beginning January 6th. The works are likely to be completed at the end of March 2025. There will be a full track CLOSURE during this period. The track is being given a facelift to improve retaining walls along the creek. They will also widen and level out the track. The Ellesmere Lions Club are overseeing this project. 

For more information, please contact WET here

Weekly Expert Tip

This week due to some staff sickness in North Canterbury Hunting and Fishing we were forced to think on our toes. Luckily Harry one of our field officers was able to come up with a couple of vital tips for all anglers when catching, netting and protecting your catch. Often some of these tips go out the window when a big fish is on the other end, so giving yourself a refresher can help!

 

Check, Clean, Dry Message 

Check, Clean, and Dry to stop freshwater pests!

Whether you’re out fishing, hunting, kayaking, paddleboarding, jet skiing or boating on Canterbury’s freshwater lakes and rivers this summer, the threat of freshwater pests spreading and invading is very real. 

 

Freshwater pests can ruin valuable ecosystems by stopping the growth of native water plants and reducing habitats for many types of fish. 

The invasion of freshwater pests is a direct result of human activity so if you plan on going to a lake, river, stream or wetland this summer and move to another within 48 hours, you must clean all your gear that has been wet using the 'Check, Clean, Dry' method. 

Check

Remove any plant matter from your gear and leave it at the site (the river or lake bank), or put it in the rubbish. Don't wash plant material down any drain.

Clean

Use 10% dishwashing detergent mixed with water and leave the item wet for 10 minutes.

Dry

Ensure your gear is completely dry to touch, inside and out, then leave to dry for at least another 48 hours before you use it.

 

Some of the freshwater pest species present in Aotearoa New Zealand exist within our region like Egeria and Lagarosiphon, but many of our lakes and rivers remain pest-free. To help keep it this way, equipment and vessels must be properly cleaned and decontaminated before entering any waterway.  

 

We all have a responsibility to protect our freshwater so remember, even if you can’t see it, if it’s wet, it’s a threat.  

For more information visit https://www.ecan.govt.nz/your-region/your-environment/biodiversity-and-biosecurity/biosecurity/preventing-the-spread-of-pests/check-clean-dry/  

 

Contact Environment Canterbury on0800 324 636or emailbiosecurity@ecan.govt.nz 

Targeted Weed Control Across the North Canterbury Region

North Canterbury Fish and Game has been given notice from Environment Canterbury (ECan) that targeted weed control using helicopters for aerial spraying will be happening across the North Canterbury Region from early February 2025 till the end of March 2025.

The affected rivers will be as follows:

  • Chatterton River 
  • Hurunui River 
  • Waimakariri River
  • Rakaia River
  • Waikirikiri/Selwyn River

Signage indicating that spraying is underway will be placed at all spray operation refilling stations and public access points. Public access will be restricted during operations. All works are weather dependent. 

Visit this link for more information and detailed maps of targeted control areas: Current River Works ECan

Weather Update

Christchurch 

Rakaia


Waipara


Culverden


Hamner Springs

Arthurs Pass

To help you plan your fishing adventures, be sure to check the following resources:

Happy fishing! Stay safe out there!

Get involved this season!

Jump online and get your licence the easy way - it only takes a minute. Click the image above to get started. 

Want to contribute to the weekly fishing reports?

Here at North Canterbury Fish & Game, we are extremely passionate about sharing YOUR angling stories. Whether you caught a massive fish or took your girls and boys out fishing for the first time, you want to hear and tell your stories.

When you’re out this season, don’t forget to take some photos or videos and send them to jmeecham@fishandgame.org.nz with a little back story on your angling adventures.

Enjoy the weekend, and tight lines to everyone heading out to the water!

Jackson, Harry, Caleb & the rest of the North Canterbury Team

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