North Canterbury Weekly Fishing Report – Friday 15th October 2021

Happy Friday anglers, the weekend is almost here, and your weeklong withdrawals are almost over, welcome to the North Canterbury weekly fishing report.

Hopefully, most of you have managed to get yourselves out for a fish so far this season, there certainly has been some fantastic fishing in the region's low land systems.

I’ve been out for a cruise and there certainly are good numbers of trout in the Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere tributaries.

The sight of large schools and plenty of fish in the lower Selwyn/Waikirikiri is fantastic to see.

Close to home

As spring progresses, the regions larger rivers such and the Rakaia, Waimakariri, Hurunui and Waiau Uwha can often be discoloured with frequent orographic rainfall in the headwaters and winter snow melting.

The Ellesmere system has several fantastic backup options for weekend fishing worth checking out early this season.

I spotted a good number of fish in the Halswell, LII, Lower Selwyn/Waikirikiri and Harts Creek on my rounds the other day - all worth a look in the coming weeks if you have the chance to get down.

The Irwell & Boggy Creek Mouths would also be worth a look, casting and retrieving from the shore.  

Back Country Fisheries

It seems most of the large trout found over the previous couple of seasons in the Lewis Pass and Lakes Sumner areas have reduced back to their more normal sizes.

I have had confirmed one fish that has been re-caught weighing roughly 2.25kg less than in December 2020!

Hopefully, this makes for some hungry fish and some mind-blowing cicada sessions later in the season! 

Above Right: Dean Boyes with a fantastic early season rainbow from the North Canterbury High Country.

A reminder to check if the rivers you are fishing require a backcountry endorsement.

See further details here: https://fishandgame.org.nz/licences/fishing-licence-info/backcountry-licence/north-canterbury-backcountry-fisheries/

Also, a timely reminder that not all of the North Canterbury regions rivers are open currently, be sure to check the regulations before heading out.

If you see any illegal activities, please call Fish and Game on 0800 327426 or Emily Arthur, (021 221 8332).

We will do our best to get a Ranger there as soon as possible.

Snake Creek Restoration Project 

In 2017 Fish & Game, in conjunction with the Water & Wildlife Habitat Trust, began a project to restore Snake Creek.

Snake Creek is a lowland tributary of the Selwyn River/ Waikirikiri that is used for trout spawning and rearing.

Click on the below link to see a 13-minute presentation on the project including the key findings from the monitoring. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFFRwc9w_JY

Have a good weekend out there and make the most of the early season excitement to be had!

Tight Lines from the Team at North Canterbury Fish & Game