Rain revives region’s rivers

Welcome rain has finally arrived for many Otago rivers, cooling water temperatures and boosting flows. This increase in flow often leads to more oxygenated water and active fish.

Getting the edge among willows

A surface-feeding rainbow trout tucked below willows on the Clutha River/Mata-Au. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

A bow-and-arrow cast was required to catch this Clutha River/Mata-Au rainbow surface-feeding under willows last weekend.

Casting from upstream on a high bank is a problem but fortunately the fish was highly focused on feeding. Striking too soon, it was easy to pull the fly from its mouth. Two large cicada patterns now dangling in the branches are proof of that. The trout then rejected a third offering, a green humpy.

On the fourth offering, a small caddis dry, the strike may have been too late, but eventually it all came together and the hook set. A 6lb flourocarbon tippet ensured a quick fight in tight conditions. The fish had been feeding on willow grubs and, perhaps surprising for late summer, green manuka beetles.

Lake firing at both ends

Ben Sowry with a Lake Wakatipu brown trout that was cruising the shoreline before a damsel fly pattern slowly crawled along the bottom got its attention. Credit: Mason Court.

Reports indicate that both ends of Lake Wakatipu are fishing well, with large numbers of salmon and rainbow trout being caught around Glenorchy and the surrounding river mouths. Meanwhile, excellent-sized brown trout have been spotted cruising the beaches near Kingston.

Fishing the drop-offs around Glenorchy’s river mouths, such as the Dart and Rees, is generally productive. Soft baiting and spinning are usually effective, while sinking fly lines or heavy streamers can also work well. Bait fishing is another reliable option. Sam, from Hunting & Fishing Queenstown, emphasises the importance of casting beyond the drop-off, as this is where the fish often hold.

The beaches and shorelines around Kingston are known for producing quality brown trout fishing. Small, natural-coloured soft baits or cicada and blowfly fly patterns, paired with a nymph or damselfly imitation, can be highly effective when cast well ahead of cruising fish.

Be cautious when fishing around river mouths and drop-offs, as the combination of deep water and unstable ground can be highly dangerous. To stay safe, stand well back from the edge, fish with a companion whenever possible, and consider wearing a life jacket if fishing alone.

Reading the Big River

The Clutha River/Mata-Au has been flowing lower than normal recently, exposing areas not usually accessible to wading anglers.

The Clutha dropped to a low of 260 cumecs on Monday, but beware that this river can rise without warning, as it did this week with flows doubling to over 550 cumecs before returning to under 350.

But it’s a big river, so let’s break down where to find fish:

• Willow-lined edges provide food, shelter and shade. You may be able to wade carefully or take a stealthy bankside approach from above.
• Fish in backwaters and side channels away from the main flow.
• Channel edges, weed-bed margins, drop-offs and eddies are worth exploring deeper with weighted flies, hard-bodied lures and heavier soft-baits.
• Exposed, uniform gravels provide little cover for fish in bright daylight but can attract fish to evening hatches.

Minister visits Council

The Minister for Hunting and Fishing James Meager (back centre) meets Otago Fish & Game Councillors (from back left) John Preedy, Adrian McIntyre, Blair Trevathan, Mike Barker, and (front) John Highton and John Cruden. (Absent: Vicky May, Colin Weatherall).

Otago Fish & Game Council appreciated the opportunity this week to meet the Minister for Hunting and Fishing, James Meager, hear his views for the future of the organisation, and for him to hear a bit about our work.

His passion for making things easier for New Zealanders to go hunting and fishing immediately resonated with Otago Councillors who share the same view. Improvement of access to the resource was also an area of broad agreement and something that Otago Council continues to prioritise in its annual workplans. The Minister’s openness and good humour was appreciated, and we hope to see him again.

Level up at Onslow

An old photo of Lake Onslow. Fish & Game field officer Steve Dixon says the lake level is currently like this.

Fish & Game rangers patrolled Lake Onslow on a warm Saturday last weekend:

• Level: The water level was about 1 metre below the high-water mark, so there was access to most of the lake by boat.
• Shallow areas: Even though the lake was full, please be careful around Parker’s Hut and the head of the lake as this area was still quite shallow.
• Shore-based fishing: Spin fishers were catching trout on soft plastics, and fly anglers were catching fish using cicada patterns, even though there was little cicada activity.
• Boat fishing: Trollers were catching fish using lead lines (three colours in 5m water) and drifting with the wind.
• Angler etiquette: Take notice of landowner signage on gates and respect their property.
• Bait fishing: Please don’t dig around the lake edge for worms as this can be a tripping hazard for shore anglers.

Over the border: On the Fly

Otago Fish & Game is looking forward to supporting Southland Fish & Game at the On The Fly festival on the Mataura River, hosted by Gore District Council, this Sunday.

• Noon – 4pm, Sunday February 23
• River Terrace, East Gore
• Come and chat with Fish & Game staff, have a cast, and guess how many trout are in our live fish tank.
• Fly fishing tuition with expert guides.
• Food and live entertainment.
• Go to the Gore District Council Facebook page for more information.

Upper Taieri Catchment Action Plan

Anglers are invited to join farmers, community members and other stakeholders at this workshop on Wednesday February 26 from 9.30am to 2.30pm at Old Patearoa School to discuss the future of the Upper Taieri.

Otago Fish & Game representatives will be there. If you love the Upper Taieri, and want your voice to be heard, we encourage individual anglers to come along. Go to the Upper Taieri Wai Inc Catchment Group Facebook page to RSVP via Messenger or email uppertaieriwai@gmail.com 

Clyde Dam live webcam

A screengrab of the Clyde Dam webcam taken at the time of writing.

Want to know conditions at Clyde Dam? Check this live webcam sponsored by Contact Energy updated every 15 minutes.

Lake Wānaka live webcam

A screengrab of the Lake Wanaka webcam taken at the time of writing.

Want to know conditions at Lake Wānaka? Check this live webcam from the Wānaka water sports facility.

Here’s the weekend outlook:

Showers on Friday evening and Saturday morning should provide further relief to rivers following the midweek rain. Expect cooler water temperatures and a slight increase in flows, which should help keep fish active.

South-westerly winds will ensure fresh and cool air temperatures throughout the weekend. Sunday looks to be the best day to get out on the water with fish likely responding well after the rain.

The Taieri River at Outram was flowing at 5.2 cumecs at the time of writing. The water temperature was 19.2 degrees C.

Click here for live weather updates.

Wānaka

Sunday is shaping up to be an excellent day for fishing around Wānaka, with clear skies and light winds — perfect conditions for both lake fishing and exploring the backcountry rivers that received a welcome fresh midweek.

Saturday looks to be more overcast, with chilly south-westerlies developing in the evening, but this could still provide good fishing opportunities before the wind picks up.

Click here for live weather updates.

Alexandra

Sunday is shaping up to be the best day in the forecast with light winds predicted. While overcast conditions may hamper sight fishing, they can provide an advantage for blind fishing, spin fishing, or trolling.

Recent showers on Thursday and Friday may have made access tracks greasy, so anglers should take extra care when heading to the larger reservoirs.

Click here for live weather updates. 

Clutha Regional Forecast

The lower Clutha is in for a mixed forecast this weekend, with showers expected from Friday to Saturday evening, accompanied by fresh westerly breezes. Conditions should improve on Sunday, with only isolated showers and easing westerly winds, making it an ideal time to take advantage of improving river flows after the recent rain.

The Pomahaka River was flowing at 15.4 cumecs.

The lower Clutha River at Balclutha was flowing at 357 cumecs.

Click here for live weather updates.

For more ORC water monitoring and alerts information click here.

Grab your licence online and let the angling adventures begin.

Got any Otago fishing news?

Send your fishing news and photos (with anglers’ names) to otago@fishandgame.org.nz for consideration in the weekly report.