Weekly Fishing Report – Central South Island - 01-04-2021

The weather forecast for Easter weekend is a mixed bag but there isn’t much rain forecast so rivers and streams will offer stable flows.

ABove: The Hakataramea River near Wrights Crossing 31-03-2021 - this pool held a few adult trout.

The pick of the days for fishing looks to be Saturday.

The wind looks to be strong at times, especially on Sunday and Monday.

Many of our waterways are flowing low and in need of some rainfall to top-up flows but are still worth a look.

CSI staff were at the Hakataramea River yesterday undertaking electric fishing surveys of juvenile trout and although the flow was not much more than a trickle, wherever a decent size pool was found they held a large trout or two.

This time of year, a slow and delicate approach to fishing shallow clear streams is required and if your lucky you may encounter a mayfly hatch.

Be sure to have a few small mayfly dry patterns in your box and from experience I’d say be sure to have a CDC mayfly imitation.

Juvenile trout from last winter’s spawn are about 80-120mm long and are a common food item for big trout so keep that in mind when picking your spinner, soft plastic or soft bait imitation – some of the life-like options should produce results.

The canals will be busy this weekend, you can bet on that.

All those anglers fishing the canal increases the chances of someone catching a tagged trout, and it that happens to be you we’d love to hear about it.

This week we received another tagged trout catch report that gave us more information on the phenomenal growth rates trout experience at the Tekapo Canal.

The fish was salvaged from the Tekapo Spillway and released into the Tekapo Canal in July 2020; it was measured at 48cm in length and I‘d estimate that to be about three pounds.

It was caught near the Tekapo Canal salmon farms recently, estimated at 50cm and weighed on scales at 12-pounds.

It appears this trout had quadrupled its weight, gaining nine pounds - in just 264 days or nearly nine months. 

There are hundreds of tagged trout in the Tekapo Canal and a handful in the Ohau A - Pukaki and Ohau C canals currently.

If you catch a tagged trout please let us know: unique four-digit tag number, location, whether it was kept or released, length and weight.

Email us at csi@fishandgame.org.nz or phone 03 6158400.

The sea-run salmon season is now closed

It will go down in the history books as another poor season, the fourth in a row.

I caught up with prominent Waitaki salmon angler Linn Koevoet yesterday, to his knowledge there were about 35 salmon caught in the lower river but guessing a few more may have got caught.

He thinks it is possible about 40 salmon got caught in the lower part of the Waitaki this year.

He said he hadn’t heard any catch reports from above Stone Wall.

Linda Whipp from the Rangitata South Huts confirmed it was 37 salmon etched up on the tally board for the season for the southside of the Rangitata River mouth and nearby upstream.

Some trout fishing season closures occur now too.

The Rangitata River and its tributaries above Turn Again Point, about 12km upstream from the Gorge, and Lake Stream, outlet of Lake Heron, are now closed to all trout and salmon fishing for the season.

Check out the 2020/2021 sports fishing regulation guide here to see it for yourself. 

Environment Canterbury riverbed weed control

ECan is undertaking riverbed weed spraying for flood management during March and April at these rivers: Ashburton, Waitaki, Pukaki, Tekapo, Ohau, Orari, Te Ana Wai, North Opuha. 

The spraying will be helicopter and ground-based and signage will be in place during operation, for more information contact Sam Kidner 0273044255 

Ahuriri River Jet Boating

Jet Boating New Zealand (JBNZ) wish to advise:

During the months of April JBNZ have been granted permits for their members only to jet boat the Ahuriri River on these dates: 3 or 4 April; 16 or 17 or 18 April; 24 or 25 or 26 or 27 April.

Angler please be aware jet boating on these dates may occur if flows, as recorded at ECan’s river flow recorder at State Highway 8 Bridge, exceeds 20 cumecs.

The permits only allow jet boat access between Lake Benmore and the Irelands Road Bridge.

Waterway Health Warnings 

Before planning your trip, be sure to visit Environment Canterbury’s website to view up to date notifications and information regarding toxic cyanobacteria warnings on Canterbury waterways.

Tight Lines

Rhys Adams, Central South Island Fish & Game Officer