Central South Island Fishing Reports

Fishing news: Latest news - April 2008

Fishing reports: Latest report - March 2008

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

It’s ANZAC day and while we remember those that never made it home, I wonder how many of those brave souls like you and me were just “ordinary blokes” who enjoyed the simple pleasures of catching a trout. I also wonder what they would think about the trout and salmon fishery of today.

This is the last report for the season and a long weekend as well.

Conditions remain as they were last week, no rain no change. Possibly the driest autumn in my time here and rivers at their lowest when in fact they should be increasing in flow. Spawning salmon and trout encouraged by this influence should be migrating into these valuable spawning and nursery waters, but locally they’re not. If not a record drought, and it’s not, where’s the water gone? Why am I looking at severely depleted flows and in several no flow at all? When you ask this question you will be told “Oh they are often this low” or “Historically these streams have always dried”. No one disputes low flows or occasional dry sections but this low and this dry for so long? I don’t think so.

Anglers will already be out and about so nothing printed here will be of great assistance. I was talked into heading out for some night fishing on Wednesday. The Norwester had dropped away and according to my mate he had already began his lake fishing near river mouths at this time last year and his diary entry claimed he had caught 18 on his first outing. I hadn’t spent much time with him this season however I do remember I did accompany him on a similar nocturnal outing last year when I completely ruined his average of 8 per night. He managed to land 2. I on the other hand couldn’t keep fish from leaping onto my line after hooking and landing a fish on my first cast. Each time I landed or lost a fish I do recall his comments which were repeated throughout the evening.” You’re a bloody Jonah Hughes!”

Time heals and as his invited guest I enjoyed a yarn and the drive as the outside air temperature climbed from 9 degrees to 11, which was an unexpected bonus. Togged up for the cold and wearing chest waders we had worked up quite a lather by the time we reached the river mouth. It was 8.45pm ,the almost full moon was climbing above the ridgelines which I thought at the time wouldn’t help the cause. I had tied on a small “lumo” Doll Fly on a short dropper, and on the point a size #6 black Rabbit Lure which has always been a good provider. Not at all ostentatious, black rabbit pelt wing, black body with a silver rib and a sparse tag or tail of a dyed red feather. The first cast was a shocker as I discovered that in the dark I had put the wrong reel and line on probably a 5/6 when it should have been a 7/8. When you’re pushing two wet lures through the air you need some weight. The second cast was better and I hooked a lively fish which cavorted across the surface in a series of evenly spaced leaps. There was a comment form my companion a few meters away which was not complimentary, and after some determined runs I beached a brown trout of about 3.5 lbs in its prime, “heavy in the shoulder and firm of flesh”. On the black lure of course. A few minutes later I managed another a little smaller, on the rabbit lure, I missed two “takes” then hooked and lost another after a long and spirited run. Fish were leaping steadily around us ducks were feeding and scaup were diving, it was very pleasant. The contacts with fish ceased after about 90 minutes casting perhaps due to the moon then at its zenith and with those familiar accusations of being a Jonah from one who had not landed a fish we tromped back to the vehicle. I bet he’s searching for a black feathered lure already. I wonder if I get invited back.

The Waitaki will be at about 300 cumecs for today and may drop back a little during the weekend. The Ahuriri River is at a remarkable low of 8 cumecs, the Hakataramea and Maerewhenua Rivers still dropping are each at 500 litres per second and the Waihao River is down to 40 cumecs and the Opihi at the SH 1 is running at 6.6 cumecs.

Thanks for the many contacts, comments and compliments from anglers far and wide throughout the season, its good to know that the fisheries of the region are in good hands. Hands and minds that will keep us, the fisheries managers “on the case”. We can’t do it alone. Until next season.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

River conditions

Although the temperature has crashed and sunshine is scarce no significant rain has fallen and river conditions remain as in previous weeks, low and clear. The news paper report which stated the Waitaki River weekend flows will closely mirror those of the previous weekend are incorrect and the source of the erroneous information unknown. Today it is flowing at just above 300 cumecs and expected to rise but should not exceed 420 cumecs over the next 2 days.

The Hakataramea and Maerewhenua Rivers are hovering at about 600 litres per second and the Ahuriri River at just under 9 cumecs. To the north the Opihi is running at 8 cumecs and the Rangitata River at a low 50 cumecs.

Didymo could be on the way out

Didymo has been detected in the lower Otematata River which is probably not surprising located in the same catchment as other infected waters. It is noticeable however that in the Waitaki River along with the Haka and the Maerewhenua Rivers didymo appears to be dying off in places. I had an interesting email from a friend who is a local fishing guide who passed on the following observations.

“During the past few weeks I have managed to get out and about on the river and have seen some surprising 'things' regarding that damn didymo. I know I have mentioned some time ago that I believed that the didymo appeared to be dying with some areas of river bed now completely clear, just typical river bottom as one would expect prior to this invasion.

Last Saturday afternoon, I had the opportunity to go for a flick down the river and the biggest (one of the biggest) changes I noticed was the fact that the area just below the old Haka mouth (where the stop bank is), used to be well covered (understatement) in didymo. The length of the didymo seemed to be 'quite long' but was hard to actually determine due to the depth of water. However, on this recent outing, the same area has changed quite dramatically in my opinion. There are of course obvious patches in this area covered with didymo (alive or dead?) but generally, there has been a massive 'clean out'.

Further down the river in one area, I came across a patch of what I would describe as 'budding didymo', small dark areas where it usually first becomes noticeable when alive and doing well. When in this stage, I have the opinion that it was bloody hard to remove from the rocks. Again, here was a difference. This apparently 'budding didymo' which would normally be hard to remove, just scraped away with ease with a wipe of my boot.

I state this VERY cautiously but I am almost convinced that this crap is 'on the way out'. Of course, there are plenty of areas where the stuff is still quite obvious but again, it all seems to be disappearing, dying and certainly not increasing.

Water temperatures have been 'warm' but I have not done any actual temperature readings/recordings but I do wonder, would the water temperature over recent months, have played a part in the reduction (my opinion) of the didymo ?”.

Any bad news for didymo is good news to me and only time will tell. While it is early days yet there are plans to study, in depth, no pun intended, a spring fed groundwater stream which didymo has failed to colonise. It will be very interesting. With Pukaki water colouring the upper lakes, which should filter down through the valley, didymo in the Waitaki River could be in for a rough winter. As didymo prefers maximum light the glacial sediment in the water may reduce sunlight penetration and didymo does not enjoy a shaded substrate. Glacial till in the Waitaki River was always an annual event however over the last few years the river has remained clear throughout the winter. While I have not worked out why this occurs, it could be ice and snow conditions on the main divide, climatic or power generation, or a mix of these; if it it’s bad for didymo then long may it last.

With a cold southerly blast expected tonight and snow to down 600 meters amsl the weekend should be cool but clear inland once the front has moved on.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

With very little to report and only one 3 day weekend left on the fishing calendar, Anzac Day weekend, I guess many have put their gear away until the spring arrives later in the year. Of course there are those hardy souls who have the enthusiasm (and the insulated waders) to persist throughout the winter. To coin an old phrase winter fishing leaves me cold, and I’m not referring to water and air temperature, but quite probably a result of my piscatorial upbringing. My father insisted that the winter was a time for the trout, (he was never a chaser of “quinnats” unless they were Lake Coleridge land locked variety, and that it was also a time for anglers to attend to the many chores that were neglected during the summer season. Whatever they may have been.

I have been talked into the odd foray on a still winters eve but it is always great to arrive home, walk indoors to be enveloped by warmth and ambience of the glowing log fire. Winter nights are dead quiet, all the fluffy animals are keeping warm somewhere and the bird life are all perched with heads under wings waiting out the cold and the darkness. There’s not a lot happening in the dark, in the middle of winter, in many degrees below zero.

Not that I’m scared of the dark or the cold, I probably have the best cold weather garments you can buy. I work in the cold, I hunt in the cold, I have often fished in the cold, however I expect cold when I hunt, and if a there’s work to be done you just work in the cold, but fishing, I don’t think so.

I will always remember my last unwilling fishing adventure, a night spent winter fishing. My bride wishing to make our Japanese guest’s stay a memorable one asked him, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, if he would like to go fishing one evening as “Graeme would love to take you out to catch a fish”. It was the middle of June for Pete’s sake! Junji was very excited about the proposed fishing trip. We had no days to do it, he was at the Kurow Area School, every day his schedule was tight, which only left the evenings. Evenings turn to night very quickly here in June. Still reeling in disbelief at the suggestion of night fishing in the middle of the winter, the next day after work I hastily readied the “runabout” and fuelled the outboard tank. I didn’t want to go. A licence was filled out and gear stashed aboard. As soon as Junji arrived from school after a quick “bite” we were off to Lake Aviemore, Why Aviemore? Lake Waitaki wasn’t open to winter fishing then and it was the closest water to home. I wanted this escapade to be over and done with as quickly as possible. Junji kept turning round to peer out the rear window to look at the boat being towed behind. This obviously amused him as he would look at me with a large grin. I wasn’t sure if it was actually towing a boat at speed behind a motor vehicle or the anticipation of a boat ride which created his enjoyment, but our language difficulties prevented me asking and I didn’t want to be there any way so I was not in a very communicative mood. It was just on dark when we idled out of Parsons Rock boat ramp and the temperature was plunging, it was going to be another “humdinger” of a frost, just like every other night of the week. I tied on a couple of Rapalas and Junji in his woollen gloves was having considerable difficulty in detaching two sticky sharp trebles from one of his gloves. While he apologised and removed the hooks from the left glove the hooks promptly became imbedded in the right glove. More apologies. Freed from hooks his first cast disappeared somewhere in the dark but was eventually found hooked to the interior of the boat “Sorry sorry”. Finally fishing, inevitably weed fouled his gear and on removing the offending plants the hooks became firmly affixed in his fluffy woollen gloves once more. While he apologised profusely I removed the hooks with difficulty, as it was now very dark. I didn’t want to be there. It was several degrees below zero and any water dripped or splashed immediately turned to ice. Junji’s casts were shockers. Again with many apologies the line would cross mine and the tangle of two lines would occur. This was not going well. “If he says sorry once more…..!” After an age, an ice age, we reached the mouth of the Otematata River where I hoped we would catch a fish. Big, small, didn’t matter. Lets just catch a fish and go home. On retrieving his Rapala to check and clear any foreign matter, you guessed it, those fluffy gloves were hooked again. I’m a patient man but there is a limit “Lose the gloves Junji!”

My rod bent as a fish, species and dimensions unknown, briefly made contact with my lure. Bugger! And on the wrong rod! We circled around the river mouth, the cold starting to affect Junji as I could see him start to shiver, despite being rugged up in some of my cold weather gear. Perhaps its too cold for him, he may want to go home? No he said he was quite comfortable. Yeah right! We completed another orbit and to help pass the time I tried to dream up a system of getting heat from the motor up front for the comfort of the operator. After a lengthy duration, about another 30 cold minutes, which seemed more like 60, whoopee, a fish attached itself to Junji’s line. “Please God don’t let this fish get away”. After a short and uneventful tussle I thankfully netted the unfortunate trout, the whole half kilo of it, and gave it the obligatory smack with the priest. A camera magically appeared from somewhere within my guest’s many layers of clothing and I kid you not, lying on the icy floor of the boat, that fish was cooked to a medium rare with camera flash, there were so many pictures taken of it. Now we can go home I thought! “You really want to fish some more?” Despite his uncontrollable shivering he suggested that we should fish some more. We trolled back toward the ramp for another cold half hour but not another fish indicated an interest. As we motored quietly past the truck and trailer I lied. I claimed that at 10.00 pm the lady of the house would be worried about us not being home. That did the trick and mercifully he agreed we should not concern my wife and that we should proceed back to the ramp. I think that experience finished me for winter fishing. When the ice builds up in the rod rings, the pinkies are painfully cold, and your heads full of “how to keep warm” ideas, that’s not fishing, that’s an ordeal!
If you’re fishing this weekend all waters are clear and fishable but you can expect some frosts if you’re into early morning outings. Fishing lake inflows should be rewarding as the spawning periods draws closer.

On a sunny day in the tussock country, fishing a cicada imitation should provide results as there are still a few chirping on those warmer afternoons, however cicada days are almost over.

Any known salmon spawning activity in the Waitaki River should be investigated and fished with a “Glow bug”, the irresistible salmon egg imitation. When salmon numbers were high in the Hakataramea River the glow bug was unbeatable for taking trout especially rainbow trout. As the salmon season is now closed any salmon hooked must be released unharmed.

Flows in the Waitaki River will be reduced this weekend during low flow trials which involves NIWA fisheries scientists. Today the river should be at 300 to 350 cumecs, Saturday,250 cumecs between 0800 and 1600 hours and down to 140 cumecs on Sunday between 0800 and 1600 hours. Normal generation flows on will resume on Monday. Until it rains all other waters are at a low flow.

And yes the deer hunting was very successful however I noticed the hills are a little higher and the slopes a little steeper this year.

Tight lines

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

Low temperatures, falling leaves, the close of the salmon season and bellowing Red stags signal that summer has passed and the fishing season for many winds down. Hunters begin to think seriously of the coming waterfowl season however the extremely dry conditions will have an effect on them and their quarry as it has for anglers. The drought conditions have returned and the smaller fisheries are in very poor condition. The Hakataramea River has dried over the same areas as earlier in the year. Any salmon migration here will be on hold unless a significant rain event occurs.

In 1985, very similar conditions in the Haka saw a dry mid section of 7 kilometres coinciding with the annual Chinook salmon run. I recall building a barrier trap below the State Highway 83 bridge near the Hakataramea village, and then employing the neighbours tractor and blade to divert water through it by “scratching” a channel in the river gravels. Obviously there were many salmon in the river that year as the ‘85 annual report reminds me that the trap “fished” for 31 days and in that time captured 451 salmon and an unrecorded number of brown trout. 359 of the total salmon catch was transported by our fish tanker upstream of the dry area and released at Rocky Point. 24 were transported to the Awakino River a tributary of the Waitaki River between Kurow and the Waitaki Dam, and the remainder, 68 were released above the fish trap. Because the salmon were usually large and our tanker was built primarily for much smaller species, we could only carry about 10 or 12 a trip, requiring about 40 salmon transportation journeys which we dubbed “Operation Oncorynchus”.

In future years spawning salmon counts revealed redds excavated throughout the river from the confluence with the Waitaki River up to about the most upstream bridge located near “The Hays” and “Hakataramea Downs” on the opposite side, an overall distance in excess of 38 kilometres. Acclimatisation Society reports written by my predecessor, prior to me taking over the position here in 1976, indicate that salmon spawning was mainly confined to the lower Haka River from the Waitaki River to Wrights Crossing a distance of about 13 kilometres. It appears that “Operation Oncorhynchus” increased the length of spawning migration, increased the costs of the annual counts but decreased the superimposition of redds in the lower river.
Yesterday (3.4.08) assisted by Fish and Game Officer Hamish Stevens I walked (stumbled and staggered) through the network of small spring fed streams associated with Stockyard Stream near the confluence of the Hopkins River with the Dobson River. Hidden amongst the shoulder high Red Tussock and associated swamps, the gravels of the streams and seeps are now incubating the spawning effort of over 1103 Sockeye salmon. I guess the peak of the run occurred about 10 days ago. A large number of dead fish in the streams, many areas of disturbed substrate, redds, but fewer fish on or near the spawning beds indicates to me that many more “Sockeyes” had spawned and drifted off downstream. The total count of dead and live fish could only be a conservative count, however it is exciting to find these fish in this location, and as far as we know, perhaps the first big run here for at least 20 years. Long may they prosper.

With salmon off the menu, end of season trout fishing waters are all clear and fishable however this may be only temporary in high country waters due to a strong norwest influence across the South Island.

Presently the Ahuriri is a low 9.0 cumecs, the Haka at 0.5, the Maerewhenua at 0.6, Opihi 8.0 and the Rangitata at 50.0 cumecs. The Waitaki River at 400 cumecs will not change too much over the weekend due to low lake levels in the south, a situation which the heavy rain warning should soon rectify.

With “the roar” at full volume and a long weekend planned in the high tussock tops, a traditional hunting event, angling will not feature for me, and I suspect a number of anglers this weekend. Be careful out there!

Tight lines and straight shooting.

Hamish Stevens, Fish & Game

Salmon season draws to a close

The Easter break saw a large influx of anglers to all the major salmon rivers in the region. The Waitaki River was the place to be and at times had over 200 anglers lining the gut. Fish were being caught fairly regularly with one angler observing 8 fish being played at once. The Waitaki salmon run is traditionally later and would be worth fishing this weekend. Flows around 400 cumecs have been experienced over the last few days but it is expected to drop to between 300-350 cumecs for the weekend. The Rangitata and Opihi Rivers have still been producing salmon but upriver fishermen have been finding hooking fish difficult. The Rangitata is low and clear meaning that salmon have everything in their favour and fishing is best first thing or late in the evening. It looks like we will get some Nor West rain early in the weekend so salmon anglers will be hoping that the river drops quickly so they can have another go before the season finishes on the 31st of March.

Trout fishing has been slow with feeding fish hard to find however if one is on the go odds are that it will take your offering. A recent trip to a local stream showed just how hard the fishing can be with only 4 feeding trout out of the 20 spotted. Often I take my young Labrador on fishing trips and have never had a problem however this trip I had a friend along with his 15 month old GSP. Well Labrador plus GSP equals one broken rod! As my friend was tying a small beadhead on the two dogs came roaring past taking four feet off the tip. Needless to say the language was fairly colourful and the dogs soon had their tails between their legs. As a kind gesture I returned home and loaned my old rod so as he could continue the day. Returning to the stream the dogs jumped out of the truck as though nothing had happened and continued playing. On pulling the loaned rod out I noticed that the tip was broken and found chewed remnants on the floor. Moral of the story don’t take two young dogs out fishing!

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

I expect with the long weekend ahead the salmonid populations will take a beating, none more so than the fish in the Waitaki River. Chinook salmon will be the most sought after species with only 11 days remaining of the shortened season.

Information from a popular weigh in site (Glenavy Hotel) indicates that the seasons catch will exceed the number taken last year.

One trout angler commented that already lake Brown trout are beginning to colour up and targeting river mouths produced some good results for him and his fishing companions this week.

A walk down Larch Stream today (19.3.08), brought back memories of the 70’s and early 80’s. I counted 5730 Sockeye salmon in this small stream which is only 3km in length and remember now why I prefer to fly it, the Huxley swamp has not got any easier to walk through. Surprisingly there is little size difference between these fish and the Lake Benmore fish which makes me think that a large proportion of the run are not Lake Ohau inhabitants, perhaps these fish are Lake Ruataniwha residents, or, Lake Ohau has become more enriched and now provides increased plankton, sufficient to support the current salmon population. Perhaps not but there is considerable change in landscape over the last 20 years, I’m just guessing of course. Huxley Gorge and Glen Lyon Station managers have seen “hundreds” of “sockeyes” in two other spring fed tributaries further upstream. What ever the reason for the resurgence it is great to see!

Reports from the Ahuriri River indicate that although the fish are there they are “hard work”. Possibly due to the high temperatures, most are not interested in anything cast to them. It is unusual to find a fish actively feeding, if you do, then there’s a good chance you will hook it. Perhaps the inactive fish are nocturnal feeders? One angler fishing the Ahuriri River reported the biggest eel he’s seen since he was a schoolboy. The eel of his youth weighed 20lb but this one was much bigger. While electro fishing in the lower Ahuriri River a large eel succumbed to the electrode. Fish of this size are ancient and may be older than you and I. Female Longfinned eels migrate to see to spawn at 24 to 47 years of age and large fish such as the Ahuriri specimens may be slow maturing older fish.

There is a perception amongst many that the only good eel is a dead one. I take a different view, as do many others, they have a place in fishery, predation is a fact of life. A study on a small North Island trout fishery showed that when all the eels were removed the trout population increased but the fish size decreased. No predation, more fish, too many fish for the stream to support, a stunted population remained, of minimal interest to anglers I would think. We know they are very good at keeping the rivers “rubbish” free being capable scavengers. I respect their longevity, I am impressed by their tenacity of life and their life cycle is quite astounding. The New Zealand Longfinned eel is one of the largest of the freshwater eels. There are instances of “longfins” attaining a length of almost 2 metres and weighing more than 50 kg. Now that’s an eel! Fish this size demand respect. I have found eels can be very inquisitive , often when drift diving , looking for trout amongst willow roots or in deep holes an eel will suddenly appear. However it will retreat just as fast when it discovers the disturbance is not a food item. Still, there are many who have a fear of any eel, large or small, and when drift diving it can be quite humorous, for me, when a diver known for his revulsion of eels comes face to face with one. A terrified scream confined to the diameter of a snorkel is indescribable unless you have heard the “bugle” of a bull Wapiti in full rut.

As a young field officer I recall my senior officer at that time who had a fear of eels and any eel he saw usually ended up dead. He would go to great lengths to catch and kill any eel he saw. It was quite a phobia. I’ve seen people like that with spiders. One day he told me why he had such a dislike and fear of the species. As a schoolboy he was “tickling” trout from the undercut banks of a small stream, well you can guess the rest. A “largish” eel grabbed his hand.. Eels have many fine sharp teeth along their jaws and in the roof of the mouth. The mouth is large and the jaws are powerful. In his effort to extract his hand he wrenched it away but in doing so tore the flesh “to the bone” on his young fingers. The fingers became infected and I was told he came close to losing the entire hand. Well perhaps he has good reason to dislike eels however the eel was not a “man eater” and only grabbed the hand as it moved along feeling for a trout either as a possible food item or perhaps in a defensive strike. Yep he sure hated eels.

When annoyed they will retaliate just like your dog or cat might. While walking around Lake Pearson many years ago, a sizeable eel, perhaps 3 or 4 kg, was observed in half meter of water, motionless amongst the aquatic plants. One of our party, who disliked eels immensely, attempted to give it a good poke with tip of his split cane fly rod. A bad decision. In a flash the eel, supposedly sleeping, had the rod tip between its jaws. A swirl and a cloud of suspended silt and it was gone, but so was a considerable amount of varnish from off the mans prized and immaculate English fishing pole.
Electric fishing machines are particularly hard on eels especially long ones. My attempts to keep the Ahuriri eel alive in an oxygenated tank failed and after 2 days it died. I weighed it, it was an impressive 29lbs (13.1kg).

On school camps and during stream studies I have always made a point of educating school children about eels. And while most scream and run when I produce an eel from the fish tanker, by the end of the class they are all, well 99% of them, stroking and handling the fish marvelling at the smooth and velvet skin and usually surprised that the fish is not trying to tear them apart. Their teachers and parents are never so keen and very few of the mothers or fathers will touch them. I wonder where the kids get their fear of eels? The eels do get stressed and will bite but if handled carefully they can remain docile for an amazing length of time. When they become agitated and active however it’s time to return them to the stream and use another specimen from the tanker.

All rivers and lakes are clear and fishable, albeit at a lesser flow than at this time last week. Salmon anglers can expect flows in the Waitaki to be in the 250 to 300 cumec range. If heading north to the Rangitata, it is flowing at a low 55 cumecs. The Ahuriri 11cumecs, Hakataramea River .72, Maerewhenua River .83, Opihi River 7.5 cumecs.
On a flight to count Canada geese I flew along and over several rivers and lakes.

What was noticeable was the lack of anglers and on the lakes, anglers and boats. The few river anglers I did see appeared to be guides with clients fishing the Tekapo and the Ahuriri Rivers. A calm before the storm. From about this Thursday to next Tuesday the situation will be quite different.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

Salmon fishing news dominates with increased runs and angler success throughout the Central South Island Region. This year the fish are larger and in exceptional condition, however a later run of small fish in the 4 to 5 kg range is now appearing in the anglers’ bag.

Inland, an aerial count of Sockeye salmon spawning waters on the 13th March, financed by Meridian Energy, showed salmon spawning in the Lower Ohau, Tekapo, and Twizel Rivers. In the enhanced Ohau tributary, now cleared a further kilometre upstream by Environment Canterbury, numbers are significantly increased.

Didymo growth in the Ohau River has not deterred the “sockeyes” and they have cleared hundreds of square metres of river bed during redd excavation. Brown trout although still in low numbers have increased in the lower Ohau River. In the surveyed lower Tekapo River, brown trout were quite numerous. The lower Twizel River holds some good trout, however there is considerable distance between fish.

Sockeye Salmon Counts, 13.3.08

As a cost saving, Twizel and Tekapo counts were significantly shortened.
The manager of Glen Lyon Station located on the lower Dobson River near its confluence with Lake Ohau reports that in one of the Dobson River’s spring fed tributaries near Stoney Stream, large numbers of small fish have appeared and they are thought to be Sockeye Salmon. Larch Stream, a historical “sockeye” spawning stream on the opposite side of the Dobson River will be checked on foot by the writer in the next few days. The Glen Lyon manager , Nigel Freeman has indicated he will check Stockyard Stream for spawning salmon while working there next week. This water was last used by spawning salmon in the1970’s.

The drying norwesters are having their effect and river flows are down accordingly. The Waitaki River has been lower and the increased catch rate can be attributed to the improved fishing conditions and access.

After last weeks reminiscence of fishing close to home I received correspondence from angler who also spent time at Lake Bryndwr. Apparently bread or cheese successfully caught the goldfish in the lake, I wonder what happened to the poor goldfish, and did they end up in the frypan? I’d like to tell my brother who never got to eat his.

On the southern side of the main lake there were several smaller, shallower ponds and a larger deep one. I recall building a raft which equipped with sail and paddles came to an ignominious end in the disused pit as the combined weight of the crew overcame the buoyancy of the scrap timber and other materials employed in its construction.

While “mucking around doing stuff” in the small ponds we caught a large and ferocious looking dragon-fly larvae. Someone decided that this could be good bait for trout. The unfortunate insect was kept in a jar of water for a trial. The larvae was carefully hooked through the top of the thorax and suspended from a plastic bubble on a short trace. I thought the impaled insect with its legs constantly moving would be irresistible to a cruising trout . I was right!, To ensure the new bait would stay attached the bubble and trace were gently lobbed, not cast onto the lake. The float stabbed downwards and out of sight. A Brown trout was guided into my landing net; not many kids had a landing net. My father arrived home from an anglers club auction with it and he gave to me. A folding “Y” shaped frame with the leading edge formed by a heavy leather thong. A rather long, well varnished “Greenheart” handle incorporated a reversible tang at the butt end which I guess was for poking into the river bank while waiting for a fish. If one looked carefully, you could read the engraving around the alloy fitting, “Made by Hardy Bros Ltd England”. While it meant little to me then, today it would be of considerable value. I wonder what became of it?

The new bait had promise but we would need to find a lot more “ugly bugs”. The smaller safer ponds became a most valuable resource. We discovered, by accident I suspect, if we disturbed the substrate of the pond, “shuffling” through the stones with a stout stick, the dragon-fly larvae would emerge and jet propelled, vacate the area of disturbance. Catching these in your bare hands was not easy but with small nets made from mothers discarded nylon stockings we soon had it down to a fine art. One would “shuffle” the other would catch.

I could not guess at how many trout we took with the suspended dragon-fly rig. Catch and release was never a consideration in the 60’s. Suffice to say we did our bit to successfully annihilate both Brown and Rainbow trout populations of Lake Bryndwr.

Despite all rivers and lakes being clear and fishable the weekend ahead is usually a quiet one with many anglers preparing for the last long weekend of the recognised fishing season, Easter weekend. The Waitaki River should remain in the 250 to 300 cumec range and with the salmon fishing rapidly coming to an end there will be some urgency to land a salmon before the end of the month. The season for salmon ends midnight on Monday 31st March.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

A good rain fell in most places but as is often the case, where it was most needed nothing happened. The flow of the Hakataramea lifted a mere 200 litres per second and is now showing a downward trendrunning at 1.2 cumecs. There are still some fish available, my last report midweek from an area mid river was that they were all small, both brown and rainbow, with the heaviest specimen weighing in at about 500 gm. This is not normal, perhaps the angler was fishing in the nursery. The Maerewhenua River too received a flush of 26 cumecs but dropped rapidly to 1.6. The Ahuriri River produced a good fresh rising to just under 60 cumecs. On the way down it is now at 17 and will be clear and fishable by the weekend. These minor floods are so important now that didymo has a firm hold on a large percentage of our trout streams. Controlled rivers such as the lower Ohau, Tekapo and Waitaki Rivers suit didymo and in these waters it thrives well. The high flows in the Waitaki are dropping back and while the 400 plus cumecs disadvantaged anglers it has given the didymo a beating. The flow over the last few days has been down in the low 300’s. Today and for the weekend it is predicted to remain in the mid 300 cumec range.

An inspection on Wednesday of the enhanced tributary of the lower Ohau with engineers from Environment Canterbury showed Sockeye salmon still immigrating out of the Ohau River. Ecan staff were impressed with the results of their good work in stream clearance. The stream is a hive of activity with redds being excavated and feisty salmon battling it out for suitors and prime redd sites. Completed redds are well protected by one of the parent fish and woe betide any intruder that ventures too close. My guess is there are more salmon in the tributary stream than there were last year however in the Lower Ohau there appears to be a lower number. On the 9th of March last year I counted 7400 sockeye in the Lower Ohau. This year the aerial count is scheduled for about the 13th, weather permitting.

In the Waitaki River, their bigger cousins, Chinooks, have yet to make headline news. While rumours abound about an increase in catch rate, now that the North Island is getting its act together and flows have lowered by 100 cumecs, or thereabouts, the catch rate in the Waitaki River should pick up, providing the fish are there to be caught.

Tight lines

by Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game.

High river flows in the Waitaki River continue and while this is having a beneficial effect on didymo it is disadvantageous to salmon anglers as many of the known “salmon holes” are inaccessible at 400 cumecs. Despite the flow there is still a steady catch rate although numbers are not high. On average however, the salmon appear to be larger than in the last few seasons with high 20, low 30 “pounders” being weighed in at local camps and at the Glenavy Hotel. The proprietors have been weighing and keeping records of salmon catches for as long as I can remember. As many Waitaki anglers know, “the Glenavy” is a well known gathering place for salmon fishers. It’s also a great place to find out what’s happening and where, a place to reflect on salmon fishing days over a cold one and admire the collection of salmon mounts, some of the Waitaki’s largest, which adorn the walls of the bar.

Sockeye salmon were first observed in the enhanced lower Ohau River tributary on the 27th of February last year. On the 25th of February this year, last Monday, I walked the lower sections of the stream saw no fish but by pure chance observed the first 4 Sockeye enter the spawning stream, 3 males and a single female. They were soon followed by 2 more and I suppose if I had had the time I could have sat there all day and watched the spawning migration in progress. Local Ecan engineer Ray Newman called to say that the spawning ground was filling with salmon but a dam board set in place to assist accurate measurement of flows was causing a bottle neck. Despite the centre of the board having a large slot sawn in it to assist upstream migration the “Sockeyes” are ignoring the most obvious route and attempting to migrate up either side where there is the least over-topping of the weir. The board has been lifted temporarily.

The lower Ohau River is a disgusting sight choked with didymo where last year there was none. However at this stage it is not thought to be too much of a problem as last year the sockeye excavated redds through growths of didymo. How the didymo affects water movement through the gravels of the redd is not known. Nor is it known if the minuscule food items sockeye fry require is affected by the didymo infestation. The situation would make an interesting project for a budding fisheries scientist.

I have travelled past 3 of the valley lakes on 3 occasions this week and despite the excellent weather there has been minimal trout fishing activity, almost nil. Weekends are much busier, however as a wet few days is predicted, there could be a “safe” weekend ahead for trout.

All rivers are on a steady downward trend, the Rangitata River has been high and discoloured due to norwest conditions and at present is flowing at about 78 cumecs down from 250 earlier in the week, the Opihi River is down from 10 cumecs to 3.6 , Ahuriri River from 28 down to14 cumecs, Haka down from 1.5 to .9, Maerewhenua down from 2.1 to 1.1 and the Kakanui down from 1.5 to .65 cumecs. The Waitaki River is expected to remain high in the range of 350 to 425 cumecs for the weekend.

Tight lines.

by Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game

Another very warm week most of which I spent at one of my favourite locations, Lake Ohau. The days were clear and calm until the arrival of the afternoon CPB, (Canterbury Plains Breeze). I’m unsure as to why it’s called a Canterbury phenomenon as it crosses the boundary into Otago on a regular basis, nor why it’s called a “breeze” The air movement could better be described as rather brisk wind. Boat fishing becomes hard work and there is always a struggle to keep the vessel on course and trolling in fish catching depths, especially along the extremely convoluted shoreline at the head of the lake. If the fish aren’t cooperating however, the rough conditions provide a perfect excuse to head for shore, retire to camp and discuss the mornings results, or lack of them, and what we will do when the wind drops. What better way to do this than with drinks and “nibbles”? Some of fishing experiences had by the occupants of the two boats we use on our annual family get- together become legend others are totally untrue. It is not important if one crew catches more or bigger fish, it’s not a competition, (yeah right), however it is always good fun and a great way to “catch-up” with family members domiciled in distant parts of the island.

Lake Ohau and its tributaries provides many opportunities for anglers if you strike the weather right, this is not always possible due to the prevalent “Norwesters” which only blow strong to gale force. As I said it’s a family get together which rules out me sneaking off with a fly rod somewhere, and Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were ideal for polaroiding the lake edge. From an elevated position in my boat I saw many trout cruising the rippled sands of the lake bed as we idled on by. The Dobson River mouth and shoreline on both sides for a considerable distance is clean, firm sand and any trout moving are quite easy to see.

The lake was not over generous with its offerings on this trip, four rods on four outings, mornings and evenings, caught about 16 fish and lost about 4 or 5, it‘s not a competition so who’s counting. (We got 4 more than they did!)

The catch was mostly “browns” usually the catch is predominately “rainbows”. Condition factors of the “browns” and smaller Rainbow trout were high but 2 larger “rainbows” were marginally leaner. The fish were not weighed but my "guestimate" is the smallest at 500 gm up to 1500 gm. Of course the ones that got away were monstrous.

What did we catch them on? I have to admit that I buy a couple of new lures prior to this annual event. Every year. This years creation which I paid too much for is called a “Poltergeist”, it comes with two diving bibs, the short one will take your lure to 3 metres, the long bib “dives to an amazing 8 metres whilst maintaining a tight shuffling action”. Well that’s what’s printed on the box. (Changing the bib is tricky as there are no instructions , but after 3 or 4 minutes I discovered how. The secret is having a very small screw driver handy to push a key from a keyway which locks it in place). While my sounder didn’t quite agree with makers claims, of course the “Hummingbird” could be at fault, after some testing and many collisions with the substrate the Australian gear was replaced with the old “tried and true”. In an attempt to find the magic colour combination. I tied many clinch knots during our fishing periods however at the risk of giving away family secrets, green and green and gold did the trick. I’ve said it before, those Rapalas can catch fish!

The low point of the trip was while scaling a fish on semi submerged herbage along the lake edge I became the victim of a “being”, which I guess was rather small but with a king size punch. Having seen the occasional bee floating along I guessed I had been stung by a bee. I had a knife in my hand and immediately scraped clean the highly sensitive area of my fourth finger. Now I haven’t come in contact with the sharp end of a honey bee since my school days but I do remember mother applying the “blue bag” from off the twin concrete tubs in the wash house and that’s about all. Within minutes and after unsuccessfully trying to gain some sympathy, ( “Do you realise that by letting the bee sting you, you have deprived it of life?” was all I got), the stinging had subsided and I guessed the cold water in which I was cleaning the catch was doing a good job. By the time camp was reached the affected area had turned a brilliant scarlet and the finger a little larger than I remember it. An hour or two later the colouration was spreading around the fingernail and up the finger. With a “concerned” brother talking of amputation before the infection reached my elbow, we all agreed that this affliction was not caused by an insect of the nectar collecting kind. On closer examination, double puncture marks indicated it may have been something with 8 legs. All anglers would have seen some impressive spiders on, in and around water when fishing. So I’m now thinking these “harmless” spiders which I have handled with ease in the past I will now leave well alone. The species may well be wrongly accused, but I am unaware of any other creature capable of inflicting such an injury. I resorted to some bush surgery with a sterilized needle the colour remains and a very annoying itch has begun. A good sign I hope.

Having been out of circulation for most of the week information on salmon fishing has been limited excepting that in the lower Waitaki River the catch rate has been slow. “Scuttlebutt” indicates that a couple of fish lost were huge. One fish observed by several anglers, after a lengthy battle, was about to be tailed up the beach when the hook “fell out”. This salmon was rumoured to be in the high 30’s (pounds) and may have been a 40 pounder!

Despite a rosy dawn this morning, “Red sky in the morning , etc, etc”, the Met’ office forecasts fine and settled weather to remain for a few days yet and all waters are clear and fishable. The last rain event was of great benefit and the Haka and Maerewhenua Rivers are still flowing above 1.5 cumecs. The Ahuriri River is low and clear at 11 cumecs and an Omarama angler informs me that while the fish are easy to find they are not feeding and refuse anything cast to them. The Waitaki River at 419 cumecs will remain at flows close to this during the weekend.

Tight lines.

by Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game.
Changeable weather conditions and cooling of air temperatures has been refreshing. Mondays deluge accompanied by a noisy electrical storm was of short duration but low flows steadied in affected areas. With a good rain of 12.0 mm at Kurow overnight , the Hakataramea and Maerewhenua Rivers are on the increase. The Haka is still rising and at present is at 2.3 cumecs, the Maerewhenua peaked briefly at close to 40 but is receding and now at 11.0 cumecs. The Ahuriri River is rising and with the rain still falling in the high country (6.30 am on 15.2.08) my guess is it will exceed the present flow of 14.5cumecs. Temuka staff report that South Canterbury rivers to the north are rising and that they may be discoloured for the whole weekend. With the Rangitata River at 125 cumecs and rising it is expected to be similarly affected. The weekend’s weather looks a bit scruffy and from my office window I can see a generous dump of snow on the St Mary Range. The southerly wind will have a bite to it.

There have been higher flows in the Waitaki River again this week, up to 460 cumecs, and from all reports this is having an effect on didymo with minimal fouling of fishing gear. There are 407 cumecs trundling down at this time, however it is predicted the flows will be in the 300 to 350 cumec area during the weekend.

Salmon have been seen and hooked in the upper stretches of the Waitaki River indicating there has been some movement from the lower river and that any likely “salmon hole” could be productive through the remainder of the season.
With February “galloping along”, if anyone wanted to target pre spawning Sockeye salmon, now would be the time to do some exploratory fishing in the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore concentrating on the water around Ohau “C” and across to the confluence of the Tekapo and Ohau Rivers. Trolling trout lures has worked in the past, I suspect smaller than larger patterns would work best. According to last years diary, Sockeye salmon were migrating up the Ohau river and unnamed tributary on the 27th February. From the numbers I saw and the distance they had travelled my guess is they had been on migration for several days. If their timetable is the same as in 2007, next week will be about the right time to catch schooling “Sockeyes”.

I spent almost a day on the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore in a 6 metre boat crammed with batteries two computers, several boxes filled with cables and fittings plus a large and interesting apparatus covered in switches and dials. All this paraphernalia was connected to two cables which led to a large transducer submerged half a meter below the surface attached to a starboard gunwale fitting. The apparatus belonged to NIWA and Stefan from Quebec Canada was the very knowledgeable operator, Bill Jarvie from Fish and Game Southland supplied and skippered the vessel. The object of the exercise was to collect data from the sonar which was operated while the boat was steered on a predetermined course . The course was a zig-zag route from shore out to 30 metres and then turn and return to shore and then back out to 30 meters and we did this for most of the day. Now at planing speed this could have been fun but at a steady 1100 rpm on the big “Merc's” tacho', about 5 knots I guess, this became rather tedious. The screen showed fish of all sizes from miniscule dots to banana shapes indicating large fish however without a fishing pole on board and after some 20 kilometres it became rather tedious. No stops were permitted and speed had to be constant. It was obvious however that the bulk of the fish population was located at the very top of the lake and that the further one travelled towards Benmore Dam fewer fish showed on the screen. That of course was the most visible and obvious results, however much of the information was locked up in the on board computer and would not be available until deciphered back at NIWA headquarters. The object of the exercise, as I understand it, is to find a reliable method of assessing fish populations in lakes. The first lake surveyed was Lake Coleridge, then Lake Benmore, Hawea and then I assume waters further south. The following day the survey was to be carried out on the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore and closer to home I was interested to see how the two arms compared from a fish population perspective. Unfortunately there were more important things to do than spend a day cruising on the lake enjoying sun and scenery. How do you get these good jobs? However I called Bill, who at the time was spending a second day on Lake Hawea stating they were having difficulty finding fish. I asked how the fish numbers in the Ahuriri Arm compared. They were impressed with the Haldon Arm numbers so the Ahuriri Arm would have them in raptures.
Not so. Haldon Arm was by far the most prolific producer. I was surprised. I started thinking about it. The Ahuriri Arm is not deep, especially where most of the fish are taken, perhaps a large hull at full displacement in these depths dispersed fish outside the transducer’s arc and therefore less sonar contacts were made. It will be interesting to read the full report at the end of the mission, the information collected will show at what depth most fish were located and there may be some truth in my shallow water thinking.

While discussing my fish finding day with angling and hunting friend Tom who had telephoned to see if I would go fishing with him, he asked if there was anything he should know. I noticed, as did Bill and Stefan, that wherever we located a drowned tree on the screen, remnants of pre hydro days, without fail there was always a large fish in close proximity. Although we were in a different arm of the lake to where Tom was heading I passed on the information. That evening I received a call from Tom saying he had picked up two trees on his fish finder and had spent just a little more effort casting around them to be rewarded with a good fish from each. Science, sonar and skill equals fish!

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game Officer

With a public holiday midweek and glorious weather, it was inevitable some trout in the region would be caught. The slowing of the trout catch rate in the valley’s lakes appears to have been reversed, possibly due to the loss of many holiday makers or the cooler spell with rain, probably a combination of both. I have received some good reports especially from Lake Benmore. I was informed of an angler who set out to catch a 2 to 3 pounder to put in his smoker. The angler went home without his fish simply because he couldn’t catch one small enough! Now that’s a fisherman’s story with a twist. Apparently all the fish he landed were 5’s and 6’s, far too big for the stainless steel “hot smoker” every angler seems to own.

No salmon were caught in the Waitaki River on Waitangi Day, or none that we’ve heard of, however last Sunday there was some excitement with 6 salmon landed in the lower river and on Tuesday there were 8. That’s almost a run! Perhaps not, but as one angler reminded me, this is what happened last year, with no big catches beginning until the last week in February. Salmon then became more numerous as the season progressed with the best week being the last week of the season. The season for salmon is again a shortened one, it closes on the last day of March, so there is some trepidation amongst anglers that the runs may come too late.

In the Rangitata River the last few days have been quiet, however Mark Webb from our Temuka office tells me about 30 were landed earlier in the week.

I enjoy angler’s stories and hearing how an ordinary day can take a “U” turn and become an extraordinary day. I was talking to an acquaintance and friend of many years Richard Hill a very keen and successful angler despite being confined to a wheel chair. When ever I stop at the Oamaru sports store where Richard works he most often relates his exploits or his observations while fishing the Waitaki lakes. I think that you and I, as fully mobile anglers may never experience or ever think twice about some of Richards knotty little problems.

I don’t doubt that many of us in the process of landing a fish have had the trout race between our legs. You step over the line and the fish is able to run free. Simple. Not for Richard. What do you do when fishing from lake side shallows and the fish you are about to net races between the wheels? The wheels you’re sitting on!
From talking with Richard I get the impression that in the waters that he fishes he gets to know the local trout population very well and to him they are all different individuals. He probably spends more time in one spot than you and I and is able to do this. He has intimate knowledge of which fish cruises where and has probably caught and released a good number of them.

Anyway Richard, his usual chirpy self when I called last week said “I caught my trophy fish on the weekend” “How big?” I asked, naturally. “10.8lb on my digital scales”. I was taken a bit by surprise. "Lake Benmore?” I asked but thinking hydro canal. “Yep, they put me in a kayak” “What did you catch him on, spin or fly?” I inquired but thinking worm. “Nymph” he replied’ “Brown or rainbow?” “Brown”. “A fish that size would tow you a round a bit”. He laughed “I was anchored but we did a few revolutions” I immediately pictured Richard and kayak doing steady turns on the anchor rope, like the hand of a stop watch, it would have been quite an experience. Richard releases his fish but I guessed this was going to be a “wall hanger”. “Did you get some pics?” I was keen to see the monster “Bit of a sad story there, batteries were flat”

So here was Richard, a fish of a lifetime at his feet , no camera to record the event, what do you do? “I let it go” Richard said nonchalantly. I was surprised. I’m not so sure I would have had it been me. Where’s the proof, who’d believe me? “I’m not worried” said Richard when I mentioned the all important photograph. “ I know I caught him”.

A lot of people, including me, would find that easy to say but might struggle making the decision, a decision that needs to made reasonably quickly. The more I thought about Richard’s trophy fish, the better I thought of Richard and in fact it’s quite extraordinary how his big moment in trout fishing made me, and I suspect others I have told the story to, think a bit more about catch and release and having the courage to return the “big one” back to the water. I suppose you have to be in that situation to know exactly what you would do at that crucial moment. Congratulations Richard, a great achievement landing a double figure trophy fish, an even greater feat, letting it go. (Richard informs me his camera batteries are now fully charged).

With salmon appearing in the Waitaki River at last, those heading out there will find the river flowing in the 300 to 400 cumec range, the South Island doing its bit to keep the North supplied with electricity. The good thing about the higher flows we have been experiencing is the didymo is being pruned back and I’m told salmon fishing is almost didymo free.

The smaller rivers are getting smaller however the Hakataramea River is holding at about 650 litres per second. The Ahuriri River has dropped a further 2 cumecs flowing now at 11 cumecs. To the north the Rangitata is at 58 cumecs and the Opihi at about 5 cumecs.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish & Game Officer

The hot weather continues and the recent rain as beneficial as it was to some has undone much of the fish salvage work completed in previous weeks. Although there was not sufficient rain to fill the Hakataramea River there was enough to raise the level in isolated pools so as to reconnect several of them. Those pools which had been netted and electro fished of their stranded residents have now been repopulated as fingerlings and smolts drift downstream from those deeper pools still safe and populated with fish. As the levels fall they will all require fish salvage once again.

Salmon news centres on the Rangitata River catches however on Sunday I received a call from an Oamaru angler Trevor Hill, who I’m constantly calling to find out what’s happening in the Waitaki. Trevor caught two salmon from his boat within several minutes in the lower Waitaki River. They are the first to be on the board at the Glenavy Hotel . If I remember correctly, they weighed 20 and 22 pounds.

I thought this would attract some anglers however while flying the region on the annual shelduck and Black Swan trend counts yesterday I did not see anyone fishing the lower river. There were two parties fishing on the Ahuriri River, 3 boats on Lake Tekapo and one on Lake Alexandrina. Not a lot of angling effort for the many trout waters I over flew.

The Waitaki River trout population appears to be in good health still. After a mid week excursion by an angling friend he reported sighting many good trout, all rising. He couldn’t establish what they were taking but a small parachute “Adams” fooled the fish he could get a line to. The catch rate was not good but just seeing them “on the top” was a great experience. He did say that while boating the river the bottom turned an unusual grey colour. He thought “not another kind of weed!” He stopped to check out one of these areas only to find he was looking at a clean gravel bed. Large areas with not a strand of didymo to be seen. Very unusual but probably nothing to get too excited about.

River flows continue to recede and all waters are lower than at this time last week. The Haka is now down to .630, Maerewhenua at .558, the Waihao .240 and the Kakanui at .319, Opihi 3.5cumecs. In the high country the Ahuriri River is flowing at a low 12.8 cumecs and the Rangitata at 61.0cumecs. The Waitaki has been up in the low 400’s but should be around 300 cumecs for the weekend. Anglers who intend being in the lower Tekapo River area should be aware that there will be a recreational release of water down the Pukaki River, ( for the kayak and canoe enthusiasts) beginning at 5.00am on Sunday 3rd February with 35 cumecs until 3.00pm in the afternoon when flows will have increased to 140 cumecs.

Finally, it’s farewell to Richard Fitzpatrick from Otago Fish and Game Region, Richard and I converse on most Thursdays regarding fishing in our respective regions, we swap information for our Friday reports and generally keep in touch with what’s happening around the two regions. This is Richard’s last week working for Fish and Game. His resignation will be quite an inconvenience for Otago as his knowledge and skills will be difficult to replace. Richard tells me that the cicada season is in full swing in Otago’s tussock country and that the Logan Burn Dam is fishing particularly well. The lower Clutha River is still full of cooperative trout and he said this was an extraordinary event. My Otago information will now be sadly lacking. Thanks for all your help.

Good luck and tight lines Richard!

Graeme Hughes, Fish &Game Officer

The region received a welcome rain and although it was heavy in places, where it was needed most, there is little evidence of a change in river flows. The Ahuriri River peaked at 54 cumecs, up 36 cumecs and the Maerewhenua rose from 700 litres per second to 1.4cumecs. The Hakataramea River remains at a low flow, 800 litres per second at the time of writing this report.

With most holiday makers back at work there are still many camped along riverbanks and lake shorelines. During the last week I have had reports of mixed fishing success, however it does appear that on the lakes at least, there has been a slowing of the catch rate. This is probably not surprising when you consider the exposure the trout population has had during the recognised holiday period. The disturbance factor is greatly increased, boats of all types jet, prop and paddle power. Hours of high speed orbits by towed water toys, and of course an increase in the fishing effort. I visited a spot with rod in hand knowing that there were always fish visible and where there is minimal fishing pressure. I became suspicious when I put three good fish down without making any obvious mistakes. The wrong choice of nymph or fly will often be “perused and refused” but to streak for escape cover at the sight of an imitation was not what I expected. My suspicions were further aroused when I noticed tracks through the parched grasses and the empty bottles and food wrappers that the inconsiderate visitors could not carry home. These fish were well educated and their memory is obviously way beyond that of the common goldfish. I’ll give them a couple of weeks and try again, by then they may be more forgiving should I choose the wrong pattern again.

The netting and electro fishing in the Hakataramea River continues however large numbers of fingerlings remain in some pools which although not connected to any surface flow are still too deep to effectively work but at risk from predation and drying. Work will continue until there is a significant rain event.

The Brown beetle flight is over, caddis numbers have dwindled , however cicadas have just started their chirping chorus providing high country trout with a new diet. It is a time of big food items for fish and big opportunities for fisherpersons. The delicate presentation required for fishing a mayfly imitation can be completely disregarded when the cicadas are flying. In fact the “splat” of a large deer hair cicada pattern on the surface is much like a dinner gong to trout which have “switched on” to this annual feasting. The “takes” are usually eruptions, often from some depth, with much splash and noise. There is nothing tidy about a trout’s feeding habits when cicadas are on the menu. Cicada fishing is poor training for a novice fly fisher as you can break several golden rules of fly casting and still catch your fish. If you miss-time the lift and fail to hook a rising trout, you can put the fly back immediately and it will be taken again, and again, but after about the third time even the most uneducated trout will probably guess that something is not quite right.

Salmon in the Rangitata River are still providing exciting times for the angler.
The season started well at the Rangitata with good catches of spring run fish in November/December and has continued on into January with both the number and size of fish surprising anglers. Fish weighing up to 13.6kg or 30 pound have been confirmed with reports of larger fish landed as well. Anglers have also commented on the excellent condition these fish seem to be in suggesting that conditions and food supply have been favourable at sea for the past three years. Around 380 salmon have been landed at the mouth with last week yielding 44 fish for one day! Mouth anglers have not been the only ones to have increased catch rates with river fishermen regularly taking limit bags as well. Salmon are well spread throughout the river now, allowing anglers who prefer quieter waters to fish away from the crowds. It has been about seven years since we have seen a run of fish like this and with just over two months to the end of the season it is likely that a few more will be added to the tally. Salmon have also been taken in the Orari, Opihi and Ashburton Rivers but in much lesser numbers.

It has taken a while but the local scuttlebutt has it that “a few” salmon have been taken in the lower Waitaki River. Details are as usual sketchy however with the information soon to become common knowledge it can be expected that the angling effort on the river will increase and with more gear in the water there should be more fish landed.

Trout fishing in the Waitaki River is still productive however the catch rate is much greater for jet boat owners who can move about exploring the many possibilities available. A recent report from an experienced Waitaki angler suggests that spinning is successful providing you are able to withstand the annoyance of didymo. Casting a nymph is much less work and on average provides a better catch rate.
Conditions for the weekend ahead are favourable, the cooler weather is a welcome and refreshing respite from those grass crackling, parched days recently endured. Most waters clear and fishable. The Ahuriri River is receding after reaching 70 cumecs and is presently flowing at 20 cumecs . It was quite murky during the week so I would expect it to be fishable but with a “smidgen” of colour. All other trout waters are fishable. If the target is salmon this weekend the Waitaki is clear and expected to be running at about 300 cumecs. The Rangitata River peaked at about 330 cumecs, is receding and yesterday it was at 125 cumecs, today down to 82.9 and clearing. Local opinion suggests it should be clear enough for fishing on Saturday, definitely by Sunday.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish and Game Officer

The week has been warm and windy. Not good fishing conditions. A brief shower mid week of about 2mm was refreshing but that was about it. Today, Friday, light rain is falling but this is expected to clear during the day. An Otago colleague told me that it “belted down” in Dunedin and rivers of the Otago Fish & Game region were beginning to rise. If you’re heading south for some trout fishing you should check with the OFG office for river conditions. From my conversation with him the Clutha River is currently fishing very well.

All smaller trout fisheries of the CSI region are under stress with fish salvage from drying streams underway. The Hakataramea River is dry for about 2 km and several thousand fish, mainly juveniles, have been moved downstream to permanent water. Unfortunately as often happens in the wild, a disaster for one species is a wind fall for another. It is “a time of plenty” for a large number of white-faced herons. Several bands of these efficient fishers, 28 in one flock, is taking advantage of the situation and I suspect eating more small fish than I can catch by electro fishing.

It is during these time of low flows one can actually see how productive small trout streams can be. Under any overhanging bank eels are numerous, and large trout, all “browns” up to 3.0 kg, seek cover. In the main channel where water is reduced to about shin deep the water moves with fingerlings in their thousands. Without being too accurate the catch so far consists of about 80% brown trout, 10% rainbow and 10% chinook salmon. Common and Upland bullies are everywhere in the shallows and at the head of the pools where water trickles through the cobbles, Common River Galaxids seek out what little flow there is.

While the Waitaki River has failed to give up its salmon in the Rangitata River the catch rate has been quite astounding and it is being said that it’s the best salmon catch since the year 2000.

On two separate days Rangitata anglers took 44 and 30 salmon. The total catch this year at the mouth has exceeded 200 with the south side being the most productive.
It would not be a Hughes report if I did not mention didymo. But this is good news, sort of. I was wrong! But on this occasion it was good to be wrong. The sample of algae I collected from the Aviemore Spawning Race was Gomphoneis not Didymosphenia geminata. Although it was in its early stages and was mixed up with filamentous algae it sure looked like didymo to me. I put 2 and 2 together and got 5! With the long hot sunny days the didymo look alike had flourished and this bloom of brown algae coupled with the knowledge that didymo already exists in tributaries of lakes upstream, I assumed incorrectly that at last and inevitably the horrible stuff had made it through Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore finding suitable substrate to cling to in the gravelled spawning race.

The Waitaki River has been running higher this week due to several “outages” requiring more production from local hydro dams. In the high 300 up to 400 cumecs this has increased the amount of didymo drifting downstream. Anglers claim that fishing in the lower river is frustrating if the river runs above 300 cumecs.

Other news about didymo it is reported to be dying off in the Maerewhenua River. Below Wrights Crossing in the Hakataramea River I have observed the same. The didymo while only in its early stages here, is dying off and easily dislodged from the stones with ones hand. Anyway this is interesting stuff and I have passed on the information to ECAN as I believe someone with knowledge should be looking into these unusual but very welcome occurrences.

Excepting for the Ahuriri River which has risen 5 cumecs to 18.0cumecs, flows for the weekend will remain low with all volumes down slightly from last week. The Waitaki River presently at 251 cumecs should run between 200 and 300cumecs. The Rangitata River which I suspect will be a busy place is recorded at 82 cumecs and clearing nicely for the weekend salmon angler.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish and Game Officer

The new year has provided the hot dry weather much sought after by many holiday makers camping in the region, the down side being trout streams are dangerously low and fish salvage is imminent in several unless there is a significant rain event.
Since my last report on the 21st December there has been a steady decline in flows: the Ahuriri River, 28 down to 13.3 cumecs, Maerewhenua from1.1 to .75, Hakataramea from 1.9 to .87, Rangitata, from a flood flow of 400 cumecs now at 82.7 and the Opihi, 11.5 down to 4.1.
Understandably, fishing in low, clear waters is hard work and can be quite frustrating. Not forgetting that an increase in angler visits, holiday makers, has every trout on “red alert”. Long leaders, light tippets and pin point accurate casting are required. Presentation is everything as fish will bolt for cover if anything heavier than a thistle seed settles on the surface.
Although I have been out of the district recent fishing history in the valley indicates that the Waitaki Lakes and the Waitaki River, despite didymo, have been providing trout consistently over the last 3 weeks, but salmon have been late to appear. Whereas the Rangitata is in full swing with 111 fish weighed in over the last 10 days, only 2 salmon have been reported, taken at the Waitaki mouth on the south side. An acquaintance saw a salmon below Kurow but seeing one is not quite the same.
There are still a few sea run “browns” being caught and I saw a brace of silver beauties taken on natural smelt on Wednesday with a combined weight of about 7 kg.
Arriving at the Aviemore Spawning Race on Wednesday to begin some bank side maintenance I immediately saw the unmistakeable rusty brown colouration on some areas of gravel. I retrieved several stones covered in didymo and sent a sample of to Ecan to have it officially identified. I last visited the race in October and at that time everything looked normal. The race is the only permanent water where Lake Waitaki trout can spawn. The Awahokomo Stream, a small tributary near the Waitaki Dam, at times has sufficient flow to attract spawning trout into it however the flows usually cease early summer and on most years the hatch is lost. Each year from about May up until October some 600 trout, rainbow and brown, migrate into the Aviemore Spawning Race. While I have observed trout and salmon excavate redds in didymo covered substrate, I guess it depends how fast the redd is covered by the invasive algae as to how much the incubating eggs or hatched juveniles will be affected. Water must percolate through the pockets of ova contained within the redd to provide life giving oxygen and remove waste. After hatching the alevins having absorbed their yolk sacs become “swim up fry” and move up through the gravels to become free swimming. If they can find their way through the gravel of the redd I suspect the didymo should be no problem for them. The newly emerged fry then need to find enough food to exist in the nursery water. There have been researchers look at the productivity of the spawning race in the early 90’s. The race may provide opportunities to find out if didymo is affecting reproduction of trout in affected waters.
If you are heading north to fish the Rakaia River please note that the daily bag limit for trout is 2 not 4 as in the Waitaki River. We have had a call from North Canterbury claiming that Central South Island anglers have been unaware that there is a lesser daily bag in the Rakaia River.

Tight lines.

Graeme Hughes, Fish and Game Officer

Some very welcome rain in the region bumped up flows and halted the steady downward trend in the smaller waters. Fishing appears to be temporarily on hold as the population prepares for Christmas and some holiday time. The week’s weather has been a bit scruffy with overcast conditions with the wind brisk at times from the west and the south. My time management has failed miserably when I lost a day due to unexpected and unscheduled work popping up out of nowhere. Prior to this I did have two mornings on Lake Waitaki where with limited time I fished minor solunar periods and despite the grey days and spots of rain my guest took home several lake limited salmon, brown and rainbow trout. With the tables I was able to pick the best tines to fish, without the tables I could be further behind than I am now. Along with Waitaki Valley fish my guest also took home a “bundle of bunnies” I shot on the Kurow rugby field and through the fence on the neighbours property. The rabbit numbers have now got out of hand and both the neighbour and I have been taking a dozen or so per night without moving more than 500 meters from the house. You can’t see where we’ve been and those that remain are become very suspicious. The clever and elusve indivdual that has been continually digging up my lawn came to a “sticky end”. His time was up. His “sticky end” could have been worse on Saturday when I almost took him out with the “ride on” while racing around the shrubbery cutting what grass was left.

The Otiake River algae sample I sent off last week received official identification, Didymosphenia geminata is alive and well in this small tributary of Waitaki. The sample from the Awakino River was, as suspected, a similar looking native algae Gomphoneis, quite harmless. The question still remains how did didymo get in to the Otaike. Anglers, their boats or vehicles can’t be blamed for this outb