Owen River Trout Fishing

The Owen is a small river holding a good number of excellent condition brown trout that is a delight to fish as it winds through bush and scrub-lined banks to join the Buller River.

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Fish type	Brown trout
Location	Around 2 hours drive from Nelson, 10 minutes from Murchison and 20 minutes from St Arnaud.
Setting	This small river that flows over a small stone and shingle bed between bush and scrub lined banks is a delight to fish. Water is generally clear but can develop a greenish tinge especially after rain.
Maps	Access map Access map with topography LINZ topographic maps: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000) M29 Murchison for the lower reaches and confluence with the Buller. M28 Wangapeka for the middle and upper reaches.
Weather forecast	View MetService weather forecast for Nelson.
F&G pamphlet	Buller River access pamphlet >>>
Description	A small river that offers many kilometres of fishable waters holding large and wary brown trout. Anglers often need to push through the banside vegetation to reach the river but when they do are faced with hours of fishing opportunities on wonderful water. A very highly regarded river that despite its relative isolation does receive considerable angling pressure.
Fish numbers and size	There are good numbrs of fish especially early in the season and the fish tend to be in the 4lb range though many larger fish are present throughout the river.
Ease of fishing	A moderately challenging river to fish as there are some gorge areas (that hold the biggest fish) though there is much more easily fished waters as well. Some areas have difficult vegetation along the banks that must be negotiaited down tothe river though the riverbed is easy to wade and negotiate. The river is swift and the rocks can be very slippery however, especially in the warmer months.
Access	Access to the lower reaches can be gained from State Highway 6 (Nelson to Wesport) and the middle and upper reaches can be best accessed via the Owen Valley East Road. The Owen Valley West Rd which follows the true right hand bank does not travel up the river far and branches off following the small Johnston Creek. See the access map and access details.
Recommended lures	Nymphs: This river reponds best to lightly weighted nymphs such as size 16 Hare and Coppers, Pheasant Tails, or any green Stonefly patterns. (more weight may be required to get to the larger fish spotted in the deeper pools and runs). Dry flies: Coch-y-Bondhu, Molefly, Royal Wulff and Humpy patterns are all popular. Wet flies: Small wets like Greenwell's Glory, March Brown and emerger sedge patterns in size 14 work well when fished sub-surface especially during the evening rise. Spinners: Small bladed spinners (Mepps or Veltic) fished into the faster water or through the deep pools are best for this small river.
Biosecurity requirements
Biosecurity	Because of the presence of the invasive alga didymo in these waters, anglers must clean their fishing gear including waders and boots, especially when moving between rivers. See Didymo Biosecurity Alert for details.
Regulations
Applicable to	Owen River
Region	Nelson/Marlborough regulations
Season	1 October - 30 April
Methods	Artificial fly, spinner
Bag limit	2 (with only one fish exceeding 500mm in length)
Size limit (cm)	No minimum sizse

Owen River Lodge and Guides

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