Stirling Sports Richmond Fishing Reports

This season has been tough so far. Rivers have been out of commission for long periods, due to continuing heavy rain events.
Hopefully this month will be different. One consequence of continued flooding is that many of the larger invertebrates get washed out and become unavailable as trout food. As a result, fish have to feed on immature and thus smaller invertebrates. This means that we have to use much smaller flies than usual at this time of year.

So when you go to pick a size 12 Nelson Brown out of the fly box, think again and go for a size 14 or 16. It can be difficult to be confident using such a small fly, especially when the river is high and
discoloured. But if the fish can see to eat the tiny naturals, you can bet they can see your nymph too. Check to see what the fish are eating. You will find that most of it is verging on the microscopic. If this season has been hard for fly fishers, it has been pretty good for spin fishers.

High flows and discoloured water are ideal conditions to catch fish on spinning gear. The rules for spin fishing are the opposite to fly fishing in high flows. Lures should be bigger and flashier as rivers become more discoloured. In really dirty water, fluoro colours in red, yellow, green or blue can be really effective.

December is the premium month for brown beetle hatches. Warm
summer evenings can bring on huge hatches of these bumbling
insects. There are some great imitations available which work
well. Any bulky brown hackled dry fly size 14, such as Royal Coachman, Coch’y Bondhu or Red Tipped Governor will be successful.

Later in the month should see hatches of green beetle.
All of the above imitations will work and there are many good
imitations which look just like the real thing. This month is also the best for hatches of Kakahi Queen - dry fly or nymph size 14-16. So this month spin fishers take advantage of ideal conditions and fly fishers pray for settled weather, fish the edges or stay home and tie flies. Tight Lines

The new season started pretty damply for many fishers. Many rivers were high, dirty andunfishable. Later in the month there were signs that some rivers were holding good numbers of fish. The Motueka and Wairau, in particular, have been fishing well. The Motupiko, Riwaka and Upper Buller are still not holding many fish, possibly due to Didymo in the case of the Buller.

This month has opened with widespread rain, so it looks as if spin fishers will have continuing good fishing. Obviously fishing is out when boulders, trees and dead cows are floating downstream but it is surprising how fish can see your lure in very dirty water. Big bright flashy lures are the recipe. Baitfishing, where permitted can be a deadly method when rivers are high.

Creepers can be found under most riverside rocks at this time of year. They look like a large grey caterpillar with jaws and attitude! Their leathery skin makes them stay on the hook well and trout love them. Rig up a single hook with split shot, pinched on, about 30cm above. Three or four shot should enable the rig to just bounce along the bottom with the current and have enough weight to cast. Fish deeper water where a rapid or run spills into a pool. This is a great method to get kids and beginners into fishing. Worms make great bait too.

Hatches of mayfly and caddis are becoming more frequent as rivers warm up. Kakahi Queen nymphs and dry flies are a good bet from now until Christmas. Brown beetles should be hatching towards the end of the month. It’s a good idea to go and browse the trays of fine imitation flies and nymphs in your local store. Look for something like the insects seen hatching or found in a fishes stomach.

Prospects look good for the coming season. Rivers are in good condition and there are a few fish about. This month, fly fishers should concentrate on the smaller rivers. In large rivers, such as the
Motueka, Buller and Wairau, flows tend to be well above average in spring. This means that fish are more spread out and harder to find. Fish may be feeding in deep water or in areas out of reach to the
fly fisher.

Spin fishers do not have the same problem. Their heavy lures can get down to the fish and they can cover more distant parts of the river. It is also a good idea to stay away from very popular rivers
which have limited amounts of fishable water. Several parties may be vying for the same water. The end result is that the fish get ‘put down’ by succeeding waves of anglers and nobody does very well.
Leave these rivers until later when the shock troops have gone home.

Our few lakes fish well early in the season. Trout are feeding on spawning bullies around the margins. Some good sport can be had by stalking cruisers spin fishing from the shore or trolling close to shore. Mayfly and Caddis hatches should get going from late morning as the water warms up. Creepers (hellgrammites) will be common in the drift, especially after a fresh.

The Buller Caddis is an excellent imitation, sizes 10-6. Tried and true mayfly patterns work as well as ever. Hare and Copper size 14-10 and Pheasant Tail or Nelson Brown size 14-12 are great patterns.
Have a range of weights and sizes from Tungsten ‘bombs’ to un-weighted, to suit the range of conditions you will encounter. Many fish will be feeding deeper on caddis larvae. Green and grey
Caddis will be common in the drift. Imitations in sizes 14-8 and heavily weighted or used as a truck and tractor rig with a heavy bomb should work well in deeper water.

October is probably the best month for spin fishing. Rivers usually have plenty of water with frequent freshes to add a bit of colour. Fish are hungry after a long hard winter. It all adds up to ideal spin fishing conditions. Use large bright coloured lures in coloured water and smaller darker lures in clear conditions. There is a whole range of new lures coming onto the market each year and it is a lot of fun trying out new patterns.

The old faithful lures such as Veltics, Articulated Trout and Eel, Tobies Rapalas and Soft Plastics still work well too. Scented artificial baits and real baits like Creepers, Worms, Huhu Grubs and Smelt are
worth a go. Use a ledger rig with a small round sinker, just heavy enough to cast and reach the bottom. The rig should bounce and roll along in the current.

Lastly give your gear a good checkout, especially if it has been sitting around since last season. Treat yourself to new mono or fluorocarbon line. Make sure hooks are sharp.

Trout fishing is seasonally variable and winter is the toughest time on Nelson rivers. Nevertheless there is hope. We have passed June and July when trout are more concerned with sex than food.

Not all fish will spawn in any one year and there are always some trout in the river. There is about an hour more daylight at the beginning of August, which allows more time for rivers to warm during the day and warmer water means more active fish.

Trout will need to rebuild condition after spawning and will head for the richest food sources. In lakes, trout spread out to feed around the shallower margins. This is a good month to target lake edge cruisers. Bullies will be starting to spawn around lake edges so a lure imitating a small fish is ideal.

Mrs Simpson, Hamills Killer, Dorothy, Green Rabbit etc in size 10-6 are good choices. Spin fishers should use small Rapalas, Articulated Trout, small Veltics, soft plastics or bubble with feather lure. Bright calm days are best for fly fishing while a light ripple is better for spinning.

Smelt, whitebait and torrent fish will be moving into tidal rivers this month. Trout will move downstream to gorge on this rich protein source. Feather lures can be quite large, up to 10 cm long. Hope Silvery, Grey Ghost, Green or silver Rabbit, Grey Woolly Buggers are all ideal. Rapalas, Silver Toby, Articulated Trout, Silver soft plastics are good lures for the spin fisher.

Up river “blind” fish likely water with heavy nymphs. Use a larger size than in summer, also a large indicator. Hare and Copper, Green Caddis, Buller Caddis, Pheasant Tail in sizes 10-6 weighted with lead or tungsten beads are all good. Sight fishing is possible on bright sunny days.

Pools with dark vegetation or high banks on the far side make spotting easier. Spin fishing should be worthwhile. The best time is just before rivers clear after a fresh.

This month is the most difficult for fishing in our region. However, days are getting longer now and fishing will get easier towards the end of the month. Spin fishing can still be productive, especially in deep pools in the larger rivers.

Lower water temperatures mean that trout are less active, therefore your lure must get close enough and be sufficiently annoying to get them to strike. Fish deep water where fish are able to feed without using too much energy.

Look for foam lines along the edge of the current. This is where the greatest concentration of food will be found. Try fishing soft plastics, rapalas, veltics etc. Slow and deep in likely areas. Scented soft plastics are worth a try in areas where bait fishing is allowed. Good colours are black, red, yellows, green, silver, gold and copper.

Lures should be flashier and brighter in discoloured water.
Rivers are hopefully settling down this month after two months of almost continuous floods. Fly fishing should be picking up especially in the lower sections. There is a reasonable population of pre-spawning age fish around. These fish can often be found feeding in top end of pools, just below the fast water.

Standard ‘truck and trailer’ methods using an indicator should be productive. Use larger nymphs than for summer fishing. Green caddis, stonefly, Buller caddis and hare & copper size 12-8 should do the trick. Best times will be midday to 3pm on sunny days.

The winter so far has seen some very unseasonal weather. There has been only a handful of light frosts and some very warm weather.
River levels have been high and unfishable for the last month, so the fishing for June is a bit difficult to predict. There should be some reasonable spin-fishing this month, especially as flooded rivers start to clear.

Match the colour of your lure to the clarity of the water. For muddy water use fluoro yellow, red or green and large flashy lures. When the water clears and especially on bright days, use smaller darker lures. Scented soft plastics should be worth trying in more turbid water.

Worm fishing is also worth a go, either fished below a bubble or on a ledger rig. Fly fishers could use large lures on sinking lines if the flows are high. Fish should still be feeding on the drift from about late morning to early afternoon. For lure fishing, try using woolly buggers in olive or black in clear water, or yellow and green fluoro in muddier water, sizes 6 - 2 Green Caddis, Grey Caddis, Buller Caddis and most mayfly nymphs sizes 12 - 8 should be good around the middle of the day.

Check your licence or contact Fish and Game to find waters open to winter fishing.

March continues to be the month of the Passion Vine Hoppers (PVH). These primitive looking, small moth like creatures have clear delta wings with brown markings. When touched they leap into the air. The are sap suckers and a pest in the garden, but trout love them. PVH’s live on bankside vegetation, especially Old Man’s Beard vines. Most parts of the Motueka, Riwaka and Lower Wairau have extensive willows and vines along the banks. Look for foam lines, which become quite distinct in low flows. These carry the greatest concentration of surface food and it is here that fish should be rising.

There is a good range of PVH imitations. Take a variety of patterns, as fish can get very choosy. A small unweighted nymph such as a Pheasant Tail or Hare’s Ear size 14 - 16 will often work better than a surface fly. Other useful flies are Parachute Adams and most mayfly emerger patterns sizes 14 - 16. Use a long leader (4 m - 6 m) and fine tippet (0.15 mm - 0.20 mm). Add a small indicator no more than 60 cm from the fly.

When fishing a dry fly, it is usual to pause before striking to allow the fish to turn down and close its mouth. When fish are feeding on PVH, strikes need to be instantaneous. Cicadas are still in full flight and are good fun to use. They work better in some rivers than others. Rivers such as the Buller, Wairau, Aorere, Baton, Riwaka and most upland rivers fish well with cicadas. The Motueka is not so good, although I did catch two fish there on cicadas in February. Cicadas can be very effective in bringing large fish up out of deep water.

Later in the month we should see hatches of smaller mayflies. Emerger patterns such as CDC Klinkhamer etc. size 16-18 should be included in the fly box. Spin fishing can still be good for early risers and night owls. During the day look for spots such as steep drop-offs and stream mouths where fish may be seeking cooler water. Keep lures small and non-flashy.

River levels have fluctuated through January. Hopefully things will settle down and we can get back to the norm of February being the best summer month. Hot dry weather means big hatches of Passion Vine Hoppers (PVH). There are swarms of them now in
suburban gardens, so they should be showing up in our rivers any day.

Imitations of PVH range from ultrarealistic to caricature. All have their place. Some days fish will take one imitation, other days another, so it pays to carry a range of patterns sizes 18-14. Standard patterns such as Elk-hair Caddis and Parachute
Adams often work well too (size 16). Fish taking PVH lie just under the surface and rise frequently. It can be difficult to see whether the rise is to a natural or your offering. A similar problem arises with Willow Grubs, so the use of a small indicator 30
cm above the fly is useful. The hook should be set immediately the fly is taken. If all PVH patterns are refused, try a floating or sinking willow grub pattern. The other major terrestrial insect is the cicada.

Most rivers where cicadas can be heard will have at least some fish taking them, especially on windy days. Generally this fly comes into its own in back country rivers. The Motueka is unusual in that cicadas are usually ignored. Why fish ignore such a large juicy snack is anyones guess. Sometimes a sunken version will work but usually Passion Vine Hoppers or gillow grubs are preferred.

Spin fishing can still be successful in rough broken water with a bit of depth. Lures should be dull with no flash and as small as possible. Best times are dawn and dusk. Salmon should be moving up the Wairau, Clarence and Waiau this month.

There are some good holes on the Waiau accessible from the Lewis Pass highway between the irrigation out-take, upstream to the Waiau Junction. I caught my first salmon here. It was a great thrill to see such a large fish appear from the milky blue water on the end of the line! Traditional lures such as silver or black tobies and Zed spinners still catch their share. Soft plastics in chartreuse or pink would be my choice. The main thing is to get the lure down onto the bottom. Snags are plentiful so take plenty of lures. February is the month for back country rivers. Get out there early and beat the tourists to it.

Fly of the month - Cicada I like “realistic” patterns such at Pete Carty’s 6 am cicada (see Fish & Game magazine). These are fun to use and easy to see on the water. Also they look so edible. Other more general patterns such as Coch-y-bondhu (size 8) tied with long black hackles are good too. Muddler Minnows are also great imitations (size 10-8). Caught a 10.5 lb brown in the Nevis River on one last February.

Fishing really gets moving again this month. Fish are returning from spawning areas and feeding avidly to regain the condition lost in their exertions. If only sex would make humans lose weight! Some fish will migrate to tidal waters to feed on an abundant supply of whitebait smelt and torrent fish. These “sea-run” fish are about the best eating you can get. Meanwhile bullies will be spawning around the margins of our lakes. Trout will be on the prowl and can be stalked and hooked on a small lure. It works best to work out the fish’s beat and ambush it next time around. Spin fishers should let their lure lie on an area of clear lake-bed and slowly retrieve as the fish approaches. Alternatively use a floating bubble with a feather lure on a 1 m dropper.

For fish feeding on the drift in rivers, good flies are Green Caddis or Creeper imitations, size 10-6 with a size 14-12 Flashback Mayfly nymph. Sea-run fish can be fooled using large lures up to 100 mm long. Silver Rapalas or long slim spoons are good. Large feather lures such as light coloured Rabbits or Woolly Buggers work well using a floating fly line. Use at least 4 kg leaders as these fish hit hard. When fishing for lake-edge cruisers, fly fishers should use a small (size 10- 8) lure such as Green Rabbit, Mrs Simpsons and small grey or olive Woolly Buggers.

Spin fishers will find a small Rapala ideal. With this kind of short range fishing, snags are not an issue. For those of you looking for a change, it might pay to consider a trip to the Taupo region. Two of us have just come back from a weeks fishing based in Turangi. There is a club you can join called ‘Taltac’. The clubrooms have comfortable accommodation for at least 30 people with all facilities available, such as lounge, kitchen, drying room, fish cleaning room, fish smoker etc. All this for only $17 per night. If you want to know more, contact Dave and he will put you onto me.

The fishing was great in the mighty Tongariro and the smaller Tauranga-Taupo rivers. Most fish are fresh run silver rainbows which fight like crazy. Fishing is best when the rivers are clearing after a fresh. Methods are a little different to Nelson but all sports shops there will be only too happy to advise you.

For the Tongariro, weight 7 to 10 rods are best, but 6 weights are fine for the smaller rivers. A Taupo licence is required and chest waders can be hired in Turangi.

This time of year temperatures start to rise as the days lengthen. Trout are cold-blooded animals so their metabolic rates vary with water temperature. The optimum range is 13 - 18º C but generally any small rise in temperature during the day will trigger feeding activity. As temperatures fall below the optimum, fish generally feed less and for shorter periods. The same applies above the optimum, fish get progressively more stressed as temperatures rise.

However even in July, there was an abundance of invertebrates in the drift - there should be even more in August. If food is available fish will still feed but in low temperatures time spent feeding will be limited. All this means that anglers should try to be on the water when feeding activity is likely.

In August, activity will usually occur between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm. As the month progresses, fish will feed more often. Trout are very good at conserving energy, so will generally stay away from fast water. They will often be found in deeper water in the lower two third of the pools. Common insects in the drift in August will be sandy-case caddis, green caddis, mayfly nymphs and quite large creeper larvae. Fish will target the bigger insects, so anglers should use large heavy imitations, size 6-10 with maybe a small mayfly flashback size 14-12 on the dropper.

Spin fishers can use heavy lures bounced along the bottom as fish will not move far to intercept the lure. Rapalas, soft plastics, tobys, veltics are all good but the main thing is to fish them deep. Casting at 45º upstream will make it easier to get the lure down. Many rivers are available for fishing in winter but check the local regulations first.
Tight Lines

This is the time of year when only very keen anglers are about. However, there are still fish to be caught and being caught. In sunny conditions with clear water, the window of opportunity is small. 11 am to 3 pm are the optimum times.

When the water is coloured, spin fishing will probably work all day. Spin fishing is the best way to cover the maximum amount of water in the short time available. Fish right down on the bottom. Trout will not want to move far to grab the lure. Lures should be larger and more colourful than those used in summer conditions.

Fly fishing will still be effective in clear conditions. ‘Truck and trailer’ rigs are necessary to get the flies to the bottom. Use a large caddis or creeper imitation size 4-10 as heavy as you can cast. Follow this with a size 12-14 flashback nymph on a 45-60 cm dropper. Attach a large yarn or styrene indicator about 2-3 m above the nymph. It isn’t pretty to cast but it can get results, especially later in the month on a sunny afternoon.

Rivers to fish this month include the Wairau (hunting as well) Buller, Maruia, Motueka, Takaka and Aorere. Check the regulations to find the sections open for fishing.

Fishing late morning, early afternoon on a sunny day in June can be a pleasant day out. Spin fishing is probably the best way to go but fly fishing in the right conditions can be successful too. The Wairau River is a great area to combine hunting and fishing, especially in the middle reaches. It would be possible to bring home trout, rabbits, ducks, pukeko, geese, goat, pig and really pushing it – salmon on any one day.

Lure patterns will depend on the flow conditions. For murky water choose flashy colourful lures in silver, red and yellow colours. Bladed spinners are good. Fish are attracted by the movement and vibrations of the revolving blade. In low, clear conditions use dull colours and more lifelike lures, such as rapalas, articulated trout and soft plastics. Where bait is permitted, worms can be used on a ledger rig, weighted with split shot or hanging from a bubble.

Fly fishing will be most successful using heavy bombs such as hare and copper and green caddis and a size 14 dropper – a flashback pheasant tail or prince nymph is ideal. Use large indicators or there will be a lot of “false takers” from the heavy bomb pulling the indicator under. There can be some good hatches in June on calm clear days. These conditions during low flows can be as demanding as mid-summer. Size 14-16 CDC or deer hair emergers and long fine tippets are called for. Fish may be moving upstream
in large groups. One pool may be full of fish and the next may be empty. There are many kilometres of rivers open to fishing all winter. Rivers include the Maruia, Wairau, Buller, Motueka, Takaka and Aorere.
Check the regulations to find which sections are open.

Recent rain has seen Nelson rivers return to reasonable levels. Good hatches of mayflies are likely so warm conditions continue. Size 14-16 emergers, tied with CDC or deer hair on long leaders (5+ m tapered to 0-15 mm diameter are the answer. Mid afternoon with calm cool conditions is the optimum time.

Hatches are signalled by large numbers of swallows and terns swooping low over the water where mayflies are hatching. Look for long smooth holding pools with deep water sections to provide fish with shelter. Trout will usually be seen feeding in foam lines where food is concentrated.

Fish may also feed in shallows ripply water at the inflow to the pool. They may become almost suicidal during a heavy hatch. An unweighted Pheasant Tail (or similar) size 14 – 16 is ideal. Fix an indicator about 60 cm above the fly.

Spin fishers should have good sport this month. Fish will be moving upstream to spawning grounds and will be more aggressive. They may be concentrated in some pools, so keep moving until you find fish. I like to use a bladed spinner such as a Mepps, Veltic or more modern variants, casting upstream and searching the water.

Our few lakes are fishing well. Bank fishing can be successful all winter. Use olive or black woolly buggers or small midge patterns. Lead lining in Rotoroa and Rotoiti can be productive at the southern ends. All kinds of lures work well, especially rapalas. Remember to give river mouths a 100 m clearance.

Rivers to target this month include the Wairau, Motueka, Lower Buller and Maruia, Aorere and Takaka.

After a summer of unsettled weather, anglers will be hoping that April will come up with some calm, settled weather. These conditions encourage some heavy hatches of mayfly. If swallows and maybe terns are working over ripply water, there should be some good action for the angler fishing a small slim pheasant tail beadhead size 18-14.

Try also fishing the same rig down and across holding the rod at 10 o’clock as the fly swings round. This method will often work fished across rising fish in flatter water. Small emerger patterns are useful casting up to rising fish. Use a tandem rig, with a size 16 parachute Adams 45 cm above a size 18-14 emerger. Long fine leaders are essential. If the emerger pattern is refused, try a passion Vine Hopper imitation.

There is a mouse population explosion this summer. Eating mice has the same effect on trout bulk that fast foods fodder has on humans. So April this year is probably one of the best chances to catch a double figure fish.

Spinfishing gets a new lease of life this month. Water temperatures are lower and fish are feeding actively. Jack fish get more aggressive as the spawning season gets closer. They are more likely to attack any small fish invading their territory, including your lure.

It’s going to be a long hard winter, so get out and enjoy the last month of the season.

Cicadas will be a significant item on the trout menu this month. There are many very good imitations available, from the humble Mole Fly, to super realistic ones with wiggly rubber legs and transparent wings. There is something exciting about tying on such a large and often garish imitation, especially after using tiny size 18 Mayfly imitations!

It is one of the greatest thrills of trout fishing, to have a large fish rise out of deep water and engulf your imitation. Remember to let the fish turn down again before you set the hook.

At the other end of the size spectrum, willow grubs will be hatching all month. Look for quiet rises and blips, under, alongside or behind overhanging willows. Many beetles are found on the water this month. Green beetles are usually found where there is some native bush, on rivers such as the Upper Buller, Baton, Wangapeka, Mangles and Owen.

The imitation will work fished as a dropper on a sinking rig or as a dry fly. For some unknown reason it will also work fished down and across as a wet fly. Brown and black beetles hatch out from adjacent pasture. They will feed on bank-side vegetation and many will fall on the water where they are eagerly accepted by the trout. Again a wet or dry imitation size 14-12 will work.

The other major food source this month in the warmer areas, is the famous Passion Vine Hopper (PVH). There are good imitations available but make sure the hook size is no more than 14, preferably 16-18. The fly is very difficult to see on the water, so an indicator tied about 30 cm above the fly is useful. Contrary to the rule of waiting for the fish to turn down after a dry fly take, the strike to a PVH must be made as soon as the fish rises. So when fishing near overhanging vegetation, it pays to carry an imitation of all of the aforementioned insects, from a size 18 willow grub to a size 8 cicada.

It is always a good idea to throw in a few Parachute Adams size 18 – 14. This very visible fly also serves as a useful indicator to use in tandem with other imitations. Most useful times for spin fishers will be dawn and dusk. During the day active fish may be attracted by small dark, non-flashy lures. Target deep runs and steep drop-offs where cooler water runs out of the riverbed gravels.

As the weather hopefully settles down this month, rivers will revert to lower summer flows. In larger rivers, such as the Buller, Wairau, Motueka, Maruia etc, fish will become more accessible and more visible.

There is a wider range of food available in the summer months. Trout may be found feeding on everything from willow grubs, green or brown beetles, mayfly nymphs or adults, caddis nymphs or adults , spiders, ants creeper, grasshoppers, cicadas to mice. Downstream of salmon farms they grow very large on salmon pellets. In the Wairau, once a fish contained the remains of a skylark!

To cope with this diversity, some serious anglers can hardly pick up their fishing vests, pockets bulging with industrial quantities of flyboxes and paraphernalia. Other anglers keep things simple and stick to a limited number of tried and true fly patterns. A good list to start with would be:

Dry Flies:
Parachute Adams sizes 18 – 12
Royal Wulff sizes 18 – 8
Elk Hair Caddis sizes 16 – 12

Nymphs:
Pheasant Tail sizes 18 – 12
Green Stonefly sizes 8 – 10
Green Caddis size 14 – 10
Buller Caddis size 8

Local sports shops will be able to supply information on which flies are currently hot. Two insects that trout may feed on exclusively this month are Passion Vine Hoppers (PVH) and Willow Grubs. PVH should be falling on the water towards the end of the month. While specialist dry flies are available and work well, a size 16 or 18 parachute Adams will often do the job – especially if the tail is cut off.

Willow Grubs fall onto the water anywhere there are extensive bankside willows. The imitation is simple – yellow thread wound along the shank of a size 16 or 18 hook and finished with a small brown or black head.

Presentation is important. The fly should plop into the water within about 1 m from the fish which will then, hopefully rush over and engulf the imitation. Trout feeding on willow grubs will rise frequently but will ignore any other imitation.

Cicadas should arrive on the water towards the end of the month. Once again keeping it simple, a large size 8 Royal Wulff will work most of the time. Spin fishers can fish all of the above flies using a small plastic bubble. The bubble may be partially filled with water to increase casting weight. Use a 1 m dropper from the bubble to the fly. It is important that the bubble be cast far enough away from the fish so that it is not spooked by the splash. Otherwise spin fishers should use small dark non flashy lures. Lures should be cast upstream and retrieved just faster than the current.

Salmon should start running in the Waiau, Grey, Hokitika and Hurunui this month. Sea-run trout are active in the tidal reaches of these rivers. Best times are dawn and dusk.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

This month several important food items appear or become abundant. It’s a good idea to have some imitations of these in the tackle box:

Brown Beetle – this common grasslands insect appears in November. It starts life as a grass grub and hatches out on warm summer evenings into swarms of brown buzzing beetles. Trout really love these fat insects and will rise to the imitation at any time, especially alongside streamside vegetation. The peak time is on warm, calm evenings or very early mornings. There are many very realistic imitations on the market. A fully hackled dry fly with a peacock body such as Coch-y-Bondhu, or Mole Fly size 12-14 works well also. During the day the imitation may be fished as a wet fly or on a dropper with a weighted nymph.

Willow Grub – This small yellow/green caterpillar lives on willow trees forming many red brown blisters on the leaves. When mature, the caterpillar burrows out of the blister, drops to the ground and pupates. Those unfortunate enough to live on willows overhanging the river, land on the water, where they are eagerly eaten by trout. One fish may eat more than one hundred willow grubs in a day. The imitation is very simple, but size is critical, usually 16 or 18. Trout may get very picky so it pays to have several colours from lime green to bright yellow with a small black or brown head. The imitation is not weighted but it doesn’t matter if it sinks. Try to locate feeding fish, usually near overhanging willows and drop the fly close to the fish. The small splash will attract the trout and with any luck it will engulf your fly.

Kakahi Queen – While the previous two have been terrestrials, this fly is an imitation of an aquatic insect. The precise scientific description is: brown mayfly with a hairy looking body, size 14-10. The adult is a handsome mayfly with a light brown abdomen and speckled wings with a distinctive yellow band. The nymph and adult imitations will work right through the day. For the adult, the Kakahi Queen dry fly is a great looking fly. Carty’s Coloburiscus is the best imitation of the nymph that I have come across. The two can be fished together as a dry fly/nymph combo in sizes 14-10. Spin fishing should still work well on fast, rippled water, but use small dark lures in bright clear conditions.
Alternatively any of the previously mentioned flies may be fished on spinning gear, by using a plastic bubble with 1 m of dropper attached. Often a bubble may be easier to flick under overhanging branches in situations where a fly fisher may end up tangled, frustrated and expletive deleted.

Rivers to target this month are anywhere with overhanging vegetation such as the Rai, Riwaka, Motueka, Maruia and Owen.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

The previous month has been one of the coldest Octobers for some time. River flows have been high and water temperatures colder than normal. These factors have made for some difficult fishing.

Trout numbers appear to be fairly low in some rivers, such as the Pelorus, Rai, Motupiko, Upper Motueka and Riwaka. Other rivers are fishing well and there are some good sized fish around. So far in November, river levels are falling and temperatures are definitely rising, so prospects are looking good. The Nelson Lakes are fishing well, especially Rotoiti. Good numbers of well conditioned fish have been reported.

Lake edge fishing with fly and spinner should be good where there is sufficient shallow water. Trolling is probably the best method of fishing in the lakes, where shore access can be limited. A lead line or downrigger is good for getting down in deep water. I have caught fish at depths of up to 25 m on a fluorescent Red Rapala. With a lead line, a long monofilament leader of at least 10 m improves your catch rate. Trolling speed should be a slow walking speed, about 3-4 km per hour. Good trolling lures are: Rapala, Toby, Cobra, Soft Plastic or Large Feather Lures. Spin fishing all rivers should be good right through the month. Adjust the size and weight of your tackle to match the volume and depth of water. Many fish will be found feeding near the river bed so make sure your lures run deep. Likewise, fly fishers will use heavier Tungsten Nymphs, with preferably a small light nymph attached to a 45 cm dropper. Green and yellow Caddis, Horny Case Caddis and Sandy Case Caddis are all worth trying. I have found recently that fish have shown a preference for a size 12-14 Sandy Case Caddis, which is well-represented by a Hare and Coper Nymph, roughly tied.

Carty’s Coloburiscus will fish well from now on, size 12-14 and small Pheasant Tail type Nymphs size 12-16 are always worth a try. Good rivers to try this month are the Maruia, Motueka and Wairau.

Tight Lines
ALLAN BALLARD

Opening day of the new season is always an exciting time – rain, hail or shine. I’ve experienced all of these, including snow but the fishing has usually been pretty good.

Breathable waders make ‘brass monkey’ weather much more bearable. I can highly recommend them. They have saved me from exposure more than once.

As I write this, all our rivers are in moderate flood and will still be flowing full on October 1. Early in the season good fish may be found in smaller streams. These streams are too small to hold trout when flows decrease later in the season.

Any stream flowing into a mainstream river may well hold trout. Fish move into sidestreams to forage or spawn and may stay on if there is sufficient flow and food supply. It pays to get a map and search out these inconspicuous waters, which are often overlooked. There may often be overhanging foliage which suits the fish but makes it difficult to fish with a fly rod. Spin fishers may be able to flick a bubble and nymph combo under overhanging shrubbery.

It takes a bit of practice and a fair amount of swearing but some good fish may result. The fun really begins when a large fish is hooked. In the larger rivers, spin fishing should be worth a try. Use heavier lures in a range of colours. Black, red, yellow, green brass and silver are useful. Keep changing lures until the right combination is found. Generally use brighter colours when the water is coloured, down to dull black or brown in clear water. Cast upstream to allow the lure to sink. There is a huge range of spin fishing and fly fishing combos on the market to suit all budgets.

Once again test monofilament and tippet material for knot strength. It’s cheap to change if there is any doubt. Early season fish can pull pretty hard and break-offs are no fun! Fly fishers should also use heavier gear. Three or 4 kg test tippet is fine early season, especially with fluorocarbon or the soft monofilaments such as stroft.

‘Truck and trailer’ rigs using a heavy nymph and unweighted smaller nymph work well. For the truck part, use a Tungsten or Lead Bead Nymph such as green, yellow or white Caddis, Creeper, Nelson Brown, Buller Caddis, Hare and Copper, Flashback or Stonefly imitation in sizes 6 – 12.

The trailer can be an unweighted nymph or wet fly tied to the truck fly using a 45 cm dropper. Useful trailer flies could be Small Hare and Copper, Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph, Nelson Brown, Cadillac, Small Caddis or Soft Hackle wet flies in sizes 12 – 14.

Dry flies should not be neglected especially on the smaller waters. Use general Mayfly or Caddis patterns. Royal Wulff, Humpy, Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Royal Coachman and Cochy Bondhu in sizes 12 – 14 are all proven performers. A dry fly and nymph rig can be used, especially with easy to spot flies like Royal Wulff and Stimulators. The dry fly acts as an indicator.

Sea run fish will still be active in tidal waters. Have a chat to some white baiters. They will be sure to have spotted any trout movement and can tell you where to find them.

Remember the fly on the water catches the fish.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

Fishing in September is mainly confined to the lower reaches of our major rivers. Two exceptions are the Maruia and the Buller, which are open up to the falls and the Gowan, respectively. Fortunately the fishing in the lower reaches starts to get pretty good in September. Many fish move downstream to take advantage of the bounty of whitebait and smelt runs. It is an ideal food source to build up condition after their amorous adventures upstream.

Fish can be caught by standard nymphing techniques or by spin fishing during the day. By late afternoon and evening, trout herd smelt and whitebait into the shallows. This is signalled by explosive splashes as the fish rush into the shallow water chasing their prey. These fish are not as easy to catch as it would appear sometimes. Anglers may need to try different lures and retrieve rates. Often the bite time is just on dusk. In general, oversize, slim lures in silvery grey and white colours are good for fly fishing.

For spinning, silvery floating Rapalas work well, as do soft plastic or slim, silver coloured lures such as Toby’s. Upstream fishing is improving fast as the water temperature increases. Fish are feeding on caddis and mayfly as these insects become more active.

Spring river flows are generally high volume, so fish are usually found in deeper water. Fly fishers should use heavy Tungsten Bead Nymphs, grey, green, yellow and white Caddis size 8 – 14 should be effective. For a trailing dropper, use Beadhead or Flashback Mayfly patterns or smaller Caddis imitations sizes 12 and 14.

Spin anglers should use heavy lures and fish them close to the bottom. Good colours are black, brown, green and yellow. A flash of red will enhance any lure. As mentioned, stretches of the Maruia and the Buller are open to winter fishing. These areas fish very well in spring using fly or spinning tackle. Before the start of the new season, fishing gear should be given a good overhaul.

Cracked fly lines do not float well and old mono filament and tippet material are progressively degraded and weakened by UV light. It pays to discard the old stuff and buy new mono or fluorocarbon. Re-sharpen dull hooks and check rod rings for any damage which will in turn damage your line. Fishing is hard enough without faulty gear letting you down.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

Trout fishers are people that believe, even against their better judgement, that things will always improve. They have to look on the bright side. Either that or admit that they are not quite sane.

I met a chap stumbling around on the river one day. He told me he found wading difficult because one leg was a bit short. When I said that it must be a handicap he said that it wasn’t too bad, because the other leg was longer to make up for it. So it is, with fishing in August.

It starts out pretty tough but improves throughout the month. As the daylight hours increase, so do water temperatures, sparking increased trout feeding activity. Smelt and whitebait will enter tidal rivers this month. Trout, especially females seem to know that this abundant food source is available. Having lost a lot of condition during spawning, they will feed voraciously. Smelt are the favourite food as they are bigger and there are a lot of them.

Fish will feed on them during the day but the best times are dawn and dusk. Large splashes may be seen as the smelt are herded into shallow water by marauding trout (and sometimes kahawai). Silvery coloured lures are the best. Keep them light though as smelt swim close to the surface and are often found in shallow water.

For spin fishing, floating Rapalas, Silver Tobys, white or silver soft plastic, Silver Veltic etc, are all good. When fly fishing, use a floating line and large light coloured streamer flies up to 10 cm long. Silver Dorothy, White Maribou, White Woolly Buggers with silver bodies, large green or silver Rabbits will all catch fish.

Up river fish may be caught by using darker coloured lures, fished deep. Mayfly nymphs and caddis will be appearing in the drift as the water warms up.

Fly fishers should also fish deep using heavy nymphs. Tungsten bead caddis in white, yellow or green, sizes 10-6 are a good choice for the weighted fly. Fish these in combination with a size 12-14 flashback mayfly imitation trailing on a 45 cm dropper. Best times up river are 11 am to 5 pm.

Tight Lines
ALLAN BALLARD

Bad news for the dry fly purist. The next couple of months are going to be just casting practise. However, for those suffering severe fishing withdrawal symptoms, there are a number of remedies.

1. Take up hunting
2. Organise a trip to Turangi with a bunch of mates
3. Go fishing anyway.

Anglers taking option 3 will probably have other mental problems, so here are some remedies short of institutionalisation. Fly fishers will be mainly confined to fishing between the hours of 11 am to 4 pm. Best days are during a warm front, when water temperatures increase and spark some feeding activity. Use a Taupo-style nymphing rig. A large polystyrene float or fluffy yarn indicator is fixed about 2.4 m above the weighted nymph. A truck and trailer rig works best. The trick should be a large yellow or green caddis with a lead body and tungsten bead. The trailer can be a smaller caddis or flashback nymph size 14 – 12. This rig takes a lot of casting and there will be a lot of this between strikes, so you see what I mean about the mental problems.

Alternatively use a fast sinking tip line and a large (up to 100 mm) lure, coloured black and red, yellow or even white and red. The easiest option is to use spinning gear (for the more mentally stable). A large area of water can be covered quickly. Spawning runs of fish are often in large shoals, so spinning is the ideal way to search the water.

Rapala lures are probably the best if most expensive choice. Blue Fox is good, also Tobys, Articulated Trout, Veltic and soft plastic all work well.

A ledger rig using worms or huhu grubs may be worth a go in the deep holes. Fish lures deep, bouncing along the bottom. Trout may not be feeding but may aggressively attack a lure if it comes close enough. The Wairau is usually our best river in winter. The open braided structure and extensive shallow water, warms up more quickly on sunny days. A water temperature rise of 2 degrees may be enough to get fish moving.

Tight Lines
ALLAN BALLARD

Mid afternoon hatches of small mayfly are happening on most days. Fish are still feeding in the drift, usually from 11 am onwards. As well as small mayfly, there are good numbers of caddis, especially green caddis.

A good combination rig would be a heavy tungsten green caddis, size 8 – 10, with a size 14 mayfly nymph trailing on a 45 cm dropper. Set a large indicator about 2.5 m above the heavy fly. Fish deeper water where the fast inflow to the pool starts to slow down.

Fish may be in the shallow ripples in mid afternoon during a heavy hatch of mayfly. To fish this water you will need a lighter caddis imitation and will move the indicator to within 1.2 m of the fly.

Fish are still moving up through the river to the spawning areas. Trout caught in the tidal areas of the Motueka have been traced to spawning areas in the rainy river. Consequently a pool may hold fish one day but not the next, so it pays to try a number of areas. Spin fishing is the best way of searching large areas of water quickly to find where trout may be lying.

In winter it pays to use large and flashier lures. I have even used dayglow – red rapalas with success in mid July.

Good winter fishing spots in June include: leadlining the lakes (for the hardy), the Maruia, Wairau, Pelorus and Motueka. Golden Bay rivers can fish well in winter and there is miles of available water.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

Winter seems to have hit earlier this year. Often an Indian Summer will persist through May giving clear calm weather and low river flows. This year rivers are running higher, making tougher conditions for fly fishers.

Spin fishing is a good option though. Fish are more aggressive close to spawning time and will generally snap at a lure swung past their nose. Most colours will work, especially combining some red or orange. Change lures to suit the prevailing river conditions. Dark dull lures in small sizes are best for low water conditions. Lures should get larger and brighter as water clarity decreases. Bright yellow is good for very soupy water. Fish deep and cover the water thoroughly. As water temperatures drop, fish will lie in deeper slower water.

There will still be good hatches of mayfly on calm days. Emerger patterns work well as do Parachute Adams, Blue Dun (parachute) Dads Favourite sizes 16 – 20. Hatches should start late morning and last until mid afternoon. For those who like to plug away with a flyrod, a good combination is a heavy tungsten Green Caddis with a size 14 Flashback Mayfly Nymph on a dropper. Fish this rig deep along the foam line, using a large indicator Taupo – style. The Wairau River is probably the best bet in winter.

There are some good rainbows and browns especially in the lower reaches up to Wairau Village. There is probably still the odd salmon about and you can round off the day with a bit of quail or goose-hunting.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

Fish will still be seen surface feeding, especially on warm calm afternoons. They will be mainly feeding on hatches of small deleatidium mayflies. Artificials need to be small (size 18-20) and sometimes quite technical, especially in low water conditions. By technical, I mean that the fish can get fussy about what stage of the hatch they will feed on. It pays to have a range of options. For surface feeders a size 16-20 Parachute Adams or Dad’s Favourite should work. Fish rising to emergers can be fooled by deer hair or CDC emerger patterns, again size 16-20. Fish feeding just under the surface are the most difficult. A small mayfly nymph un-weighted or weighted and fished with a slight lift can work. It is a good idea to fish a surface fly and one of the other options on a dropper. If all else fails, try fishing across and down with a nymph and wet fly in tandem, size (18-20). This all sounds very complicated but it can make for fascinating and absorbing fishing, especially for obsessive – compulsive types. It can be very rewarding, especially as there are some very good sized fish around in the peak of condition. I would make a plea to return female fish at this time of year, as many are carrying eggs!

Salmon fishing is worth a go at this time of year. The large East Coast rivers are a bit distant but the West Coast has a well established salmon run. The closest river on the Coast is the Grey, which is a great river for trout and salmon. The Wairau is close enough to home for a day trip and if the salmon don’t bite, there are plenty of trout. There is good fishing for kahawai at the Wairau Bar and Diversion, with the chance of a salmon or sea-run trout. Salmon can be sighted and fished for in the Upper Wairau with fly fishing gear. They will sometimes take weighted nymphs and it’s a good idea to fish a glo-bug in tandem. The main thing, as with all nymph fishing, is to get the flies deep enough. Spin fishing can be successful with small dark lures. It helps to be an early riser or night owl. All lakes are fishing well especially around river mouths. I have heard some good reports from Lake Brunner. One angler caught 24 fish, using a small Woolly Bugger around the weed beds.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

An unsettled period of weather at the end of February has seen river levels much higher than normal for this time of year.

This means that spin fishers don’t have to rise early or stay out late to enjoy success. Another advantage is that a good fresh cleans off accumulated silt and algae (including didymo).

Sea run trout should start moving up river and will continue feeding on smelt and small fish and eels. Anglers without fancy Gortex Waders will notice that water temperatures have definitely cooled off! Temperatures during the day should be around 12 – 16 ºC – the optimum feeding range for trout. I would suggest acquiring a pair of fancy Gortex Waders. You can reach fish in deeper water in comfort without developing a high squeaky voice!

River flows should drop to fairly low levels later in the month. There should be good hatches of Deleatidium Vernale (or little brown mayflies for those that don’t speak Latin). Good imitations are: Parachute Adams, Dad’s Favourite, CDC, Deer Hair Emergers and No Hackle Duns, all in size 18. Leaders need to be long (5-6 m) and tapered to 6 x (0.15 mm).

It has been a good year for cicadas and Passion Vine Hoppers (PVH). Cicadas work better on up-country rivers such as the Wairau, Buller, Wangapeka and Baton.

PVHs are found in warmer areas with prolific bankside vegetation, especially
Old Mans Beard. Most imitations will work well but keep hook size small, 16-18. Some fish will take one imitation, others will ignore it and take another, so have a few different patterns on hand.

Salmon will be running up many South Island rivers this month. I reckon I saw some in the Motueka last season and one was hooked on a nymph in the Wairau.

For more consistent fishing however, our closest rivers would be the Waiau, Grey and Hurunui. Most West Coast rivers have good runs of salmon, so don’t let the ‘Coasters’ catch them all. Good deer hunting down there too.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

River levels are finally starting to approach normal flows and summer weather has definitely arrived. Cicadas are starting to sing in the trees and should soon be part of the trout diet. There are many very realistic patterns to imitate these large insects and they can be very exciting to fish.

Trout will often appear from deep water to hit the fly with a smashing take. Conventional flies that will also work include Royal Wulff, Mole Fly, Stimulator and Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 10-8. These flies may also imitate other prey items, such as large beetles, water spiders, moths and blowflies. Passion Vine Hoppers are at the early instar stage, known and hated by gardeners as “fluffy bums”. Later in the month they should hatch into the adults which look like a small delta-winged moth. These insects seem to have a passion for swimming and trout have a passion for eating them which could be where the name comes from! Have a look in Stirling Sports in Richmond for some imitative patterns sizes 14-16. It pays to fish these with a small indicator about 30 cm above the fly. The fly is very hard to see on the water and may even sink, making it difficult to see if a fish has taken it, so an indicator can be useful.

Caddis flies and their larvae are a major food staple in most rivers and lakes.
ElkHair Caddis is the best imitator of the adult moth–like insect in sizes 16-8.
Green, yellow and Horn Caddis all have good imitations available in sizes 14-10. Use unweighted patterns for shallow edge feeders and heavier tungsten-bead versions for deeper water. Sandy Case Caddis are very common and fish may feed exclusively on them. A chunky Hare and Copper size 14-12 is a good imitation.

Caddis patterns are ideal to fish with Mayfly Nymphs, using a “truck and trailer” rig.

I was talking to a spin fisherman in the Wangapeka recently. He said that the fish would follow his lure but not take it. He was using a small shiny Mepps spinner fished down and across. I think he may have had more success taking all of the shine off using a black felt pen. Also casting upstream and retrieving just fast enough to keep the lure off the bottom gives a more natural action. Trout are looking for their food to be washed downstream in the current, so that is what your lure should do.

It would also be useful to try fluorocarbon line and non-shiny baits, such as soft plastic and rapalas. There are some realistic looking soft plastic worms which could work well suspended from a plastic bubble.

All streams are now fishing well. An early start is a good idea to beat the rafters, swimmers and canoeists.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

Will the rain never stop? The flow charts for the Motueka River for the month of November show a flood peak every five days.

Fish are hard to find in the larger rivers, because there is such a large volume of water to disperse into. Most of our small to medium rivers are fishing well with the exception of the Motupiko and the Riwaka. These two rivers have suffered severe habitat degradation over the past few years and good holding water is pretty limited. There are still good fish there, but finding them involves a lot of walking. The Riwaka should improve in the New Year when Willow Grubs and Passion Vine Hoppers become abundant.

The Kakahi Queen is a top dry fly to use in December. It represents the adult of two important mayfly families which are present in good numbers in most rivers. The Kakahi Queen nymph is a good killer too. Carty’s Coloburiscus is a very good imitative fly in sizes 14 and 12. Other good dry flies this month are: Adams, Royal Wulff, Yellow or Green Humpy, Mole Fly, Stimulator and Dad’s Favourite.

Royal Wulffs and Stimulators are especially good for indicator flies, fished with a nymph on a dropper. If fish are seen feeding near the surface, use a lightweight nymph and a dropper as short as 15 cm. For deeper water or blind fishing the dropper can be up to 150 cm long.

Fishing a tandem rig using a weighted nymph to sink fast and a smaller unweighted nymph can be very successful. The smaller nymph, size 14 – 18 is attached to a
50 cm dropper tied to the bend of the larger nymph hook. Use a yarn, foam or paste indicator. Estimate the depth of the water to be fished and set the indicator no more than 1 ½ times the water depth above the weighted nymph eg. for 1 m deep water, set the indicator 1 ½ m above the fly. This also applies when fishing a weighted nymph suspended below a plastic bubble, which can be a deadly method using spinning gear.

Brown beetles are hatching in large numbers right now. Trout can go crazy, gorging themselves on these fat insects when they hatch on summer evenings. A size 14 – 12 Cochy Bondhu is a good imitation, but there are a lot of other good imitative patterns available.

Green beetles will be hatching in December through to March so it pays to have a few good imitations in the fly box. Brown beetles are usually fished as a dry fly and green beetles are too, but can also be fished wet as a dropper from a weighted nymph.

Remember felt soles are banned (for trout fishing only). Rubber soles are now available to fit to your old felt sole boots. [See what to do about your felt soled boots.]

The weather boffins have predicted settled weather from now on so get out there and make the most of it before the hordes of holiday makers arrive at the end of the month.

The month of October is the big one for troutfishers. Although we have plenty of waters available for winter fishing, the majority of our fishing has been unmolested for five months. This means that the prospects of clumsy arm-waving figures attempting to catch them have hopefully faded from the fishes memories.

Small streams are often a good bet early season. Get out some maps and look for tributaries to the more popular rivers. These may hold some large fish staying on after spawning. When summer flows become too low to provide cover and water temperatures become uncomfortable, these fish will return to the parent streams. A bonus too is that you almost certainly will not have to compete with other anglers. There will also be plenty of room around our lakes on opening day. Bullies spawn around lake margins in September/October. Trout know this and will be waiting to ambush this valuable food supply at a vulnerable stage in the life cycle. Fish may cruise the lake margins or wait in ambush around structures such as weed beds and submerged logs. Stalking lake margins can be very productive. Fly fishers should use a lure such as Brown or Green Maribous and Woolly Buggers, Green Rabbits, Green Dorothy, Parsons Glory, Hamills Killer, Mrs Simpson etc. Spin fishers can use life-like lures such as Rapalas, Squidgys etc. Establish the ‘beat’ the fish will take and drop the lure onto a clear patch of lake bed. When the fish returns give the lure a twitch and slowly retrieve and action should be instant. If the lake bed is very weedy, use a small bubble to keep the lure off the bottom. Casting from a boat towards shore, using a fast retrieve can be very productive for fly and spin fishers.

Our bigger rivers can be a little daunting early season. Fish can be hard to find due to the sheer volume of water. Spin fishing is a good way to explore large areas of deep water relatively quickly. Fly fishers should concentrate on shallow ripples at the head of good holding pools, especially during the warmer part of the day. The ideal nymph for shallow water is a small Pheasant Tail Beadhead size 14, 16 or 18. Add a dry fly dropper such as a Parachute Adams, Royal Wulff or Humpy size 10 – 14 about one metre above the nymph and you have an ideal combination.

There have been some good hatches of “Early Brown’ mayfly in the Motueka, but these have been fairly sporadic. Fish seem to be patchy in the lower river, so exploring several locations should be the best option for your opening day.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

July is the best month of the season for at least one aspect of trout fishing – tackle maintenance!

Rods should be checked for worn rings, frayed bindings and chips and cracks in the varnish. Fly lines should be checked for cracking or wear and treated with a
re-plasticiser such as Armoural. Spinning reels and fly reels can be lightly lubricated and it may be time to go for a monofilament transplant. New line doesn’t cost much, but can prevent the gut-wrenching feeling of losing a large fish. Remember it is easier to catch a large fish nearer the start of the new season rather than the end when rivers are low and clear and the fish are ultra-spooky. So make sure your gear is up to the job.

Fishing is relatively slow this month with water temperatures at their coldest. Fish deep, lower water with deeply sunk nymphs, lures or spinners. Fish at optimum times, such as mid afternoon on sunny days with a rising barometer. Towards the end of the month as days lengthen and water temperatures increase, so will fish activity. Spawning fish will have mostly dropped back downstream to their usual lies. They will be looking to pick up condition again. Some fish will move to tidal waters where they can gorge on the smelt, whitebait and torrent fish moving into the rivers in spring.

Places to target this month would be the lower to tidal reaches of rivers, especially the Buller, Wairau, Pelorus and Motueka. Also Lake Argyle and the shallow margins of the Nelson Lakes (Lakes Rotoroa and Rotoiti) would be worth a look.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

So far this month, rivers have been in a holding pattern. Low flows, plus migration of larger spawning fish has left a residual population of smaller immature fish, especially in the Motueka. However these fish, averaging 1 – 1 ½ lb, put up a good scrap and are very good eating.

There have been some good hatches earlier on but these are now tapering off with the shorter days. In ideal conditions (high barometer bright sun ‘red fish’ day) it is definitely worth trying your luck. 11 am to 3 pm is the optimum time and there is usually some sort of hatch if there is. These young fish will eagerly take a size 6 – 18 Parachute Adams, emerger pattern or a size 16 – 18 beadhead nymph swung across and down the current.

The Pelorus has not fished well this year. It suffers from poor forestry and farming practices. The Wairau and Buller are exceptions to the small fish rule, having longer winter fishing sections and generally larger fish sizes. Fish spotting is still possible in many parts of the Wairau on a good day. 5pm fishing should work well too.

Reports have been coming in about food fishing in the Nelson Lakes this month.
(See Lake Rotoroa and Lake Rotiiti.)

Trolling and spin fishing around stream mouths have been producing some good fish. Fish deep with a lead line or cast and let the lure sink to the bottom before slowly retrieving.

On good days there are always a few good cruisers around the shallow flats. Be careful to observe winter fishing restrictions.
(See Nelson/Marlborough regulations.)

While the main fishing season has come to a close, those with full season licences are able to fish right through the winter.

This month fish will be in top condition in readiness for spawning. Male trout especially, get more aggressive and territorial as they prepare to defend their spawning areas from smaller fish. Anglers can take advantage of this by using lures which will provoke an attack response. Red seems to be a colour that trout will go for. So your lures should incorporate red in some way. Other good colours are black and green. Yellow is good when the water is discoloured.

Spin fishers can try all their favourite lures in these colours; Veltics, Toby, Squidgy, Artic Trout and Rapala are all good. Dark colour combos on bright days/clear water and brighter colours on dull days/discoloured water is a good rule.

For fly fishers, large Woolly Buggers are a good bet. Black and olive for clear conditions, yellow for murky conditions. Try to incorporate some red to all your lures. These lures are best fished with a medium sink line such as a Teeny 150 or 200.

There will be good hatches of deleatidium mayflies this month on calm clear days. Most standard dryfly and emerger patterns in sizes 16 and 14 will work. Nymphing is still a good bet. A good rig is a heavy tungsten green caddis with a #14 flashback dropper. All of our larger rivers fish well this season with good numbers moving upstream to spawn. The Motueka, Buller and Wairau are good places to target. In many places, fishing can be combined with duck or quail shooting. What could be better?

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

April is often one of the best months for trout fishing. Daylight hours are noticeably reducing, which means that water temperatures will drop markedly, towards the comfort zone for trout – between 11 – 16 °C.

Another factor which increases feeding activity is that trout are trying to put on as much condition as possible to tide them over the stressful spawning season. Also cooler water and generally calm conditions stimulate mayfly hatches, especially during the day.

Paradoxically many anglers put their tackle away after Easter and start to think about deerstalking and gamebird hunting. So this month the fish are active and you will often have your favourite river to yourself.

Mayfly hatches are usually the smaller deleatidium varieties so artificials should be small – sizes 14, 16 and 18. Parachute Adams, Dad’s Favourite and similar imitations are good standbys.

Fish will often be feeding on emergers and crippled duns. A good combination is a Parachute Adams with an emerger pattern fished on a dropper about 30 cm long. Most emergers will work well such as CDC and deer hair patterns. A simple pattern which is very effective is a slim pheasant tail body with 1 or 2 turns of sparse hackle.

Passion vine hoppers will still be on the water and should be tried if fish are rising but no hatch is evident.

Spin fishing should be increasingly effective through the month. Good lures are Veltics, Mepps, Squidgy and any of the new variations on the market.

During a fresh, when the water is discoloured, fish the lure down and across. If we get an ‘Indian Summer’ and flows remain low, cast upstream and retrieve just faster than the current. This ensures that the lure stays near the bottom, which is where the fish are usually feeding.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

February has been a difficult month at times. High water temperatures have often stopped fish feeding during the day. However the warm weather is great news for insects such as Passion Vine Hoppers (PVH), Cicadas and Willow Grubs. It may seem like over emphasis, but March is the prime month for these bugs.

On most lowland rivers, with significant streamside vegetation, you should expect a productive days fishing using just these 3 imitations. They can be fished with a fly rod or spinning rod using a plastic bubble. Spinning gear can be an advantage on willow choked streams such as the Rai or Riwaka. It is possible to flick a bubble under overhanging shrubbery, where it would be impossible to cast a fly rod.

On upward streams, stonefly and mayfly nymphs are still a good bet and cicadas should work anywhere you can hear them.

There have been reports of good salmon runs on both the east and west coast rivers. Local spin fishers should definitely think about targeting the Wairau River, especially in the tidal reaches. There is the chance of salmon, sea run trout, kahawai and possibly red cod and flounder. Also the Takaka and Aorere Rivers fish well for sea run trout, kahawai and possibly the outside chance of a salmon.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

February 2008 Trout Fishing News

February is definitely the month of the terrestrial. As the name suggests, terrestrials originate on land and may arrive on the water in large numbers. They include almost anything that flies or crawls and is small enough to be swallowed by a trout. We even found a skylark in a Wairau trout once.

Important terrestrials to anglers this month are: Cicadas, Passion Vine Hoppers, Green Beetle, Blowfly, and Willow Grub. There are good imitations available in store for each of these critters. Carty’s General Terrestrial pattern is a great all-round pattern, but more specialised patterns are needed for Passion Vine Hoppers, Green Beetle and Willow Grub.

While it is always fun to lure fish up from the depths to nail a large dry fly, it may not always be a practical method. There is often a strong North Wester blowing downstream, making it impossible to cast a large dry.

A weighted nymph due to its great momentum may still be hurled into the teeth of a gale. Good patterns are Green Stonefly size # 8 and 10 or Tungsten Pheasant tail size 16 – 14. Use appropriate weights for the depth and speed of water being fished.

I saw some spin fishers on the Arnold last week. They stood in one spot and cast large heavy spinners into the same place time after time. Fish were rising but none ever followed their large chunks of hardware. They could have been successful using a bubble and dry fly or nymph. There is not much point persisting in one place if nothing is working. Move on and cover more water and think about changing methods. Be flexible. It’s different in a lake where fish may patrol large areas, but in rivers they usually stay in one spot.

Give the cicadas a go this month. The insect usually lands like a helicopter crash landing, so try to get your fly to do the same.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

January 2008 Trout Fishing News

The spell of hot dry weather we are experiencing this month will be great for two of the trout’s favourite summer tucker items.

Cicadas have been sawing away for the last couple of weeks. Some more hot windy conditions should see them become part of the piscatorial larder. Most large dry flies # 10-8 will be accepted, but there are some great imitations available. Not all rivers have cicada populations but most do. It is a great thrill to see a large fish appear out of deep water to hammer your cicada imitation.

Not all people can hear the high pitched cicada melody. Builders and other machinery operators from pre-OSH days are often a bit deficient in the hearing department.

The other critter that large trout get fixated on is the Passion Vine Hoppe (PVH). These should be hatching now and should start appearing on the water towards the end of the month.

There must have been many a frustrated fisherman faced with the sight of several large fish, rising consistently but refusing all the usual artificials. In increasing exasperation they tie on Parachute Adams, emergers, spent wing dry flies, fly nymphs and even cicadas only to have them totally ignored.

Fortunately there are some good imitations for PVHs and these are normally readily accepted. I usually use a small indicator or large visible dry fly such as a Royal Wulff about 30 cm above the PVH imitation.

Otherwise with so many naturals on the water, it can be difficult to detect the rise to your nearly invisible offering. Fish may be found feeding near streamside vegetation and often where a tributary stream merges.

For spin fishers times will be tough as river levels drop. Fish upstream into fast water entering deeper pools. Use small, dark lures, nymphs with split-shot or nymphs and dries with a bubble-float.

Fish early and late.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard
Sports Power Richmond

December 2007 Trout Fishing News

Low river flows look to continue this month. Many rivers have been unaffected by the October floods, with good numbers of well-conditioned fish.

Reports indicate that the rivers around Murchison are fishing well especially the Maruia. Some smaller rivers have been badly knocked around especially the Motupiko, Rainy and Upper Motueka. Fish numbers are consequently low but good fish are still there for the angler prepared to put in the miles.

Flies performing well include Beadhead Pheasant Tail # 16 and 18, Green Caddis
# 14 and 12, Parachute Adams, Dad’s Favourite and Kakahi Queen #18, 16, 14 and 12.

For heavier water, try a well weighted green stonefly or green caddis # 10 and 8 or Royal Wulff or Mole Fly, well hackled # 12 and 10. All the above can be used in conjunction with a plastic bubble on light spinning gear. Otherwise spin fishing will be hard during the day. Fish may still be caught under the fast water dropping over the lip of a pool or in medium fast bouldery runs about 1 m deep.

Best results will come by casting upstream and retrieving just faster than the current. Small dark lures with all flash blacked out will be most effective. Green beetles will be hatching this month so be sure to have a few wet and dry imitations in your fly box. Brown beetles have been around for a few weeks now. Both varieties can be imitated with the same dry fly. A Coch-y-Bondhu, Mole Fly or similar are good killers.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard

November 2007 Trout Fishing News

In the brief moments when it has been possible to fish, there have been signs of some good fish about.

I saw a large fish in the Motueka today (below the bridge) but the prevailing downstream hurricane prevented a decent cast. I have heard reports of a 12 pounder being taken in the same place (below the bridge).

Spin fishers have had pretty good conditions with some good bags around. Spinning can be successful when rivers are swollen and dirty. There are always pockets of quieter water on the edges and trout will be feeding there. Bladed spinners that make a bit of commotion work well. Fluoro red, orange, yellow and green are good colours for discoloured water. If grassy banks are flooded, try a worm or creeper under a bubble if regulations permit.

Fly fishing has been very difficult with high winds and discoloured water. However I managed to take some good fish in the last few days of the month. All rivers are now fishable coming into November and hopefully we must be owed some good weather.

Spinning will continue to be successful with rivers running above normal flows. Despite the adverse conditions, there were some good hatches of mayfly last month.

This month hatches of Coloburiscus Humeralis (or laughing mayfly) will start. All you really need to know is that the dry is best imitated by, my favourite mayfly pattern, the Kakahi Queen. This has got to be one of the most handsome dry flies around and the natural looks pretty good too. The best nymph pattern is Carty’s Coloburiscus, preferably heavily weighted size 12-14. Other good dry flies are the all rounders, the Royal Wulff sizes 16-10 and Parachute Adams size 16-12. Both are good all season in sizes to suit the conditions. The added bonus is that they are easy to see on the water. Lake fishing and trolling should be good all month. Lead lines or downriggers are the most productive. King Cobra lures with a large Woolly Bugger dropper are hard to beat.

Tight Lines
Allan Ballard