Larry's Creek Trout Fishing (The Awarau)

Larry's Creek (also known as the Awarau) is a very scenic small river that holds a good head of fish with some reaching impressive sizes.

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Fish type	Brown trout
Situation	The lower reaches are approximately 15kms from Reefton and 18 kms from the township of Inangahua.
Setting	Larry's Creek or the Awarau is a small river that rises in the Victoria range. It flows mostly through nbush in the upper reaches but the lower reaches flow over accessible open farmland.
Maps	Access map Access map with topography LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000) L30 Reefton
F&G pamphlet	West Coast Sports Fisheries access pamphlet >>>
Description	This is a wonderful small stream to fish. The upper reaches require tha angler to walk some distance but the lower reaches run reasonably close to roads to provide reasonable access. The river runs over a gravel, and stone bed and has a mixture of fast water and pools (some deep). This stream is best fished either late or early in the season as it can become quite low during the warm dry monyhs. Wind at times can also be a problem as it funnels down the valley. The river is much smaller above the old Caledonian Mine.
Fish numbers and size	Raesonable numbers with some large fish though most in the 2 - 4lb range. Larger fish can be caught however particularly early in the season.
Ease of fishing	The lower reaches are easy to fish with either a spinner or fly. The upper reaches are moderately difficult as they require some walking.
Access	Access to the lower reaches is via SH 69 which crosses Larry's Creek about 500 meteres from its confluence with the Inangahua. A forestry road provided access up the true right bank. See the Larry's Creek access map.
Recommended lures	Nymphs: Small Hare and Copper, Pheasants Tail variants and any small straggly looking nymph in small sizes (size 16 or even 18 preferred) work well. Some weight may be required in the deeper and faster sections. Dry flies: Small winged patterns such as Greenwell's Glory, March Brown or Adams are all effective as trout are prepared to rise on this river. Green Beetles are effective in early summer and Cicada patterns from late summer are very effective. Use bushy flies in the faster water. Wet flies: Small wet flies such as March Brown, Greenwell's Glory or sedge emerger patterns work well throughout the days and are particularly effective in the evening rise. Spinners: Small bladed spinners such as Veltic or Mepps fished through the deep pools (allow to sink for the best results) or upstream into the faster water.
Regulations
Applicable to	Larrys Creek
Region	West Coast >>>
Season	Trout: 1 Oct-30 Apr Salmon: 1 Oct-30 Apr
Methods	Artificial fly, spinner, bait
Bag limit	Total: 2
Size limit (cm)	No limit

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