Even though the warm weather has returned, shorter days and longer nights help keep the water temperature down below 20degC. All this has added up to ideal fishing conditions.
There are still trout feeding on willow grub, so if you find trout rising steadily and they will not look at your offering, try a willow grub imitation or a small light nymph. Mayfly dun hatches will also start to appear during the day, especially if it is a bit cooler. Mayfly spinner falls (the term "spinner" is the common name for the fourth and final stage in the mayfly life cycle — egg, nymph, dun and spinner) can be expected whenever it is calm, usually in the morning or late evening.
Many waters are still low. In such conditions, trout will move into ripples for cover and increased oxygen. I have caught some good-sized trout in very shallow water recently.
Recent outings have included the Mataura and the middle reaches of the Taieri. The latter proved frustrating with trout hard to find. There were only a few fish rising here and there and I assumed they were on willow grub and although I managed to get a few to take, about half dropped off before I got them to the net.
I did manage to land a few from ripples, but I had to cover a lot of water to find them.
The Taieri is very low, but the water is cool.
Looking through my fishing diary for the season, there is a definite pattern which shows that the best days are when the atmospheric pressure is high. The very best days being when it is fine, warm and calm when we are right in the middle of an anticyclone. Do not let this put you off fishing in other conditions as it is possible to catch fish in just about any atmospheric conditions.
The other outing was on the Mataura.
The water was a little misty due to rain a few days earlier, but certainly nothing to stop trout feeding. I started by catching a couple in the shallow margins of a ripple.
I had seen them splashing about and realised shortly after catching them that they were probably taking sedges.
This explained why the trout took the fly as I lifted off to cast.
Later, I caught fish deeper at the tail of a ripple with a weighted nymph.
Remember to change your approach to match conditions.
