As most anglers will know, the fishing season starts on October 1, less than a week away, but it still cannot come soon enough.

To make the most of it, tackle needs to be checked and plans A, B, and C made for the big day.

Why three plans? We have no control over weather and water conditions so various options need to be considered.

Looking at river conditions as I type, most are high and discoloured, far from ideal. Although, there is one positive, rivers are a little warmer than usual for the time of year. In fact, the winter has been warmer than usual.

Steve Dixon, who runs the Otago Fish & Game hatchery, told me the fish he reared over winter were bigger than usual because the water temperature had been high enough for longer to keep fish feeding.

If the water temperature drops too low, trout stop feeding and do not grow.

Some streams have been four or five degrees warmer than usual on some days, although it takes just one frosty night to drop them back to normal.

Over the last week the temperature on some waters has varied  over five degrees in 24 hours.

The trout released for the Take a Kid Fishing days this month  were noticeably bigger than previous years.

Of course, there will be plenty left in the Southern Reservoir when the kids have finished and from October 1, anyone can fish for them.

Sullivan’s Dam and Tomahawk Lagoon have also been stocked and can be fished now.

The warm winter will have affected fish in rivers and streams and they should be in good condition too. Although high dirty water is not ideal for river fishing, the slack water along the edges is worth a cast with fly, bait or spinner.

Mayflies will hatch even in high water and at this time of year the hatch will be mid afternoon.  When these flies are coming off in sufficient numbers trout will feed on them. So, if you have a local stream where mayflies hatch it will be worth a look.

Not everyone likes to fish still waters but if rivers are out, still waters are usually fishable, and surely to a keen angler a still water is better than no fishing at all.

Remember to check the regional council website for river conditions before you leave home so you can switch to plan B or C rather than finding out when you get to the water.

Last opening day, plans had to be revised as there was a dump of snow which closed access to the Maniototo via Middlemarch, but luckily the Pig Root was open long enough to get there.

I am looking forward to using a new acquisition on opening day. Last year it was a new rod and this year it is a new vacuum flask which is bigger than the old one so I can have more cups of tea, especially if it is snowing.