In my mind, autumn days are sunny, mild and calm, and combined with low, clear water, the scene is set for good fishing.
Waters that look to be the best option if these conditions prevail are the Mataura, which is my favourite autumn water, the Pomahaka and the Taieri.
Most of the Taieri fits the bill but once the temperature really drops the top of the river goes off quickly.
The lower Clutha has been very low lately and this makes it much easier to fish, so it is also worth a look.
These rivers are our largest and they have good populations of trout which make them ideal for fishing a mayfly hatch or fall of spinners.
Picking a larger pool when a rise starts reduces the time wasted walking between pools to cast to rising fish.
I have had autumn days on the Mataura when I have fished only one pool and had fish rising most of the day.
Such concentrated fishing is great for learning what works and what does not work.
If you fish a pool full of rising fish all day and you catch none of them it shows the wrong method is being employed.
So, after a short time of failure, something new needs to be tried.
It may not be the fly that is wrong — in fact, if trout are rising to flies that can be seen, then it is easy to put on a suitable one that matches size, shape and colour.
It is what you do with the fly that usually makes the difference.
A nymph needs to be fished at the right depth and a dry fished drag free or the direction of the sun being take into consideration.
Changing what you are doing is mentally difficult when fish are rising all around. But to keep doing something that is not working has been used as definition of insanity.
Do not change everything at once — try one thing at a time so when you do catch a fish you know what made the difference.
Patience is supposed to be a laudable characteristic of an angler. More suitable attributes are inquisitiveness and persistence.
My last couple of outings have been on the Taieri — one on the Maniototo and the other on Strath Taieri.
The first was pleasant and warm but not much fly and even fewer fish spotted.
I persisted with a diving beetle and of just three casted to, two took it.
In the afternoon, I fished a diving beetle and was rewarded for the change.
Strath Taieri was a different kettle of fishing.
It was 2°C and foggy to start, then there were few fish rising when the sun came out.
I caught some on a weighted nymph to start, then changed to an unweighted version which gave better results.
