So, start fishing for 2026 anywhere but the Clutha.
Unfortunately, the air temperature is a little on the low side most days and every night which will delay the emergence of cicadas but it will happen eventually.
The cooler weather will also affect willow grub.
I have seen a few fish exhibiting the behaviour of trout on willow grub but not many.
The best way to cope with lack of willow grub is to fish nymph blind beneath bushes overhanging the water or a dry beetle imitation in the foam line in pools that are likely to hold fish.
There have been falls of mayfly spinners in the mornings once it has warmed up a bit and there is no wind.
It is also easier to catch fish on fly if it is cloudy or the fish are in the shade of a bush.
If it is sunny try to fish from a shady position to avoid flash from the rod.
I have fished the Taieri few times in the last week.
On one of the days there were fish rising flat out to spinners but I could not get a take.
They would move to the fly then turn away from it although I did catch one of them on a nymph by getting it under the bush in the shade.
But out in the open, a no-show.
I wandered up the river and found a fish rising under a large tree, first time over it took my spinner imitation.
The next fish I found was sipping something from the surface but I could not see any spinners so offered it nymph which it grabbed and took off at high speed when I struck and broke off in the willow roots on the far side of the river.
The next fish was rising in a small eddy, sipping willow grub, I guessed, as it was under a willow tree.
It pays to be a bit of a detective when you fly fish.
It took the fly, behaved impeccably and was soon in the net.
Shortly after it began to thunder and that was the end of rising trout for the day.
It was afternoon tea time anyway.
More recently, I was on the Pomahaka and had a hard time of it bush-bashing to get to the water and finding very few fish.
Those that I did see were in difficult positions because of overhanging trees and a strong wind.
A move to a new spot a few kilometres down stream help solve the problem.
I could not see any fish, so I fished a spot blind with a nymph where I usually see a fish or two and soon had one on the line.
I eventually found a pair of fish rising but could only reach them by casting downstream.
But as I expected I failed to hook them when they took the fly. Maybe next time.
