The weather prospects for the holiday period are not promising from the angler’s point of view. But where there is a will there is a way.
The Pomahaka and the Mataura are the best of the bigger rivers, while smaller rivers are fine so far.
However, make sure to check the regional council website for the latest water-monitoring readings before setting out to fish.
If rivers are discoloured spin fishing will not be too affected but fishing with a sunk fly will not be very productive as flies are a lot less visible to fish.
From the fly fisher’s point of view discoloured water is not too much of a problem if trout are rising as they will be able to see your fly if they can see the natural on the surface.
This means the best time to have a chance of catching a fish is in the evening, when both sedges and mayflies will be on the water at this time of year.
Fishing an adult sedge imitation is the best bet as it can be skated across the surface, making it more likely to attract the trout’s attention.
If the worst-case scenario eventuates and rivers are completely unfishable, we are lucky enough to have lots of still waters to fish to make the holidays a lot less gloomy.
Central Otago has the big lakes as well as smaller ones around Queenstown and Alexandra. The Maniototo has lots of dams that are easily accessible.
The only places where rain is likely to discolour them is around the mouths of tributaries.
A likely place to catch fish is where the coloured water meets the clear water as fish patrol there to feed on food items washed in from the tributaries.
On the subject of rivers and still waters I have fished both in the past week.
The first was the Pomahaka. It was at a good level and clear.
As I started there were mayfly spinners on the water and the odd trout rising to them.
Unfortunately, one cast was enough to put them down.
The first one to take the fly was in the shade of a tree, which suggests the flash of the leader in the air or in the water was putting them off.
The next fish that was rising was on willow grub and it took it as soon as it saw the fly as did a few of its friends.
The good thing about fishing stillwaters blind is that you cannot see refusals.
If you see too many refusals, it can cause brain fade and loss of confidence in your fly choice.
If a fish is caught early in the day the confidence it promotes has been known to last all day.
So it was on Wednesday on still waters Dam the first fish was caught on a damselfly nymph and the choice was reinforced when seeing its stomach was stuffed with fly nymph.
My confidence lasted all day and was not misplaced.
