However, it only applies from the river mouth to the powerlines that cross the river at Bortons Pond on the south bank and Stonewall to the north, and to anglers who have not already kept their season bag limit of two sea-run salmon, Central South Island Fish and Game officer Rhys Adams says.
For the past 15 years, the Waitaki River sea-run salmon fishing season has ended on March 31 to allow the salmon run to spawn. This was a precaution implemented by the Central South Island Fish & Game Council to address a period of low spawning populations. In recent years, the population had declined to "crisis point", and led to the Central South Island and North Canterbury Fish & Game Councils uniting to introduce the season bag limit, Mr Adams said.
But this season had provided a lot of excitement, and was "the best in recent memory" in terms of numbers of salmon and size, Mr Adams said.
There had been reports of salmon weighing in "at the magic mark" of up to 9.5kg.
It was hard to say whether the better returns this year were a sign the fishery was getting back to normal or whether it was just a one-off, he said.
"This season is the best one in a long time, but we can’t draw any sort of conclusion around the state of the fishery."
Until returns were consistently higher over consecutive seasons, it would still be treated as "in crisis".
The decision to extend the season to the end of April was based on a spawning threshold for eastern South Island rivers, he said.
"We’re aiming for a spawning saving across our main rivers of about 40%, so a season bag of two fish creates a saving of about 35%."
Many anglers would have caught their season bag limit of two in February or March.
"So the fishing pressure in April should be much reduced, and the proportion of fish, we believe, that will get caught in April won’t be significant."
As far as Fish & Game was aware, compliance with the two-bag limit had been good, Mr Adams said.
Anglers must have a sea-run salmon endorsement, and must carry their season bag-limit card with them while fishing.
"We’ll keep ranging out on the rivers, and we’ll keep advocating that all these new rules are stuck to strictly, but at this stage I can happily say we haven’t caught anyone with a third fish."
Those who had already achieved their bag limit would now be turning their attention to trout fishing, or targeting the Mackenzie hydro canals where the season bag limit did not apply.
The upper part of the Waitaki River, from Bortons Pond and Stonewall upstream to the Waitaki Dam, is now closed for sea-run salmon fishing.
-- REBECCA RYAN
