Alas it was not to be. Instead it snowed.
However, there were those of us who were keen or stupid enough to brave the icy wind and snow and go fishing anyway.
The first problem was getting to the water, as roads throughout the region were either closed due to snow or at best marginal.
Murray and I had intended fishing the Maniototo dams, but the sign at Outram said that the road to Middlemarch was closed, so eventually we got there via the Pig Root.
We started late due to the delays but thankfully the day had warmed to a tropical 5°C by then and the sun was shining.
One of the reasons I was keen to fish on opening days was my new rod.
I bought it specifically to fish the dams.
Like many anglers I believe that a new rod has super powers which enable the angler to catch more and bigger fish.
Well it started out well, with a fish on the first cast and another a few minutes later.
I did not completely rely on the rod’s super powers, as I fished with my reliable damsel fly nymph imitation which has caught many fish over the years from the dams.
Over the next hour or so the rod’s powers were diminished and no fish were landed, but it must have recharged as a couple more fish came to the net, so what started out a day less than promising could be classed as a success.
But what about the future?
The weather for the next few days does not look great.
Snow melt in the rivers combined with wind and rain do not inspire confidence, but you cannot catch fish if you do not go fishing.
The best chances will be on still waters, but small lowland streams should be fishable.
On larger streams a bit of the colour in the water will be to the advantage of spin fishers.
And for both spinfishers and fly fishers the still waters around Dunedin have been stocked recently and are well worth a visit.
In the spring trout are not as picky as they are in summer.
They are recovering from spawning and a period of reduced food supply so will grab anything that looks like food.
For the fly fisher a brown nymph will work and for the spinfisher a black and gold toby usually works.
As the water is cold at the moment it pays to fish slowly and get the fly or lure down deep which means giving a fly a minute or more to sink and a lure up to five seconds.
One of the fish I caught on opening day took the fly when it was sinking with no retrieve at all.
Wrap up warm for the weekend.
