There should be some rivers that are fishable this weekend despite the rain that is forecast around the region.
As usual it is worth consulting the regional councils’ websites before setting out and avoid disappointment when arriving at a river that is too high and discoloured to fish.
The whole of the Taieri looks promising as does the Pomahaka and the Mataura.
All are at a good level and clear.
The Clutha also is dropping and looked fishable when I drove over it on Wednesday.
I drove over several rivers on Wednesday and all looked inviting from the angler’s point of view, although the Mataura was my river of choice for the day and I was not to be diverted.
Originally, I was going to fish the Pomahaka, but on Tuesday evening I saw that the Mataura was dropping steadily and as I had not fished it so far this season I thought I would give it a go.
Although still at spring level the Mataura was fairly clear when I looked off Wyndham bridge.
The weather was fine and warm, although the easterly wind was stronger than I would have liked.
The one disappointment was not spotting any fish from the bridge, but I was sure I would find some eventually.
I took off downstream to start and was surprised at the changes in the river.
Where there had been a tree-lined bank there was a cut bank with a flat paddock behind it and the river was divided into three channels. There were some promising-looking ripple edges and eyes of pools to explore.
There was a small backwater where I started and a nice fish was cruising among the weed beds and it took my hare’s ear nymph as soon as it saw it. My connection to the fish was fleeting as it thrashed on the top and dropped off.
The first likely spot on the main river produced a nice fish of 1kg on a weighted hare’s ear nymph.
Any fish that I caught had a choice of flies to take — a weighted on the point and an unweighted on the dropper, both hare’s ears of course.
The next scene of action was a long, beautiful, long-angled gravel lip where the water tumbled from the shallows into a deep pool.
I fished carefully along it and was getting near the end without a sign of a fish but persisted as usually the best spot is where the gravel lip peters out into deeper water.
Sure enough, a good fish hit the fly straight away, took off downstream and dropped off.
It was worth another cast and this time I landed a fish.
The day continued as it started, with the odd fish being picked up here and there, mainly in the rippled water or close in to a gravel beach.
I saw only a handful of rises and even fewer fish were spotted in the water, but it will be good to get back there when the water has dropped further.
