It looks like the weather of last week is about to repeat itself with rain forecast leading up to the weekend. However, being anglers, we have to be optimistic and hope for the best.
Most waters are fishable at the moment but some, such as the Mataura, lower Clutha and upper Taieri, are still a little on the high side. The Waipahi, Waiwera, Waitahuna and Tokomairiro are all looking good.
For those who make the annual pilgrimage to the back country for opening, things look good for Monday. The amount of snow water flowing into streams has dropped over the last week and river temperatures have been rising. A sunny day and clear water on a back-country stream is hard to beat.
With the weather warming up there is a good chance of an evening rise to either mayfly duns or spinners, or sedges, and that last hour of daylight and the first hour after sunset can be more productive than the rest of the day.
I notice the pressure on the Otago Regional Council to do more to protect and restore the few wetlands we have left is continuing with letters to the press and from Fish and Game Otago. All anglers should add their voices to this cause because if our last wetlands disappear so will our fishing.
Wetlands allow a slow run-off so that water from wet periods slowly finds its way into rivers and streams, maintaining their flow in times of low rainfall. I can never see the sense in trying to rush water to the sea as fast as possible, despite the fact we are constantly being reminded that water is one of our most precious commodities.
I had my first trip to the upper Taieri last weekend. I did not fish the river as it was rather high but started on Matthias Dam. It was a glorious morning - warm, calm and sunny and even a few fish rising. There were a few mayfly spinners on the water which is unusual as there are no true stillwater mayflies in New Zealand.
The reason they appear on Matthias is because there is a stream flowing in and it is home to mayflies. Some of the mature adults find their way on to the dam and trout are quite happy to feed on them, even if they should not be there.
There were also some midge hatching so I fished a damsel fly nymph on the point and a midge pupa on the dropper, perfectly logical and irresistible to the trout, or so I thought. Within minutes I had a nice fat brown trout of 1kg in the net to confirm the logic of my approach. I had several other takes in the next half hour or so but did not hook any of them. Then all takes and rises stopped.
RIVER AND LAKE CONDITIONS
River and Lake conditions are supplied by Fish and Game Otago with information from the Otago Regional Council received at 9am yesterday.-
General Situation: The spring weather continues with intermittent rain, sun and wind. Most rivers are high but fishable. The weather forecast for the weekend doesn't have a lot of moisture in it and winds should help to dry things out a bit. The best fishing will probably be on the lakes, dams and some of the smaller streams of the region.
North Otago area: The Kakanui, Shag and Waikouaiti are all low and clear. These waters would be a great option for stream fishing this weekend and should fish well. Caddis are just starting to appear in the evenings now so, if the weather is right, fishing at dusk will be worth a crack.
Tomahawk Lagoon, Sullivans Dam and Southern Reservoir continue to produce good catches of recently released fish. Please remember that the bag limit on these waterways is one trout a day, to allow everyone a chance at catching a fish.
Southern Lakes area: Lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka are both medium and clear but dropping slowly. Lake Wakatipu is fishing well, with a lot of salmon being caught by trollers. Lake Dunstan is the pick of the bunch with large rainbows, some weighing over 2.3kg being caught in the Clutha Arm. There have been some good mayfly hatches during the afternoons on the upper Clutha.
Central Otago: The Nevis is above normal but clear, while the Manuherikia River is in great order. Poolburn Reservoir is normal and fishing well with green and gold coloured lures producing good results. The upper Manorburn Dam and the high country rivers feeding the southern lakes all open on Monday and are all looking for fishing.
Taieri Catchment: The Taieri River is looking good for the weekend, as long as the wind doesn't blow too hard. I am picking the Strath Taieri near Middlemarch as the spot to be this weekend. It is a highly underrated area and should receive a lot more attention than it does.
The evening rise is just starting with a few caddis and mayfly rises around dusk, but next month will be the time to fish with brown beetle imitations. Trollers on lake Mahinerangi are catching good numbers of fish using Tasmanian devils and black and gold tobys.
Southwest Otago area: The Pomahaka River is high but dropping and is relatively clear now down to Tapanui. The Waipahi and other small rain-fed streams are in good condition. The Clutha River has had some brilliant daytime rises, from Roxburgh to Balclutha, anywhere where there is a good gravel beach. Fish are very active, particularly in calm weather and both rainbow and brown trout are in excellent condition.
WATERWAYWATER LEVEL/CONDITION
• Kakanui River - Medium
• Shag River - Low
• Taieri River at Canadian Flat - High, steady
• Taieri River at Outram - High, steady
• Pomahaka River - High
• Waipahi River - Medium, dropping
• Clutha River at Balclutha - High, fluctuating
• Clutha River at Cardrona - Medium, steady
• Hawea River - Medium, steady
• Lake Onslow - Medium, clear
• Lake Dunstan - High, clear
• Lake Hawea - Medium, clear
• Lake Mahinerangi - High, clear
• Lake Wanaka - Medium, clear
• Lake Wakatipu - Medium, clear
