The rain that fell last weekend came in time to freshen up streams that were very low and warm.
Not that they rose very much - rather they went from very, very low to just very low.
The main thing was the drop in temperature, falling from the low-20s to the mid-teens degC, was a much more comfortable level for trout.
My pick for this weekend is the Mataura.
It rose a little this week but quickly dropped back to a good fishing level and continues to drop.
If you prefer the frustrations of willow grub fishing, the Mataura or lower Taieri will be worth a look.
On the subject of the upper Taieri, Alan McMillan and I took a trip to the Maniototo at the weekend.
We had not fished the irrigation dams this season and thought it was time to do so.
We looked at Rutherfords Dam to start off but, like the last couple of seasons, it had an algal bloom and although we saw couple of fish rise we decided Blakelys Dam would be a better bet.
When we got there the water was clear although there was a lot of weed it still looked good.
Straight off I saw a rise and cast to it and the fly was taken. I struck and the fish jumped into the air, all 25cm of it, and threw the hook.
A couple of casts later there was another take that I did not hook and that was it for the morning.
At times, there were fish rising at regular intervals and we covered them over and over again.
We tried different areas and changed flies. In fact, I think I changed more times than I can remember changing flies before.
Imitations of midge pupae, damsel fly nymphs, snails, bloodworms, waterboatmen and diving beetles were hurled out and retrieved at varying depths and speeds but the fish showed not the slightest interest.
At last we decided to use our secret weapon. We sneaked away and will return unexpectedly in a few weeks and take them by surprise.
We went to the Taieri and immediately saw fish rising.
In the first pool I landed a couple and missed another. Further downstream Alan was doing the same.
Then up came the wind and we witnessed little further fish activity.
The wind was from the southwest and we reasoned that the river should be sheltered at Kokonga so that is where we went. And we were right.
We only had a short time to fish. I headed downstream and fished back through three likely spots.
The first produced a nice fish of just over 1kg to a nymph fished blind. The second spot produced a slightly smaller fish to the same fly and the third spot another fish about the same size as the second.
So the day was made a little more respectable in the last half hour of fishing.
I hope next weekend is not so demanding.
-Mike Weddell
