The great day is almost upon us and the prospects for fishing are not too bad. Conditions are not perfect but there is definitely a chance of catching a fish. Several of the smaller streams look good and even the big rivers, Mataura and Clutha, are fishable.
The Mataura is at nominal normal level on the Wyndham gauge and the Clutha is quite low for this time of year. Critically, the temperature of both rivers is high enough for trout to feed throughout the day.
Some small waters, such as the upper Pomahaka, that rise at high altitude still have snow in the catchment and the snow begins to melt each morning as the day warms. Consequently, the river rises. If you look at the flow graph of the Pomahaka on the Otago Regional Council website, you will see the daily rise and fall clearly and of course, coming from melted snow, the water is a bit cold for ideal fishing. A couple of weeks of fine weather should sort that out.
The temperature of the smaller streams fluctuates daily, as they warm and cool more quickly, and the best chance of fish activity is in the afternoon. It is easy to lose heart in the morning when nothing is happening but do not give up before mid-afternoon. I have had spring days when fish might as well be a figment of the imagination when lunchtime has arrived, but by home time, the trout have morphed into reality.
A little colour in the water should not put you off when you arrive on the riverbank. For spinning and bait fishing some colour is a distinct advantage, but with fly fishing the water needs to be clearer - if the riverbed can be seen in 30cm of water, it is clear enough.
The lower Taieri often produces good bags of fish to the spinning lure or the worm. It is a little on the high side at the moment, but is dropping steadily and should be worth a visit in a week or so.
An area that is often overlooked at this time of year is east Otago and the Shag and Waikouaiti rivers. I crossed the Waikouaiti midweek and it looked in good order.
There are not a lot of trout in the rivers but the ones that are there are well worth catching. I remember an opening-day trout of 3kg from the Waikouaiti a few years ago.
The Shag, too, can produce big fish and the average is close to 2kg.
I am sure there will be hardy souls that will head off to the windswept and freezing environs of Lake Mahinerangi or the Loganburn Dam and I am sure they will catch a few fish, but I am equally sure that this activity should be called masochism rather than angling.
Wherever you choose to go for opening, I am sure you will have a good day and I hope you catch a few fish, too.
• By Mike Weddell.
