October 1 seemed a long way off at the end of April but in no time at all, it is almost upon us.
Most keen anglers will be keenly anticipating opening day and the season to follow. I only hope it is better than last season. Many anglers I have met over the winter think last season was their worst in many years. It was the same for me, but it was better than no season at all.
So what are the prospects for the coming season?
Well, the winter has been rather mild, despite a couple of very cold snaps. There have been no catastrophic floods for fish to contend with or to damage river banks, which is a major positive.
There has been a fair amount of snow accumulated on higher ground, which may keep the water temperature down to start with, but it will ensure reasonable flows over the first few weeks of the season.
Larger rivers will take a while to warm up. Conversely, they will probably not get any colder, whereas the temperature of smaller waters will fluctuate to a greater extent, both cooling and warming according to the daily weather. In the last cold snap, the temperature of smaller streams dropped from about 9degC to below 2degC in a couple of days before bouncing back to 8degC.
Smaller streams are usually a better bet at the start of the season, as they may start the day on the cool side but, if it is a warm day, can rise several degrees by the afternoon. This means, in general, the afternoon fishes better than the morning in the spring on small streams.
It is not impossible to catch fish in the cold water but as trout are cold-blooded creatures, they are not so active in very cold water. The same is true of the insects that trout feed on, but once the water warms, the whole picture changes, with both insects and trout becoming active.
It is a good idea to have a plan B if your first-choice stream is not fishable on opening day.
Check the regional council's website before you waste time driving around.
• By Mike Weddell.
