Angling

The rain last weekend pushed up river levels and showers during the week have kept them topped up in many cases.

The considerable rainfall over the first few days of this week has raised the levels of all rivers and streams.

The season is getting off to a good start, most waters have been fishable over the past week and prospects are good for the weekend.

I drove to Invercargill and back on Sunday and on the way down I was keen to see the state of the various streams that I would cross.

Another season has come to a close, a season of extremes with big flood and drought.

I am tapping out this column in Wanaka as I am running a fishing and fly-tying course here and for recreation I go fishing in the evening. I have just come in from the river.

The fine weather continues but it looks like our luck will run out on Sunday, so if you intend to fish this weekend, Saturday is the day to go.

Despite the Taieri at Outram more than doubling in flow, it has only gone from very, very low to low.

The record temperatures recorded recently have kept rivers and streams warmer than normal for the time of year, but it will just take a frost or two to cool them down.

The long-range weather forecast predicts little rain in the near future which bodes well for us anglers as rivers will remain low and clear.

There is more than a hint of autumn in the air over the last few mornings with fog in the valleys and a heavy dew everywhere else.

At the time of writing rivers are low and clear but with some rain forecast rivers could rise by the weekend.

River levels have dropped very low over the past week but luckily it has not been too hot and water temperatures have remained within the comfort zone.

We are in the middle of a purple patch as far as fishing is concerned and cicadas are dropping on the tussock lakes, willow grub are falling on lowland streams and trout are taking advantage of...

Summer has arrived (again) this week, and with the weather forecast looking as settled as it has been for a while, this will be the weekend to get out fishing. River levels are also just right.

Rain earlier in the week has raised river levels a little but they are already dropping and should not spoil the chances of catching a fish at the weekend.

The fine weather this week has done wonders for rivers and streams. All are now fishable and some are just about perfect, which is ironic, as the cicada fishing on the tussock lakes has taken off...

River fishing could be a bit of a lottery this weekend, depending on how much rain we get from the fronts that are forecast to come through.