South Canterbury Report Winter 2008

Winter is not generally regarded as prime time for trout in the South Island but the true aficionados are often chuckling quietly to themselves, none more so than a select group of anglers who have taken magnificent rainbows from Lake Alexandrina, near Lake Tekapo recently. The writer has been made aware of a number of specimens exceeding the magic 4.5kg (10lb) mark in the past couple of weeks. Well done those hardy souls prepared to give it a shot in often bitterly cold conditions.

Other McKenzie Country locations have also produced well recently too according to my Timaru informants.

The lower rivers are open again and as usual the first sea-run browns are showing up, no doubt following the first shoals of whitebait. It is a little known fact that some whitebait run in every month of the year, according to native fish expert Bob McDowall, and modest runs into estuarine areas on the east coast are often well established by July. Good numbers of browns are now present in the lower Ashburton, Rangitata and Opihi. A bright, sunny day following a good frost is tailor-made for upstream nymphing with gold and silver beadheads but the really keen types fish the rivermouths on cloudless nights with dark-hued streamers and are occasionally rewarded with some outsize sea-runs.

Hot tip. A recent fresh in the Rangitata has seen an influx of browns in the lower river. On the downside the writer observed a build-up of didymo in some parts of the lower river just prior to the last flood and isolated pockets in the Opihi. Please do your best not to spread it further.

Graeme Marshall is an independent fishing guide; his reports are not officially representative of Fish & Game NZ

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