Fishing Reports index > April 2009

LAKE ANIWHENUA & RANGITAIKI RIVER SYSTEM

The sediment removal work by Rabbit bridge began a few weeks ago. Two excavators, one a long reach machine, have been clearing a channel up-stream from the bridge towards the Horomanga river and down-stream of the bridge along the training banks. The excavated material has been stockpiled and shaped on-site to form low-level banks and maintain access along the river margin. All the willow trees, blackberry and scrub have been removed. This work was needed to be done to reduce the river level which had risen half a metre between the Horomanga and Rabbit bridge between 1998 and 2004. As a result of the raised level, flooding for the local farmers had been an issue for 10 years.

Anglers are already taking great advantage of this wonderful new access and deeper weed free waters. The bridge area has been fishing great with sinking lines and wet flies. There is now nothing in the way for casting a line. Spin fishers have also been thrilled with this new deeper water. I’ve heard of some nice catches. Of course the fish are going to make good use of the new channel when on their way up-stream for spawning.

We had to do a double-take when we drove over the lower Horomanga bridge lately. The entire river has been re-aligned from the bridge down. We spoke to the operators there who said they had a 2 week time frame in which to do metal extraction below the bridge. They have dug out and deepened the river channel and created some really nice bends. The metal has been dragged out and created nice banks. There’s untold access now. It’s the best work we’ve seen done on the Horomanga for years. This is going to be awesome for the fish and the anglers from now on. There was also another digger extracting metal and changing the course of the river above the bridge but we were told it was nothing to do with the operators we spoke to.

The Browns will start their spawning runs up the tributary streams any time from now on especially if we get a good fresh to get things going.

Cheers,
Joan Ryder
Lake Aniwhenua Lodge
trout.guide@xtra.co.nz
www.troutguides.co.nz

Joan Ryder is an independent fishing guide; her reports are not officially representative of Fish & Game NZ

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