Fishing News index > May 2009

Looking back on the season so far the first thing that jumps to mind is how dry the weather was. The region suffered through some very long periods without rain and when it did arrive it was barely enough to raise the river levels an inch. With this, rivers ran extremely low and at times at very concerning levels, the Ngaruroro being the most noticeable as it ran at the lowest many of us have seen before. This meant that anglers could often sight their fish easily but in turn the fish could see the angler and as a result were very cagey and one step too far or a wayward cast saw fish taking off for cover.

It is in these situations where anglers often underestimate a trout’s ability to see. Often trout will have already spotted the angler and will ignore what’s presented to them. When the angler makes a more drastic movement or takes that extra step forward it is then the trout will decide that that’s close enough and will head for cover. When you find yourself in these situations where the water is very clear and to make it worse quite low, it is important to stalk trout very slowly and to never get too close. You only need to get close enough to drop a fly a few meters above it and here in lies tricky part number two, not spooking the fish with your line or fly. To minimise fly splash and because the trout will be able to see clearly and pick out any faults in the fly you are using make sure you use a small fly about size 14 is adequate. With trout often very cautious in these clear conditions, an invisible line is also very important so don’t hold back and get the good stuff, Flurocarbon nylon at about 6lb would cover most rivers, but if you play your trout gently you could go even lighter than this. So now that the fish can’t tell it’s a fake floating towards it you just need to ensure your line doesn’t spook the trout as it lands on top of the water. This can be achieved with a long leader so your main line doesn’t land anywhere near the fish and therefore will hopefully not spook it if your cast is poor. A quality line is also important so it shoots from the rod straight and not in a curled mess. Gear aside, there is nothing more important than practice and getting out there and learning from your mistakes, as you can’t expect to become a pro over night. So get out there as often as you can and remember to learn from your mistakes and with winter here and rivers increasing in flow there’s no better time to practice while waters aren’t so low and clear.

With careful stalking and casting you are bound to hook up!

The last month or two have seen some great fishing as fish start to move about more in preparation for spawning. Some very healthy trout have been caught in the middle reaches of the Tukituki with many fish caught over 5lb and a few over the 8lb mark. Lake Tutira is also starting to come on as fish move closer to the shore. As we have picked up on our frequency of surveys at the lake so have the anglers, who have been catching some nice healthy fish. Anglers who have frequented the lake for years have all noticed the drastic reduction in the amount of weed in the lake, so it appears the carp are doing their job. This makes the shoreline fishing heaps easier with less snags and weed on your hook, so now is a good time to abandon the fire at night and head up to the lake when the weather is rough and the fish are in close.

 
Lake Tutira, such a beautiful pristine setting for some great winter fishing.

For those who have been waiting for the winter season and for fish to start moving about, your time is here so go and get your winter season licence at about half the cost of a full season. Remember the open season this year runs through until the end of June so you’ve still got a whole month to fish the upper reaches and tributaries.

Tight Lines!

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