Fishing News index>October 2007

Spring fever

The beginning of October has come with a series of storms and floods in
the top of the South this season.  Anglers have been able to find solace
in some of the smaller or spring fed rivers like the Riwaka or Spring
Creek, where fish numbers seem reasonable and fish have been biting.
Most seasoned anglers will be biding their time and awaiting the
conditions which will soon pick up.  As I write prior to Labour weekend
we have just had a late frost but a lovely, albeit cool, spring day.  At
least the freshes will have blown any didymo away.

Whitebaiters have been taking some good catches recently in the lower
Motueka, Moutere and in various Golden Bay rivers.  This provides a
great opportunity for the fly angler with whitebait patterns, like a
grey ghost.  These opportunities will continue unabated with relatively
high river flows.

Branch River Fisheries Investigations

Fish and Game and the Marlborough Freshwater Anglers' Club will be
working with Trustpower to investigate fish stocking options and fish
movements in the upper Branch and Leatham Rivers over this fishing
season and for the next couple of seasons.  Some fish will be fin
clipped and tagged.  If you take a tagged fish, please note the details
on the tag, and its weight and length if you can measure this, before
returning that fish to the water.  Please provide this information and
your location and date and advise Fish and Game as soon as possible.
This information will help to assess the effectiveness of the fish
stocking and of any fish passage over the Branch hydro scheme intake
weir fish pass. 

 

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