Fishing Reports index > July 2007

North Canterbury Fishing Report

Well that mid winter time is here and just yesterday 17 July i was standing in Urban Christchurch watching a very beautiful pair of 4 pound Browns spawning in the Heathcote River, 100 metres away a pair of Paradise Ducks roosted strangely on a picnic table at the same times Bell Birds Chimed , a wonder to experience !, Urban Nature and this made me think how often we see and hear about environmental negatives but at the same time some incredible habitat restoration is happening. Well done Christchurch City Council for the native streamside planting and planning.

Most anglers in Canterbury go into hiatus mode at this this time of year however river and lake options are available, for the lake fishers Coleridge can produce very nice Rainbows mostly taken at night using Lumi Lures, pick the right weather-dress warm  and go well prepared!, many anglers comment to me about vast feelings of openness experienced whilst fishing at night under the stars.

Smaller lakes such as Lyndon  and Pearson are good options for fly fishers and Family outings, do not expect to catch many fish,with Rainbows most likely to be caught . This is a good time to experiment with new gear-new fly patterns and I think most importantly the aspect of getting the fly to the right depth via sinking lines.

My Pick for river options would be the Waimakariri, any place below the Gorge Bridge at a flow lower than 70 cumecs, here Smaller Rainbows and the odd good Brown can be caught on all methods , my preferred method is using Streamers on a medium sinking line. These are fished across and down and you can cover allot of water with relative ease, covering water with indicator and nymphs can also be great fun, keep the indicator large and visible and the nymphs small and heavy- #10-14. For those new to the access on this river ask North Canterbury Fish & Game for their information pamphlet. 

The Rakaia River Below the Main  South Road Bridge has some fantastic looking braids right now and I have had the odd good catch fly fishing this water with above methods, however this is Brown Trout Country and gets better into August-September. Again watch for the lower flows in all the larger rivers prevalent during the next months as it snows in the Back country.

For those anglers in hiatus this is a great time to tie and dream up some new fly patterns, Tying Cicada Dry Flies at this time of year can have a good effect especially when combined with a cocktail or two .... ah  those Summer days!. I have found www.flyshop.co.nz a great online shop for good value-quality fly tying and fly fishing products, this is based in Methven and it's always a good idea to support local business.
As always check your Fishandgame regulations for full Winter Options and details. 

If you have any Questions or reports I would like to hear and share these ie. does anybody know how the Rangitata below the Main South Road fishes at this time?..keep warm and check out those urban spawners!....Martin Langlands martinyy@xtra.co.nz

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

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