Fishing News index> June 2007

Southland Fish and Game Fishing News June 2007

After the mild May winter has struck with a bit of a bite. Cold snowy showers have drenched the south and east of the region, filling the rivers there with muddy torrents. One wonders what the colour of these streams would be like under these conditions if there were better riparian management practises on Southland farms. Hopefully the extension of fences along streams and the planting of stream banks with trees will over time reduce the brown-ness of floodwaters, and the tonnes of silt that get delivered to streams in these conditions.

The rough weather didn’t affect the rivers and streams to the north and west where they are still quite low. A light dusting of snow brought a sparkle to the mountains, and some cold frosty mornings but river conditions are good for trout spawning counts to be undertaken.

Stu Sutherland, the Fish and Game Field Officer in Northern Southland has been doing surveys in the tributaries of the Aparima and reports that the numbers of fish there are pretty healthy. Stu and I did a spawning count in the mid reaches of the Waikaka in early June and were pleasantly surprised by the large numbers of fish there. The Waikaka is tributary of the Mataura near Gore and is a stream that is often overlooked. It even missed out on being included in the Mataura Conservation Order even though it is a significant water way. It is a nice little stream that is well worth a visit during the fishing season.

Brown trout spawning is well underway now in all Southland’s rivers so fishing for brownies is rather limited. There is still some fishing available in the estuaries and the lakes though. The still winter days can be a bit tough on your hands but fishing a lake edge or a calm estuary is a soul filling experience, and you are not likely to have to compete for a fishing spot as you often have to in the summer. And you might even catch a fish.

Maurice Rodway

Manager.

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