Reel Life December 2024 - Central South Island

Summer fishing Ideas

• Flies to try in late December-January:
  • Mayfly emergers in stony bottomed waters.
  • Damselfly nymph pattern in still waters and ponds near weed beds.
  • Green beetles are out in force at this time getting blown off shrubs and bushes and trout will take these during the day as this is when green beetles are at their most active.
  • The willow grub are a trout favourite this time of year also. Long light leaders achieve the most realistic ‘touchdown’.
• Dry flies have been performing well in Lake Benmore and nymphs more effective in Lake Waitaki.
• Fish the early morning and take a well-deserved siesta in the afternoon.
• Spin fish for sockeye salmon at the Benmore Dam before they start their spawning run. Get a small silver lure down deep or jig a soft bait along the bottom.
• Fly, spin or bait fish the Ōpihi – Reports suggest that healthy brown trout are present in good numbers, with most trout feeding on the surface so try an an emerger or floating nymph.
• No fly rod? no worries! Try these spin fishing techniques.
• Fish the Waitaki River – Look for a caddis hatch later in the day or fish at night when there’s no moon.

If your Christmas shopping is not quite complete, why not gift someone a fishing licence and take them fishing! Click here to buy your licence online and learn about your options.

Alternatively, pop down to your local fishing shop and get one while you are picking up some new tackle.

If you do catch a nice fish over the summer be sure to send a photo in to us at csi@fishandgame.org.nz

Clayton Prys spin fishes the Waitaki River at Kurow Island access point earlier this month, he reported he hooked a nice fish after just a few casts but it got off his blue, pink and silver spoon.

 

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Central South Island Fish & Game are now on Facebook and Instagram. Like and follow us!

Stay up to date by searching for csifishgame on Instagram and Central South Island Fish & Game on Facebook

We are excited to be able to bring you information on a different platform.

Any pressing questions are still best directed towards csi@fishandgame.org.nz or calling 03 615 8400

 

Plenty of Perch for Everyone

Lincoln High School Students and their perch at Lake Clearwater. Credit: Jase Van Beers.

Perch are a great option for young anglers over the summer holidays, be it to introduce them to the sport, or tame their restless energy.

Perch are a child friendly size, give a decent strike and offer unique visual appeal with their green and orange coloring and gnarly fins.

Perch become most active as the water warms up, so summer is a great time to target them.

You can find them in these CSI waterways: Lake Hood near Ashburton; a few of the The Ōtūwharekai/ Ashburton Lakes; Saltwater Creek in Timaru; Waihao River Lagoon near Waimate; and Island Stream near Maheno in North Otago.   

You’ll find them hanging around weed beds and structure and often schooled together, so if you key into them, there should be enough for everyone.

West Coast Fish & Game put together this helpful video on how to target perch.

CSI Fish & Game Ranger Jase Van Beers recently ran into Lincoln High School Students visiting our region and finding plenty of success catching perch at Lake Clearwater / Te Puna-a-Taka.

The students were on their annual school camp and enjoyed three days of fishing, exploration and outdoor education. They tell us that freshwater fishing is a popular sport among their age bracket in the Lincoln area, which bodes well for the future of angling and conservation.

 

CSI on the national stage

CSI Ecologist Blake Harper presents his research at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference held in Rotorua last month.

CSI’s own Blake Harper flew the flag for sports fish at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference held in Rotorua recently.

Blake presented his research on the contribution of sockeye smolt to trout diet in Lake Benmore through a stable isotope study.

Prior to this research, there was little understanding about the interactions sockeye salmon had within Lake Benmore trout and the potential repercussions that a collapse in the sockeye salmon population could have on the trout fishery.

Understanding ecosystem interactions is crucial for managing and sustaining sports fish populations for the future.

Blake is about to submit his Masters thesis and looks forward to sharing his findings with anglers.

 

Hakatere/Fork Stream Mahika Kai Restoration project

Earlier this month CSI Fish & Game supported a rūnanga-led project aimed at protecting taoka species in a small spring-fed tributary of Hakatere/Fork Stream near Takapō.

I learnt from mana whenua that Hakatere/Fork Stream was part of a significant wetland area in Te Manahuna/Mackenzie for kāika mahika kai (food-gathering places). 

In the past, southern Māori would harvest tuna and galaxiids/inaka throughout the wetland.

The purpose of this project is to remove the trout from this tributary “to increase populations of our mahika kai species in Hakatere so that one day in the future, we can sustainably harvest as our tūpuna once did” they tell me.

A concrete trout-barrier installed in 2018 prevents trout migrating upstream into the spring-fed tributary from the main stem of Fork Stream.

We worked alongside mana whenua rakatahi and the Department of Conservation to electric fish the creek above the barrier, finding and relocating 215 trout back into the main stem.

Another collaborative trout relocation effort by mana whenua rakatahi, DOC and CSI Fish & Game is planned for January 2025.

The trout barrier in a tributary of Fork Stream. Credit: by Sjaan Bowie.

 

Online resources

If you are new to fishing in Canterbury and North Otago or just looking to fish a bit further afield then we have some online resources for you!

• Click here for our online access map website detailing over 300 access spots throughout the region.
• Click here for park and cast options
• Click Here for Fish & Game’s YouTube channel – find interesting videos from all over the country
• Click here for online licence purchases

Our access mapping website details hundreds of fishing access points throughout the region

 

Sport fishing regulations

Sticking to the regulations is your responsibility, if you’re fishing a new waterway or are unsure about anything be sure to check the regulations online here, pop into a licencing agent for a booklet or contact us directly on 03 615 8400 or csi@fishandgame.org.nz

In the regulation guide, if you don’t find the tributary you’re looking for listed, check under the river or lake that your selected tributary feeds into. For example, If searching for the Cass River, find “Lake Tekapo/ Takapō tributaries”.

If you’re still not having luck see: “All other waters except where otherwise specified”

 

Check, Clean and Dry

Invasive aquatic organisms are scattered around New Zealand’s waterways, let’s do our bit to stop them spreading any further.

For example, lakes Benmore and Aviemore have an infestation of the aquatic weed Lagarosiphon major (oxygen weed) and there is a huge cost to keep it at suppressed levels.

Let’s make sure Lagarosiphon doesn’t get transferred to our other iconic lakes like Ōhau, Pūkaki and Takapō/ Tekapo.

Always check your gear visually for weedy hitchhikers, clean by spraying down or soaking gear in 10% dishwashing liquid solution and/or completely dry your gear before heading to a new waterway.