Reel Life September 2024 - Central South Island

“Max Sinclair, Tyler Dodd & Vedder Velenski stoked with their catch from Borton’s Pond last Opening Day” - Photo credit Nikki Dellaway

 

Opening day is a Tuesday – make it a long weekend?

The new season starts on Tuesday the 1^st of October!

Whether you're enjoying a day off or sneaking out for a morning or evening fish, I hope you have plans to dive into Opening Day festivities!

The first two-weeks of the season are also the school holidays, this provides a fantastic opportunity to get young and old out of the house and into one of NZ’s favourite pastimes – Fishing!.

Top spots in October

The month of October can offer some of the best fishing of the season in our lowland rivers and streams.

Top spots include the Ōpihi River and its tributaries, and the Waitaki River mainstem.

If flows are low and clear, then take a careful approach and use small lures. If the flows are high and silty, try bigger flies, lures, and worm as bait.

The lower reaches of rivers can fish well for sea-run brown trout in October as prey fish like common smelt migrate into the river from the sea.

October is also a great time to fish shallow lake margins and streams mouths in our large Waitaki and Mackenzie Country lakes like Takapō/Tekapo, Benmore and Waitaki.

In October brown trout cruise the shallow lake margins looking for bullies. A small bully-style lure cast a few meters ahead of a sighted fish can provide some incredibly exciting action.

If you needed another option, the Mackenzie Canals fish well in October If you are after a salmon or fat trout for dinner.

Try imitation-egg drifting, soft baiting, or bait fishing with shrimp or huhu grub around the salmon farms.

Click on the linked waterways above to find access info and tackle tips.

Sea Run Salmon Bag Limit Cards

Anglers are required to obtain a sea-run salmon season bag limit card to fish for sea-run salmon in the Central South Island and North Canterbury Regions.

As we did last year, we’ve stuck with the credit card style, like your whole season fishing licence. We hope this helps make it easier to fill in your catch.

You can purchase your sea-run salmon endorsement together with your full season licence or at any time before going fishing, provided you hold a whole season licence. Purchases can be made at our website here.

Remember that while fishing for sea-run salmon, in accordance with the regulations, you must carry your bag limit card and a pen so that you can immediately fill it in when you have kept a salmon.

Rangers converge at the canals

Last month a team of 11 rangers and trainees assembled from all over the country and spent a weekend at the canals undertaking ranging duties.

The first night, rangers outnumbered anglers across the catchment, as we encountered only eight night-anglers braving the average weather conditions.

It wasn’t quiet for long and in total rangers conducted 271 angler interviews with 208 different licence holders.

Offending was at a relatively low level with just three offenders detected across the three days.
“Rangers gather at Takapō before a busy weekend at the Hydro Canals” - Photo credit Richie Cosgrove

Speeding on canal roads puts access at risk.

Fish & Game urge anglers to adhere to the speed limits posted on canal roads.

Speed limits vary across the canal system and anglers need to be observant when moving between locations to ensure they know the speed limit.

Speeding on canal roads has implications for everyone’s safety, including your fellow anglers and the staff of the power companies and salmon farms who are on the canal roads every day.

Speeding also has the potential to damage gravel roads – requiring more frequent and expensive maintenance.

Staff Changes CSI

We welcome Jason Van Beers, Blake Harper and Graeme Clarke to the CSI team.

Jase fills our new Fish and Game Officer position with his focus being on compliance, access and media.

Graeme fills our Environmental Officer role that has been vacant for some time. Graeme is also keen to get in the field and will be obtaining his ranger warrant to help out on the ranging front.

Blake joins us full time as an Ecologist with previous experience with us in a temporary role last summer.

“New CSI Rangers Jase Van Beers, Blake Harper and Graeme Clarke” - Photo credit Rhys Adams

Save The Dates

High Country Opening – Saturday 2nd of November. Many of our waterways remain closed until our traditional high-country opening – the first weekend in November.

Kids Salmon Fishing Day – The 2024 Kids Salmon Fishing Day at Loch Cameron near Twizel will be held on Saturday the 2nd of November made possible by Mt Cook Alpine Salmon.