Reel Life October 2024 - Central South Island

The Underwoods Abigail and Alex from Twizel enjoyed a family day out at last year’s Kids Salmon Fishing Day photo by Vicky Mcknight

Fishing for Everyone in November

November is a favourite month to fish for many anglers, and for good reason.

November fishing highlights include:

• ideal spring flows in lowland waters like the Ōpihi River provide great opportunity,
• sea-run browns are in the tidal reaches chasing silveries (common smelt),
• post-spawned rainbows are hungry and in search of an easy feed in the canals and hydro lakes,
• Spring brings beetles to our grassland streams – read here
• perch and tench increase in feeding activity as water temperature increases,
• the first sea-run salmon of the season gets caught in the Rangitata/Rakitata River,
• 2024 Twizel Kids Salmon Fishing Day (see article),
• High-Country Opening means all but a few waterways are open

Sign up to the new look CSI Weekly Fishing Report

CSI Region provide anglers with a Weekly Fishing Report, direct to your email inbox throughout the season. We have a new-look report this season: its solely a CSI regional report and our newly appointed F&G Officer, Jase, is now the chief writer.

If you were signed up previously to the joint report with CSI & North Canterbury but haven’t been receiving the reports this season, please sign up again —technological errors may have occurred amongst the changes.

Sign up to the CSI Weekly Fishing Report here.

North Canterbury Fish & Game are taking a new approach to their weekly fishing reports which will now be published exclusively on the North Canterbury Fish & Game Facebook Page here and the Fish & Game website here.

Rangitata/ Rakitata River Revival

Matthew Hall is deeply connected to the Rangitata river.

Matthew Hall, former CSI Fish & Game Councillor, has recently featured in the Ko te Whakahaumanu o te Rakitata Awa – the Rakitata River revival programme.

Matthew, a Rangitata hut owner, has recreated on the river for almost 80 years and is deeply connected to the river and dedicated to protecting its health.

Today, as the secretary of the South Rangitata Hut Holders Association, he leads efforts to combat coastal erosion, improve water quality, and restore fish populations – working closely with local groups, iwi, and government agencies. Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the future of the river.

Matthew has spent his life fishing and learning the river’s rhythms and a standout moment in his fishing career was landing a massive 36 lb salmon on a 9 lb line at the river mouth.

An engaging short film was shot about Matthew’s life and his involvement with the Rangitata/ Rakitata, click here to view.  Read the full newsletter, here and visit Rakitata River revival programme page here.

High-Country Opening – 2 November 2024

The first Saturday of November sees most of our high-country waterways open for fishing.

This is not to be confused with some of our neighbouring regions High-Country Opening days being the first of November.

Two “classic” offences found by rangers around high-country opening include:

1. fishing a high-country waterway on the 1^st of November instead of the first Saturday in November opening day
2. fishing the upper Ahuriri River – the Ahuriri River and tarns upstream of its Longslip Creek tributary remain closed until the first Saturday in December – that is the whole catchment accessible from Birchwood Road.

Lake Heron/ Ōtūroto, Lake Alexandrina/ Takamana and the Tekapo/ Takapō, Twizel/ Whakatipu and Hakataramea rivers are some of the options opening on the 2nd  of November this year.

Some of our dedicated high-country anglers don’t purchase their fishing licence until closer to High-Country Opening Day. Get them online here or pop in-store to support your local businesses and treat yourself to a new fly or lure.

Be sure to load your fly box with a few  mayfly nymphs to use in the stony bottom rivers, like a size 14 pheasant tail, beaded and unweighted..

In your high-country travels, please be mindful of farmed stock and seek permission to cross private land.

Lake Alexandrina Features in PhD Study

CSI’s Blake Harper assisting PhD student Lauren Hitt with her field work in Lake Alexandrina Photo by Nixie Boddy

CSI recently assisted Canterbury University PhD student Lauren Hitt with her research of Lake Alexandrina’s/Takamana ecosystem.

Lauren’s research focuses on examining the structure of food webs in lakes where trout and kōaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) coexist.

She aims to understand how different sizes and ages of these species partition resources and adapt their life histories/ behaviours in response to each other's presence. 

Lauren will be sampling 15 lakes in total across Aotearoa with varying degrees of interaction between trout and kōaro.

Keep an eye out for Lauren around the lakes during the season as you might be able to help her with some trout for her to take samples from.

Invertebrate samples from the North, East, and South lake edges on the day showed an abundance of cased caddis larvae and snails throughout, plus the odd free-living caddis larvae down the south end – food items to imitate with your fishing flies once the fishing opens there on November 2nd.

Kids Salmon Fishing Day

Thanks to Mt Cook Alpine Salmon our Kids Salmon Fishing Day will once again be held at Loch Cameron near Twizel.

Anglers aged 4-11 will have the opportunity to fish for the donated salmon.

The event will be held on Saturday 2 November 2024.

Registration is on the day from 8:30am - fishing starts at 9:00am.

A few spot prizes will be drawn, donated by local businesses.

Click here to visit our website and find all the details.

Recreational Fishing Nets Big Gains for Region

Harley Cross is chuffed with his “keeper” salmon from Tekapo Canal last summer Photo by Rhys Adams

Hydro Canal Fishery Contributes $13.6 Million to Mackenzie Basin Economy

New research shows that recreational freshwater fishing contributes millions of dollars to the Mackenzie Basin and that local businesses and communities land the gains.

Central South Island Fish & Game Council is pleased to share the results of a groundbreaking economic impact assessment conducted in partnership with the University of Otago and Meridian Energy.

The assessment highlights the significant economic contribution of the Te Manahuna Mackenzie Basin's hydro canal fishery to the local economy, with anglers contributing an estimated $13.6 million during the 2022-23 fishing season alone.

Key Findings:

• Anglers’ spending was highest in accommodation, comprising approximately 28% of total spending, followed closely by food and beverages at 27.4%.
• The analysis also noted that local anglers spent less than visitors from other regions and international visitors tended to spend the most per trip.

In light of the findings and other recent research that assessed the values, preferences and activities of canal anglers Fish & Game is currently reviewing its canal fishery management strategy and is exploring community-engaged project options to further support the hydro canal fishery.

To read the full article click here.

To read the research report click here.

Hard Labour at the Canals

The Hard Labour multisport event is on in Twizel over Labour Weekend.

On Saturday the 26^th keep an eye out for and be patient and courteous to the kayakers racing from Lake Ruataniwha, through the Ōhau B and Ōhau C Canals and out into Lake Benmore via the Ōhau C Tailrace.

Kayak racers will be entering the canals from Lake Ruataniwha about 8:30 and finishing at Lake Benmore around 11am. Lake Ruataniwha is closed to all powered craft from 7am until 9am

Please do not fish while kayakers are passing by, including off SH8 Bridge.

This annual event has Meridian approval.

 

Tight lines

Nikki Dellaway, Fish & Game Officer