Central South Island Weekly Fishing Report - 16 January 2025

Family Fishing at Lake Opuha

Lake Opuha, in the heart of CSI, is proving to be an excellent spot for young families looking to experience the thrill of fishing in a beautiful and accessible setting.

Allan Marshall sent us in a report about his family’s recent fishing trip there, when his 4-year-old daughter Elise, landed her very first fish!

Using her Christmas present, a Shimano kids rod rigged with a booby fly, with a weight off the bottom, she reeled in a 1.8lb brown trout. She went on to hook another fish but lost it, a classic lesson in fishing’s unpredictability that she’ll surely learn from.

Pictured above: Elise Marshall, age 4, beaming with pride over her very first fish caught at Lake Opuha.

Her older brother Jesse, aged six, wasn’t far behind. He hooked into a big fish, but the line snapped just as the catch neared the boat. Meanwhile, their mother, Mieke, landed another brown trout on a Toby lure.

That same day, Allan mentioned he spoke to another group of boat anglers on the lake that had caught and released ten rainbow trout.

The Marshalls spent the rest of their trip camping in Fairlie, cooking their fresh trout over a BBQ outside their tent—a classic kiwi outdoor experience.

Lake Opuha is an ideal location for family fishing adventures. Located only 17km from Fairlie, Bennets Rd and Hays Rd provide ideal spots for children to fish safely.

If you’re looking for a great place to take your family fishing, now is the perfect time to visit Lake Opuha. Water levels are high for the time of year and the trout are biting!

Big smiles all around by Jesse Marshall, age 6, while fishing on Lake Ophua.

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Bells Pond Angler Report

A size 14 Adams Parachute dry fly worked a treat for Caleb Ryder on this fine 4.25lb brown trout.

North Canterbury Fish & Game Ranger, Caleb Ryder, recently visited our region for a fly fishing adventure.

He had an excellent session at Bells Pond in the Waitaki.

He caught two solid brown trout. A 4.25lb on a size 14 Adams Parachute dry fly and a 3.75lb on a size 12 Damsel nymph.

Lake Tekapo/Takapō Angler Report

Lily Christensen with chinook salmon for dinner from Lake Tekapo/Takapō.

Lily Christensen recently had an exciting session fishing Lake Tekapo/Takapō and managed to catch a delicious chinook salmon, which she kept for the dinner table.

Thanks to Mount Cook Alpine Salmon for donating chinook salmon smolt to enhance the Lake Tekapo/Takapō fishery. 

Weather and Water Outlook

If you’re looking for the best single session this weekend, in our opinion Sunday morning in the High Country/Twizel with light winds and no rain during prime hours forecasted.

Sunday morning offers the most consistent conditions for successful fly fishing streams and trolling with small boats on the lakes.

Well, I think it’s fair to say we haven’t had much of a summer yet! On the positive side it’s great for the fish and river conditions with many of CSI’s rivers still running at average or higher levels and with spring-like temperatures.

The current general easterly overcast weather pattern looks set to continue according to the YR.no forecast website over the weekend and into next week, with more frequent rain forecasted next week.

This week a local angler contacted us wanting to know the best way to see what river clarity was like at the Ashburton River/ Hakatere mouth before committing to heading there for a cast.

We suggested Outdoor Access, who have high-quality livestream video running all day on many of CSI’s waterways. Their service costs $12 per month and you can start with a free 30-day trail. Click here to check out Outdoor Access.

Predicted long range weather forecast for the weekend as of Thursday morning are as follows:

Low Country/Temuka

• Saturday, 18 January will begin with partly cloudy skies and gentle northeasterly breezes overnight. Morning fog will clear to partly cloudy skies, with moderate to fresh easterly breezes developing by afternoon. The evening will remain cloudy with fresh winds easing slightly. Expect a high of 20°C and a low of 11°C.
• Sunday, 19 January will start with cloudy skies and gentle northeasterly breezes overnight. Light rain is expected through the morning, easing to cloudy conditions by afternoon with occasional light rain returning in the evening, accompanied by gentle easterly breezes. Expect a high of 17°C and a low of 13°C.

High Country/Twizel

• Saturday, 18 January will begin with light rain overnight, transitioning to cloudy skies by morning. The afternoon will be partly cloudy with moderate northeasterly winds, increasing to light rain and strong breezes by evening. Expect a high of 20°C and a low of 11°C.
• Sunday, 19 January will start with cloudy skies and light breezes from the north. The afternoon will remain cloudy with gentle northeasterly breezes, continuing into the evening under similar conditions. Expect a high of 17°C and a low of 12°C.

This forecast was accurate at the time of writing but please remember to check the forecast for yourself before heading out.

Notice Board

Waimate Rod and Gun Club Inc

Are you are interested in becoming a club member of the Waimate Rod and Gun Club Inc?  They have a fishing event for club members only, is set down for the 31 January 2025 at the Lake Benmore Dam to fish for sockeye salmon. Please contact Kevin Tiffen, phone 0277550080 or email him here if you are interested.

Environment Canterbury

Notice of wallaby control work: Ahuriri River, Ōmarama

• When: Wednesday 15th January to Friday 24th January 2025
• What: As part of the Tipu Mātoro National Wallaby Eradication Programme we intend to carry out a ground search and destroy operation for wallabies using dog and rifle.
• Where: Between Killermont access point and the SH8 bridge. 

Warning signage will be placed at all access points for public safety.

Please remember to share your angling experiences with us, it helps make our reports more engaging and inspiring for everyone! Please email your reports to Jase, here.