Central South Island Weekly Fishing Report - 20 February 2025

More Big Mckenzie Country Fish

Harvey Metcalf, a 12-year-old and extremely passionate canal fisherman, had a special night on the water with his father, Guy recently.

Guy enjoys the experience, but Harvey’s passion has gone to the next level. Though they don’t often get the chance to fish together, when they do Harvey is always keen to show his dad how it’s done!

Harvey rigged up their rods, walked his dad through the approach, and together they worked the spot, hoping for a memorable catch.

As night fell, they landed a small rainbow trout just on dark, but Harvey decided to adjust their presentation, switching to a slightly different egg pattern.

The change paid off instantly—hook-up! After an intense battle, they finally brought the fish to the net, where the true scale of it became clear—a massive 26lb rainbow.

Pictured above: Guy Metcalf caught this 24lb giant with the angling advice of his son Harvey Metcalf.

Harvey usually prefers to catch and release fish but unfortunately, the fish was bleeding heavily from the gills, so they made the right call to keep it, knowing it had little chance of survival.

It was a trophy catch and an unforgettable moment for both father and son—one that will be talked about for years to come.

We look forward to hearing about Harvey’s next adventure.

Young Anglers Getting Into it on the Rakitata River

Brothers Rio and Zac Anderson with a Rangitata rainbow. They have caught the fishing bug!

Steve Anderson sent in a quick report from the Rangitata River / Rakitata river where his two sons Rio, age 15 and Zac, age 12, had an enjoyable session, spin fishing for rainbow trout. 

“Rio my eldest is hooked! Any spare moment he can get he’s out and about trying to catch a fish. I drop Rio off he goes fishing whilst I go out for my runs win – win.

Rio was keen to take his younger brother out for a spot of fishing to show him how it’s done but on this day the opposite happened, and Zac rocked up and hooked and landed two rainbow trout in quick succession using a Panther Martin lure.

It was another successful team Anderson mission, making the most of what our awesome region has to offer.”

Reminder: The sea-run salmon fishing season for the upper section of the Rangitata / Rakitata River and its tributaries upstream of Turn Again Point is closed for sea-run salmon fishing from Saturday the 1^st of March. 

The trout fishing season remains open in this upper section until 31 March. 

South Canterbury Low Country Rivers Still Fishing Well

A dazzling 7lb brown trout caught on a size 16 black nymph by Alex Avery.

Alex Avery sent us in this report from a session he had on a local South Canterbury river below SH1 last weekend, cheers Alex.

"I only managed to get out late Sunday afternoon, expecting the water to have been heavily pressured after such a perfect weather weekend. To my surprise, my first chosen spot was car-free, though fresh boot prints suggested recent activity.

I walked about 2km without spotting a single fish and was just about to turn back when I noticed one feeding at the head of a small pool. It proved to be incredibly selective, rejecting nine or ten different flies before finally taking an unweighted size 16 black nymph.

The pool was deeper than it seemed—while the fish had looked reasonable at first, it wasn’t until it cleared the water in a powerful jump and tore off downstream that I realized it was far bigger than expected. At 7lb in the net, it was an absolute beauty.

No grip-and-grin shot, as I haven’t found a way to capture a decent solo photo without compromising fish survival after release - it was too good a fish to keep. The rod should give a good idea of size."

Cheers,
Alex

Final Call Before Sockeye Salmon Spawn

A spawning sockeye salmon in the Twizel River. Credit: Richard Cosgrove.

On the 1^st of March all streams and rivers where sockeye salmon are present are closed to sockeye fishing. Some key rivers are Tekapo River / Takapō, Ōhau River, Ahuriri River, Twizel River / Whakatipu.

If you are keen to try catch an early-run sockeye in a river or stream you have until next Friday 28^th of February.

To view the regulations for sockeye salmon fishing refer to your 2024/25 sports fishing regulations guide here.

The trout season remains open in the same waters.

Sockeye salmon spawning run estimates have been monitored since 2018. To learn more about sockeye salmon populations, CSI Fish & Game’s most recent Sockeye Salmon Population Monitoring 2023 repot can be viewed here.

Weather and Water Outlook

Saturday looking calm according to metvuw.com.

Looking on Metvuw and YR.NO predicted long range forecasts show a calm settled weekend, a great for getting out on the boat.

Mid-week, Fish & Game rangers speaking with anglers at the Rangitata River mouth noted a slight increase in flow following 43mm of inland rainfall. This added some color to the water, boosting angler optimism.

With reports of salmon being caught in the Rakaia, hopes are high that this could be the weekend they arrive in our region. Keep an eye on conditions by checking river flow rates on the ECAN River Flow Website, here.

Also jumping on Outdoor Access NZ can help to see river clarity and river mouth conditions.

The predicted long-range weather forecast for the weekend as of Thursday morning is as follows:

Low Country/Temuka

• Saturday, 22 February will begin with fair skies overnight, transitioning to clear and calm conditions in the morning. The afternoon will be partly cloudy with a moderate to fresh easterly breeze developing. Expect a high of 21°C and a low of 10°C, with partly cloudy skies and an easing breeze by evening.
• Sunday, 23 February will begin with cloudy skies overnight, transitioning to persistent cloud cover through the morning. The afternoon will be fair with a light southeast breeze, reaching a high of 18°C. Expect a low of 14°C, with clear skies and a gentle easterly breeze by evening.

High Country/Twizel

• Saturday, 22 February will begin with clear skies overnight, transitioning to partly cloudy conditions by mid-morning. The afternoon will be warm and partly cloudy, with gentle southwest breezes. Expect a high of 22°C and a low of 8°C, with a northwest breeze settling in by evening.
• Sunday, 23 February will begin with partly cloudy skies overnight, transitioning to cloudy conditions by morning. The afternoon will remain cloudy and calm, with little to no wind. Expect a high of 19°C and a low of 10°C, with clear skies and a light northeast breeze by evening.

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

NOTICE BOARD

The Arms Act 1983

Unless you have been living under a rock, many will be aware that the Arm Act 1983 is being rewritten. The consultation process for firearms law reform is now open. This is a critical opportunity for recreational hunters and shooters to voice their concerns and influence government decisions. To have your say click, here.

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