Central South Island Weekly Fishing Report - 26 December 2024

Happy Boxing Day!

CSI Fish & Game staff hope you had a wonderful Christmas day.

Recently Jayden and his partner Mya from Hamilton, have been reeling in success at the hydro canals!

Jayden and Mya are travelling around the South Island on a fishing focused holiday. Having no preconceived ideas on how to fish the canals and having never done it before, Jayden decided to take his time and try to study what the fish were feeding on.

Pictured above: Jayden Johns with an incredible brown trout.

He was shocked to find that big brown trout were actively hunting in packs from what he witnessed. “They targeted smaller fish and were just smashing them!” Jayden said.

He decided to imitate the prey fish that the larger fish were feeding on by using lures that matched. Such as green/silver 6–8-inch soft bait lure with 5/0 worm hook, the right drop-shot weight to match and a heavy leader of 10-15lb. Then he reeled slowly down deep or swung along the edges. This proved to be their go-to method.

One standout moment came while using slightly different technique as they skipped unweighted soft baits across the surface right on sunset as trout were very actively feeding on smaller fish. The results? Big fish upwards of 20lbs, with plenty under 10lb also making it to the net.

The canals continue to produce for those putting in the time and tuning into how the fish are behaving. Jayden and Mya are proof of this and that sometimes thinking outside of the box, pays off.

No doubt some lifelong memories made for Jayden and Mya at the hydro canals. Thank you to Jayden for kindly sharing his photos and experience with us.

Jaydens partner Mya got into the action as well.

Ashburton River Delivers for Young Angler

Angus Fallaver, with his first fish of the season on his first cast of the season!

Six-year-old Angus Fallaver kicked off his fishing season in style on the Ashburton River, landing a stunning 5lb brown trout on his very first cast of the day. “Won’t get much bigger in the Ashburton than that!” Angus’s dad Brad Fallaver mentioned.

The day didn’t stop there—Angus and his family caught three more trout, all around 1lb, while spinning with a Rapala. “The Ashburton River looks amazing - clear water, good flow and heaps of great pools and runs to fish,” said Brad.

For young anglers like Angus, days like these are unforgettable. Well done Angus and Brad!

Revitalising Culture and Conservation - Winnemem Wintu Project Update

Winnemem Waywaket (McCloud River) at Ah-di-na, California.

Hamish Stevens, Fish & Game Officer for CSI Fish & Game, recently embarked on an impactful journey to California.

Hamish is participating in a collaborative project with the Winnemem Wintu people and Arowhenua Marae to return Chinook salmon to their ancestral homeland, the Winnemem Waywaket (McCloud River).

The trip was centred on sharing insights about New Zealand’s Chinook salmon, which were introduced over a century ago from California, and learning about cutting-edge restoration techniques, such as fish trap efficiency trials and the innovative nature-based Nur hatching system developed by the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.

Highlights included attending the Bay Delta Science Conference, presenting on the behavioural traits of NZ Chinook, and assisting with juvenile salmon monitoring programs designed to address challenges posed by dam construction.

Hands-on experience with UC Davis scientists further emphasised the value of innovative technology, like fish viewers and advanced traps, which could inform NZ fisheries practices.

Check out the - Restoring Sacred Salmon and Healing the Land | Winnemem Wintu Tribe - short film, here.

Hamish also deepened cultural connections with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, participating in ceremonies and learning traditional knowledge essential for restoring salmon populations and revitalising their culture.

The knowledge he has gained will play a pivotal role in the ongoing work aiming to rematriate Chinook salmon eggs from NZ to California, supporting the Tribe’s efforts to rebuild their identity as "salmon people."

The trip reflects CSI Fish & Game and Fish & Game NZ’s commitment to cross-cultural and scientific collaboration to address challenges in fisheries management and conservation.

Hamish would like to thank the following: Central South Island Fish and Game Council, New Zealand Island Fish and Game Council, UC Davis staff and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.

Hamish Stevens, left, UC Davis team and Jaime Ward, right, Winnemem Wintu tribal member, undertaking fin clipping at the Livingston National Fish Hatchery.

Sockeye Salmon Fishing Peak on the Horizon

Potentially the best time to catch sockeye salmon on Lake Benmore this season, is mid-January which is traditionally the optimal time to target them. Fish will be in excellent eating condition over this time. By Early February sockeye salmon stop eating and start to colour up for spawning. From late February through to late March they run the rivers and streams to spawn.

Sockeye salmon were a regular catch last summer at Lake Benmore over the holiday season and their size was commonly around 320 - 380mm long. Most sockeye are being caught while trolling at depth with the help of lead lines, down riggers or paravanes and traditional trout lures. 

Check out our video on trolling for sockeye salmon on Lake Benmore, here.

Many boaties could improve their success rate if they learn to work around summertime water temperatures. If the water reaches 19°C, trout and salmon can go off the bite and move to cooler water.

Here are some tips for fishing lakes during hot summertime conditions: 

• Fish shallow lake margins in the early morning while the water temperatures are at their coolest.
• In the afternoon and evening, when water temperatures heat up, target cooler deep water – make sure your lure is fishing at least 2 metres deep. 
• Fishing deep can be achieved by using lead-lines, and downriggers or if using a standard spin rod, rig a sinker about 1.5 metres in front of your lure.
• Troll slow to allow your lure to sink and remain at depth. It’s fishing – not waterskiing!
• Fish near inflowing rivers and streams as the inflowing water may be cooler.

Sockeye salmon fishing isn’t just for boaties though as sockeye will school around the Benmore Dam during December and January and be within the reach of shoreline anglers.

Keep It Clean at The Canals

Fish & Game Officer Blake Harper picks up some discarded fishing line, there’s no need for it.

Over this holiday season please keep the canals clean of rubbish and if you do see some rubbish while fishing, do a good deed and pick it up if possible.

Unfortunately, in society there is often 1% of people that let the team down. This appears to be the case when it comes to littering at the canals.

Genesis Energy and Meridian Energy no longer supply rubbish bins at the canals. It’s now a take in, take out policy.

Weather and Water Outlook

• Keep a close eye on river and lake levels at Environment Canterbury’s River Flow Website here and rainfall website here.
• Outdoor Access NZ offer high quality live stream webcams of some of Canterbury’s favourite fishing spots. This is a subscription-based service, but they do offer a 30-day free trial.
• There are some great weather forecasting websites available, we use YR.NO and Metvuw

Notice Board

CSI Fish & Game have social media!

Central South Island Fish & Game are now on Facebook and Instagram.

Search for csifishgame on Instagram and Central South Island Fish & Game on Facebook. Please like and follow us to keep right up to date with everything we’re up to at CSI Fish & Game.

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

Tekapo / Takapō and Pūkaki River Spill Notice

Due to the current high lake levels of lakes Pūkaki and Tekapo and regular ongoing rain events, Genesis and Meridian have notified Fish & Game that it is likely that spill flows will occur to the Pūkaki and Tekapo riverbeds over the holiday period.

Spill flows are extremely hazardous for riverbed travel, riverbed camping and fishing.

Take care when accessing river areas in case of flow changes - do not risk crossing any river on foot or in a vehicle if there is a risk of being inundated or stranded if levels rise.

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.

Hook into it!

Jase
Fish & Game Officer

Central South Island Fish & Game