Central South Island Weekly Fishing Report - 9 January 2025

Junior Boat Anglers Shine on Central South Island Lakes

The trend over the holiday period has been that junior anglers are really getting amongst the fishing action.

Hugo Muff, a 12-year-old from Winchester, reeled in a stunning 3.5 lb brown trout while trolling the shallows of Lake Benmore with a Halco green and orange bibbed trolling lure. A passionate young angler, Hugo’s dedication to the sport is clear. According to his grandfather and fishing partner, Graeme Brook, “Hugo would fish eight days a week if he could.”

Pictured above: A family of three generations enjoying everything lake fishing by boat has to offer in the Mckenzie basin.

Braxton Halligan, an 11-year-old from Christchurch, had an exciting day to remember with family and friends while boat fishing around the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore. He caught and released two beautiful rainbow trout using a black and silver paddle tail soft bait with a 1/12oz jig head.

Braxton and Hugo’s enthusiasm and success highlight the next generation of anglers embracing the sport with enthusiasm and skill.

We’d love to hear how your fishing went over the holidays! Please send a message and photos to Jase, here.

Braxton Halligan, age 11, has caught the angling obsession.

Blakes Ranging Report

Matt Brown targets macrophyte beds for consistent success.

A couple days after Christmas I was out on Lake Benmore boat ranging with fellow CSI ranger Hamish Stevens.

We met 46 anglers, and all had sports fishing licences which was awesome and made our job easy! Many anglers reported that the fishing had been exceptional. It was an enjoyable day on the water meeting passionate anglers.

Matt Brown had all his success around the Ahuriri Arm by anchoring his boat and casting classic trout lures in the shallow areas with macrophyte beds and landed several fish. A macrophyte bed is a collection of aquatic plants that grow in or around water bodies and is a place where common trout prey items like snails and bullies live and shelter.

Matt stated that he tends to have the most success fishing around macrophyte beds, and that he thinks many anglers overlook these areas due to the threat of loosing tackle in the aquatic plants but it’s worth the risk he reckons.

Other successful anglers tended to be trolling with leadlines or downriggers, with most fish being caught down deep. 

Tips from Blake - If you catch a sockeye ensure you troll back and forth over that same area as sockeye travel in schools. And remember to have plenty of ice in your chilly bin on those warm summer days.

CSI Fish & Game’s Activities Over the Holiday Period

CSI Fish & Game's boat Kokanee takes a pit stop while out ranging.

Over the holiday period CSI rangers have focussed ranging efforts by boat out on Lakes Benmore and Aviemore, the hydro canals and a few other popular spots.

It has been great to find high levels of compliance with licensing and regulations.

Two key pieces of advice to anglers from rangers regarding compliance are:

• Have your sports fishing licence with you on the boat (not in your wallet back at the tent).
• Know your Fish & Game regional boundaries before purchasing a local area licence. The Waitaki valley and lakes such as Aviemore are part of the Central South Island Fish & Game region. Our southernmost boundary runs from Shag Point/Matakaea along the mountain ranges to the Lindis Pass. Check out your local area, here

Lake Benmore / Te Ao Mārama Sockeye Salmon Fishing

A successful angler with a great 440mm long sockeye salmon.

Don’t wait! The best time to target sockeye salmon is right now as they are in excellent eating condition!

Sockeye salmon have been a regular catch at Lake Benmore/Te Ao Mārama over the holiday season. Mid-January is traditionally a top time to target sockeye salmon on Lake Benmore. By early February, their feeding stops, and they begin preparing for spawning.

Most sockeye salmon are caught while trolling at depths of 4–17 metres using lead lines or downriggers with classic trout lures, such as a Tasmanian devil. Smaller lures are preferred.

Top trolling spots for sockeye in January are around Benmore Dam and up the lake towards Black Jacks and Turn Again islands. 

Don’t be afraid to let out plenty of leadline! Anglers fishing with leadlines generally think they are getting a lot deeper than they are. Each colour on the leadline represents 10 yds / 9.14m. When trolling, your lure will sink approximately 2 meters deeper for every colour of line, but this lessens the deeper the lure sinks due to the angle of your line back up to the surface. 

For sockeye on Lake Benmore try letting out 8-10 colours minimum - more if your you have them on your reel. Also, make sure that the leader from the leadline to their lure is 3-6 meters long. Often anglers aren’t making their leaders long enough.

A downrigger is the only mechanical tool that allows you to fish at depth accurately so are highly recommended. They can be easily adjusted to find what depth the fish are at.

Troll slowly to allow your lure to maintain depth - the ideal speed for all trolling is around 1.4-1.9 knots / 2.6-3.5 km/h.

Sockeye fishing isn’t exclusive to boat anglers. Shoreline anglers can take advantage of schooling sockeye around the Benmore Dam during January. A great opportunity for junior anglers to try catch their first fish.

Check out our video on trolling for sockeye salmon on Lake Benmore  / Te Ao Mārama.

And watch this video on southern lakes salmon fishing which is relevant to CSI lakes.

Fresh Lake Benmore sockeye salmon on ice.

Weather and Water Outlook

A south, south-west front is predicted for the coming weekend with Sunday morning indicated to be the calmest and clearest period over the weekend for outdoor activities.

Over the last week the Rangitata has been running between 70-100 cumecs according to ECan river flow rates and this looks set to continue into the weekend. Clarity wise the river is cloudy but not dirty. The sea at the mouth is dirty.

So, if you have been holding off targeting sea run salmon now’s the time to start. Our rangers have heard reports of a salmon being caught on Wednesday morning.

Predicted long range weather forecast for the weekend on the YR.no forecast website as of Thursday morning are as follows:

Low Country/Temuka

• Saturday, 11 January will begin with rain overnight, easing to cloudy skies by morning. The afternoon will be partly cloudy with strong southerly winds, continuing into the evening with occasional cloud cover. Expect a high of 15°C and a low of 12°C.
• Sunday, 12 January will begin partly cloudy with a strong south-westerly breeze, easing to moderate winds by morning. The afternoon and evening will remain cloudy with a fresh southerly breeze. Expect a high of 13°C and a low of 11°C.

High Country/Twizel

• Saturday, 11 January will begin with rain overnight, easing to fair and clear skies by morning with a light south-westerly breeze. The afternoon will bring increasing cloud cover, with light rain showers developing alongside a moderate north-easterly breeze before clearing to partly cloudy conditions in the evening. Expect a high of 17°C and a low of 9°C.
• Sunday, 12 January will begin cloudy with a light northerly breeze, clearing to partly cloudy skies by midday with light south-westerly winds. The afternoon will remain partly cloudy before transitioning to clear skies in the evening, accompanied by a gentle north-easterly breeze. Expect a high of 14°C and a low of 8°C.

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

Notice Board

Introduction to Fly Fishing for Women

South Canterbury Anglers Club, with the support of Women on the Fly NZ, is excited to host a one-day workshop designed just for women who want to explore the exciting world of fly fishing! Whether you're a complete beginner or simply curious, this event is a great way to dive in, learn, and connect with others.

When: Sunday, 26th January
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where: NZ Deer Stalkers Association Clubrooms, 50 South Street, Timaru
Cost: $40 (Spaces are limited to 15 participants)
Follow this link to register, https://tinyurl.com/wotfsc

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

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!