CSI Weekly Fishing Report - 19 March 2026

From New Mexico to the Mckenzie

Anglers Lacey Cones and Jakob Brophy from New Mexico, U.S.A, met CSI Fish & Game Officer, Jase Van Beers last week on some backcountry water. They generously provided this report of their honeymoon trip to NZ. 

“We came to New Zealand incredibly excited to experience the trout fishing here, but we tried to keep our expectations low as to not get disappointed. We’d been told the fishing could be tough, and while that proved to be true at times, we were hoping for maybe one or two fish per stop... Our expectations were easily surpassed!

Pictured - Jakob Brophy carefully holds an excellent brownie. Credit: Lacey Cones.

The island really put on her best colours for us. We had bright skies for much of our visit, and although we fished through some wind and rain, we definitely had more sunny days than not.

There was a bit of trial and error figuring out what to use, but eventually we puzzled it out. The spot-and-stalk nature of the fishing proved to be a whole new challenge. If you’ve never had to spot the fish before casting, it’s a very different game. You’ll walk past more fish than you catch, and spook plenty too, especially with how stunningly clear the water is.

Lacey captures a moment a rainbow trout is skilfully released by Jakob. Credit: Lacey Cones.

We had success fishing Elk Hair Caddis, and a few times switched to small hopper patterns that matched the colours of what we were seeing around the rivers. We got lucky a few times and were able to cast more than once at a fish to see what it wanted. We mostly used dry flies, although a few did take nymphs and droppers.

Every time we picked a location, we seemed to get the river to ourselves, but the fishing was definitely best for us when the sun was high, as it made spotting fish much easier.

The clarity of the water was spectacular, though we did get a full night and day of rain near the Ahuriri which muddled things up a bit. It didn’t seem to matter too much though.

Our biggest fish for the trip so far has been a brown trout, weighing over 6lbs and 600mm long. We consider this to be a massive trout compared to what we are use to back home.

Overall, we had a great experience in the area. The fish are there — you just have to be a little clever and creative about how you get them. Go slow, be patient and pray for the sun. Watch your line, your shadow, and how loud your steps are. It’s a lot to focus on all at once, but ultimately, it’s doable once you adjust to it. We’ll be back!”

Jakob with a cunning brownie from the high country. Credit: Lacey Cones.

Shorty’s Salmon

Persistence paid off for Shorty Longman at the Rangitata mouth.

Warren “Shorty” Longman has been staying at the Rangitata South Huts from October and spending much of his time fishing the mouth and getting to know the small community of regulars who call the huts home over the season.

He says the friendships formed and the sense of community at the huts have been one of the real highlights of his stay. Like many anglers on the river this summer, Shorty has spent plenty of days watching the water and putting in the hours.  On 6 March, his persistence paid off when he landed a 7lb salmon. While that’s considered a modest fish compared to the salmon runs of the past, it was still a welcome reward for his effort.

Shorty admits it’s hard not to feel disappointed about the current state of the salmon runs. Even so, he is grateful for his fish as it has provided him with several good meals.

If you have finished your sea-run salmon fishing for the season, please remember to return the details of your salmon bag card to us. Even if you didn’t go fishing or catch or keep any sea-run salmon, your information is very important.

You can do this online by clicking here, give us a call on 03 615 8400, or email csi@fishandgame.org.nz or post the card to us at P.O Box 150 Temuka 7948. 

Otago Anniversary Long Weekend in the Waitaki

CSI F&G Ranger Hamish Stevens checks a compliant angler on the Waitaki River last year, during Otago Anniversary Weekend.

This is a friendly reminder for all Otago anglers: with Otago Anniversary on 23 March, the long weekend is a prime time to hit the Waitaki River and local lakes.

CSI Fish & Game Rangers will be out and about over the long weekend, so please remember to always have your sports fishing license with you and brush up on the 2025/26 sports fishing regulations.

If you’re planning to purchase a local area licence for the long weekend, please learn your Fish & Game regional boundaries. The Waitaki Valley and lakes such as Aviemore are part of the Central South Island Fish & Game Region.  CSI’s southernmost boundary runs from Shag Point/Matakaea along the mountain ranges to the Lindis Pass. Check out your local area, here

When you head out, please don’t hesitate to share your angler reports, photos, and any interesting experiences with us if you would like to be featured in the weekly fishing report.

If you are practising catch and release, please remember to use these careful C&R techniques:

• Cool your hands and landing net by wetting them before touching the fish
• Keep the fish in the water while removing the hook
• Do not squeeze the fish and never touch the gills
• Photograph the fish in or over the water. Do this quickly, as the fish should be out of the water for no more than 5 seconds
• Revive the fish facing into the current until it regains swimming strength

Weather and Water Outlook

Please always check the weather and waterway conditions yourself before heading out to ensure an enjoyable day on the water. Click on the links below to the weather and water condition forecast providers we use.

• There are some great weather forecasting websites available; we use YR.NO, Metvuw and Windy.
• 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.

Please Send us your Fishing Reports!

Click here for Central South Island Fish & Game on Facebook
For any questions, please email csi@fishandgame.org.nz or call 03 615 8400.