Looking Forward Not Backwards

The sun sets over Lake Ellesmere at the mouth of the L2 River after the first day of the 25/26 Fishing Season. (Image Above)

With last weekend being rather wet in the lowland country it meant a lot of our lowland streams have risen; however, these should be fishable by the coming weekend!

The first week of the season has been a testing one for many anglers, with unsettled weather and fluctuating river levels making things tricky. But it’s worth remembering that these conditions are often a blessing in disguise for the fish. Higher flows give trout more resting opportunities, stir up food sources, and allow them to regain condition after spawning. They can also open up passage into river sections that are usually out of reach, creating new angling opportunities once levels settle.

Fluctuating flows can actually work in anglers’ favour too. As rivers drop back to fishable levels, trout are typically more aggressive and keen to feed. While the high country has copped a fair bit of weather from the west with flooding rivers and driving strong winds, lowland streams remain a reliable early-season option. Don’t be fooled by their appearance; many hold surprisingly large trout, especially in the Ellesmere tributaries.

If you’re heading out into slightly discoloured water, a good rule of thumb is to reach for darker flies or lures. These stand out better in the murk, making it easier for fish to hone in and strike.

Don't forget to click the icons below to make sure you're following us in all the right places!    

Opening Day Ranging in North Canterbury

Rangers Jackson and Chris (Budda) glass the edges of Lake Coleridge to ensure no anglers are present. 

Our staff split into two teams on opening day to cover as much ground as possible.

The first crew left the office early in the morning and worked through until mid-afternoon, while the second team headed out later in the day and stayed on the water until dark.

The morning team ventured into some of the upper Rakaia streams. Interestingly, they didn’t come across any anglers, which they put down to the poor conditions during the drive out. However, once on site, the weather had settled nicely, and conditions looked ideal for fishing. The streams were in excellent shape and very inviting.

A section of the upper Rakaia River on opening morning, which saw some gloomy weather surrounding it. 

From there, the team moved across to Lake Coleridge and the surrounding lakes. With Lake Coleridge closed from 1 October until the first Saturday in November, it was good to see that no anglers were present. On their way back, they encountered a young angler at a small piece of unlisted water near Lake Lyndon. He had only just started fishing and was likely the first to cast a fly there in several months, as unlisted waters in the North Canterbury region are open from 1 October through to 30 April.

Last season's works on the Harts Creek track by Waihora Ellesmere Trust (WET) and the Ellesmere Lions Club have been completed, and there are now many more fishable sections for fly anglers due to the removal of some trees.

Meanwhile, the second team concentrated on Lake Ellesmere tributaries, focusing their efforts on Harts Creek, sections of the Selwyn River, and parts of the L2. Heading out in the late afternoon, they stayed on until last light, checking licences and speaking with anglers. A good number were fishing around the mouth of the Selwyn, and spirits were high. Many commented that when conditions align, the evening fishing in this area can be exceptional, particularly when the right techniques are put to use.

Below, you can view last week's video fishing report for those who may have missed it. Simply click the image below!

Regulation Note Reminder

Just a reminder to anglers this season to check the regulations for each waterway they plan to fish.

This is because each river or lake can vary, particularly our high-country rivers, which have a regulation under note 9. Note 9: No angler shall be in possession of a sports fish that exceeds a maximum length of 400mm from that water.

To check out all of the North Canterbury Regulations, click the photo of the regulations book below:

Community Corner 

Young angler Jack Colley with a sturdy brown trout caught out feeding by Jacks fly. 

This year, we are asking anglers to contribute to our written fishing reports.

Got an epic fishing story, a photo you’re proud of, or even a new trick you picked up on the water? 
Fish & Game and the North Canterbury angling community would love to hear from you!

Share your write-up, photos, or lessons learned with Jackson, our Field Officer for communications, and you might just see your adventure featured in our next report.

Simply email him directly at jmeecham@fishandgame.org.nz

Stories this week! 

Trust the Process – A Fresh Set of Eyes on the Hurunui

By Marc Jensen

A fish of a lifetime for Marc early in the 25/26 season.

Gin clear. Bluebird. Hungry trophy fish. River all to myself.

Well, almost. Of those four, I got three.

I’d rolled the dice on a controlled fishery booking for the Sunday of opening weekend — the most hotly contested day on the trout calendar. Against all odds, I drew my first-ever booking. My golden ticket.

The only catch? The forecast.
Snow. Sleet. Gales. Twenty-five millimetres of rain. Every report warned the same thing: don’t do it.

But anglers are a stubborn breed. A bit of blind optimism, a heap of waterproof gear, and an internal promise to “trust the process” was enough for me.

• Offline maps downloaded. Check.

• Elevation profiles studied. Check.

• Bike ready and locked. Check.

• Didymo spray packed. Check.

• Good weather forecast? Definitely not... 

Rain or shine, I was going. And I had no idea how wild a ride I was in for.

Still and gloomy despite the difficult weather forecast.

The Long Trudge In

The 4x4 and hiking track was a slog. Rutted clay, deep puddles, treacherous rocks and relentless driving rain. By the time I reached the hut at dusk, both legs were cramping and one knee was bruised from a lapse in concentration. I cooked a quick dinner, realised I’d forgotten my pillow, and tried to convince myself I’d sleep anyway.

I didn’t.

The rain came through the night — drumming on the tin roof, filling the valleys with white noise and doubt. By dawn, I’d counted half a dozen separate downpours and convinced myself the river would be the colour of milo.

Still, I packed up, tidied the hut, and trudged off toward the swing bridge — spinning gear in hand, expectations low.

Except… the river wasn’t dirty.
It was clear.
A breathtaking turquoise green clear.

Moments after the battle — a heavy, buttery brown, caught in crystal-clear alpine water.

The River of Surprises

It’s always humbling how quickly alpine rivers can purge a storm. The Hurunui was up, yes, but it was still fishable — a living ribbon of green tinged glass.

My plan was simple:
Walk down. Fish up. End the day with a smile. Trust the process. 

My target was a six-pounder.
My dream was a double-digit brown.
By the end, I’d nearly ticked both.

I started in a spring-fed side channel, gin clear and weedy. A lone green headed brown ghosted along the shallows — thick, confident, and utterly uninterested in my wind-blown heap of a cast. The fly, line and half of my confidence splashed too heavy, and the fish vanished into the glare.

Back at the mainstem, I lost one in fast water before spotting a near-black shape holding on the edge of the current. Heart racing, I put a careful cast upstream. The dry dipped, and I lifted.

The fish surged straight into the torrent, using the current like a weapon. I ran, slipped, a twinge of knee pain hampering my stride — and somehow netted it. A short-lived victory though; I had flossed the big jack. I let it recover beside me, watching it recuperate, before kicking free.

Trust the process Marc. I kept telling myself. And that’s when I saw it — further upstream, a momentary follow in a patch of boisterous water. A log had moved. No — a fish. The kind you don’t tell people about because they’ll think you’re exaggerating. Easily into double digits. It didn’t show again, but the image burned into my brain.

The release — water glowing blue-green, the old king sliding back into the current where he belongs.

The Hook-Up

At the head of the calm water, just beside the main flow, a subtle dimple in the surface gave away a submerged rock. I sent a cast two metres upstream, twitched the rod tip twice — bang!

The rod buckled.
Drag screamed.
And suddenly, I was sprinting downstream, boots splashing, line slicing through turquoise water.

The fish was pure chaos. Every run was explosive, every turn violent. I dropped the rod low, pulling in the opposite direction each time it changed course. Talk walking like a tarpon it thrashed to dislodge my hook. Time and time again it screamed into the current. I was just a passenger along for the ride. The power and head shakes were immense. A swirl of dread as my line loosened and I thought the fish was gone, frantically reeling to catch up. Somehow the wise brown got below me and I was fighting it and the current. 

This obviously wasn't it's first rodeo, sprinting to a better position, rod high to doge boulders it finally turned. Easing it into a slower edge. There, in a knee-deep eddy, it began to tire — circling like a tuna, heavy and deliberate.

When it finally slid into the net after a failed attempt, I erupted — a whoop so loud it probably echoed up the valley.

And then I looked down.

Marc took a moment to admire and appreciate the big brown trout.

The Fish of a Lifetime

There it was — the trout of dreams.
A broad, deep-bodied brown with a dark olive back fading into buttery gold flanks, scattered with perfect black and dark orange spots. The kind of fish that makes your knees shake.

Every scale on the fish shimmered under the moving water. Its jawline was strong, its eye calm but alert — the gaze of an old king who’d seen it all.

The softbait was pinned perfectly in the roof of its mouth. A careful twist with the forceps and it was free, resting in the net, broad tail lightly swaying.

I balanced my camera on my pack, lifted the fish for a few short seconds — water droplets streaming, flanks gleaming against a backdrop of mountains and mist. It filled the frame completely. It hung heavy, curling over my wrists.

When I eased it back into the river, the fish hovered for a moment — suspended in the clearing water — before giving a powerful kick and vanishing into the deep.

Gone, but never forgotten.

For a long minute, I just stood there — soaked, smiling, speechless. Trust the process, I whispered.
 

Action from the battle.

The Afterglow

Over the next four hours, I landed half a dozen more fish, got smoked by a horse of a rainbow, and even landed the same fish  twice. The Hurunui was generous, alive, and full of surprises. The preparation, the bike ride, the rain, the restless night — all of it faded into insignificance beside those moments of triumph.

By the time I pedalled back to the truck, legs burning and pack soaked, mud smeared, the sky was darkening once again. The lakes sparkled behind me like they were showing off, teasing the next lucky angler who dared to roll the dice.

Because sometimes, the reward isn’t just the fish.
It's the slog.
It’s the fight.
It’s the uncertainty.
It’s those quiet moments between rain showers when you realise you’re exactly where you’re meant to be — knee-deep in cold, clear water, heart pounding, living the story you’ll tell for years to come.

Clean release letting the brown trout return for the next angler that takes him on.

Reflections

The Hurunui taught me something that weekend.
Adventure doesn’t come from comfort or forecasts. It comes from backing yourself, trusting your instincts, and stepping into wild country no matter what the weather app says.

Because out there, sometimes the stars align — the clouds break, the water clears, and for a few precious moments, it’s just you and a fish that will stay with you forever. Trust the process. 

Fishing In Challenging Conditions Can Bring Surprising Results

By Caleb Ryder

Healthy brown trout caught in a local spring creek over the weekend.

As is often the case, during this time of year the last week has brought wet and windy conditions across the region. While this can be discouraging, there are many benefits to fishing during these conditions.

Wind and rain disturb the water’s surface and overcast conditions while making spotting more challenging allow the angler to get much closer to the fish. The positives of being closer to the fish when making a cast whether that be with a spinning rod or fly rod are twofold.

Firstly, it is easier to make an accurate cast while closer and secondly if a fish is hooked being on a shorter line allows for much greater control of the fish. This allows the angler to land the fish quicker and more easily prevent the fish burying themselves in some snags!

Notice Board

News

Controlled Fishery on the North and South Branches of the Upper Hurunui River Enters Second Season of Trial

Many anglers would be aware that both the sections of the North and South branches of the Upper Hurunui River are under a Trial Controlled Fishery for a two-season trial. The beginning of last season saw some early challenges with the booking software; however, we expect the system will operate as it did at the conclusion of last season. For information or to make a booking, please CLICK HERE​​​​​​.

Check, Clean, and Dry To Stop Freshwater Pests!

Whether you’re out fishing, hunting, kayaking, paddleboarding, jet skiing or boating on Canterbury’s freshwater lakes and rivers this summer, the threat of freshwater pests spreading and invading is very real. 

Freshwater pests can ruin valuable ecosystems by stopping the growth of native water plants and reducing habitats for many types of fish. 

The invasion of freshwater pests is a direct result of human activity, so if you plan on going to a lake, river, stream or wetland this summer and move to another within 48 hours, you must clean all your gear that has been wet using the 'Check, Clean, Dry' method. 

For more information, visit here.

Contact Environment Canterbury on 0800 324 636 or email biosecurity@ecan.govt.nz 

Weather Outlook

Christchurch

Rakaia

Waipara

Culverden

Hanmer Springs

Arthurs Pass

Lewis Pass

River Flows

River with Flow m³/s

Waiau Uwha at Malings Pass: 6.091

Waiau Uwha at Marble Point: 133.335

Hurunui River at No.2 Hut: 30.443

Hurunui River at SH1 Bridge: 87.139

Ashley River at Lees Valley: 2.704 

Ashley River at SH1 Bridge: 20.85

Waimakariri River at Esk: 105.172

Waimakariri River at Old Highway Bridge: 154.507

Selwyn River at Whitecliffs: 2.972

Selwyn River at Coes Ford: 1.962

Halswell River at Ryans Bridge: 1.315

Harts Creek at Timber Yard Road: 2.41

Rakaia River at Fighting Hill: 143.556

To help you plan your fishing adventures, be sure to check the following resources:

• E-Can River Flows: River Flow Data
• Outdoor Access Live Cameras: Live Cameras (subscription required)
• MetService Weather Warnings: Weather Warnings
• Windy: Wind Radar
• Yr Weather Service (most accurate for High Country): Yr Website
• Canterbury Weather Updates: Webcams and Website

Stay safe out there!

Please note: This weather update is current at the time of publishing. We recommend checking the latest forecasts, river flows and road conditions before heading out.

Click the licence below to get your licence today!

Next Video Report: 16th October 2025 (Facebook, YouTube and Instagram)

Next Written Report: 23rd October 2025 (Email and Website)

Tight Lines,

Jackson Meecham, North Canterbury Fish & Game Officer & the whole North Canterbury Team.