The new season has kicked off well, with good numbers of fish caught and many in great condition for the time of year. The lack of large floods in some catchments over winter has resulted stable river levels over the last few months to help recovery post spawning.
Opening day has seen some high waters in many Sth island areas — we have managed to find some smaller waters with steady fishable flows, but there is plenty of fluctuation between catchments that are very close to each other.
At last, spring is here! The fish are becoming more active, with good numbers of hungry browns around the lake margins and the rainbows congregating around river mouths and entering rivers to spawn.
Remember our inflowing rivers are closed until November 1st, but there are a couple that have the first Km or so open all year - the Makarora and the Matukituki.
With spring just around the corner, the trout are finally starting to show a bit of interest in feeding. Rainbows are looking to congregate around river mouths, and the browns are starting to look around the margins of the lakes for some easy food as they continue to recover from spawning.
Winter is in full swing, with cold temperatures resulting in falling lake levels and low river flows as most of the rainfall is locked up in the snowpack.
We have been out and about fishing over the last couple of weeks, and are finding things very quiet, as I would expect at this time of year. There are a few browns about cruising the lake margins, but are proving to be not particularly motivated to feed. We have had a few takes on bully imitations lifted off the bottom.
It’s a brave angler to be on the water this month unless the sun is out! However, when cold fingers allow, and your rod eyelets aren’t frozen, I suggest focusing on incoming river mouths to target rainbows that are moving around in preparation for spawning in a few months. There is the odd brown lurking on the mudflats post spawning, however they are not in very flash condition.
I have been enjoying the fishing recently, much more than the previous month!
Sure, the weather is tough, but the fish are feeding more, and some good ones are moving around into the rivers from the lakes, and also moving into the side streams to think about spawning. The rainbows are by far better in condition than any I have seen previously this season.
All the rivers should be fishing well if the flows permit, and the wind allows you to get a line out!
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