February 2019 Otago Lakes Fishing Report

Proudly brought to you by Craig Smith from Hatch Fishing

With temperatures soaring and river levels dropping, the fishing has been coming right over the last week or so. The week ahead looks O.K. too for a change.

January seemed to be fairly windy in most parts, with brisk Southerly changes dropping temperatures at times, interspersed with strong hot northwest winds.

There are plenty of cicadas about, and the trout are very keyed in on them, rising well in both river and lake fisheries. Often the fish are attracted by the splash of the cicada landing, and for wary trout, it’s sometimes effective to land the cicada to the side and just behind the fish, to they turn onto it. At times even though the fish has been pricked if you miss the strike, it will still take again if the fly is presented immediately.

On the lakes, look for deep water close to overhanging vegetation, which allows the fish to feed on the cicadas during the heat of day.

In the rivers, the hot weather drives fish up into the faster water for oxygenated water or down deep to colder water. if you do land fish on the warmer days, handle the fish carefully and get them back in the water quickly. If the water temp is over 20 degrees, consider stopping fishing early, as the mortality rate is much higher for stressed fish above this temperature.

Rivers are dropping to unfishable levels in many lowland fisheries, with rising temperatures meaning increased irrigation demands are reducing river flows significantly.

Enjoy the summer months, and remember to check out the excellent cicadas that Southern Wild has in stock.

Craig Smith