September 2017 Fishing Report

September 01, 2017

Proudly brought to you by Craig Smith from Hatch Fishing

Spring is here, with longer days and warmer temps, which is encouraging the fish to be more active with the increasing food supply.

There a reasonable numbers of browns chasing bullies, with the odd rainbow active as well cruising the lake margins. There are a few fish taking midges as well, but are proving to be a lot trickier to entice.

The lake levels have increased over the last couple of weeks, which has made the easy fishing at river mouths harder to access. I’m sure there are good numbers of rainbows congregating, however they are pretty safe at the moment.

I have heard reports of some good rainbows being landed in the Clutha river - they are moving up to spawn in gravel beds, and if you can locate them, you will have some relatively easy fishing.

Now is a good time to brush up on your fly casting - the best place to practice is out on a grassed area - there are plenty of good parks around Wanaka for this. Use a small piece of bright wool on the end of your leader instead of your fly, and practice good technique rather than long casts. There is quite a bit of info on line, especially material that uses the “5 essentials” method. There are also several FFI certified fly casting instructors in Wanaka that offer lessons. A 2 hour lesson makes a huge difference in your casting skill level.

Below is one of several nice browns landed on Tuesday by an enthusiastic French client - blue skies, clear water and active trout makes a good day.

Make time to enjoy the opportunities spring offers.

Craig Smith

Registered professional guide NZPFGA
FFF certified casting instructor
Ph +6434438446
M 0276469419
info@hatchfishing.co.nz

www.hatchfishing.co.nz

www.wanakaflyfishingacademy.co.nz