Fishing reports

Naturally we are in contact with a huge number of fishermen, many of which are happy to supply us with reports of areas that are fishing well, and often times some tips on the best tackle. Below you will find a range of fishing reports ordered by date.

Fishing Reports

Trout 9.1.12	With all the calm warm weather in the high country over the last few weeks dry fly fishing has been great. Further south a few local guides in the Southern Lakes area have told us the same reports of many brilliant days fishing the lakes using Manuka Beetle (Green Beetle) imitations. Searun trout have turned up in large numbers in the lower Rakaia River.

Salmon 9.1.12	There were a couple of Salmon caught at MacIntoshes rocks on the Waimak this morning, Staff member Tom was luckily enough to get one of them. The Waimak is very low and clear so a bit of a fresh is needed to bring a few more into the river. There is a little rain forecast for the high country on and off this week. Hopefully there will be enough to give the big rivers a bit of colour to bring some fresh Salmon in. The Rakaia has fished well through the gorge in the last week. It has been quieter in the lower reaches with a fresh needed to produce another run.

Surf 9.1.12	The surf is still producing well with good catches of Rig. Staff member Scott had a 13 Rig night over the weekend from a Banks Peninsula Bay, the biggest being 35lb. All taken on uncooked prawns. There has been huge numbers of Kahawai at most river mouths with many locals saying they havn't seen numbers like this for years. Last Friday two Kingfish were taken a the Waimakariri mouth. These must of been attracted in by all the Kahawai.

Trout 9.12.11	At last a good Canterbury high country forecast of fine weather and light winds for the next three days and it 's over a weekend! Green Beetle imitations have been the high country lakes fly of choice for the last couple of weeks. Also Cicada's are starting to be heard in numbers so make sure you have a few in your box. In the low country there are some huge fish to be found close to Christchurch. The big Canterbury rivers from the Waimakariri south should be a great colour to target some fresh silver searun trout. Further North the Hurinui and Waiau are a little high and will probably take a day or two till they drop and clear. In the low country there are some huge fish to be found close to Christchurch. Check out this 13lb Brown caught by staff member Scott last night. These fish get this big by feeding on large numbers of big bullies.


Salmon 9.12.11	Most of the big rivers should be perfect to chase some Salmon this weekend. The Rakaia has Salmon spread through the lower reaches and fish have been caught above the main highway bridge. A few Salmon have come out of the Waimakariri below SH 1. It would be well worth having a look further upstream this weekend.

Surf 9.12.11	The surf has been producing well in the last few weeks with good catches of Rig. There are lots of smaller males around in the 8 - 12lb range with a few larger female fish getting caught that are 20lb plus. There has also been good catches of Elephant Fish at Birdlings, Taumutu and the Ashburton beaches.

Trout 8.11.11	Although the weather hasn't been fantastic there have been some good reports coming in from the high country lakes which opened last weekend. When the sun has made an appearance, sight fishing the lake edges with a Red Bead Damsel (Fly of the Month) has proved successful. Snow even fell on the shores of a few lakes providing some picturesque November fishing. Trout and insects in the lakes will become more active as the weather warms over the next month. Most of the larger braided rivers in Canterbury have been high and dirty for most of the last month so fishing the mid reaches, and lower reaches for searun trout in these rivers have been limited. The smaller high country tributaries which clear quicker are fishing well. The high country spring fed streams that have reopened this season have come in handy when other rivers have been unfishable. Due to high flows and the Rugby World Cup many rivers havn't seen alot of pressure so far this season. Many of our customers have reported enjoying days out without coming across another angler.

Surf 8.11.11	There are a few Rig turning up off the Canterbury beaches and in the sandy bays on Banks Peninsula. Paddle crabs or prawns are both good baits for targeting Rig. Make sure the point of your hook is well exposed. This usually requires a good amount of bait elastic to secure your hook in place.

Trout 7.10.11	Over the winter rivers in general have had very stable flows which means plenty of aquatic insects for trout to feed on. As usual the opening of the new season coincided with a dump of rain in the high country. A lot of rivers came down dirty on the Saturday night. In general reports from opening weekend where of fish not really actively feeding across the region and of them being quite spooky. In the last few days with rivers clearing trout have become more obliging with some good reports coming in. Sea run trout have been increasing in size and numbers in most of the rivers. Lake Opuha has fished very well this week and is a great place to take the kids with all legal methods of fishing allowed. This lake contains good numbers of Browns, Rainbows and Salmon and is only a two hour drive from Christchurch.


	Staff member Scott's first fish for the new season. 6lb Brown from a popular North Canterbury river.

Trout 1.09.11	The lower Selwyn below the upper huts has alot of large Browns in it at present. These fish can be very challenging during the day, most are picked up after dark on large Bully flies. Staff member Scott christened his new 796-4 Sage One at the Selwyn this week with a nice 9 1/2 lb Brown. Good numbers of searun trout have moved into the tidal reaches of the Waimakariri river with fish up to 6lb being caught. Searun trout are also present in the lower Rakaia and Ashley rivers. Lake Coleridge and Lyndon closes at the end of August and reopens for the Summer season on the 5the November. Lakes Pearson, Taylor and Selfe are open untill the end of September and during September insect life around the edges and weed beds increases and can produce some rewarding sight fishing for the fly and spin fisherman.

Trout 08.08.11	Fishing Coleridge at the river mouths has slowed a little in the last few weeks with reports of a few early post spawn rainbows being caught. The winter season for Lakes Coleridge and Lyndon close at the end of this month. Lakes Taylor, Selfe and Pearson usually start to pick up this month with more Browns seen cruising the edges. The winter season for these lakes close at the end of September. Spotting the edges using Bully, Snail and Damsel imatations can be effective. Although insect life in the shallows is limited untill the water warms over the next couple of months I still find flies such as Damsel nymphs still work well, maybe due to the lack of competition from naturals. When casting to cruising Browns be sure to cast well out in front of them giving your nymph time to sink down to, or near the bottom. When the trout is close enough, a few subtle twitches while holding your mouth in the correct positon is usually all it takes.

	4lb Brown, spotted cruising shallow weed beds and caught on a Damsel nymph last month.
	Searuns have been reported in the lower Rakaia and Ashley Rivers. There is also good numbers of resident Browns holding in pools in the Ashley above Rangiora.

Trout 08.07.11	Lake Coleridge at the Harper and Ryton river mouths have been fishing well over the last few weeks, during the day and at night. The lake has been dropping over the last week or so but this current burst of rain should increase levels again. Good numbers of Rainbow trout are present with reports of several 6lb plus fish being caught. There are also a few Salmon hanging around the deltas in the 2 1/2 to 3 lb range. This rain will also put the large rivers in Canterbury out of action for a few days. Once the rivers clear the Rakaia river mouth is worth a look as there have been reports of some searuns caught at the Rakaia mouth with the odd bigger trout seen splashing around.

Trout 09.06.11	This month brings with it a few more trout fishing opportunities in the North Canterbury region. Lake Coleridge and Lake Lyndon open from the 1st June till the 31st August and the following lakes from 1st June till 30th September; Pearson, Selfe, Taylor and Loch Katrine, with Lake Sumner open all year. Last weekend at Lake Coleridge with the Harper coming down dirty the mouth of the Ryton river fished well with most fisherman picking up one or two rainbow trout. Lumo Doll Flies (see Fly of the month June 2010 ) fished after dark work well. A favourite fly of mine to chase rainbows in the lakes during the night or day is a small black Woolly Bugger with a bright orange bead. If Lake Coleridge is a bit slow Lake Selfe is a nice place to drop in for a flick. This lake, located on the road between the Ryton mouth and the top of Lake Coleridge has both Rainbow and Brown Trout and provides easy access for both fly and spin fishing. It also provides an opportunity of a double figure trout, Rainbow and Brown.
	Myself with a 8lb Brown at Lake Selfe, Winter 2010. Caught on a Kilwell No 1 (see this month's Fly of the Month)


Trout 11.05.11	As I have mentioned in previous reports Lake Brunner is turning on some great fishing. It is a good option this month as most of the lakes are shut in the Canterbury region and it is only a touch over two hours drive from Christchurch. Spotting and casting to trout feeding on smelt around the edges is the way to go. If spotting conditions aren't great watch for swirls on the surface and blind fish into these areas. Trout can move around a lot chasing schools of smelt. As normal this time of year the Ahuriri mouth at Lake Benmore is fishing well. Lake Camp is another option in May. It has easy access and a great place to take the kids to chase fat little rainbows.


	A few of the trout Scott and I caught at Lake Brunner last weekend. All caught on the Moana Smelt (see pic) casting from a dingy to the edges.

Trout 9.04.11	This is the last month of the season for many of the local waters. Trout fishing has slowed a little with the drop in temperature over the last couple of weeks. Lake Coleridge is fishing well at the mouths of both the Harper and Ryton rivers with reports of good condition Salmon and Rainbows being caught. With fishing tourist numbers down and alot of locals unfortunately effected by the quake, some of the high country rivers havn't had as much pressure as normal over the last six weeks. This has definitely made the fish more obliging, and the chance of having a river to yourself is quite high. When fish are not feeding and won't take a nymph or dry, try swinging a large rabbit fly or Woolly Bugger as this can sometimes induce a hit.

Salmon 9.04.11	The mid reaches and gorge of the Rakaia is producing the odd Salmon. Day break has been the best time to fish. The tidal area of the Waimakariri is still producing a few fish. A decent fresh is required to get a fresh run moving through the river. The 'Mak' should still continue to fish well this month and into May as it tends to have a later run of Salmon than the Rakaia.

Trout 10.03.11	In the lakes, inflowing river mouths have started to fish well with trout chasing smelt that are getting ready to spawn. Check out the fly of the month for a few tips. We've had a few reports come in that the Canterbury lakes have been hard work over the last couple of weeks. Not many trout have been spotted around the edges so fishing has been tough. Deep water harling has proved a successful method.

Salmon 10.03.11	The Waimakariri has been producing good numbers of Salmon, throughout the river. At the mouth and at Macintoshes Rocks Salmon have been caught most days in the 10lb - 15lb range. After the last little fresh fish have again moved up the river with reports coming in of fish scattered right through. The Rakaia gorge has been fishing well. A run of Salmon have come into the river in the last day or two so this weekend the middle reaches should be worth a look.
	(pic below) Fishermans Loft customer Tim "Timmy" Philips with a 15lb Salmon caught at the Waimakariri river mouth on Wednesday 2nd March 2011.


Trout 8.02.11	We have had many reports coming in from right around the South Island of good fishing with a Cicada Dry. Fish a Cicada pattern in a hot nor'wester when they are chirping. Lake fishing has been popular over the last few weeks with alot of the bigger rivers high and dirty. In tough spotting conditions on the lakes try a small Hamills Killer under a buoyant Cicada dry fly. Just let the flies drift around with the breeze in the choppy water and keep watching. There are many Cicada patterns that have visable indicator posts on them. This time of year fishing some of the low land rivers you may come across trout feeding on willow grubs. This is a time when trout can become very selective on what fly they will take.

Salmon 8.02.11	So far this season it's been tough going. When the rivers have been clear enough to fish, fisherman have generally had to put in many hours for a salmon. With the high flows from the several small freshes we have had over the last couple of weeks, fish have moved right through the Rakaia and Waimakariri rivers and up into the gorges. There aren't huge numbers of fish, but they are there. The rivers are currently in a fresh. Hopefully they will clear in time before the next high country downpour! The forecast for the end of the week looks more settled so fingers crossed.

Trout 8.01.11	Unfortunately the weather over the Christmas/New Year period was pretty awful. The few rivers that where clean tended to have high angler numbers. I have had many good reports from several of the lakes with good numbers of fish being taken on the dry fly. The good news is that the forecast in the high country looks settled for the next week so as the rivers clear there should be some hungry fish around that wouldn't of seen a fisherman for a week or two. Before the large fresh come down the mid reaches of the Hurinui around State highway 7 was fishing very well.

Salmon 8.01.11	There have been encouraging signs when the rivers have been fishable. Many fish have been seen going up in the dirty water. As the dirty water clears there should be Salmon right through the rivers. The average size of the Salmon this year seems to be up. I've heard of a 28lb taken in the Rangitata and many fish taken in the Waimakariri and Rakaia over 20lbs. On the Friday just been, there was a 30 pounder confirmed caught in one of the smaller rivers in South Canterbury. Staff member, Tom has caught one of the smallest Salmon of this season. A stunning 9 pounder from the Kaiapoi. Remember that the Salmon in dirty but just fishable water can sit right on the edges in shallow water.

Trout 7.12.10	In the last couple of weeks from the shop door I have heard the odd Cicada chirping away in Hagley Park. Only on the warmer days. Then nothing for a few days while a cold easterly or southerly wind blows. The second half of December should also bring out the Manuka Beetle in better numbers as they are just starting to make an appearance in the high country. We have had some good reports coming from the Asburton Lakes recently. Key words; Lake Heron and Black Gnat. There are alot of small Rainbow Trout in the mid reaches of the Waimakariri at the moment. These fish will hang out in the the larger stable side braids. Exploring the river accesses off the Old West Coast Road and finding suitable water can be very rewarding especially on light tackle. Fish in the high country have been gaining condition, but with increased pressure from anglers also comes increased circumspection from trout. Fly presentation to wary trout can make all the difference. A little bit of extra walking can also increase the odds. After a few attempts last month I managed to pick up this nice golden 9lb Brown, only after presenting a small nymph just off the sandy bottom with a very small almost nonexistent twitch. Anything else and the fish wouldn't have a bar of it.



Salmon 7.12.10	A small run of Salmon did head into the Rakaia at the end of last month. Since then there been fish caught most days in the lower reaches but there still aren't high numbers of fish in the river. The forecast for the weekend is for rain in the high country. With the last decent dump of rain in the mountains, being over 7 weeks ago a fresh should get things moving. Hopefully the forecast is right!

Trout 8.11.10	It's finally starting to feel like summer is on the way. Just last night I found the first grass grub beetle (brown beetle) inside the house. A few warm evenings over the last couple of weeks have produced some great dry fly action on some local streams. Staff member Scott had a night last week hooking 10 and landing 7 while borrowing Rob's zero weight fly rod. Not big fish but great fun on a light rod. A size 20 parachute adams did the buisiness on this occasion. The high country rivers have fished reasonably well so far with several trophy browns taken. The poorly conditioned fish will now be bulking up as the spring turns to summer. Large mayfly nymph imitations are a good starting point at this time of year. The Tungsten Brown nymph in a size 12 (see insert below) proved the only fly Scott and I needed on a recent trip to a North Canterbury high country river. All six fish landed for the day were taken on it.
	Searun fishing in the lower Rakaia continues to improve. We haven't yet had any confirmed reports of Salmon being caught but they shouldn't be too far away

Surf 8.11.10	Reports of Elephant Fish and Rig being caught are now coming in from a variety of beaches both north and south of the Peninsula. Scott is our resident surfcasting expert and is happy to pass on a few secrets to anyone looking at getting some advice or giving surfcasting a go. Scott with a 20lb Rig caught in Lyttleton Harbour using a whole Paddle Crab as bait.

Trout 6.10.10	Options were a bit limited in Canterbury for opening day after a hundred odd millimetres of rain fell near the main divide the day before. There is still going to be lots of unfished water around this week as the rivers drop and more and more water becomes fishable. A lot of people headed to the South Canterbury streams which fished well if you found some unfished water, although a few people mentioned that fish were in poorer condition than usual. Fish will often hold in the faster runs in rivers such as the Opihi so make sure you take your time through these areas. Fishing to nymphing trout early season is a good time to fish large mayfly nymphs and in the high country stonefly nymphs. These work well especially in high flows when the naturals can become dislodged from the river bed. Adjusting the weights of these nymphs and the length of your trace to suit the depth and flow will increase your catch rate. When the Rakaia finally clears the lagoon and braids running into it will be worth a look for searuns. The lower Ashley has been producing a few silver bullets latley. Near Christchurch the South Branch of the Waimak has been holding some good fish in the 3-5lb range.

Trout 7.9.10	This month should see searun trout numbers increase around the lower reaches of our rivers. As time goes on they will gain condition feeding on silveries and whitebait. Iv'e already had reports of good numbers of searuns at the Rakaia and Hurinui mouths. The high country lake fishing in the North Canterbury region is pretty limited this month with the only a handfull of lakes open. These include Taylor, Pearson, Sumner and Selfe. Rivers such as the Waimak, Rakaia, Hurinui and Waiau are all open this month in the Eastern zone. Check your Fish and Game Regulations for the boundary points.

Trout 5.8.10	Lake Coleridge is producing, searuns are at the Rakaia mouth, the end of winter is in site! All of a sudden customers at the shop this week have been giving some very positive reports of fishing picking up. Browns have been picked up trolling in the shallower bays at Coleridge. Also good condition Rainbows are at the river mouths. The lake has dropped considerably over the past few weeks which seems to have improved fishing. There are good numbers of 2lb - 5lb searuns around the Rakaia mouth at present. The fish are there but people have had mixed results of catching them. There isn't a heap of food for them yet so fishing has been challenging. Changing position and techniques and some patience have produced results. The Waimak has still got good numbers of fiesty rainbowns around the gorge bridge area. Swinging a small black Woolley Bugger with a hint of flash is deadly.

Trout 8.7.10	Fishing in the Canterbury lakes is starting to show signs of picking up with some encouraging reports coming in. The river mouths of lake Coleridge have been producing some good condition Rainbows. Trolling with a downrigger or lead line has proved successful on the salmon. Trolling the edge on the southern side of Mt Kaka is a great spot to pick up the Salmon. When the river is clear the Waimak is a good option to pick up a few feisty football shaped Rainbows. Drop offs just off the main current are a favourite spot to target. These rainbows usually hang out in groups so if you catch one it pays to put a few more casts over that spot. Last winter I caught seven of these at the mouth of the Kowai without moving more than five metres. A mid sized Glo bug tied of the back of a size 10 tungsten bead nymph did the job that day. All took the Glo bug. The Ellesmere rivers are always worth a look during the winter as staff member Scott found out last week, see pic below. Make sure you check the winter regulations

Trout 4.6.10	Now that the winter season is underway for some of the Canterbury lakes there are some good day and night time fishing options around. Lakes that are open from June 1st till September 30th include Coleridge, Lyndon, Selfe, Pearson, and Taylor. Early reports indicates fishing has been a little slow but should improve. Spotting conditons look good for Saturday with light winds and clear skies. Unfortunatley rain and snow is forecast for Sunday night and Monday for the Canterbury high country. If anyone is planning a trip up to the Taupo, Rotorua Lakes area, early reports suggest that fish condition is better than in the last few years.

Trout 5.5.10	Although trout fishing options locally this month are a bit limited there are still some good fishing around. Fishing for rainbows in the Waimakariri from about mid way across the plains up to the foothills can be great fun. These rainbows aren't generally big but this time of year they are in great condition and fight well above there weight. They often sit deep, downstream of drop-offs so a bit of weight is needed to get down. A double nymph rig consisting of a glow bug tied off the back of a size 10 - 12 tungsten bead flashback nymph works well. The main thing is to move around untill you find the trout which usually sit in groups. Lake benmore has been fishing exstremely well recentley. The top end of both the Hawdon and Ahuriri arms have provided fantastic sight fishing in recent weeks for both rainbows and browns. A red glass bead damsell has been fishing well.

Trout 20.4.10	This is the last weekend to fish most of the high country before it closes for the winter. A lot of the North Canterbury lakes close at the end of April with a few re-opening in June for a four month winter season. Night fishing with a lumo doll fly at the river mouths of Coleridge has been productive in the last few weeks with Salmon and Rainbows gathering there. In the lakes fish have been most actively feeding when the sun has been at it's highest so having a sleep in isn't the end of the world. There is still a last minute chance this month to take advantage of the "mouse year" and catch a trophy. I know of a 14lb brown caught in a North Canterbury high country river last week, that was taken on a mouse imitation.

Salmon 20.04.10	The Rakaia has been quiet across the plains, but there is still fish been caught in the gorge. The lower Waimak has slowed but there is still a few fish been caught most days at the mouth and at McIntoshes rocks. The best bet is from Browns rock up through the gorge. When the river is low and clear it is best fished early morning.

Trout 6.04.10	High country trout have proven very hard with many experienced anglers getting skunked in recent weeks as fish have become very leader shy after experiencing high fishing pressure. Some brown trout will be moving towards there spawning grounds from now on. River mouths in lakes and the rivers that run into them can produce at this time. There have been good dry fly action on mayflies recently. Lake Lyndon is very low at the moment which has made for good sight fishing in the shallow flats when the sun is out and fish can be seen. Otherwise twitching back an unweighted nymph between the weed beds has been successful.

Salmon 6.04.10	The run of fish that came through the Waimak a week and a half ago are now well up the river with catches in the lower reaches now dying off. Some fish will still be held up in holes. Recent reports confirm this. The Rakaia is still slow with no substantial runs to speak of in the last few weeks.

Salmon 24.3.10	Over the last week the Waimakariri has produced good numbers of fish in the lower tidal reaches but no runs heading further up stream. Hopefully this is about to change. With up to 250mm of rain falling around the main divide over the last 3 days the river is now up and dirty and won't be fishable for a couple of days. This fresh should spark a run of fish up the river. The Rakaia has been slow, not helped by the mouth closing for a while. Although with a bit of luck this fresh will produce a run. The Rakaia peaked at 844 cumecs on Tuesday and is rising again today due to another burst of rain. With clearing rivers over the next few days this weekend could be a good time to chase the Salmon.

Surf Casting 17.3.10	Surfcasting in general has been pretty good this summer but is starting do die off a little. There is still the odd rig around to be caught if you get the conditions right. The best conditions for Rig fishing from Birlings and Baileys is on the incoming tide when the water is a bit dis-coloured or at night. Use whole paddle crabs with a large 8/0 - 10/0 hook. Make sure there is a good gap between the point of your hook and the bait.

Salmon 17.3.10	Yesterday produced the best fishing in the lower Waimakariri for the season so far. Reports of up to 25 caught at the mouth and more than15 at MacIntoshes rocks. Over the last couple of weeks the mid reaches have been producing a few fish. This is likely to improve with the current cool tempertures and yesterday's results. The Rakaia has been quite slow with the lagoon completely closing recentley with the high seas and low flows. For the best results especially in low clear flows fish the change of light. Lighter line and smaller lures can also help when the fish are there but not taking.

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