Trout Fishing 08/03/2008
 

Trout - fishing Canterbury in winter    Email to a friend   While the main trout fishing season has just ended (30th April), it's definitely not time for the keen trout angler to put away his, or her, trout fishing tackle. Winter fishing offers the chance to escape the crowds. Sometimes fishing is as much about getting out into the outdoors and simply relaxing.

The weather is more settled and allows you to stalk trout along the lake edge, without worrying about gale force nor'-westers which persistently blow across our high-country lakes over the spring and summer.

In some cases there are fishing opportunities that are only available over the winter months: such as targeting trophy-sized rainbows using luminous flies around Lake Coleridge's stream mouths. Just lighting a fire on the lakeshore and cooking a hot meal or smoking a trout, accompanied by a hot cup of coffee, can be a magical experience.

Learn and experiment

Winter is a great time to learn fly fishing skills in preparation for the upcoming season, and the more experienced anglers can take time-out to experiment with new techniques. (Personally, I will be experimenting with fishing lures on various sinking lines so that I can put these new skills to good effect over the main season.)

Winter is also a great time to explore new locations and check them out prior to the main season. Low flows in winter allow you to get a good look at the streambed and any potential fish-holding lies.
Before you head out winter fishing, it is important to consider the method you are going to use and have some knowledge of the fishes' behaviour at that location.

Firstly, there are a few cold facts that you need to be aware of. In particular, the resident brown trout in our lakes become relatively inactive in the middle of winter. Therefore the opportunities for catching browns in late June until mid -August are quite limited. If it is a mild winter (such as those we've experienced in recent years), then it can be possible to stalk cruising browns and sight-fish them on a calm winter's day.

Presentations need to be made delicately with light leaders (say 6x) and small flies (#14-#18). The trout are not going to waste a lot of energy looking at the fly, so accurate presentations on the fish's 'nose' are important. You may see a hundred trout, but only catch one or two. Still, the challenge is there and it keeps you in practice for the main fishing season.

Rainbow trout are a lot more active in our lakes over the winter months compared to browns, and are a better candidate for the lake angler. Also, unlike browns, which spawn in winter, rainbows spawn later on in spring, so they still tend to actively feed over the winter. Landlocked salmon are also a late winter fishing option, especially in August on lakes such as Coleridge as the fish move into shallower water.

As far as the rivers are concerned, most of the ones open during the winter season in Canterbury are brown trout rivers. While most browns will be away spawning, pre-spawning or 'maiden' fish are still actively feeding, especially around the river mouths, so become a likely target. The mid- and lower reaches of the Waitaki and Waimakariri river also offer the opportunity of chasing small rainbows over the colder months.

Winter Tips

Some of the more successful winter techniques and tips are as follows: Tasmanian Devil spinners can be very effective at river mouths for maiden brown trout. Traffic Light and yellow/black patterns are effective.
Sometimes a little extra weight is needed to place the lure into the strike zone. Look for an area where a pocket of slack water joins the river current, and retrieve your lure just on the edge of the slack water, letting the lure drift through the faster water at the end of the swing. Soft rubber lures could also be worth a go.
As the winter ends in late August, the streamer-type patterns (such as Parson's Glory, Jack Sprat and Grey Ghost lures) are effective when fished on a sinking line around river mouths. Browns will be chasing the whitebait and 'silveries' in to river mouths in late winter.


The start of the outgoing tide from the high tide offers the best time for fishing lures. Further up the river, red and silver Veltic spinners get the trout excited and can be weighted with split shot to get them in the strike zone.

Upstream nymphing can also be successful. Use 'attracter' nymph patterns such as gold bead-heads.
As far as lake fishing goes, the number 10 King Cobra is a great rainbow trout lure, especially when fished through shallow water. While trolling can be successful, I have had more success casting a spinner from a drifting boat. The King Cobra and Tasmanian Devil lures are effective on rainbows in Lakes Pearson, Lyndon, Coleridge, Selfe, Alexandrina and Bemnore over the winter. Brightly coloured bibbed lures, such as Rapalas, are also highly effective for rainbows when trolling deeper water such as Coleridge. The fluorescent Rapala sinking lures (green, yellow or pink) also account for many landlocked salmon over the late winter and early spring on Coleridge.

For those who enjoy flyfishing, lure-type flies tend to be the best approach over winter. Hamill's Killer, Mrs Simpson, Woolly Buggers and Rabbits are all successful winter patterns. Lures can be cast over the lake shallows with a floating line, or harled behind the boat on a slow sinking line. If you are fishing lures, it is important to make sure that the lure is taken down close to the lake bed where most of the trout will be holding and feeding.

Casting lures from a drifting boat can be very effective and allows you to cover lots of water. Lake Alexandrina especially, has a reputation for large rainbows (and browns to a lesser extent) which are caught by anglers harling feathered lures from a boat. Yellow Rabbit lures are favoured when fishing for rainbows at locations such as the Ahuriri arm on Lake Benmore.

Personally, my favourite winter fishing is done with a Woolly Bugger (with a luminous bead placed near the tail for added effect) around the river mouths of Lake Coleridge at night. If it is calm you can use a floating line and long trace to place the lure in the strike zone, but if the wind is blowing strongly then a Type-II sinking line helps to get the lure down.

You really have to be on the ball with this type of fishing as the rainbows often gently pluck the lure. You may only get one to two hits a night, but the fish can be trophies. Rainbows from 3 to 9-pounds are taken regularly by anglers fishing the Ryton and Harper rivermouths on Lake Coleridge.

Many rainbows are taken on luminous fly patterns. The largest rainbows are generally taken in the middle of winter as they mill around the river mouths prior to their upstream spawning runs.

The following locations are just some of the options that anglers have available to them over the winter months in Canterbury.

Lake Options

Lake Taylor has a good population of brown trout which can be caught on dragonfly patterns and small feathered lures over the winter. Browns can also be stalked along the lake edge.

Lake Lyndon provides good winter fishing, especially in late August as the rainbows move close into the lake edge prior to spawning. Lake Pearson offers great sight fishing along the edges on a calm winter's day for brown trout. Water Boatman patterns or a small Hamill's Killer are deadly.

Lake Coleridge would have to be my favourite location. Watching the shooting stars reflecting off the lake's waters while fishing lures at night for trophy rainbows makes Lake Coleridge a real wilderness fishing experience - and it's only one and a half hours' drive from town, too.

Lake Alexandrina offers outstanding fishing for large browns and rainbows. Harling and fishing small, feathered lures from a dinghy over the deep holes on the northern part of the lake is effective. Lake Benmore offers both outstanding boat fishing for rainbows (off the Ahuriri rivermouth) and for browns (sight fishing along the edges using water boatman or snail patterns).

River options

The lower reaches of the Clarence, Waimakariri, Rakaia and Waitaki Rivers all offer great spin fishing for small trout (1 to 3-pounds) over the winter. Spin fishing, upstream nymphing and fishing wet fly lures down and across on a sinking line are all proven winter techniques.

At the end of the day, fishing is all about an enjoyable outdoor experience. Make sure that you take lots of warm clothing, a pair of neoprene waders, lots of hot food and a thermos of hot drink. Taking time to prepare all the comforts will not only add to your enjoyment, it will also allow you to have better concentration while fishing - and that's important.





 

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The main flyfishing season is only days away now. October always creeps up on me and catches me unprepared. This year I vow to have it all together!

The following points have been made as a primer. I have learnt many lessons the hard way in flyfishing. Hopefully, you can learn from my experience.

1. Scout out the location you plan to fish on opening day a week before the season commences. This spring has seen rainfall well below average, so the rivers are likely to be dramatically different from what they were like during opening day last year.  

Ideally, scout out the river a few days prior to opening and camp out on opening night well away from the nearest access point. If you are really prepared you will have acquainted yourself with the pools where the fish are holding so that you can approach them without spooking them the following morning.

Many of our more popular Canterbury rivers, such as the Hope, see anglers camping out well upstream in the hope of nailing a trophy (please excuse the pun).

Did I mention that opening falls on a Monday this year? 

2. Try and get out prior to the season opening and test out your gear and casting technique. Some rivers and lakes in Canterbury are open all year around so that you have a chance to practice. I have really enjoyed the winter fishing in Canterbury this year, so I am fortunate that I am tuned in.  It is a pity to ruin those opening day chances due to ‘buck fever’. Even the most experienced anglers experience it. It is just one of those things that has to be worked through.  

Check that the fly line is not too coiled up. If it is, give it a good stretch in the backyard.

I always like to have a tapered leader attached to my fly line before heading out early in the season. It is amazing how hard it is to tie one on when you are watching 10-pounder slurping mayflies in the tail of a pool. I always like to carry a few tapered leaders. 

3. Have a wide range of flies in your flybox, especially a wide range of weights. Getting your nymph into the strike zone is critical. I always like to have a few soft hackle nymphs in my fly box. They are lightly weighted. Soft hackles are normally fished underneath a dry fly indicator on a short trace usually less than 40 centimetres long.  

Have you ever seen fish dimpling the surface and been convinced that they are taking dries, yet they refuse everything that you cast at them? Well, try a small soft hackle nymph. I usually use #16 soft hackle flies. Sometimes a little glitter mixed in the dubbing can work wonders. 

4. Avoid walking downstream at the start of day’s angling. Brown trout have a remarkable sense of smell. They will spook in many of our rivers when they smell you as you cross the river while walking downstream. The fish can then become very hard to catch so make sure that you walk upstream and spot fish as you go. 

Fish the tails of pools. Many trout are in energy conservation mode still. Use heavy nymphs with a small, unweighted dropper to maximise results. 

6. Remove all shiny objects on your tackle vest. 

7. Pre-treat your dry flies and indicators the night before. 

8. When nymphing, strike as hard and as fast as you can. Our brown trout seem to be getting wiser each year! They will take the nymph in and spit it out within a fraction of a second. Quite often by the time the indicator moves the trout has already spat the nymph out.   Do not rely on the indicator, either, to signal a strike. Quite often, even on opening day I am afraid to say, trout will follow the nymph downstream before taking it. In such situations the indicator will not move as both the trout and fly are moving downstream!

Carefully watch the fish and strike if you see the white of the trout’s mouth, the fish suddenly turn or the leader draw under slightly. You may not get it right, but is worth taking the chance and striking on the slightest intuition. More often than not, striking when you are uncertain whether the fish has taken the fly or not will pay dividends. There is nothing worse than hesitating on the strike and watching the fish take your fly in, spit it out and spook! 

9. Have a good range of mayfly patterns. Some of Canterbury’s best mayfly hatches happen in October (which is pretty close to May in the Northern Hemisphere). The Comparadun is highly effective on the tails of slow-moving pools for fish feeding selectively on spinners. The Adams and Kakahi Queen in a variety of sizes are also essential fly box items.  

If you are fishing in areas where there are not too many snags, try a small emerger (“soft-hackle”) fly under the mayfly pattern. 

10. Have a range of tippet sizes 

11. Make the first cast count. I believe that if you are going to catch a trout your best chance is on the first cast. Make the first cast count. If you stuff up the first cast then your chances of catching our headwater browns diminishes rapidly.  

If the trout is lying close to the side of the river (as they often do) then remember to cast slightly towards the main current side of the trout rather than between the trout and the river’s edge. Quite often if the fly lands in the slower water on the river edge the fly will drag and spook the trout. Also, quite often the trout will take the fly in the slow edge water, but because of the slow flow the indicator will not register the take. 

12. Use Tungsten beads to get your flies into the strike zone. 

13. If a trout refuses your offering but continues to feed, the chances are your fly is dragging. Trout will generally (99%) of the time only take a nymph when it is moving at exactly the same speed as the river current.  

Look at your indicator. Is it moving at the same speed as the river? If not, then your fly is dragging. You will need to practice your line mending skills. 

14. Use flashback nymphs in fast, turbulent waters. 

15. Don’t be put off by the wind. Don’t be put off by bad weather when you leave home. The weather is usually quite a challenge in October. But the rewards make it worthwhile. If the northwester is blowing, then take a fast action 6 or 7 weight rod with a weight-forward line and tapered leader. Powerful rods are good to have on hand.  

Also, in many (but not all) of our river valleys, the nor’wester will gust downstream. But occasionally there will be a momentary break in the wind. During such times you have a few seconds to cast upstream to that trophy trout you have spotted. Remember that the wind is not continuous. If you have a fish lined up, be patient and wait for a slight break in the wind.

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