Some rivers rose to quite a high level, such as the Mataura, but while it has been dropping, it is marginal for this weekend.
At the other end of the scale, some small streams actually rose to a fishable level, notably the Waipahi, Waiwera, Lee Stream and Tokomairaro.
The Taieri rose, but has dropped to a fishable level.
However there is colour coming in from the Kyeburn. The Clutha has returned to normal levels after being very low for some weeks. It should still be fishable, just less water is accessible to bank anglers.
It looks as though we are going to have good autumn weather for a while, which bodes well for fishing.
But what to catch trout with?
For fly fishers it is easy.
If you examine trout stomachs (if you have kept any to eat), most of what is in there is brown, or at least brownish.
Most of these items have been taken subsurface and are about one centimetre long. So, your fly needs to match the colour and the size.
The next factor is the depth to be fished.
Trout will feed in very shallow water, so a light nymph should be used.
If the water is deeper, a weighted version is needed.
Trout feed subsurface most of the time and despite many fishing books over the last 150 years concentrating on rising fish and catching them on dry flies, casting to rising fish is a small part of fly fishing.
But, if you do come across rising trout, you should be able to see what they are taking and put on a suitable imitation. Again, size and colour should be matched.
Things get a bit more difficult if you cannot see what they are rising to — think willow grub here — or they may be rising to nymphs just below the surface.
Following these logical steps and avoiding spooking the fish usually gives a good chance of catching a fish.
I was on the Mataura last weekend with a group from the Upper Clutha Angling Club and, as little or nothing was rising, most of the time we logically fished with small brown nymphs in both weighted and unweighted forms.
We caught a few fish, but not as many as I would have expected at this time of year.
As it turned out, the river was rising on the first day and continued to rise albeit slowly, on the second.
So we will blame that for lack of feeding fish.
Equally logically, when fishing still waters, if there are no rises, fish deep.
If they are feeding anywhere near the surface there will be swirls to give them away.
The big temptation when fishing a still water is to retrieve as soon as the fly hits the water.
The best approach is to give the fly time to sink before retrieving.
Give each cast longer to sink than the last until weed is picked up or the bottom is hooked.
Then shorten the sink time by a few seconds.
