The fish are big and fat and biting, and Lake Wanaka’s fishing guides are open for business.
That was the message yesterday from two long-standing guides in response to a suggestion they were being put out of business by lake snow algae.
New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers spokesman Ken Sims said in a statement this week Wanaka fishing guides "had virtually given up guiding operations" because of the lake snow.
However, both Alan Baxter, of Fish and Cruise, and Davy Pattison, of Adventure Wanaka, said that was far from the truth.
While the algae did collect on rods and lines, it was having no apparent effect on the condition or number of trout or salmon, although Mr Pattison believed the fish might be spending more time in deeper water.
Mr Pattison said it even appeared as though the algae (Cyclotella bodanica) was indirectly helping fatten fish.
A water flea (Daphnia pulex) feeding on the algae was being eaten by small fish that were in turn preyed on by trout.
"They have never been so fat and healthy,’’ Mr Pattison said. ‘‘We’ve never seen such beautiful fish."
Mr Pattison said his catch rate had not changed in the time he had been guiding commercially.
"The only thing that has changed is the depth at which I catch the fish all year round and the condition of the fish."
Mr Pattison said Mr Sims should have consulted Wanaka guides before making his comment.
Mr Baxter said he had three people ring him yesterday to see if he was going out of business.
"He’s got it totally, totally wrong. Mr Sims needs to come and talk to the people that are actually doing it rather than making a statement when he knows nothing about it.
"We’re definitely not going out of business. If anything, we are as busy as we could ever be."
Mr Baxter, who has been guiding on the lake commercially for 16 years, said he first took a sample of lake snow to a Wanaka Community Board meeting in 2002.
"And I was ignored and basically told: ‘There’s nothing wrong. Go away’."
He said he was pleased the issue was finally being taken seriously.
