The Pomahaka rose rapidly but has fallen just as quickly. The Kyeburn was very dirty and has affected the Taieri below its confluence, but it has cleared and the lower-middle and lower Taieri should be fine for the long weekend.
Most of Otago’s small streams are looking good. Southland was affected more by the rain with the Mataura still well above what it was a week ago but its smaller tributaries are at a good fishing level.
The upper Clutha has risen a little but is still low and at an ideal level for sedge fishing in the evening.
The evening rise to edge on the Clutha can be very good at this time of year. Usually, it starts just after sunset but can be a bit earlier, then again, it can also be later so do not pack up too early.
Additionally, the fish do not need to be rising. If there are few sedges on the water and few rises, keep fishing your dry edge pattern. I have had good sessions below the Lake Wanaka outlet catching several fish on the dry sedge without seeing any fish rise at all.
On lowland streams mayfly duns will start appearing in the middle of the day especially if it is cloudy. Mayfly spinners will return to the water when it is calm once the day has warmed up. Willow grubs are still figuring in the diet of trout again when the day has warmed up. Once the frosts set in, the willow grubbing will end.
I have had a couple of outings in the last week. The first was with Murray Smart on the Pomahaka. We had not fished it for a while and it looked to be at a good level and the weather forecast was good. A high-pressure system was established and this usually produces good fishing.
It was cool when we arrived at the river with fog lingering on the lower ground. The sun soon burned of the mist and odd rises began to spinners when the day had warmed a little. The first regular riser that I found, I covered with a nymph, just because that happened to be tied to my tippet at the time.
It did not work so I put on an emerger and the fish took it first cast. It was while before I found another fish and it too took an emerger. And that was it for the morning.
Murray had much the same experience. In the afternoon there were fish definitely feeding on willow grub and much easier to find and catch. And by home time we had landed several good fish.
My second outing was on Mathias’ Dam, again it was a fine day, however not many fish were rising, but I plugged away and caught fish, one of which was one of those stocked earlier in the season at around 200gm but was now 500gm!
