However, some waters are now at a very low summer level.
The Taieri is at its lowest so far this season, the Waipahi too is very low but the Pomahaka is at a good level for fishing, although it is dropping fast.
Low water is sometimes used as an excuse for not going fishing but, it is the water temperature that is more important.
Once the water temperature rises above 20°C trout become stressed, although they continue to feed well up to about 23°C.
Luckily, we have had some cool nights this week and most waters are cool for this time of year.
Because there is not much water in the river systems water warms up quickly, especially small streams.
It will only take a couple of hot days to push them over the 20°C mark.
Early morning will then be the best time to fish and it will also be the best time to see rising fish, as there will be more insects on the water.
Most insects also try to avoid the heat of the day, willow grub being the exception.
Of course, the hot weather predicted will help start the cicada emergence on the tussock lakes and no doubt many anglers will be beating a track to them.
Early days of the emergence probably give the best fishing before the fish have had their fill.
At this time of year anglers tend to avoid small streams due to lack of water but looking through my diaries I see that my best two days ever on the Waipahi were in fine, sunny conditions in December and January, when it was low, clear and weedy.
The same applies to the upper Taieri, although it tends to get warmer than the Waipahi so go on a cool day for the best fishing.
I fished the Pomahaka this week. It rose to 20cumecs with last week’s rain but had dropped back to 5cumecs midweek.
It was misty and drizzly when I started and there was only the odd rise.
I began fishing a shallow flat, hoping to spot the odd fish.
After about half an hour I heard a rise and eventually spotted a nice fish feeding along the bank where grass was hanging over the water.
It took my nymph first cast.
It was quite a while before I caught the next one and then I began to see rising fish regularly.
At one point I was wading up the edge of a pool with trees above me, when a trout swam towards me. I kept still and it passed less than a rod’s length away. When it got past, I flicked my nymph in front of it and duly landed one of the better fish of the day.
Then, just to bring me back down to earth, I missed the take of a good fish I had missed the last time I was there.
You win some, you lose some.
