Our rainfall is just about normal for the first three months of the year and it will take quite a bit more rain before the ground moisture is where it should be — I just hope that it all does not fall in the few weeks left of the fishing season.
Some rivers rose more than others with the recent rain.
Some smaller streams rose very little, while others are back to a fishable level.
Among those are the Shag, the Waipahi and the Waiwera.
The bigger rivers will take a few more days especially in the lower reaches.
The upper Taieri does not look too bad and could be fine today and tomorrow.
The saviour this weekend will likely be our still waters.
Lakes and dams should be fishable. In the bigger lakes — such as lake Wanaka, which has risen about 70cm — there should be trout patrolling the edges looking for drowned insects and worms.
Smaller waters are more likely to provide good fishing, although wave action from high winds could have discoloured the water. This, hopefully, will have cleared by this morning.
Whichever still water you may fish, remember to approach the water cautiously as trout could be close in.
Start to cover the water standing a few metres back from the edge and look for fish swirling close to the shore.
A water boatman or black and peacock would be suitable flies to explore the shallows before casting further.
I would then try a damsel fly nymph on the point and have the water boatman on a dropper above the nymph.
One good result of the recent rain is that it is the right time to bring in a run of sea trout.
The best known river for sea trout is the Pomahaka, where they run nonstop to the upper reaches of the river.
However, I have caught a few in the middle reaches over the years.
These probably stopped off for a bit of a breather on the way to the top.
They tend to lie in the deeper pockets in reefy water.
Some smaller rivers have runs of sea trout, too.
The Shag is a good example.
I fished there recently when the water was very low.
Sea trout often move slowly up river under the cover of darkness in low water.
I found a pool with several sea trout in it, but they were spooked
— one cast and the whole lot took off around the pool eventually coming back to rest, but taking off again on the next cast.
Eventually I found a solitary fish upstream and it took my nymph immediately — a nice fish of more than 3kg.
