The rivers that are looking the best as I write are the Taieri, Waipahi, Pomahaka, Waiwera, Lee Stream, Deep Stream and the North and East Otago rivers.
The Clutha is also dropping steadily, as is the Mataura — fingers crossed.
The rain last weekend raised river levels around the region but several were still fishable on Sunday. The Mataura was at a higher than ideal level at Wyndham but Murray Smart and I took a gamble that it had been running at a similar level for several days so should be clear, and so it was.
We explored a section that we had not fished since last season. Part of the river was unrecognisable due to the changes brought about by the massive flood in August.
In one spot, what was once a shallow glide became a deep ripple, impossible to wade, and what had been a slow deep flat was now shallow and rippled.
We eventually settled on the section that I had fished last week, which had not been changed much by the flood. I fished carefully through a long gravelly glide with a weighted nymph on the point and an unweighted version on the dropper.
I caught a fish fairly quickly, but it was a while before the next one came to the net. The were no rises to help target fishy areas so I plodded on. Most of the fish caught were in quite shallow water, close to the gravel beach.
Disappointingly, there were very few flies about but the afternoon is usually the best for mayflies so we lived in hope.
After lunch, we fished the same water through again. Almost immediately there were flies on the water, although not enough to start a flat out rise, but enough to let us know where the trout were.
The fish in the shallows were hard to catch, but those further out were relatively easy. Possibly because fishing those further out, the leader was off to one side rather straight overhead. We managed to pick up several fish to round out what had been a most enjoyable day on the water.
One of the pleasures of retirement, of which there are many, is that I can get out fishing during the week and I intended on the Pomahaka on Wednesday.
I got up early and checked the river level and it was too high to fish. So, I went back to bed and eventually got up at a sensible time and went to Sullivans Dam.
It was cool and breezy but not unpleasant.
I fished several spots without a sign of a fish, before seeing what looked like more than one fish rising. They were mostly out of range but occasionally came closer.
I persisted with putting the fly as close as possible and eventually a fish obliged. After an epic battle, I landed my best fish of the season so far.
I may well have a few more lie ins this season.
