Weather and season make for a golden time for Otago anglers of late

The weather gods have continued to smile on anglers in Otago.

Hopefully, this will last for the weekend. Recently, there has been rain forecast but very little has eventuated. However, there was enough to refresh the river and lower the water temperature. The dewy, misty mornings herald autumn, which on average is the best time of year to catch fish.

If the river conditions remain stable we should enjoy some great fishing. If I had to pick my top waters for this time of year, they would be the Mataura, the Pomahaka and the Taieri.

The Mataura is famous for its mayfly hatches, which usually occur in the afternoons. The duration of hatches varies from a few minutes to two or three hours, and usually trout will rise as long as the fly is on the water. Either side of the hatches trout will be feeding on nymphs, or falls of spinners if it is calm. The whole day is filled with fish-catching opportunities. One large pool offers a whole day of fishing.

The Pomahaka is not as prolific as the Mataura, but still has good mayfly hatches - and trout rise freely to them - but more water needs to be covered than on the Mataura. There is always a chance of catching a sea trout. These tend to be bigger than the resident trout. The top of the river is famous for these sea runs, but they are often caught throughout the river and tend to be easier to catch than the resident fish - but not if they are in a big shoal. The more pairs of eyes there are, the spookier the fish.

The Taieri is a long river but fishes well throughout that length at this time of year. As we get nearer the end of the season, the water in the upper part of the river cools off rapidly, and the fish think more about spawning than feeding. Again there are mayflies throughout the river, with the hatches usually confined to the afternoon, but fish can be caught on nymphs, water boatmen and diving beetles in the morning.

Earlier this week I fished the lower Taieri, exploring an area that I had not fished before - in fact I had not even seen before. It was sunny and calm to start with and the water was clear enough to spot fish. It was a while before I came across a fish, but I nearly stood on it in weed close to the bank. It clearly did not like being nearly stood on and decided the far bank was a better place to be.

Further upstream I spotted a fish feeding under the willows. It was deep and there were branches overhead and in the water. I debated casting at it, as the chances of getting it out did not seem good.

I managed to get the fly in and the fish took it. First it tangled in the submerged branches, and then my rod tip and line tangled in the overhead branches - but luck was with me, and I got it out.

Must give it another go some time.