Many people have been complaining about the cool summer.
In a "normal" summer, rivers get too warm for trout and there are occasionally "fish kills" when the temperature gets high enough. If the water temperature reaches the mid-20s, trout will slow up and stop feeding and will be active mainly from late evening as the water starts to cool.
From the angler’s point of view, it is all about atmospheric pressure which has a greater effect on fishing. Atmospheric pressure determines the general weather. As a high-pressure system moves in, it is preceded by a southwesterly wind which is usually cool and brings showers.
Once established, the high- pressure system gives warm fine weather.
Both of these phases are good for fishing. As the high pressure wanes, a northwesterly wind arrives heralding a low-pressure system which once established gives us easterly winds. Neither of these are good for fishing.
Low pressure is supposed to make people depressed; I know for certain it makes anglers depressed. I know one angler who cannot mention the words "east wind" without several expletives before it.
This does not mean trout cannot be caught when an east wind blows, it is just harder to find feeding fish and so less are caught.
If you are wondering, this weekend looks good, with southwest showers on Saturday and an established high-pressure system on Sunday.
My last two outings demonstrate the effects of the weather, at least that is my excuse. On both occasions I fished the Taieri on the Maniototo Plain. The first day was fine — warm and mainly calm, typical of a high- pressure system. The water was in good order and fish were feeding. I started fishing blind with a diving beetle imitation, covering likely spots and looking for rises.
Soon after I spotted a rise close to the far bank. I plonked the fly close to it and the leader drew away and I tightened into a good fish which turned out to be 2kg. Not long after there was another rise again close to the far bank although this one was much more obvious.
The fly plonked again and the fish was hooked and again it was a 2kg fish. There was a pattern here as I caught several smaller fish mainly in mid-river, then subsequent to that the fish caught against the bank were bigger. The size of the rise gave no clue as to the size of the fish. Overall, the afternoon’s fishing was very successful.
Three days later fishing the same water with an easterly blowing, there were far fewer fish rising and I was fishing the water blind most of the time, while casting to the occasional rise produced far fewer fish. I landed one and lost a couple, but it was the weather to blame, so I do not feel so bad.
All waters are looking good this weekend.
