The rain towards the end of the week has had little effect on rivers and streams so things look good for the weekend. The southerly change on Thursday and the rise in pressure will have us lying in the middle of a high-pressure system on Saturday and Sunday and that is just about perfect for fishing.
If I could fish anywhere this weekend it would be a difficult choice.
However, I do not have to make it as I am running a fly fishing course for Southland Fly Fishing Club on the Mataura. The Mataura would have been one of my picks anyway with alternatives being the Pomahaka and the Taieri.
All are at good fishing levels and the recent cooler nights have dropped the water temperature to a more comfortable level for trout.
For those that are chasing cicadas on the tussock lakes I have not heard of any good days on them but there are a few fish being caught on the better days.
Saturday and Sunday could be the start of better fishing with inland temperatures forecast to be in the mid- twenties ideal for cicadas flying.
I had an interesting day on the Maniototo last weekend the river flow was well down but seemed higher due to the weed beds holding the flow back.
It was cool when I started my walk downstream but soon warmed up when the mist dispersed.
I watched for a while at a favourite pool and saw a couple of rises in different spots several minutes apart.
I covered the water with a water boatman but had no response.
Walking slowly upstream I saw a fish rise quite close to me and soon had the fly in the water and the fish took immediately.
It was a while before I came across another, or rather several.
They were circling beneath a willow tree and rising at regular intervals, presumably to willow grub.
I saw the mouth of one of the trout open when I cast near it but it did not connect.
The next one I cast to pounced on the fly and this time it was hooked. It was also the biggest there at close to 2kg. I also caught another which was a little smaller.
Again, it was a while before I spotted another fish, despite the water being clear and the sun shining.
I presumed they were lying among the weed beds but I had no response when fishing blind in the channels between them.
As the day warmed up damsel flies appeared and flitted about over the water and soon the odd trout was jumping, picking them out of the air.
When trout feed like this any fly cast to them and given a couple of twitches usually elicits a smash take resulting in either a hook up or a break off.
Luckily, I did not have any break offs and picked up several fish in the last hour before lunch.
An odd morning, not many fish sighted but a high percentage of them being hooked.
