Mr Robinson said the whitebaiting season had been "slow" since it opened on September 1. The biggest day’s catch was last week when about 1.5kg of the juvenile fish swam in his net.
"This is the best spot on the river."
His best daily whitebait catch was 15kg in the same spot in mid-November last year, followed by another 13kg haul the next day.
"The run of it last year was really late."
New rules shortened the season this year, which now ends across all of New Zealand, except the Chatham Islands, on October 30.
"This year we will miss the run if it’s late again."
Mr Robinson and his uncle had been whitebaiting for four days when Southern Rural Life visited but they were floating the idea of packing up, he said.
"My wife told me to get back to work so I’d better go and shear some sheep, but I’d rather be sitting here. It’s very peaceful — I love it."
