As the weekend approaches, most waters look fishable, although there is some rain forecast so it will pay to check the websites before making you finally decide where to fish.
Water temperatures are in the red-hot fishing range so provided there is no sudden rise in levels the fishing should be good.
My pick would be either the Mataura or the Clutha. Admittedly I am biased towards the Mataura at this time of year.
As autumn approaches the chances of striking a hatch of duns or a fall of spinners increases considerably and either of these provide the sort of fishing that anglers from all over the world are prepared to make the trip for.
The autumn mayfly fishing is simple as far as fly selection is concerned.
A light nymph, a heavy nymph, an emerger, a dun and a spinner are all that is needed.
It would be an unusual day to need all five of them but it pays to cover all bases.
The mayfly approach works on most of our small rain-fed waters at this time of the year.
In fact in short bursts, some of these streams can provide better sport than the Mataura, but for consistency the Mataura takes some beating.
At this time of year cicada fishing is usually all go but despite the fact there have been anglers catching fish on the cicada it has not been up to its usual standard and unless we get a spell of hot, fine weather it is hardly likely to improve.
Even the willow grub fishing has been poor this season, again due to lack of fine weather.
I have had a few fish on the lower Taieri and the Pomahaka that were feeding on this frustrating food item when it is usually a mainstay of the fly fisher at this time of year.
Last weekend I was conducting the Southland Fly Fishing Club's annual fly fishing course and spent some time on the Mataura.
The river was up a little after heavy rain on Saturday morning, and a little discoloured.
I would not have described the conditions as bad but the fishing was disappointing, with very few fish caught.
Weatherwise, Sunday was good with a bit of a wind getting up in the afternoon to make things difficult for beginners.
The morning was perfect but not a fish was caught.
There were a few duns and spinners on the water but few rises to them.
The strong wind in the afternoon indicated that the atmospheric pressure was dropping and would account for the lack of fish activity.
My friend, Hans Weilenmann, from The Netherlands, has been here for three weeks and except for the odd good day the fishing fell short of expectations.
He has fished waters all over the south and found the same thing and I think it has been true for most of the season.
We can only hope that the last two months see an improvement.
-Mike Weddell
River and lake conditions compiled by Fish and Game Otago with information from the Otago Regional Council
General situation: Most coastal streams remain very low, and most South Otago waters are at medium levels.
Many backcountry rivers are rising as a southerly front passes over.
North Otago: Several North Otago streams such as the Shag and Kakanui are very low and quite weedy.
A toxic algae has killed two dogs in the Silver Stream recently.
This algae becomes apparent in small streams that are subject to prolonged low flows.
Many North Otago streams are suffering these conditions and it would be wise to keep dogs out of these areas.
The Waitaki lakes have been fishing well and are probably the best bet for North Otago anglers this weekend.
Southern Lakes area: Most backcountry rivers are at normal levels at the moment, but they are rising.
Increased flows can attract trout to river mouths on the larger lakes.
Fishing delta areas can be productive under these conditions.
Trout have been chasing bullies along the edges of Lake Wakatipu recently.
A Mrs Simpson lure is an effective bully imitation.
On hot days anglers can also expect trout to be rising to cicadas and large terrestrials along lake shorelines.
The Lake Hawea fishing competition is on tomorrow.
Entry forms are available from the Hawea pub.
Central Otago: Most rivers are low and clear.
The Upper Clutha is rising with input from the Hawea River.
The cicada fishing on the high country dams remains very patchy.
Although not many cicadas were on the surface of Lake Onlsow last weekend, some anglers were still catching trout with cicada imitations.
In the morning, dry fly sedge imitations were also successful, and bee imitations worked well as the weather warmed up.
Taieri catchment: The Taieri River at Canadian Flat remains at a normal level but it is very low in the middle reaches and at Outram.
Shore-based anglers have been disappointed with the cicada fishing at Loganburn this season.
However, anglers trolling from boats have been fairly successful.
Southwest Otago: The Clutha River is at a good level but there has been a fair bit of didymo in the water recently.
A few large salmon have been reported as far up as the Roxburgh Dam wall.
Most South Otago streams are clear and fishable at present.
Often overlooked by anglers, the Catlins waterways such as the Owaka River are also in good condition.
Strong westerlies are predicted for coastal South Otagotomorrow.
Water levels and conditions
Kakanui River Very low, clear; Shag River Very low, clear; Taieri River at Canadian Flat Medium, clear; Taieri River at Outram Very low, clear; Pomahaka River Medium, slightly discoloured; Waipahi River Medium, clear; Clutha River at Balclutha Medium, clear; Clutha River at Cardrona Medium, clear; Hawea River High, clear; Lake Onslow Medium, clear; Lake Dunstan Medium, clear; Lake Hawea High, clear; Lake Mahinerangi High, clear; Lake Wanaka Medium, clear; Lake Wakatipu Medium, clear.
