Chasing Summer Salmon

The beginning of the year marks the start of the sea-run salmon season. As Peter Langlands shares, the sight of glittering silver scales is enough to get some anglers feeling giddy…

For many, this time of year means getting out on the river to chase some searun summer salmon. Camping out allows anglers to get their lines in the water early, which if often the critical time when the salmon will bite hard. For me, river mouth fishing is the most exciting, and especially fishing the surf at the river mouth. There is a certain magic about hearing the surf lapping against the stones as the sun rises. Salmon will have arrived at the river mouth overnight and will be waiting for the first light to run up. Covering the water along the edge of the river mouth at dawn is a good strategy as fish will sit on the edges on the lagoon. It is always a good idea to cast your lure into this water before other anglers arrive. Once you have covered the deepwater edges of the river mouth, cover the water in the surf, working from the river mouth to a hundred metres or so down the beach. Being first on the water and covering new spots at the start of the day is a key strategy for successfully catching salmon.

In recent seasons, ultra-violet coated lures have proved to be very effective as the salmon are often in low light environments. A small amount of luminous material with a light charge can also improve the lure’s effectiveness, especially in murky water. A key factor with salmon fishing is to keep changing lures when fishing a prime piece of water. A mix of silver, white, yellow and green lures works well. One colour that has proven its effectiveness on salmon is chartreuse green. By adding reflective tapes, you can further improve your lures effectiveness.

Heading from north to south, here are some of the top options for salmon fishing this summer.

There is no doubt that salmon are one of our majestic fish.

The Wairau Rivermouth in January and the upriver pools in February and March are always top places to have a cast. The Clarence Rivermouth at Kaikoura is also well worth checking out and is often overlooked – it often fishes well in the surf in late January to February.

The Waiau Rivermouth is a top option in January, although a jetboat is required to access it. The pools about 4-6 kilometres above the State Highway One bridge, with access on the river’s south side, are worth checking out in February. Look for deep pools and runs.

The Hurunui Rivermouth is one of the most consistent river mouths in January and February with deep water close inshore making the surf easy to fish. Its upriver pools fish well in February and March. The Hurunui mouth is also very scenic and a nearby campground attracts keen anglers over the Christmas holidays.

While a small rivermouth, the Ashley can be worth a look in January.

One of the most popular salmon fisheries is the Waimakariri Rivermouth which consistently fishes well in March. It’s an easily accessible fishery on the doorstep of Christchurch.

The Rakaia is also a top option for fishing in January and February. Often the best fishing will be upriver early in the season and overall, the Rakaia has been the most consistent salmon fishing river over the last decade, while the Rangitata and Waitaki have been more erratic.

Salmon will often group up in certain parts of the river so being flexible with the locations you fish is important. Certainly, part of the excitement of salmon fishing is finding fish as they are constantly moving through the mid reaches of rivers in February and March. Tracking the movement of the run up the river can undoubtedly keep you on your toes but finding a deep pool where fish pass through and getting to know that pool well is also a good strategy.

Overall salmon numbers are relatively low, and the wild fishery is not a numbers game. Our wild searun salmon fishery is now more about quality than quantity, and for many, catching a few salmon each season is the reality. In some ways, this makes each of these catches more memorable. There is something magical about seeing the first glimpse of silver as the salmon breaks the surface.

It pays to treat your salmon well, gutting it and putting it on ice as soon as possible after catching it. Bleeding the salmon as soon as possible will improve the eating quality. Personally, I think cold smoking the salmon is a good way to make the the fish go far, as cold smoked wild salmon has an intense flavour that makes a little go a long way. Also, keep the bones and head from the salmon to make a tasty fish stock, hopefully using a selection of wild foraged herbs. The eggs from wild salmon make for a top garnish. The eggs can also be cured in salt and either cold or hot smoked. The livers can be fried up and have a soft texture and rich, pate-like flavour. It pays to make the most of the catch.

Wild salmon livers have a great flavour.

Now is the time to be aware of just how precious our searun salmon resource is. There is a discussion to have a season limit on the number of salmon that anglers keep. The fishery is fragile and Fish & Game are now encouraging people to release their catch, especially large female fish. It is all about the thrill of the chase with salmon fishing – they are beautiful fish with a great flavour.

Our salmon fishery is in a delicate state and each fish ought to be valued, unlike this specimen.

Good luck chasing silver!