Four Great Spring Options for Catching Trout

With the early season now underway, Peter Langlands looks at four of his favourite options for catching larger fish in spring.

Headwater trophy angling

With stable flows through the winter in many rivers and a lack of significant flooding, the new trout fishing season – commencing on 1 October for many rivers – is looking very exciting. The previous season also saw some phenomenal trout caught in a number of headwaters due to a mouse plague. The indications are that these fish have kept their condition on over the winter. In addition, due to COVID-19 it is unlikely that there will be many foreign anglers visiting NZ this season and that leaves a lot of scope for NZ-based anglers to hit the water. In many ways, it looks like it’s going to be a stunning season for headwater fishing in particular. The Murchison, Lewis Pass, Hamner/Molesworth, upper reaches of Canterbury’s larger braided rivers, Upper Mackenzie Rivers (notably the Godley) and many headwater rivers in Southland are the favourite spots of mine for larger headwater trout.

Look for rivers with stable flows from 5-8 cumecs, clear water and good pool structures. Rivers in this range have the best trout fishing options and can easily be searched out by scanning through Google Earth. There are also a wide range of fishing guides throughout NZ and they are now gearing up for the Kiwi market, so make the most of their availability and expertise. Planning your trip is important and increasingly, people are doing overnight camping trips, which is an ideal option for some of the remoter trophy trout options such as the Lewis Pass, upper Hurunui and Poulter Rivers.

Soft-baiting techniques can be effective in some of the headwater fisheries, especially when fishing deep pools and the open sections of large runs which are not easily fly-fished. There is no doubt we are lucky to have extra-large trout in NZ, particularly as some of these can be sight fished in relatively small rivers. Overseas anglers have travelled here for over three decades to experience this sight fishery, so as New Zealanders, we should make the most of it this season.

October to December is the prime time to target trophy fish in headwater rivers. Look for rivers with stable flows, clear water and good rock structure.

Mackenzie Canals

There is no doubt that for large trout, the Mackenzie Canals are the number one option in NZ. Many anglers travelled from all around NZ to fish the canals this winter, and there were some stunning results. The fishery is there all year round, however, and as we move into the warmer months, trout become more active along the canals’ edges. In particular, the Ohau B Canal has some stunning brown trout feed along its edge in the spring and summer time.

While the egg rolling method was the most effective in winter, sight fishing and even fly fishing for rising fish can be highly effective in the warmer months. A range of soft-baiting techniques will also work, as will the more common drift fishing/egg rolling technique, but change over to large nymphs and imitation (or real) huhu grubs. Late evening and night fishing can also be highly effective in the Mackenzie Canals. There are over 65 kilometres of canals to fish, so don’t be afraid to mix things up in different areas. If you are flexible with using fly, spin and soft-bait techniques, and can adapt your technique, you are likely to be successful. Watching and talking to other anglers and sharing your observations is a big part of the success equation, too. The Mackenzie Canals are a very social fishery and by talking to and watching other anglers you can quickly pick up and emulate the techniques that are working.

For the writer, the Mackenzie Canals are the number one option in NZ for catching large trout.

Searun trout

For me, the early season from October till just before Christmas is searun trout time. The trout rapidly increase in size as they first feed on whitebait and then smelt. The Southland and eastern Otago rivers produce some stunning searuns, as do the mouths of the larger braided rivers such as the Waitaki, Rakaia and Wairau. Most West Coast rivers are also worth a look, with the Grey in particular producing some large seatrout in its estuary. The Okarito Lagoon and Haast Rivermouths are also favoured spots.

Searuns love soft-baits and you can easily cover the water with spinning gear. Searun trout are also great eating and when they have been feeding on crabs along mudflat areas, the flesh can go a deep orange colour and has stunning flavours. For me, encountering large searun trout in small coastal streams is one of the most exciting aspects of early season angling. In this period, you can fish through into the night and catch some huge fish. It’s the few weeks leading up to Christmas that I enjoy putting some time aside to catch large searuns at night.

The Rakaia River can produce some stunning searun trout.

Kaikoura’s salmon

The Kaikoura salmon fishery is rapidly growing in popularity. The fish turn up from early September until mid-November and can be caught off the Railway Station Beach at Kaikoura, which is an important feeding ground for salmon before they head up the rivers. Fish from 3-7kg are often caught on the edges of the large kahawai shoals that also frequent the area. Last spring was the best season ever at Kaikoura, with up to 30 fish a day taken – and up to 9kg! It’s certainly a good pre-season option prior to fishing at the rivermouths when the river season commences in December. Generally, the early morning produces the best fishing so staying a few days in Kaikoura is ideal.

Hooked up on a salmon off the beach at Kaikoura.

It’s definitely time to do some research on techniques and locations, and get your gear ready – this is one season you don’t want to miss!