Sure, you can add more weight to gear, you can count down lures, and you can use deep diving bibs, but the reality with each of these methods is that you are spending valuable time trying to work out what depth fish are at, or even if they are there at all. In shallow water the trout are either there or not and you will figure that question out really quickly through observation. Swirls, rises or swimming fish are signs they are feeding.

On lakes I typically seek out shallow bays and inlets, while in rivers I look for gravelly drop offs and rocky glides. You do need to remember when fishing shallow water that the trout are spooky; they like to feel camouflaged, so the best times are early and late. On Lake Opuha I often have my bag of trout in the first hour of fishing just after dawn breaks. Those fish are in water so shallow their top fins often break the surface as they feed. They are reckless and my Panther Martin is most often smashed as soon as it enters the killing zone.

In shallow water, spinners do very well because they look like fleeing insect life heading quickly for the shore, the weeds or the bottom. The FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome kicks in for the cruising trout and they react aggressively.

New Zealand has a lot of shallow water locations but one region that is full of them is the Maniototo Basin of Central Otago. Farms in this area needed water and consequently extra water was provided due to the formation of the Maniototo power and irrigation system. The collateral benefit of water races, pipes, head ponds, control ponds and dams was that small trout were carried along with the precious water and were made available to anglers.

One of my favourite locations for a bit of angling fun with kids or visitors is McAtamney’s Head Pond which sits alongside the Styx/Patearoa Road near the upper Taieri River Gorge. Located on private property, anglers are welcome if they are tidy and shut the gates. The Head Pond is fed by a water race from the Paerau control dam (water comes from Taieri River) and then after filling the Head Pond, it is piped down to the flats far below where it becomes part of two irrigation schemes.

The water is very, very shallow, the small trout are numerous, and shoreline vehicle access is great. On a calm summer day the race and pond is dimpled with trout rises, and when a breeze is present small spinners come into their own. The fish are not easy beats, but they are there in good numbers. I predominantly fish with a small, light spinner such as a Mepps and change the colours rather than the spinner size.

Fish caught reach up to about 0.5kg and are beautifully marked. Use any lure that is too heavy and you drag weed. I have yet to kill a fish from here as they are fun fish and too small to target for food. I have seen eels in here too so they must have come down the race with the trout. Downstream at the bottom of the water pipe is another similar waterway named Hore’s Control Pond which is also shallow and contains numerous small brown trout. The trout that came down the steep pipe and through the power station are real survivors. The whole irrigation system must be like one big excitement filled theme park for trout.

Further down the system there are several private property dams which are also quite shallow. I have fished in Blakely’s Dam, Mathias’ Dam and Rutherford’s Dam and on the right day have done very well. The trout in these dams are much larger than those living in the water race. One brown trout that swum past me in Rutherford’s Pond would be in the 3kg bracket. Weed, however, can be a mitigating factor when fishing all of these dams. It is one of the worst problems you face when shallow water fishing, so it’s a good idea to bring a fly rod with you when prospecting weedy edges with the spinning rod. Many of the waters mentioned above are also stocked by Fish and Game so anglers may catch both brown and rainbow trout.

In the upper reaches the Taieri River is also quite shallow in places and small spinners do well. There is quite a lot of weed so selective casting needs to be employed. Short casts along the edges of weed-beds can bring action. The strikes are usually violent as trout are lying in ambush and whack prey (such as the spinner) hard. Trout here seem to multi-task and I have often caught a rising fish with my spinner. It could be because of the dark water, or it could be just an aggressive reaction to an opportunistic event. When fishing shallow streams and rivers with a spinner, target structure.

The Naseby area also has several dams which are open to anglers. West Eweburn, Hoffman’s Dam and Coalpit Dam offer brown and rainbow trout options.

One sight that makes shallow water spinning unique is the bow wave generated by a big sea run, brown or rainbow trout as it explodes across the shallows to nail your lure. It is worth twice the price of admission.