Trout Fishing in The Mackenzie Country Canals

On a recent trip to the Mackenzie Country canals, Mark Kitteridge learnt a few important lessons the hard way. Thankfully, after receiving a rapid rundown of his mistakes from a local expert, he decided to share with us some of his new found knowledge about targeting monster canal trout…

When it comes to the Mackenzie Country canals and catching the monster trout and salmon swimming there, it’s a classic example of other anglers being able to learn through my (many) mistakes!

----- Advertisement -----


Yes, I haven’t exactly covered myself in glory so far, but on the plus side, I feel very confident it will be a very different experience next time, thanks to the invaluable information generously shared with me by canal specialists such as Manic Tackle Project’s Bryce Helms, Complete Angler’s Malcolm Bell, and local trout guide Ben Booth. Their combined knowledge has made the tricky Mackenzie Country canal jigsaw puzzle so much more complete. I just hope to do them justice with my interpretations and pray that my memory isn’t letting me down! What a shame a few of the key pieces only fell into place just as the fat lady was filling her lungs though!

The recent expedition was just my second down to this spectacular part of the world. A previous 2.5-day mission had seen me accompanied by behemoth-trout-catching maestro Bryce Helms and we’d mostly concentrated on the ‘submarines’ cruising around beneath the Ohau A Canal Dam. Here, I witnessed a number of absolute beasts being hooked – and sometimes landed.

It’s an unforgiving scenario here. Upon hooking up, the angler must wait for the trout to head off down the canal, and upon identifying which side of the current the fish is favouring, the angler then hares off, rod raised to miss the high wire fences either side of the dam. Get it wrong and the fish swims around a tall post, situated a bit to the left of the main current, to likely freedom. Worse, the banks are covered in huge, slippery and often icy boulders, which must be clambered over while chasing your freshwater bulldozers. Bryce became a painful cropper on a couple of occasions (mostly because he was hooking more big fish than me!), while my own battles saw me 150 metres downstream, exhausted, hunched and panting hard from the exertions (but rod still thankfully raised and bent), wondering if a heart attack was imminent.

Bryce really helped to short-cut my learning process with plenty of excellent tips and suggestions, yet I was baffled how he hooked so many more than me over the first day and a half. Somewhat understandably, it turned out he’d kept one or two small tactics secret; no one should ever get everything handed on a plate – some things must be earned!

Then I figured it out: upon dropping the rod tip as my egg swept over the drop-off for the first time ever, a sharp nip was followed by massive weight and then my reel started to howl. Bryce gave me a little smile and a raise of the eyebrows – I was onto it!

Mark attributes early success to canals expert Bryce helms' help.

Mark attributes early success to canals expert Bryce helms' help.

By this time I only had a day left, but I still managed to hook four trout; the biggest was a rainbow estimated to be in the 30-odd pound range, with the next biggest being a brownie in the low to mid-twenties. Both times the little Glo-Bug pulled as I fought to prevent them going around the dreaded midwater post. As some consolation, I did land one double-figure rainbow, along with plenty of beautiful salmon to 15lb, so there was more than enough reward to get me itching to go back.

----- Advertisement -----


Bryce Helms' tips saw Mark catching 12 salmon to 7kg in one morning!

Bryce Helms' tips saw Mark catching 12 salmon to 7kg in one morning!

This time around I was to be accompanied by my fishing buddy of 40 years, John Eichelsheim, who was completely new to the fishery and this style of fishing. Prior to our departure, I was very bullish about our chances... until I discovered the area incorporating the dam and the ‘Magic Carpet’ (a particularly productive part of river downstream) were to be made out of bounds to anglers for the first time. I was gutted and almost postponed the trip, but trout guide Ben Booth encouraged me to persist, saying there was still plenty of good water to fish. So I did.

First up, I’d like to extend a big thank you to Malcolm Bell. Without his various Mackenzie Country canal fishing videos and a couple of conversations I had with him personally (which resulted in a few highly worthwhile purchases) prior to the trip, John and I would have been much, much further off the pace. As it was, we simply lacked the experience to interpret everything he said accurately.

We did get some things bang on though. For a start, I had a 8’6” Daiwa 2-5kg Air Edge for casting tiny soft-baits and an 8’6” Ocean Angler ‘Tansui’ canal rod for ‘rolling eggs’, and both did their respective roles well. Also, the Tansui’s extra rod length had us comfortably wandering along the relatively smooth and elevated roads that often ran parallel to the waterways when ‘rolling eggs’, rather than clambering over various shrubs and negotiating the uneven ground of the river bank lower down.

My small Shimano and Daiwa 2500 size reels proved to be good candidates too, especially the latest Daiwa Certate, which has so little inertia when wound that the best possible line/lure control is effortlessly maintained. Both were loaded with around 250m of 5.5kg Tasline, which cast and handled very nicely (many anglers choose lighter braid, but I wanted a line diameter that I could see easily).

Our terminal rigs were mostly on the money too, thanks to the various Mackenzie Country canal videos. While I’m sure there are innumerable variations, ours seemed to be similar to those being used by the more capable anglers we encountered. Two metres of 7lb leader were FG knotted to the mainline at one end and Uni-Knotted to a tiny swivel connecting a metre of 6lb fluoro trace at the other. A small Glo-Bug dangled off the 6lb trace. Also knotted to the top of the swivel was a second, much shorter trace of 6lb with a Slip Sinker clipped on; this weight varies according to the amount of flow present at the time, but 3-10g did nicely on the days we fished.

However, despite plenty of trout-fishing experience and fishing 10-11 hours a day, I was rubbish, and John wasn’t much better (he did get a nice 8lb salmon), with just one decent fish pulling the hook and only several undersized salmon and trout landed.

Then, on the final morning, with just four hours left, we spied Ben and some clients fishing a river bend below us. We’d seen them in the same spot the day before but decided not to interrupt them. Now we were desperate, and they obviously had a good spot, so it was time to say gidday!

To my surprise I already knew one of Ben’s three customers – I’d fished with him on the old charter boat Harrold Hardy many years ago. He said they’d been expecting to catch up with us earlier and were happy for us to join them, before also mentioning that two of them had caught eight trout the day before, including four beauties over 20lb. (Aaaagghhhh! If only we’d come over!)

Mark did see one huge trout get landed - this one turned out to be around 13.5kg!

Mark did see one huge trout get landed - this one turned out to be around 13.5kg!

Ben’s three clients were keeping him pretty busy; he was zipping up and down the stretch of river helping each one in turn over the following two hours, but every time he passed me, he made valuable suggestions on how I might improve my fishing. I learned so much from Ben in such a short time. The points below are the result of maybe 10-15 minutes of information in total, so imagine what you’d gain from having him as a guide for a day or two!

This is what he told me, but keep in mind that some of the information may be particular to this stretch of the canal and for this time of the year…

The tackle

Ben gave our rods a big thumbs up. He said he was really pleased with how the Tansui had turned out; indeed, it had been a firm favourite of his customers until one of them finally broke it! The design reflects his preference for long, parabolic rods around 8’6” in length, light tipped to cast light weights (and act as a shock absorber during fights, helping prevent small hooks from bending or pulling), and ideally being able to handle 2-5kg line weights.

Our reels and braid passed muster, too. I’d heard suitable reels should be small and able to hold very light braid mainline around 3-5kg. Light, thin braid can cast further and cut through the wind and/or current better. (In a similar vein, load the reel with line to within 2mm of the spool’s lip; any closer and you risk clumps of line flying off, especially when using the lighter weights, while underfilling will see your potential casting distance suffer. A line capacity of at least 200m is recommended.)

The leader should be fluorocarbon and around 6lb in breaking strain, but may need to be just 4 or 5lb if the fishing is particularly tough. This might seem inadequate for handling monster trout to 20kg – and sometimes it is, especially when various man-made structures are present – but it’s also surprising what’s possible when a good outfit and strong knots are involved.

Ben was emphatic: a small, single-egg imitation was more effective than multiples. They can be an imitation soft-plastic egg glued or carefully positioned onto a #12-14 trout hook or a Glo-Bug tied on the same hook sizes. Sometimes trout will fall for colours and shapes they haven’t seen before, but generally speaking it pays to use Glo-Bug materials that are reasonably light and bright with UV incorporated. Whatever you use, keep it clean, as even small amounts of dirt or weed will make the small egg harder to see.

Although Slip Sinkers offer a reasonable option (as they can be changed and attached quickly, cast beautifully, and slide through and over the boulders and stones nicely), Ben prefers the same shape with a wire loop instead (the Dropshot sinker). He says that knotting the Dropshot sinker on – or even using a tiny clip – results in a stronger connection that often allows him to pull the gear free rather than have the Slip Sinker slide or break off. (To help support Ben’s beliefs, I’d lost around 25-30 Slip sinkers prior to meeting him; read on to find out how I didn’t lose another one afterwards!)

It pays to cast your offering as close as possible to the salmon farm pens.

It pays to cast your offering as close as possible to the salmon farm pens.

The technique

Mistake 1: I was annoyed to discover I’d been casting too far all this time, believing the seam between the far bank and the main river flow should be my target.

----- Advertisement -----


What I should have been doing: Ben suggested only casting just past mid-stream.

Mistake 2: I’d been allowing plenty of line to exit the reel after the sinker touched down on the cast, knowing the sinker would get down in the current better if it wasn’t fighting the current.

What I should have been doing: Ben told me to click my reel immediately back into gear on completion of the cast and point my rod tip down along the sinking line.

Mistake 3: After the line slackened, indicating the river bed had been reached, I’d been raising the rod and watching the tip intently for bites as I commenced walking down in time with the drift of my egg imitation. I was relying on any sharp jerks transmitting through my raised rod tip to let me know when I had bites (rather than simply bouncing over rocks) and to quickly strike.

What I should have been doing: Ben recommended placing my index finger on the braid throughout the descent and egg-rolling drift. Apparently the trout are generally very wary and often spit out the imitation in split seconds, so maintaining direct contact and having the best possible sensitivity are very important, as is a fast rod strike in response.

Mistake 4: As a keen downstream fly fisher, I’d always endeavoured to make sure my fly was right down on the bottom, bouncing along amongst the (hopefully!) milling trout. I therefore chose sinker weights that got right down and bounced along downstream, transmitting the bumps and bangs as they went. I figured this put me in with a good chance of success.

What I should have been doing: Ben got me to reduce my sinker weight right down so it only occasionally registered touching down. This, he said, reduced the ‘information overload’, and made any attention by trout and salmon more obvious.

Mistake 5: I was happy to trek along in time to my drifting rig as it bounced downstream along the bottom, sometimes deliberately leading the rig forwards if it seemed to be trundling too slowly in the current.

At least there was a good view for Mark to enjoy when he wasn't catching.

At least there was a good view for Mark to enjoy when he wasn't catching.

What I should have been doing:
Ben is very pedantic about constantly micro-managing the line during the egg-rolling drift; he says the walking angler must remain at right angles to the point where the line enters the water at all times, while also ensuring the rod points down along the line and slightly ahead of the angler as he or she walks. Upon doing this, I had a good bite, but missed it, and never lost another sinker afterwards!

Unfortunately these big, gleaming pearls of wisdom came too late for John and I to take advantage of them, but at least we stand a much better chance for being successful next time and all the mistakes we make will be new ones!

Know the rules: 

For those who are buying a freshwater licence for the first time, you must know the regulations which are on the Fish and Game website here.


November 2021 - Mark Kitteridge
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Latest Articles

Gear Preparation for Marlin
March 2024

Ben Brown shares his tips and tricks for prepping gear for marlin fishing... Read More >

One-pan Tomato Poached Snapper with Leek Recipe
March 2024

A one-pan tomato poached snapper recipe is shared... Read More >

How Social Media Is Influencing Fishing
March 2024

Social media is changing people's perception of fishing, writes Sam Boothroyd... Read More >

Raymarine Axiom Pro Fishfinder/Chartplotter and Cyclone Radar Review
March 2024

Nick Jones Reviews the Raymarine Axiom Pro Fishfinder/Chartplotter and Cyclone Radar... Read More >

Brent Condon - Fishing Art
March 2024

An artist profile on illustrator Brent Condon... Read More >