Salmon off Kaikoura beach

In contrast to the last two reports I submitted, the weather has been quite kind to us over the past couple of weeks, settled and warm, giving ample opportunity to get out on the water.

Saltwater

With the above-mentioned settled weather, the boats have been out, with Akaroa, Moeraki and Kaikoura being popular areas of late. From all accounts, the ‘puka and blue nose have been a bit elusive, but blue cod, tarakihi and trumpeter have made the trips well worth it! We have touched on this before, but it really is great to see these species getting caught by varying methods rather than the traditional ledger rig and bait – it is encouraging to see how slow-pitch jigging is proving to be so versatile in our local waters.

September has been the month in recent years for targeting salmon off the beach in Kaikoura, and it has happened again! Whilst not to the almost frantic levels that we saw last year, the numbers have still been solid, and we have seen plenty of smiling faces from the beach in the last few days. Smaller shiny lures with plenty of action are the go-to for this and remember, you don’t have to cast too far off the beach and concentrating close to shore normally does the trick

Freshwater

the Twizel/Tekapo area has been alive since September 1! The upper Tekapo canal opened on the first. Julien from the store was brave enough to face the crowds and reported that, as expected, there were plenty of anglers about for the opener, but also ample numbers of fish to go around too. Because it is coming to the end of the spawning season, eggs were definitely the winner, but it is great to see more anglers trying something different and having a go at these fish on a fly rod for the extra challenge!

The Ohau river also opened under its new ballot system over the weekend, this gives the angler a shot at catching some of these monster canal fishes in a ‘traditional’ river system. They will often be sighted and then targeted on fly gear or light spin tackle. From what we are hearing, it was a successful opening and the ballot system helped with the traffic and pressure this river can receive upon opening. Whitebait season also kicked off on September 1, and catches have been patchy, but the patient have been rewarded with an early taste! Watch the coming full moon, which can often bring the bait on. Remember that the season ends on October 31 this year.

We have a very active team of keen anglers in our Fishing Department, so please fire any questions our way and we will point you in the right direction to keep you on the fish. Please check out our Facebook page for more info on what we are up to in Canterbury.