Fishing for salmon at the Rakaia River

Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GO-Ito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Fishing for salmon at the Rakaia River
    Posted: 25 Nov 2019 at 11:32am
GO-Ito View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze
Avatar

Joined: 02 May 2019
Location: Japan, Aichi
Status: Offline
Points: 56
Dear forum member,

Hi! Have you been enjoying spring season fishing?

I would like to ask another question about a word in the book, "Serious about Trout Fishing".

In chapter 24, "Salmon on the fly", the author Mr John Morton wrote about fly fishing for salmon on the big rivers of the South Island like the Rakaia River and others.

----------------------------
The fish when hooked quite often will sit there for a few moments, and at times I have been convinced I am caught up on the bottom until the "snag" goes off for a wander around the hole - usually at a very leisurely pace until the salmon realises it has been hooked.

    Other times, when the fish is hooked at the head of the hole, it will do a quick circuit around the pool, then take off upriver with the line literally hissing after it.  
----------------------------


When I look at the pictures of those rivers, the bottom of the river seems to consist mainly of large grains of gravel so the river bed might not have holes.

I can not clearly picture the word "hole". Does it mean a big and deep dimple on the river bed? Or a pocket/void between large boulders? 

Do the rivers have many holes on their bed?

As Mr Morton put it, "head of the hole" it must have a size to some extent.

If you got bored or have plenty of time, please give me a clue.

I will really appreciate.

Cheers,

GO


Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Fraser Hocks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2019 at 1:06pm
Fraser Hocks View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum


Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Location: Queenstown
Status: Offline
Points: 1502
A hard one to describe, particularly with the language barrier, but il make an attempt.

These braided rivers usually end up with scouring and accretion of gravels that shape the river, caused by flood and constant flows.  This results in the river braiding and forming pools with shallow tail-outs that drop into the next pool.    On a river like the Rakaia these pools or holes vary in size from the size of half a football pitch to only a few meters.    The pools are typically as wide as the braided portion of river and around 1.5 times in length.   

Hope that answers your question? John Morton was talking about the pools/holes that the fish rest up in, as they move upstream.  Not pockets behind boulders etc...  He is swapping between using the word hole and pool to describe the same thing, which is causing your confusion.  

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GO-Ito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 12:02am
GO-Ito View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze
Avatar

Joined: 02 May 2019
Location: Japan, Aichi
Status: Offline
Points: 56
Dear Fraser

Hi! Thank you for your reply!
It helped me so much!

"On a river like the Rakaia these pools or holes vary in size from the size of half a football pitch to only a few meters."

You have described the features of the rivers very clearly and it is very easy to understand for me.

Thank you again.

Tight lines!

GO-Ito

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote reel crayze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 8:00am
reel crayze View Drop Down
Gold
Gold


Joined: 27 Aug 2015
Location: Canterbury
Status: Offline
Points: 743
Check out some of the videos on youtube "salmon fishing Rakaia river" should give you a tiny bit of an idea on what some of the pools look like.
 
 
This one may give you some idea ?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GO-Ito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2019 at 10:45am
GO-Ito View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze
Avatar

Joined: 02 May 2019
Location: Japan, Aichi
Status: Offline
Points: 56
Dear reel crayze

Thank you for finding that nice video clip!

It is a "Seeing is believing" stuff.

The river bed is much more rough than my thought.

I should have tried to search on YouTube before ask here.
I am going to find another related videos on the internet.


Have you ever fished for salmon at those braided rivers?
If you have, and you are OK, could you tell me your story of the salmon fishing down there?

Someday, I want to try to catch salmon at the S.I.

Cheers,

GO-Ito
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote reel crayze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2019 at 12:55pm
reel crayze View Drop Down
Gold
Gold


Joined: 27 Aug 2015
Location: Canterbury
Status: Offline
Points: 743
Hi GO-Ito,
 
Yes i am a salmon fisherman from way back. I live 20min away from the Rakaia and 5min away from the Waimak.
 
Unfortunately the salmon fishery has been in serious decline for the last 5 or 6 years and is but a shadow of its former self. The quantity of fish and the size of the fish has dramatically dropped. I believe the big influences are irrigation schemes, ocean warming and hatcheries.
 
The best bit of advice i can give you is buy a book by my friend Ross Millichamp. Ross s  book "Salmon Fever" is regarded as the bible on how to catch a salmon. Although it is now a bit dated it is still very relevant esp the mechanics on how to catch a salmon. It is available on NZ site Trade Me.
 
 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote GO-Ito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2019 at 2:19am
GO-Ito View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze
Avatar

Joined: 02 May 2019
Location: Japan, Aichi
Status: Offline
Points: 56
Hi reel crayze!

Wow! You live in a heaven-like place for fishermen!

But I am sorry the recent condition of the salmon fishery.
I have read many issues about irrigation problems in NZ on Facebook posts.


"The best bit of advice i can give you is buy a book by my friend Ross Millichamp. Ross s  book "Salmon Fever" is regarded as the bible on how to catch a salmon."

Oh! You are a friend of Mr Ross Millichamp! I know the book. I have just browsed (not read) at a bookshop in Auckland. From my memory, it was in 1999 - 2000. I thought the book is really great, but I did not think that I could have a chance to fish for salmon.

I have checked it on Trade Me tonight, I would try to get a copy of it.

I wish you will have a nice spring weather and will get many bites.

Cheers,

GO-Ito

Back to Top
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.438 seconds.

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Saltwater Fishing Reports
Top of the South Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Tasman and Golden Bay snapper still running hot We are not far away from daylight... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bay of Islands Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Variety is the spice of life On one recent trip, the plan was to spend a... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Fish where the fish are! Catching fish or just going fishing? I tackle this issue... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Thoughtful tactics required for better fish Over the course of each year the fishing varies,... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites