Winter season ( May to September ) lake fishing options in the South Island
Peter Langlands
The “Winter Season” , commences in May and continues until 30th of September. The season offers a wide range of lakes to fish which is often a relaxing experience, to be enjoyed in relative solitude. Often trout, especially rainbows will be in prime condition in the winter also. As each year goes by I , along with other anglers, learn more about the options that are available. Lets look at some options and some techniques to try. With some knowledge you can enjoy trout fishing in the South Island year round. I love the mix of fishing lakes in the winter season (may to September) and then switching and paying closer attention to the rivers in the main season ( October until April). It also sharpens up your game to keep actively fishing through the year.
Lake Sumner is open all year round. The lake is worth checking out in August and September as the brown trout are still active around the lake’s edges then. Settled spring weather also allows you to sight fish the lakes’ margins on a sunny day. Use small flies on light tippet to deceive the trout by day. Fishing a lure on the lake’s edges can also be highly rewarding at dusk, as trout come into the shallows chasing bullies and dragonfly nymphs. Sumner has a good population of brown trout in the 1-1.5 kilogram range. Trolling, or spin fishing from a boat, is also rewarding. Use light line and life-like spinners, such as “Rapalas” to catch trout in Sumner’s crystal clear waters. If shore-based then use a long cast spin fishing outfit as trout can be edge shy at times, and you will want to reach the drop-off., where most of the fish will be cruising.
Lake Coleridge is one of my favourite winter fishing locations. Opening on the first Saturday of June (and unlike the other lakes mentioned in this article, closing on 31 August), Coleridge offers the chance to catch large rainbow trout. The rainbows move into the shallows around the lake’s edge at dusk. They will readily hit woolly buggers and doll flies. The flats around the Harper and Ryton River mouths are favoured places, but fish can be caught along all of the lake’s margins. Darkest nights are best for lure fishing. If the wind blows, and believe me sometimes it blows with all “God’s fury” , then a sinking line will help get your lures into the strike zone. Some large browns can be sighted cruising on the lake’s margins through the winter months. Land-locked salmon are often caught in good numbers and make superb eating. These fish shoal, so once one is caught, it pays to focus on that spot for a while. At times lead lines are needed to get your lures into the strike zone.
Lake Benmore is a fantastic angling resource for Canterbury anglers. The lake is open all year round. The shallow and weedy Ahuriri Arm of the lake is a favoured angling location. The rainbows are in prime condition there over the winter and early spring months. Trolling is the most consistent method for catching the rainbows. The smaller sized Tasmanian Devils and King Cobras in green and yellow colours are my favoured tackle there. Slow trolling speeds ( at walking pace), with the lure just above the weed bed , get the best results. Benmore fishes well through the entire winter season. The Haldon Arm is also worth checking out, although the water is deeper here and a lead line, or down-rigger, may be required to get your lures into the strike zone. The discoloured water in the Haldon Arm makes larger lures more effective in this part of the lake.
To the south Lakes Wanaka , Wakatipu and Te Anau are open all year round and offer good angling for browns, rainbows and land-locked salmon ( in Wanaka and Wakatipu). Fishing woolly buggers on a sinking line over steep drop-offs around the edges of these lakes is highly rewarding. Make sure you have a few heavily weighted Hamill’s Killers and Mrs Simpson’s also.
On the South Island’s West Coast there is a wide range of lakes open all year round. Lakes Paringa, Moeraki and Ianthe are my favoured lakes for large brown trout. Fish caught over the winter average from 1.5-2.5 kilograms. The browns are a beautiful golden colour. Lake Brunner fishes well in the spring with some excellent sight fishing available over sand patches around the lake’s shoreline. A small red-bodied Mrs Simpson is favoured when stalking trout from a dinghy. Also given the West Coast’s temperate climate the trout are often in good condition, and active, in the cooler months. Trolling with Rapala lures, especially in the smaller sizes, often brings rewards. Also drifting in a dinghy and casting woolly buggers into the shore is great fun. Also in the cooler months there are some good hatches of midges, offering the chance to fish to rising trout in the winter and spring. Contact Fish and Game, West Coast for detailed location information. The lakes are often uncrowded and it is often possible to have an entire lake to your self over the winter, even in the weekends , on the coast.
In the Nelson region lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti are open all year round and offer good lure fishing around the lake’s edges in winter and spring. Drifting in a boat and either casting lures or small, naturally coloured spinners, is an effective way of catching trout and allows you to cover the water. In Golden Bay, the Cobb Reservoir is open all year round and has a good population of modest sized rainbows. The journey there is adventure enough , and will provide enough excitement, even if you don’t catch any trout ! A great family location for an out of the way picnic also.
Boating on the South Island lakes is a very relaxing experience in the winter season and a great time to take the family out fishing. There is nothing like smoking up a fresh trout on the shore on a winter’s evening or brewing up an espresso coffee over a gas element. Make sure to take the hip flask also !
No comments:
Post a Comment