North Canterbury Fishing Report 3rd Feb 2012

By all accounts fishing has been reasonably good throughout the region over the last week. Last weekend saw 38 salmon taken at the mouth of the Hurunui River with four or five taken each day since. This is pleasing to hear as reports have been relatively quite until now and it looks like the salmon have finally turned up in reasonable numbers. Reports have been coming in that good numbers of salmon are being caught throughout the Rakaia River, with the lower Rakaia also fishing well for sea-run trout. Last Sunday saw one Rakaia angler land two salmon in four casts, weighing 20 and 14 pounds, with a number of other anglers reporting limit bags caught and they seem to be in great condition. The surf, gut and estuary have fished consistently well over the last ten days and with a long weekend ahead, good river conditions and a favourable weather forecast, I am sure there will be reports of reasonable numbers taken form all reaches of the river.

The Waimakariri has also seen a few salmon taken each day at both the mouth and at McIntosh’s Rocks and should continue to improve over the next two months as it traditionally does. As usual, we have heard very little from the Waiau River anglers but with reports of salmon in most of the east coast rivers at present and the neighbouring Hurunui being the standout river, I imagine the Waiau will be fishing just as well, if not better.

Salmon anglers wishing to enter the Rakaia River Salmon Fishing Competition, please note that early bird entries close today and entries are starting to fill up, with the final day to enter the 17th February if not before then.

The Groynes Fishing Lakes continue to fish well with releases of salmon every three weeks into each of the ponds right through until April.

After a recent revamp of the Fish & Game website, this is now up and running. The revamped home page can be viewed at www.fishandgame.org.nz.

Good luck over the long weekend.

Steve Terry, Fish & Game Officer.

(Some of the 20,000 salmon smolt released into the Otukaikino River this week)

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