Monday the 31st of May was the last day of the season for being able to fish the mountain rivers and streams that flow into the the lakes and they now stay closed until 1st November.
Some mates and I decided instead of chasing trout we would head down to the South Coast and doing some codding in the roughest and most dangerous strait in the world – Foveaux Strait to stock up the freezers. Lumpy South Easterly’s didn’t deter us from heading out in my friends very well equipped boat and we got a pretty good haul of cod for our efforts. We will be back periodically over the winter when the weather is good enough to replace the freezer stocks.
While the rivers are closed over the next 5 months until the re-opening of the lowland rivers and streams on the 1st of October there still are opportunities to get some good fishing for those who are keen to brave winter conditions near Queenstown. Where rivers meet the lakes are hot spots especially just during and after a rain, the big rivers and especially the Clutha which remain open over the winter can have some great fly fishing and there are options on the lakes themselves. If you are visiting over the winter and want to do some fishing, drop me a line and I will head you in the right direction and/or be able to hook you up with the appropriate guide or charter service to maximize your time if you require it. I am busy with my winter work in the mountains over the next 4 months or so and you can follow what I am up to by reading my ski blog. As time permits I will be updating this blog with bits and pieces of useful info to help you with the upcoming season starting in Oct.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciated everything you did to make my fishing trip unforgettable. That trophy brown was totally unbelievable! Frankly, I’m surprised we were able to land him. That was one of the longest fights I’ve ever had with a fish. Fighting that trout and the river current was a whole new experience for me. Your advice and help were invaluable. I will definitely call you the next time I get to New Zealand. And I really enjoyed your website article and photo. Thanks again for putting me in position to catch the fish of a lifetime. And it was almost a few fish of a lifetime. All in all…brilliant!!!
