Wow what a month October has been for trout fishing in the South Island. Otago has seen a mixture of weather, and typically a decent amount of early season full flows – not that this is a problem for the prepared, adaptable anglers!
I have checked out a fair few of the 'old haunts' as well as a number of new sections of water, or places I have not been for some time – and have found great fish everywhere. The mild winter I have previously talked about, lack of floods and plenty of tucker has meant that the trout are in excellent condition. I am not talking about mousy trout either, which obviously other anglers are encountering in native bush clad parts of the South! Myself, friends, and clients have encountered trout up to double digits, landing several in the 6 – 8.5lb mark, simply outstanding!
We have had some great mayfly hatches on certain rivers – and typical of early season they have been the larger critters, say a size 14. I received some flies from Category 3 Fly Company, and Sean's “tricky situation' has just been cleaning up – the perfect color too, many thanks! Other staples on the fly patch have been heavy rubber legs, dobsonflies, regular 16s, and the odd streamer. Keep an eye out for beetles, as they are next on the menu for trout, usually starting during November.
Over the next few weeks I have an exploratory trip in Fiordland planned, more big local fish to catch up with, and some time South of Dunedin on some rivers I am just fizzing to get back on. Finally good luck to all those fishing the Waipahi Gold Medal tomorrow, looks like you might be in for a nice day, but challenging river conditions! Tight lines.
Please get in touch for bookings if you would like to chase some trout! Head to the contact page or thomas.j.mcauliffe@gmail.com
