New Zealand Trip - October

[dleroux]

Hi everyone,

I will be visiting NZ in October for three weeks, two of them will be a fishing/hiking road trip with a Campervan on the South Island. Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast Regions will be our main focus, I have some info on public access point on a few rivers (still researching). We know there are TO many waters to fish but what can we expect form the fishing, weather and river conditions in general over this period?

This will be a low budget excursion and guided trips will not be possible - we will need to learn the hard way how to hook those NZ Browns


Any advice will be much appreciated

Cheers

[Korrie]

There are 2 or 3 books about the Trout rivers in NZ.
Try and get one or both of them.
They list every river and the fishing etc in these books.
The SI northern tip, is lovely and interesting. Wine area, lovely towns
The SI West coast do not have to many GREAT flyfishing trout rivers.
And there is not too much to see on the west coast. Pancake rocks and one or 2 other sights,( Glaciers)
Get to Haast and head inland. Lots of more interesting sights/and fishing.
I would not plan to spend more than 2 days on the west coast.
The West coast, is the side that is exposed to the ocean, Roaring forties(wind) storms etc, few people, very steep landscape. etc.
My 2cents.
Inland, on the other side of the mountains, are where the good fishing is.
Interesting sites and towns as well.

PS, think of October weather in the Cape, can be terrible.
NZ is much further south, so the weather could be far worse, you dont want to spend to much time on the exsposed western side.

[KevinE]

October can be a challenging time to trout fish in NZ. Spring has barely sprung and conditions can be harsh. Saying that, you can still find some very good fishing. A campervan is a great option because it allows you to be flexible with your plans.

Early season you are likely to encounter blown out rivers. When you do, look at the tributaries. Many only hold fish early season so get into them. Wherever you find clear water you will find fish. A 6 wt is standard, but you may also find a 7 or 8 handy in the bigger waters. Early season flies can often be big and flashy. Size 10 and 12 nymphs with copper and gold beads. You will need flies with plenty of weight in them. Try a size 10 gold bead hare and copper with a smaller PT type nymph trailing. You will need breathable waders and decent rain jacket.

Nelson and Marlborough are good early season options. These waters can be very tough in summer low conditions, but early season you will have a good crack at the fish. Tip: check out the Wairau tribs!

As Korrie says, the west coast can be a miserable place at that time of year. But rest assured, the trout don't mind being wet, even if you do. You will have a very real shot at trophy browns if you fish the lower reaches of the west coast rivers for whitebait eaters. There are some very big sea runs that follow the bait into the rivers.

If you are really unlucky with conditions and are struggling for clean water, there are always spring creeks and lakes. The lake fishing is very under-rated in NZ.

I'm sure you'll have a great time.

[Korrie]

As you mentioned, the lake fishing is really good.

Did 2 days of lake fishing, while I was there. The lakes are huge. Sterkfontien size, Vaaldam size. (there are some smaller ones as well)
Crystal clear, and spotting fish, from higher places with a fishing mate, can lead to great success.
I remember on the one lake, I am doing bank fishing, here comes a boat, that we would normally go for deep sea fishing, trawling for big trout. 5 min later another. Lakes big with big fish.

[boerie]

Hi,

I have fished the central and southern areas of South Island quite a bit and so here are is a bit of advice you may want to consider.

If you can afford a guide for one or maybe two days then i would more than strongly recommend hiring one.

My pursuit of wild trout has taken me across the length and breadth of the globe and i kind of like to think i know whats potting but I will never turn down the services of a guide. The knowledge they impart is invaluable and will stand you in good stead for the rest of your trip and so if you can squeeze one into the budget then i strongly suggest you do it.

If you're in the Otago region, i would strongly recommend Ian Cole or Craig Smith.

http://www.hatchfishing.co.nz/ (CS)
http://www.fly-fishing-guide-wanaka-new-zealand.co.nz/ (IC)

Ian is a legend on both rivers and still waters but he is known as the lake guru and a day on still water with Ian is one you will remember for the rest of your life.

If you have several months to learn the rivers then fair enough, take your time and learn the hard way! Although saying this, kiwis are very forthcoming and generous with info and local tips and so it won't be too long before you get the hang of things.



I will give you a brief summary of what I gleaned from several top guides out there.

You're going early season which is not a bad thing as the rivers have not been heavily fished and the trout tend to be less selective at this time of year, but as someone mentioned you may find several rivers rather swollen to say the least. It all depends if you get a late winter or an early spring. Looking at the snow levels out there this year you may have a problem with some of the larger rivers.

Try and concentrate your efforts on rivers flowing out of lakes such a the Clutha which flows out of lake Wanaka (Otago) and the Waaiu which flows out of Lake Te Anau in Southland. The Clutha has one of the highest -if not the highest biomass - of trout in South Island. It has great mayfly hatches and is easily accessible from Wanaka village (about 10 min drive).

If you're down in Southland, give the Waaiu a bash, its stuffed with fish and it has some seriously strong rainbows which are a good distraction when the browns are not feeding.

The joy about NZ is that there is just so much water to fish and if one river is washed out there will always be another river or even a smaller tributary which will be fishable.

When the main rivers are in spate, trout often move into smaller tributaries and streams during the 'flood' period. My fly-fishing buddy and I experienced some bonanza days fishing very small feeder streams during big spates on the main channels.

I would suggest when you make a plan of action for each day, always make contingency plans.

If you're going to do a hike out trip then make sure you take clothing for all seasons as it can be brutally cold in October and you may well get snowed in.

I think most back country rivers open in November / December and so just check which rivers are open.

In terms of tackle and if you are going to take one rod, i would recommend a 6 weight but a 7 will do nicely.

Flies?????

Don't try and take every pattern in the world!!! You only need a few patterns for October / November. If you tie, then take your vice and the basics for PTNs, GRHEs etc.

I tied 1200 flies for my first trip and tried to cover every conceivable pattern and every size possible but i still ended up needing more PTNs, Hare&copper's and Royal Wulff's. I call these the 'go to patterns'. They will be your 'work horse' flies and so stock up with as many variations of these as possible.

I think the most important thing about your nymph selection is that you have tungsten beads and not the standard metal beads - especially in October - when you need to get down quickly.

In October and November, Marcus and I caught 80 % of our fish on tandem rigs with a tungsten beaded hare & copper (#10-12) on the point and a unweighted PTN (#12-14) on the tail. Fish generally always take the smaller unweighted tail fly.

95% of all fish caught on the surface were caught on either a #14 royal Wulff or #14 Dad's Favorite, although any good mayfly imitations in the #12-#16 range will suffice.

Here is a simple list of flies which we did 99 % of our fishing with. Looking at our records, the majority of our fish were caught on size #14 -#16 flies (Although in October you may find different)

Dries:

1) Dad's Favorite (#10-#16)
http://tongarirorivermotel.co.nz/wp-...009/***ahi.jpg
2) Adams (12-#18)
2a) BWO (#14-18)
2b)Sparkle Dun (#14-16)
2c) CDC Emergers (#14-#18)
3) Elk Hair Caddis (#10-#18)
3a) Emerging sedge patterns (#12-#14)
4) Manuka beetle imitations, both green and brown (#10-#16)
5)a selection of f-fly / CDC emerger patterns (#12-#18)
6) Humpy and blue-bottle Humpy (#12-#16)

Wets:
1) Hare & Copper (Tungsten bead) (#12-16)
2) GRHEN (Tungsten Bead) (#12-16)
3) PTN (#14-18)
4)Cadillac nymph variations with Tungsten beads (#12-#16)
5)Copper Jim variants (#12-16)
6) Zak (#14-16)
7) F-fly emerger patterns (#14-18) {Hickley and Barr's emerger patterns are good}
8) Holy Grail (Tungsten) (#12-16)
9) IKO Caddis (#14-#16)
10) Tungsten soft hackle pheasant tail (#14-16)

Tippets: selection of 2x - 5x in both flurocarbon and nylon

If you would like any advice on which rivers / streams to fish in October then i suggest you e-mail my brother and fly-fishing buddy Marcus at marcus@flyfishingtravel.net

He fished the South Island Rivers for 14 months and so knows them pretty well.

If you have any more questions re tackle, fly-tying advice, NZ regulations just fire away.

I hope this helps.

Best,
Boerie

[poppernel]

HEY BOERIE!!under WETS??? no UV. flies. Jeez!! even they (OZZIES) must ""catch a wake up""

DAVE

[Korrie]

Boerie, some good advice.

just a couple of extra tidbits.

Make sure you have decent waders and wading jacket.
Make sure you can cast in strong wind
Make sure you have good insect repellent.

After a bad afternoon, with a gazillion mossies and the next morning of wind, a local said to me in the typical NZ accent "you know mate, the two things they don't mention on any tourist brochure is the mosquitos and the weather"

If the locals think it is hectic, then you know.

[boerie]

Very Good Point Korrie!!

Another thing to remember is that felt wader boots are now banned due to the spread of Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) which has unfortunately spread from North Island to South Island and is moving its way south.

http://www.nzfishing.com/Other/BiosecurityAlert.htm

The NZ F&W authorities are very strict and will probably spray all your outdoor gear unless you can prove it is brand new.

On Mosquitoes and bugs, yes Korrie is quite correct in pointing out that you need a great bug repellent and possible a hood net for some of the south western areas.

Even worse than the mosquitoes are the sand flies. Watch Trout Bum Diaries II NZ and you'll get a good idea of just how bad it can get.

Unlike the mosquito, the sand fly bite lasts for several days and can cause a great deal of discomfort and an unwelcome distraction when trying to concentrate on executing perfect presentation.

On this note, remember to take factor 30-40 sun cream as there is a hole in the ozone directly above NZ and one can get severely burnt despite near freezing winds.

That's all I can think of right now.

[Korrie]

did not want to mention the sand flies, thought i leave a surprise or 2 for him.

just a couple of other pointers.

Remember, NZ is an agriculture based land, with a very low population density.
All though they state that the speed limit is 100km/h most roads are winding etc, and you very seldom travel faster than 80 on the "big" roads.
Small roads even slower.
In the small towns etc, you really struggle to find a place to get a diner/restaurant after 20:00 that is still open.
People are friendly and helpful.
If I had to describe most of the SI, people and services etc, not nature, it would be to comparing it to Nawakaland and Boesmanland in South Africa.
7 years ago, when I travelled SI, I saw the following 2 places on the map and thought, seeing how big the names where written on the map, they must be BIG towns,
Well Haast, had a motel, about 4 houses and a little cafe/takeway/tearoom.
Westport, is about the size if not smaller than Saldanha.

A couple of towns to visit, are Queenstown, Wanaka, that I found to be worth the effort.
Lots of other places etc to see with the driving.

Enjoy, you will have lots of fun and hopefully SUPER fishing.
Let us know when you come back, how it was.

[FishZ]

if you find yourself in the reefton area on the west coast, try the inangahuariver. easy access and huge ass fish. spotting is somewhat difficult as its an off color tannin river. fairly good populations too. all the rivers in that area are good, just find one and fish. it will be better than anywhere you have ever been. move slowly, but cover lots of water. fish long leaders on a 6 wt. i never wore waders in october or november, but have a good rain jacket and layers. mayfly hatches in early season can be okay, but nohting big is out yet, so smallish flies. klinks, para adams, cdc and elks, stimulators, any normal trout fly will work.

sandflies are worse than mossies. cover any part of your body you can and spray or lotion the rest.

it will be rainy and or windy part of the time. the food is terrible. the people are wonderful, don't speed. you can even do it by bus if you have to, i did for a while. backpackers there are great, and cheap.

those areas you are going to be in, the further you walk up a river system, the bigger the fish. you can tent camp anywhere pretty much. ask farmers for permission, they won't say no. have fun