The fishing season is now underway and Otago Fish and Game officer Nigel Pacey says the wild and wintry weather in the lead up to the October start was no surprise to those in the south.

Cold snaps and snowfall can give rivers “a hammering”, Nigel said, and fishers should expect rivers to be running fairly high and coloured for the start of the season, which opened yesterday (Thursday October 1).

With colour in the water, spin and bait anglers will come into their own as trout start looking for large, easy-to-see sources of food, Nigel said.

“My go-to lure would be a banana or black and gold toby, or a ‘softbait’ smelt imitation. Fly anglers will be forced into large brightly coloured nymphs or streamers to get noticed.”

The Southern Lakes will continue to fish well, with plenty of rainbows congregating at stream mouths.

“Target the drop-offs with a softbait, toby or tassie. If you are a fly angler, then a sink tip is useful to get your flies over the edge of the drop,” Nigel said.

Estuaries and coastal rivers/streams are beginning to produce some nice trout, he added.

Large sea-run or estuary fish will be in great condition targeting whitebait. “Try a silver toby or light coloured soft bait to imitate smelt. The fly angler has many options such as a grey ghost or jack sprat to imitate a baitfish.”

The central lakes, such as Loganburn, Onslow and Poolburn, should stay clear and fishable no matter the weather, Nigel said.

New to fishing? For those who need a few more pointers with where to go or what to use, there are a number of resources available. The Fish and Game website has lots of information, as do many retailers. The internet has many ‘how-to’ videos from beginner to expert, and angling clubs are full of people to chat to, Nigel said.

A good first port of call is this Fish and Game ‘getting started’ guide, followed by this map which advises of the fishing spots around Queenstown Lakes.

Everyone wanting to fish in public waters must have a current Sports Fishing Licence.

Nigel encourages people to get out and give it a go: “Get a licence and get out and explore your own backyard – there has never been a better time.”

Fish & Game NZ is a non-profit organisation which manages, maintains and enhances sports fish and game birds and their habitats.

PHOTO: Supplied