Otamangakau

[Sober Jack]

Planning to fish Otamangakau for the first time later this month. Is there anywhere you can camp near the lake, does anyone know?

[Whio]

I don't know if you're legally allowed to camp at the lake but this place is 5 mins down the road http://www.thp.co.nz/

[flyfish]

There's a ton of places to camp there and some well established sites. You can drive around the lake in 20mins on logging roads and most side roads lead to sites. You cannot camp at the boat ramp however. Its fairly busy with campers at present. Some great fish in the lake this season.

Andrew

[Sober Jack]

thanks guys. Exactly what I needed to know. Always love your videos Andrew. I'm a Canterbury boy and I usually do my fishing down there, but this summer being so rotten I've decided to make it a lower Nth Island summer instead. So your films have been a great encouragement. Can you tell me, at Otamangakau do the damselfly larvae go all season, or are they finished by now?

[flyfish]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoy them! No, the Damsels 'should' be full on mid Jan through to late March, but like the Cicada's... they are slow this year, they are just starting to ramp up at present now, combine a hot sunny day with some nice wind riffle and you'll have a ball, they are also taking dries quite well at present, sparse patterns working well. Was up there last weekend again and got some cracking condition fish that just go nuts!

Andrew

[Sober Jack]

awesome - gotta get there! maybe the week after next.

thanks

[Eric_the_king]

Does anyone have any experience with fishing lake O this time of the year (i.e end of May)? I'm mainly asking because of the duck hunting. I know opening day is to be avoided at all cost, but wondered if it was likely to be quieter now. Was thinking of heading there for one last fish for the season Thursday afternoon.

Cheers guys

[flyfish]

A very good time of the year as many fish gather round the inlet basin in preparation of pairing up, some great fish as well, the Rainbows have bright red cheeks and are in prime condition, the brownies are more scarce this time of the year. BUT, the duck shooters, be prepared, have been told to "f-off" on more than one occasion in May, they get very shitty despite you having every right to be there, especially if you are boat based, and there was one incident where they fired shots over our heads with no ducks in sight!

It ruins it for me this time of the year along with the bottles scattered around every mai mai, duck shooters really need to clean up their act in this lake - I suggested to Eastern Region they do mai mai inspections at the end of each season years ago due to the bottles thrown everywhere, and revoke stand licenses for those with litter everywhere - they did nothing... Fly fisherman have the lake for far more of the year, so I can see their frustration with fisherman a bit in May, but doesn't excuse the behavior of many.

If shore based, there are fewer mai mai's in the northern arm and the outlet. Spinning is so deadly late season it should almost be banned in this lake.

Andrew

[Eric_the_king]

Andrew, cheers for the advice mate. Heading down that way from Auckland Thursday morning. Think I'll give the lake a shot Thursday arvo. Hopefully won't too many shotgun toting yobs!! Can't say I've had much experience with them as I've never fished lake O this late in the season. It's an amazing fishery though.

I haven't had much joy fishing along the northern arm despite it having the best shoreline access. Have you? I find in the summer and autumn the water temp at that part of the lake is really high.

Charlie

[flyfish]

Yes it does heat up Charlie due to no flow through that part of the lake, the rest of the lake is essentially a river as it has a constant flow even in low summer conditions due to the shallow depth overall, its certainly deeper closer to shore in the northern arm and there are a number of submerged trees that show up on side and downscan sonar, hence why quite a few big fish are lost in here around the limbs.

The browns do like it in summer there but not this of the year generally, Rainbows predominate in the northern arm late season. But as mentioned the inlet is the place in May. You can walk down the right-hand side of the canal to the mouth and there is good wading and access to casting into the channel, bottom is reasonably firm here. Above the bridge turns into a bit of a meat-hunter circus this time of year, deck chairs, heave and leave globugs and surf-casters are the norm! Big streamers are the go in May fished on sink-tips or floaters IMO. Andrew