Fly fishing for salmon

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Hebes
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Fly fishing for salmon

Post by Hebes » Mon Aug 06, 2018 4:45 am

I'm in the south island with my teenage son in December and have some trout fishing lined up but would also like to introduce him to salmon fishing.
Can anyone give me some advice as to where we could find the best water suitable for fly fishing. We'll spin if we have to but I'd rather use fly if possible
Thanks



Andy W
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by Andy W » Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:52 am

You might have to lower your sites a little if you are after a sea run Quinnat salmon on a fly, as the east coast salmon fishery is in serious trouble at present. The best bet for that type of fishing was in the western zones close to the spawning area’s – most of which are now closed to fishing. Check the CSI regs https://fishandgame.org.nz/centralsouth ... gulations/, as there are some opportunities in CSI region still – but there will be precious few salmon in rivers small enough that you can see them in December. 20 years ago it was doable…

It will be possible to catch them in the canals at that time of the year - close second maybe?



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TIDDLER
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by TIDDLER » Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:49 am

HEBES - SADLY , WHAT BOTH FRASER (bottom of board index page) AND ANDY HAVE SAID IS TRUE .
IF YOU REFER TO GENERAL FLY FISHING > SALMON SYMPOSIUM ..... YOU WILL FIND A DISCUSSION THERE ON SALMON .
I AM HOPEFUL YOUR TEENAGE SON WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN BEFORE HE'S 30 AND CATCH SALMON IN THE LOWER CLUTHA AT LEAST . IF FRASER IS SUCCESSFUL WITH HIS PLANS YOUR "GRANDSMOLT" :P WILL BE ABLE TO CHASE SALMON IN THE UPPER CLUTHA . EITHER WAY - DECEMBER IS PRETTY EARLY .
Al.



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fraser hocks
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by fraser hocks » Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:57 am

Yea Andy makes a good point, there is the canal fish. I figured been from the UK Hebe's was after a more traditional swinging a fly for a salmon, but I could be wrong.

The mad thing is that there are some that are still looking towards hatcheries as a way of keeping our salmon population. Its fairly well known around the world that hatcheries are a band-aid solution to a gaping wound. Get the access back and the fish will thrive. Then maybe one day we will see a return to the massive runs that used to occur?


Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!

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TIDDLER
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by TIDDLER » Mon Aug 06, 2018 5:50 pm

..... that hatcheries are a band-aid solution .....Mmmm YES AND NO !

I AGREE THAT HATCHERIES WHERE THE YOUNG ARE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER RIVER ARE KNOWN TO HAVE A VERY LOW SUCCESS RATE .
THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE IN UK AND ELSEWHERE THAT HATCHERIES BUILT IN THE RIVER (where the fish are to be released) AND USING THAT RIVERS WATER TO SUPPLY THE HATCHERY - ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL .
WITH REGARDS TO THE CLUTHA AND GIVEN THAT THERE IS LITTLE (if any) EVIDENCE THAT IT CURRENTLY HAS A SALMON RUN THEN EVEN IF A FISH LADDER / BYPASS WAS AVAILABLE TOMORROW WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO BUILD A HATCHERY TO STOCK IT .

MY THOUGHTS ARE LETS GET THE LOWER CLUTHA AND TRIBS ACTIVE AGAIN SO THAT WHEN THE BYPASSES ARE CONSTRUCTED THE UPPER CLUTHA WILL REAP THE BENEFITS . I AM ALL FOR BOTH SOLUTIONS ( fingers crossed !)



Johnno
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by Johnno » Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:15 am

Salmon on the SI east coast are now pretty much a thing of the past. Some small runs in some rivers now and again ( and none in others) but it’s very hit and miss compared to the salmon fishing of the 1990s and prior. For a variety of reasons I don’t think salmon will return in any great degree anytime soon, if at all...



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fraser hocks
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by fraser hocks » Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:39 am

Yea fair call Tiddler. I do like the idea of both. The hatchery as a short term fix and the ladders as an ultimate goal.

Suppose iv seen what happens when hatchery's are the only source of fry. Becomes a little Deliverance (move reference) when no genetic diversity occurs in the wild. Hence my preference for fish access.

Il check my figures but I believe its in the order of $400,000 that Contact are spending every year to try to maintain the salmon stocks in the Clutha, not to mention the Dunedin Community Salmon Trust and all there good work and hatchery stock. Yet so far this season ZERO fish recorded caught in the Clutha. Its a sorry state of affairs that's for sure!


Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!

Andy W
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by Andy W » Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:21 am

Changing the subject, but there is no doubt that the fishery was at its best when both Government agencies, and then private enterprise were releasing salmon by the millions each year. It peaked and then dropped off in the mid-80’s, and it did the same in the mid-90’s which was the end of the ocean ranching phase of salmon farming. NZ Salmon were releasing 1.3M fish per year from Glenariffe as well as a bigger operation at Tentburn on the coast. And they were not the only ones, as there were many smaller operations releasing salmon right around the South Island.

Before then NIWA ran the Glenariffe site, and while they didn’t release the same numbers the fishery was still fantastic. I remember going up there in the early 70’s on a fishing club outing, and there were hundreds if not thousands of salmon coming up the river to the trap.

I found a good article a while ago about the fishery on NZ Geo magazine, which gives a lot of background as to why the fishery has suffered – it also offers a tip on where you can swing a fly for salmon still to this day: https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/salmon-the-miracle-fish/.

The last time I was at the Hydra Waters was 1995 – hooked a fish on my first cast, played it and lost it and we stuck it out for another hour, but by the then fish had long moved up to the spring creek to spawn. Now you cannot even fish the water for trout as the access has been locked off.



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fraser hocks
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by fraser hocks » Tue Aug 07, 2018 10:59 am

Thanks for that Andy. Looks like great reading? Tomorrow night il sit down and have a good read.

Must catch up for a beer with you next time your down mate? Been too long hey. Il have to pop over the saddle and have a chat with Derek (who wrote the article) as well.


Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!

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TIDDLER
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Re: Fly fishing for salmon

Post by TIDDLER » Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:21 pm

Hi GUYS - I WAS AWAY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS . CAME BACK TO FIND THE ARTICLE ANDY PUT UP . SOME GOOD STUFF IN THERE BUT TAKES A LOT OF READING TO GET THE "INFORMATION" . WORTH IT THOUGH !
FRASER - IF YOUR SUGGESTING OUR SALMON COULD DEVOLVE INTO A DEGENERATED STATE AS SHOWN IN "DELIVERANCE" THEN I'M NOT GOING NEAR THE RIVER :P ..... !



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