You are here
Reel Life West Coast Jan 2012
2012 Salmon season is here
The long awaited Salmon season is upon us with fish now entering the major rivers and lakes of the West Coast to begin their breeding cycle. Fish & Game have already had reports of a couple of early fish getting caught but the bulk of the run arrives from February through to the end of March
Salmon were introduced to the West Coast in the early 1900s and have been present in the South Westland lakes since the 1930s. The large braided rivers from the Grey south to the Haast all have a run of some sort but the more consistent river runs are in the Taramakau, Hokitika, Paringa and Haast Rivers.
The West Coast is unique in having a couple of lake fisheries where sea-run salmon can be caught. Other lakes throughout the South Island have small lake resident populations of salmon but Lakes Mapourika and Paring have consistent runs of returning sea-run Quinnat which can attain weights of over 20 pound.
In 2008, Fish & Game conducted an angler survey and found that approximately 14 hours are spent fishing for every salmon caught. Angling pressure is still light with an average of five boats on each lake for the bulk of the season. The survey showed that the average size of fish that year was 14 pound but Fish & Game spawning surveys have shown that was an exceptionally good year. Fish over the longer term are more likely to average around the 10 pound mark.
Fish & Game monitor peak spawning at both South Westland lakes from April-June. Both lakes have experienced a gradual increase in peak counts since 2000 with peak counts in both systems observed in the second week of May in 2011.
Some 311 salmon were observed during the peak in MacDonalds Creek at Mapourika and 243 were observed during the peak in the Windbag Stream at Paringa. The 20-year average for both streams is just over 200 fish. Both systems have had peak counts of over 800 fish in the last decade with 2005 being the last ‘bumper’ year.
Angler surveys also reveal that there are a few basics to increase your chances of catching a fish, these are:
- Fish just after a fresh/flood – Salmon move into the rivers from the sea after these events and still readily take a lure. The longer they have spent in fresh water the harder they are to catch.
- Fish deep – Whether in a river or lake your lure needs to be near the bottom. In lakes this may require lead line or a downrigger and in rivers a large lure cast slightly upstream with a pause before the retrieve works best.
- Fish early in the morning or late at night – Salmon are more active at this time and in lakes generally higher in the water column.
Summer fish releases
Over the coming month Fish & Game will be continuing with our fisheries enhancement program.
Lake Kaniere will get its third annual consignment of rainbows. Lakes Haupiri, Kaniere and Mapourika will also have 5000 Quinnat salmon released into each to enhance the existing fisheries.
We are already seeing the benefits of this program with good sized rainbows (4 pound) getting caught last year in Lake Kaniere and good numbers of juvenile (3 pound) salmon being caught in the Haupiri and Kaniere systems.
Rainbows being released into Lake Kaniere.
Kawhaka enhanced fishery
The Kawhaka enhanced fishery continues to fish well.
The early season rainbows released are now getting a bit educated and correspondingly harder to catch.
Those that are trying a few different techniques such as bait fishing or fly fishing are doing well. Surprisingly it looks as though the fish have not just kept condition since there release but have also grown a little with some nearing 3 pounds.
A larger rainbow release is proposed for August.
