| This view illustrates the methods used to get to the best salmon fishing at the end of the shingle spit. Some anglers have crosssed the lagoon by dinghy while others have travelled north from the Blythe Valley by four wheeler motorbike. Salmon and searun brown trout are taken fishing in the lagoon. The Hurunui River mouth, as with all river mouths, should be considered a dangerous place to fish for salmon, trout and whitebait. Almost every year anglers and whitebaiters are washed out to sea and drowned while fishing such places. Nowadays many anglers wisely wear some sort of floatation device. Keep in mide that these river are tidal in their lower reaches. You might wade out only to find that the incoming tide has cut off your retreat.
Sometimes the Hurunui River can be clear and fishable whilst the other major Canterbury salmon rivers are running high and discoloured. You should always check River Flows Canterbury for river levels before leaving home to go salmon fishing.
According to Fish and Game optimal trout fishing condition for the Hurunui River is when the flow is reading between 10-30 cumecs at the Mandamus recorder. When the river is very low and clear there is a good chance that salmon will be milling about in the surf waiting for the river to rise so the surf at the river mouth is always worth a try for salmon during the season from November to April. Here is a big salmon caught from the Hurunui surf.
Much depends on the speed at which you wind in your zed spinners. Take a look at super salmon spinners. Here are all the different Salmon Lures.
Map showing South Island Salmon Fishing Rivers
Return to: Hurunui River Salmon and Trout Fishing
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