Salmon anglers casting a line across the gut during the Waitaki River Salmon Fishing Contest. Close to the camera anglers are spin fishing in the main channel of the river looking out across the lagoon. In the distance where the mouth narrows others are fishing the "gut." On the seaward side of the shingle spit anglers with long rods are fishing out over the surf. Dotted along the main channels of the river to the left are dozens of anchored jet boats.

In the "big" fast water of the Waitaki River the jet boaters are usually the more successful. This is particularly so when the main channel, which can be carrying over 500 cumecs (500 cubic metres of water per second), is running straight out in the same line at the river rather than "bending" to the right and following the shingle spit. At such times the river is far too deep to wade and shore based anglers can't get a shot on the salmon as they hug the bottom and come up the middle of the main current.

Many anglers also have a strong prefference towards the type of fishing they enjoy the most. For example some will continue to fish the surf even when it is rough and largely unfishable when they would be better off to fish in the river. When there is a long line of anglers such as shown in the picture most of the salmon caught on a given day will be taken along a short stretch, either at first light or for perhaps an hour or so at the top of the tide. While much of the rest of the day will be spent with only the odd fish caught here and there.

Return to Waitaki River Salmon Fishing in New Zealand's South Island