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A Waitaki River salmon from the 1999/2000 season. Fish that year were very thin, probably as a result of poor feeding conditions at sea. I note however they were no easier to catch. |
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A limit bag of from the Waitaki River. |
The Waitaki River straddles the boundary between North Otago and South Canterbury . Anglers who otherwise fish for salmon in the east coast rivers further to the north will be struck by the sheer scale of the Waitaki River when fishing it for the first time. It's big! It's also boisterous and swift in many places. Unlike the other rivers you cannot generally wade from bank to bank across the Waitaki; the water being too fast and deep.
Hydro schemes in the head waters mean that the river is more refined, and it's flow can be controlled at the dams: It tends also to be clear when other rivers to the north are dirty and unfishable.
Quinnat salmon and Atlantic salmon were introduced into New Zealand starting as early 1875. Releases were made in North and South Island . These early releases were unsuccessful.
The Governments Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Mr L.F. Ayson, decided that rather than releasing a few smolt here and there, in different rivers throughout the Dominion, he would instead concentrate his efforts on just one river. Having decided that the Waitaki offered the best chance for a successful introduction, a hatchery was constructed at Hakataramea, which is a tributary, and the first shipment of ova arrived in 1901. By 1905 the first quinnat salmon were being caught at the mouth. It is interesting to note that this development was not warmly received by all the angling fraternity, some of whom believed that the introduced salmon were ruining the trout fishing in the Waitaki system! By 1907, when importations ceased, two million ova had been hatched at Hakataramea.
Until 1941 returning salmon were caught in traps up-river and stripped. The resulting ova were hatched and the smelts used to stock other rivers, even though salmon spread north to other rivers naturally.
The aforementioned high flows in the Waitaki River , up to 500 cumecs, mean that salmon fishing here can be quite an experience. The flow at the gut is usually very fast and high campared with the Rakaia.
I noted that many anglers fishing this torrent near the mouth were using heavy line, up to 50 ib (24kg) on their threadline reels is not uncommon. Particularly those fishing the south side of the mouth. Here the river fair belts past the huge assembled throng of, at times hundreds, of expectant fishermen. During the annual competition I saw many bust-offs along this stretch. One guy even hooked and lost three big fish in almost as many minutes.
Typical tackle at the mouth was a heavy 68g ticer above which was a heavy one ounce "D" - lead. I noticed that a few anglers were using two leads in an effort to get their lure down near the bottom.
Salmon travel upstream close to the riverbed and it's hopeless fishing this fast water unless you get your gear down. It sure is a strange form of fishing for those new to it. Ticers and Zed spinners also take a real beating from being constantly bashed along the stones, and knots have to be regularly checked for stone bruises. I saw many fish played for a short period and lost.
I'm a salmon angler who prefers to fish the mouth. I just love the super charged atmosphere that often prevails during periods of fast and furious action. Fish caught along this narrow 300 met re strip of shingle cannot be "played" as such. Especially at low tide, the river is racing by at over 12 knots. When a fish is hooked, anglers quickly shout "fish-on" and start sprinting for the end of the line were the rushing torrent meets the breakers. It is the duty of all fellow salmon anglers on hearing this call, and sighting the rapidly approaching, and highly excited angler, to get the hell out of the way.
Once down into the surf it becomes a weighting game. Too much brute force applied to a 30 plus pound fish will result in a bust-off for certain. The name of the game is take it easy. Mind you, some blokes can take this softly softly approach to the extreme, making a real meal of it by playing even the small fry for over an hour. Still, I guess, better safe than sorry!
The north side of the mouth is fishable on fewer days. New blokes are better to try their luck on the south side of the mouth first. Like the other salmon rivers access to the mouth, particularly from the south, requires a walk of a least a kilometer or so from the car park. This is always heavy going in loose shingle while wearing waders and carrying rod, reel, spinners, food and drink for a day. For this reason many anglers have invested in four-wheeler farm bikes with balloon tires. Quad bikes at the mouth of the Waitaki River.
The heaviest salmon caught during the 1995 annual fishing contest was taken by Michael McVie from Oamaru. It weighed 16.78kg (36.91b) just over three pounds short of winning a four-wheel-drive Nissan Pathfinder. The salmon taken since the bumper year of 1995 have become smaller for some reason. ut this trend goes in cycles.
Other winners that year included: 2nd; Ron Logan from Timaru, 15.98kg (35lb); 3rd Cameron Parker from Christchurch, 15.86kg (34.81b); Leigh Banks from Christchurch, 14.96 (32.91b); 4th Peter Johnson from Rangiora, 14.9kg (32.71b); 5th Geoffrey Bright from Dunedin, 14.74kg. As you can see from these weights these are huge Quinnat salmon by New Zealand standards.
If you are a keen salmon angler thinking of visiting New Zealand I recommend you time your trip for the months of February and March. The big Waitaki Salmon Fishing Contest is held over four days around mid March, while the big annual Rakaia Salmon Contest is held at the end of February. These are both great events, well organised, and played out in a tremendous friendly atmosphere.
The Waitaki is perhaps home of the jet boat. As mentioned above access to this wide braided riverbed is more difficult by foot than the other salmon rivers. A jet boat makes so much more water available for fishing. I'm told that you can catch more salmon if you own a jet boat. I'm sure this is true for the Waitaki River. At the mouth jet boats are sometimes lined across the river just above the gut eight boats deep. As one pulls out of line another quickly takes its place.
The Waitaki River isn't everyone's cup-of-tea! It is big water in an even bigger landscape. However for those prepared to make the effort the Waitaki produces some of the biggest salmon of all.
The Waitaki River is approximately three hours drive south from the large population center of Christchurch. As such it is not fished by day-trippers from that city as is the case with the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers.
The most popular water is between the mouth and the state highway bridge on the south side of the river. Hence you have more chance of fishing a hole all to yourself at first light, and casting to a fish that has never seen a zed spinner before when you chase big salmon in the mighty Waitaki River!
You might also be interested in salmon fishing in the Waimakariri River, Hurunui River and salmon zed spinners. What do salmon eat at sea? Fishing for salmon with the Canterbury Lure Rod. Fishing with white zed spinners. Salmon in the smaller Ophi River.
Sea Fishing around New Zealand
