Opening Week Observations with Chris Dore

And we’re off! Welcome to the 2026 / 27 freshwater fishing season in the South. It’s been a great week so far, not the easiest by all accounts, but for those prepared to look around and put in the yards, some waters have been producing very well indeed. Here are a few observations made over the past few days…

• Rivers were still flowing full, which meant additional weight such as Loon Deep Soft Weight and/or flies such as Simons Uglies were required to get down and give us the advantage.

• Most mayfly nymphs observed were in the size 14 range, rather dark (black in many cases) and in abundance, especially on the smaller waters. Green, and horn caddis were observed mostly in smaller, size 16 - 18 sizes with not as many larger larvae found. Mayfly hatches were short lived, late afternoon in most places, but would trickle off throughout the warmer parts of the day. A light size 14 Adams, or blue dun style parachute, matched the colouration and size of the naturals, though fish happily ate our size 12 indicator paras. 

• Snow melt was a factor on the majority of our main stem rivers, pushing fish out towards the edges and the softer water, or sending them deep. Accordingly, feeding activity was often limited, so you had to make the casts count when active fish were encountered.

• The coloured water actually fished well for those attuned to spotting in it, or identifying gravel bars, drop offs and softer sheltering water. Bright flies certainly caught attention with gold, orange or silver beaded hares ear nymphs taking most of our fish.

• I personally found the smaller streams inconsistent considering decent flows. On some I felt the fish had already dropped back to the main rivers; on others, we found the fish were still holding up high in better numbers. On some, we just found awesome fishing. If you’re not finding fish make a call - either keep pushing on until you find them, or dip your gear, and relocate to another nearby water. Plan B’s, and C’s certainly provided for us these past few days. 

It pays to scout around at this time of year and look at new locations. Most streams will hold fish, and most will hold some surprising sizes. Don’t be afraid to fish blind either, as browns especially can simply appear from nowhere when they have a little additional water to blend in with. 

With a couple of weeks of dry weather in the long-range forecast, things can drop reasonably fast so look for water where returning browns can hole up in more substantial pools and run, and keep those smaller flies and lighter tippet close. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chris Dore is a battle-tested fly fishing guide with over 20 years of professional guiding experience, battling the demanding, ever-changing conditions that our New Zealand rivers throw at us.

In 2006 Chris became one of the first New Zealanders to successfully pass the internationally recognised Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors examination and has since taught many thousands of anglers to up their skillset.

 
For more in person and on river fly fishing advice and upskilling why not book Chris for a day or three?