The Cicada's Are Out

Even here in suburbia it's obvious the cicada's are out. My cat's even been dragging a couple in a day.

Cicada fishing new zealand trout guides north island south trophy rainbow brown

Cicada fishing new zealand trout guides north island south trophy rainbow brown

It happens every year, late January through to mid March our trout go mad gorging on cicada’s. Whilst “cicada time” happens to be a regular NZ fishing occurrence, many anglers miss this opportunity to fish for suicidal trout on our rivers. Point being, get out there, and don’t miss out. Here’s a quick guide to fishing cicada’s.

1. Make sure it's visible.

You don't need to stick to super realistic cicada patterns pick a fly that's goign to be easy to see on the water. That way you can make sure you focus on the fly as it comes down a bubbly rapid and you wont miss takes.

2. Use a Polyleader to turn over the bulky cicada fly.

As cicada patterns are so big make sure you fish a Polyleader to help turn the fly over positively. There is no point your leader not turning over and your fly landing beside the tip of your line.

3. Don't be afraid to leave the fly sitting static on the surface of a pool.

The trout know what these things are and they are more than happy to move a long way to get them. So leave the fly sitting for a minute on the surface of a deep dark pool, you might be surprised what will materialise from the bottom.

4. Get your flies right up against the bank.

Rememebr cicada's aren't emerging fro the middle of the river, they are falling off the tree's and off the long grass on the bank. So the trout will be looking closer to the edges to see what pops in.

Cicada fishing new zealand trout guides north island south trophy rainbow brown