Fishing

The estuaries and river mouths of the Catlins are productive fishing environments. In the springtime, large sea-run trout feed in the estuaries following whitebait runs. The Catlins estuary and the bridge to the lake are great spots. Rivers are also worth fishing for brown trout and the lower Clutha and its river mouth also offer top fishing for freshwater perch.

Flounder is common in all the estuaries and the yellowbelly flounder is the most common species. Flounder are often caught at low tide in the channels by soft-bait fishing. Large yellow-eyed mullet are also a top catch from the estuaries. At Pounawea there are large cockle beds and cockles make a tasty and dependable feed. At night you can often spot large paddle crabs, which make for outstanding eating. Snorkellers should explore under bull kelp along the rocky coast for paua. Butterfish can also be caught this way. A few skilled anglers line-fish for butterfish using shrimps on long sensitive rods.

Rocky points along the coastline are a good place to catch blue cod and large parrotfish, while surfcasting off the beaches offers the chance of catching a range of sharks, blue moki and blue cod over the summer months.

Peter Langlands: Wild Capture 2018, langlands@xtra.co.nz