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Reel Life CSI Jan 2012
Kids fishing day
The first kids fishing day was held at Kelland Pond, Twizel, in 2010. The event was a huge success and it was decided to repeat it in 2011.
With all the paperwork sorted 600 salmon were released into a netted-off arm of the pond. The salmon were kindly donated by the three local salmon farms – Mt Cook Alpine Salmon, High Country Salmon and Benmore Salmon. The salmon were in great condition to provide the children with a challenge the following day.
December 29 dawned fine and sunny and 375 hopeful children descended on Kelland Pond. Fishing started with a gun shot at 9am and the water was soon filled with all manner of fishing paraphernalia. Salmon were being caught in all directions, and it was only when the sun had fully risen that the fishing slowed – or perhaps the salmon had seen one too many lures.
For many children this was their first fishing experience and a chance to try out that new rod that Santa had given them. Plenty of kids successfully landed their first fish and many more hooked big ones that got away! Around 75 salmon were bought to the help tent for gutting, while other anglers who chose to clean their catch at home, accounting for another 50 fish.
Roshini Crow of Twizel tries to cast her lure a little bit further.
This year Meridian Energy, Resene Paints, Twizel Hardware and Southern Alps Pictures donated a heap of spot prizes so that most of those who didn’t catch a fish still went away with a prize.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped on the day, as without your assistance it simply would not have been possible to put on this event. CSI Fish & Game see the event as a great addition to activities around Twizel during the holiday period, and hope it can be repeated in future.
I would like to also thank all of the businesses that contributed to the day, as without their dedication and support the event wouldn’t have been the great success it was.
McKinnons Riparian Trust salmon releases
The McKinnons Riparian Trust operates a volunteer salmon hatchery in the lower Rangitata River. During the spawning run in May-June 2011, the Trust had a good return of fish which enabled them to raise more than enough salmon for their annual June release into the Rangitata River.
The excess juvenile salmon raised were released into other waterways around the region.
In December space became limited at the hatchery so it was time for some of these surplus fish to be released. One hundred and three thousand salmon were released into four sea-run salmon fisheries to try and improve the number of salmon returning.
Ohapi Stream (flows into the Orari River) received 21,000, Three Springs (flows into the Opihi River) received 30,000, Ealing Springs (flows into the Rangitata River) received 27,000 and Maori Lakes Outlet (flows into the Ashburton River) received 25,000.
Many of these areas have historically been popular spawning areas for salmon but over the last decade numbers have declined. Suitable spawning habitat still exists at these sites and we hope that some of the salmon will imprint on these streams and return to spawn as adults in two year’s time.
