Christchurch's fishing escape

Location guide

Salmon fishing draws a regular ???picket fence??? to the Waimakariri mouth.

Salmon are the great prize of the Waimakariri. An angler and his catch are immortalised.

Kahawai are a regular catch at the rivermouth, and welcomed by many anglers.

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The Waimakariri Rivermouth, otherwise known as Kairaki, offers a range of fishing opportunities, from salmon and trout to sea fish of many species, as well as whitebait in season. 

Situated only 15 minutes’ drive north of Christchurch, and bordering Christchurch’s outer suburb of Kaiapoi, the Waimakariri offers plenty of space for anglers to spread out and enjoy themselves.
In this article I will focus on the mouth, but also touch on the lower, tidal reaches of the river up to the State Highway One Bridge.

The rivermouth itself is a broad, sandy channel that flows into the sea at the settlement of Kairaki (on the mouth’s northern side). It is a very popular location for salmon fisherman, producing consistent catches of salmon from February to early April. In recent years, up to seventy fish have been taken on a good day. Mostly, though, it’s a question of taking your chances, with half-a-dozen to a dozen fish taken most mornings this season – between as many as ninety anglers!

Often the best spot for salmon is where the river’s channel flows through the surf on the north side at Kairaki, with a strong run-out tide offering the best salmon fishing. The out-flowing current often has clearer water and concentrates the salmon close to the edge.

The ‘Quick Silver’ is a favoured salmon lure for the river’s channel next to the surf, and unlike up-river angling, the salmon will take the lure in mid-water here. Often, at low tide, people will venture into the surf and pick up a salmon or two, along with the odd kahawai.

The kahawai are nowhere near as prolific at the Waimak mouth as they were ten or fifteen years ago, when the rivermouth would blacken with their presence in the late summer. Yet for the keen fisherman with a long surf rod, a fish or two can be picked out from where the river’s flow mixes with the surf on either the north or south side. Green ticers with a red tag prove most effective.

In recent years anglers fishing with a single hook have done well, as it seems the single hook is not thrown as easily as a treble. Kahawai can be caught at the Waimak mouth from mid-spring to late autumn (September to May), with the low tide being the best time to catch them.

Once the tide comes in, the water often colours up at the rivermouth, especially if the northeasterly has been blowing, and the line-up of fisherman changes from spin anglers to bait fisherman. Kahawai are often caught on bait, with the fish averaging two kilograms.

For those fishing with smaller hooks and lighter tackle, large yelloweyed mullet are a frequent and welcome catch. On the high tide a range of sea fish move into the channel. On high tides red cod, elephant fish, flounder, sole, stargazers and a wide range of other sea fish can be caught in the rivermouth.

The rivermouth is suited to fishing for flounder with baits set on the bottom. I usually use two sinkers and set the hooks between them. I like to cast into the deepest part of the channel for sole, so low tide is best for this.

Sole move into the rivermouth in late autumn to early winter, and are a fun species to catch, putting up a brisk fight on five-kilogram tackle. Sand flounder and yellowbelly flounder, along with black flounder, are also caught.

Ghost shrimps make prime baits for those targeting flatfish, and large yellow-eyed mullet are also partial to them, which is a bonus. At times big stargazers up to a kilo are also caught and make good eating. The sandy embayments, which form under the pine trees at Kairaki, are a favoured spot for targeting flatfish.

The sand flats on the south side of the rivermouth, just upstream from the Brooklands Lagoon entrance, is a favoured spot at low tide for either set-netting or drag-netting for flounders. A dinghy is useful for crossing the river.

Winter is often an uncrowded time at the Waimakariri River mouth, which is a relaxing place to bait-fish in the deep channels, especially when the river is running low and clear and the tide incoming. I like the river’s flow to be below 50 cumecs, since the discoloured water is not as good for fishing when it’s flowing faster, with the flotsam and jetsam often drifting down the river at such times making angling difficult.
The Waimakariri River mouth is one of the most popular spots for whitebaiting in Canterbury. The rivermouth is usually full of whitebaiters from mid-August until the season’s end, at the end of November. The top of the incoming tide is the best time for whitebaiting. Set-nets are the most popular, but tow nets also work well in the surf.

Some decent sea-run trout can also be caught, so many whitebaiters have a spinning rod on hand just in case a large sea-run tout, or perhaps a kahawai, starts splashing around. 

A  few kahawai will come into the rivermouth chasing the whitebait in the spring, and can be targeted with a fly rod in the shallows.

The best spot for targeting sea-run trout is further up from the mouth, where the river changes from a sandy channel into a river flowing over shingle bars and stones, just below the State Highway One Bridge. From mid-September until early January, sea-run trout (up to 5 kilograms but averaging two to three kilograms) are caught as they herd whitebait – and later in the season, smelt – onto the braids. Gulls and terns flying overhead often mark out where the trout are feeding. Lightweight spinning gear or a sinking line on a fly rod are favoured. The outgoing tide, from high tide, is the best time to target sea-run trout here.

The Waimakariri River mouth is an outstanding recreational fishing resource, right on Christchurch’s doorstep, that seasonally offers different fishing opportunities. It is a fun place to fish, with something always happening, and the views from the rivermouth of the sweep of Pegasus Bay, especially around dawn and sunset, are spectacular. This spacious and beautiful place provides a welcome escape from the clutter of the city for many of Christchurch’s more fortunate anglers.â€Â

- © Fairfax NZ News