Ahaura
River
Ahaura River offers some
interesting fishing. The upper section in the Kopara area sees the combination
of several small mountain rivers within a short distance- the Waikiti,
Trent, Waiheke and Tutaekuri come together in a short distance to form the
Ahaura. A few miles downstream, the tannin-stained Haupiri River also
contributes to make a big river of the Ahaura.
We launch the drift boat
off the stop-banks at Kopara, a couple of miles above the Haupiri confluence.
This section of the river is blue mountain water, with wide, gravelled beaches,
and is braided and unstable. When the Haupiri joins, its tannin-stained colour
transforms the main stream. Depending on recent floods, there is usually a good
pool at this point. A couple of miles below the junction, the river
tightens up, and the gorge commences.
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The Earthquake Rapids above Jims Flat are
interesting.... Depending on river flow, its either really easy, or a technical
little boulder garden. Over the years, a number of jet boats have been sunk here
- usually on the way down, when steerage is lost trying to maneuver around the
boulders.
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Below these rapids, the
riverbanks become towering compacted gravel cliffs 80-100ft high, and the river
is confined to a single channel. It is deep and slow-moving in many places,
often with huge, boiling eddy's on the bends, of which there are many.
In terms of fishing, it is
largely untapped.... there are only a couple of places where old 4WD tracks
reach the river on the north bank. The cliffs preclude access up or down stream
any distance from these access points.
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The best way to fish the
gorge section of the Ahaura is to make it an overnight camping trip, with a stop
either at the Jims Flat hut (rustic!) or further down in tents. It is a big day
out for a one day trip - takes 6 hours brisk paddling in a kayak, add another 4
for the drift boat with a lunch stop and fishing. |
Techniques include;
- drifting a dry with a nymph on a dropper along the
edges
- spin fishing, with black Toby's, CD Rapala, or
red/gold Tasmanian Devil
- streamers- wet flies splashed down
against the banks, and retrieved quickly
Almost every afternoon,
usually by 2pm, an onshore breeze springs up, blowing briskly up all the river
valleys along the West Coast. This makes for difficult downstream progress in the drift
boat, keeps the oarsman very busy holding correct line along the river banks. It makes
sense to pitch camp just below a good stretch of water in mid-afternoon, fish
upstream on foot with the wind at your back, and sample the evening rise.
Setting off after breakfast next morning will generally see us out to the
extraction point before the next days breeze gets up too much. Usual practice is
to hang the 5hp Honda on the transom, ready to power
into the wind on the homeward leg.
   
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