Crooked
River, as its name suggests, meanders in rather erratic fashion
from its source in the southern alps, through flat farmland, and on to Lake
Brunner. It has many interesting pools and runs, and some fine trout lurk within
its depths, or hide under the willow trees which line its banks in the lower
reaches. Fly fishing, particularly with a nymph, is often productive in the
Crooked River.
As the farmland turns to mountains, the river enters a
delightful gorge, full of crystal clear pools. Some very large trout
can be found about 2 miles upstream, in a series of pools which mark the
farthest range of trout, bounded by a series of falls which they cannot
navigate. These pools are 12-15 ft deep, very narrow, and overhung with
trees, making casting all but impossible! The trout in here will
make your eyes hang out on their stalks!!!
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Crooked River
gorge, the start of
"The Pool." Fish can only get another
300 metres beyond this point.
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The
boulder section just below the big pools, where a big trout may
lurk!
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A
consistent sequence of pools and runs are a feature of the gorge section
downstream to the road.
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The bridge
across the river, on the Rotomanu-Haupiri Rd marks the end of the gorge.
The river steadily mellows from here on its journey to the lake.
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Just above the
railway bridge, Mr Cliff Beauchamp hooks up to an angry brown trout...
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And the next day, a fine
fat hen fish midway between Te Kinga and the river mouth.
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Mr Gary Coleman,
from San Diego, California, hooked up to a fat little
brown trout.
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This pool is
about a half mile above where the river exits into Lake Brunner.
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The
shade of the last line of willow trees, 100 yards from the river mouth, is
a haven for big fat trout!
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At the mouth,
the river fans out across shallows which terminate in a sandbar. This is
excellent fishing in summer, as the lake fish seek respite in the cooler
river waters at the mouth.
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In recent years, the middle reaches of the river have been
affected a little by silt buildup, reducing aquatic insects significantly. Closer to the lake, trout are inclined to seek the colder
river water as a respite from the warmth of the lake in summer. Then, it is not
uncommon to see large numbers of good sized trout spread out across the shallows
at the river mouth, cooling off..... great sight, but the crystal clear water
makes a stealthy approach difficult, and the fish are wary..... Still, a
challenge is what all anglers thrive on, right? The river mouth is a
terrific place to fish, perhaps the best spot on the lake. to the south west of
the mouth a large, shallow bay, with extensive weed beds inshore, holds vast
numbers of trout. Wading, or drift boat fishing, and using a lure which emulates
the prevalent cockabully baitfish, is very productive. The mouth itself has a
large sandbar on either side, dropping sharply off into very deep water, over 10
feet deep within a short distance of the waters edge. Wading is obviously a
pastime requiring caution, especially at night!
Fishermen have always known of the
success of the popular bait fishing techniques. With
rain and a rising river, the banks tend to crumble, releasing earth-worms - as
children we quickly discovered that the fat, juicy red garden worms often proved
irresistible.
Crooked
River
Crooked River is important to
both anglers and canoeists, and is very a special piece of water. In the space
of a few short miles between mountains and lake, its personality changes
dramatically. The upper sections are wild, boulder studded, and consist of a
series of short rapids followed by crystal clear pools. In these sections , the
fish are wary, quick to spook. The best time to fish is as the river starts to
rise, a not uncommon event given the extremely high rainfall!
   
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