Freestone · Mixed Sedimentary · Southland, NZ

Mataura River

Gore banner River
Prime · Brown Trout
Hare & Copper Nymph · 12-16
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
Low and clear — careful approach country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia Pomahaka River
  • Water temp10.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Hare & Copper Nymph
Hare & Copper Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via Pomahaka River
Water temp10.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather8°C
WindNW 14 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent6.4 mm
Rain · ahead14.5 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from Pomahaka River. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

How these readings are sourced

Weather-only: no live gauge wired. Read flow trend and clarity — dry-fly best on low, clear water.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
10°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11:00

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
Deleatidium / NZ Mayfly DunHatch
3
3
3
3
2
2
3
3
3
Burrowing Mayfly / Green MayflyHatch
3
2
2
Caddis / SedgeHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
Cased Caddis / CreeperHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
3

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Southland Fish & Game region — a Fish & Game licence is required
  • Check the current Anglers Notice for method, bag and any C&R water
  • Check Clean Dry (didymo present).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Pomahaka River
29 km
Brown trout
Oreti River
58 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Gore banner River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 83 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity48 × 12%5.8
Conditions total= 83
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via Pomahaka Riverproxy
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout year-round (lower/main river); some reaches 1 October → year-round / 30 September

    Southland Fish & Game licence required. Legal status: guidance_not_permission — confirm reach rules in the current Anglers Notice.

Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts