Typical Lake Lyndon rainbow trout caught on spinning gear from a drifting boat.
Lake Lyndon
Named by Edward Jollie, Lake Lyndon nestles near the top of Porters Pass. It really is a Canterbury high country lake in the truest sense sitting in an almost tree-less barren tussock landscape. Lake Lyndon drains at its southern end into the Acheron River which in turn flows to the Rakaia River.
In winter snow frequently falls to the water’s edge and at least part of the lake ices over. State Highway 73 passes the northeastern tip of Lake Lyndon between Springfield and Castle Hill Village. Lake Lyndon is about 90 minutes drive from Christchurch – the last part of the journey being up the steep Porters Pass. This is the first true Canterbury high country lake on the main road between Christchurch and the South Island’s West Coast.
Lyndon Road runs around Lake Lyndon on the eastern side providing excellent fishing access. The dry weather shingle Lyndon Road joins with Lake Coleridge about 50 minutes drive to the west of Lake Lyndon. This road can be a bit hairy in winter.
North Canterbury Fish & Game keep Lake Lyndon well stocked with rainbow trout. Fly, Spin and Bait fishing is permitted in Lake Lyndon. Open season is from the first Saturday in November to 30 April. There is also a winter extension from 1 June to 31 August. The high numbers of smaller rainbows present in Lake Lyndon make the lake an ideal destination for introducing junior anglers to trout fishing. There are no brown trout in Lake Lyndon.
Lake Lyndon is an ideal destination for dry fly fishing in high summer. A nymph fished deep on a long leader is also productive. Lake Lyndon is quite deep and spin anglers are advised to allow their black and gold Toby to sink well down before retrieving.
On several occasions, I have had great success fishing for rainbows after dark, around Lake Lyndon, with luminous doll flies. The rainbows are very obliging in taking glow-in-the-dark lures. These are well worth a try and are good fun for the kids.
The best fishing for rainbow trout is usually late in the winter season as this lake tends to heat up quite a bit during summer. During the winter season, lake conditions are also more likely to be calm and free of the strong wind associated with the summer months. Parts of the lake also freeze over in winter.
How to Target Winters Rainbows using Glo-bugs with Tim Nicol
On light spinning gear 60cms up your main line attach enough split shots so you can cast out about 20 meters. Then at the end of your main line tie on 1 or 2 Glo-bugs (I use orange and pink). I also paint them in silicone (the stuff you use for dry flies) so they float off the bottom.
Cast out with a bit of slack and wait. You can even put your rod down on the ground with drag loosened off.
The idea is the Glo-bugs are suspended in the water just above the weed beds. Cruising trout come along and pick them up. Works great in the colder winter months.
Sourced from NZTopo50-BW21. Crown Copyright Reserved.
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