Scorching summer temperatures around Canterbury have dried up waterways in the North Canterbury recreational hotspot, Ashley River, leaving dozens of brown trout, eels and other aquatic life stranded.
Ashley Village resident Ron Cameron and his son Jo alerted Fish & Game to the stranding and helped with the salvage work.
In two small pools just downstream of the Rangiora rail bridge, rescuers found more than 50 good-sized brown trout and dozens of bullies, galaxiids, torrentfish and short-finned eels.
“As many as possible were relocated to areas of continuous flow and cooler water. However, exploring the riverbed found examples where the river had dried up quickly, stranding and killing fish and eels,” Fish and Game said.