KEY POINTS:
Whitebaiters on the Grey River have enjoyed a rare bonanza over the past 24 hours.
Rivers in Buller and South Westland have provided slim pickings for many, but in Greymouth yesterday the sun was shining, the water crystal clear and the whitebait were running.
And it was more of the same - just many more whitebaiters - on the Grey this morning, some with 20-litre buckets brim full, others with varying amounts, and all very happy.
One fisherman who had around 5kg was thanking modern technology for his catch yesterday.
"My son sent me a text saying there were some good shoals coming up. I come down at 12.30 and had this (his catch) by 1pm."
Catches so far have not been so good on the rivers in the deep south, which traditionally produce the big yields.
Haast whitebait buyer Colin McKinney said catches had started to pick up a little in the past few days but September had been a bad one.
"It's the worst start in donkey's years. Perhaps this is going to be one of those seasons where there is precious little in the first months and heaps in October."
Mr McKinney said "a few" 100kg loads had been flown out of South Westland in the past week but that was not a lot for the number of fishermen in the region.
"There are heaps more fishermen than fish. I think every man in Canterbury wants to fulfil his dream and go to the West Coast whitebaiting."
The Hokitika River has provided some big catches and plenty of little ones this week. Some with stands upstream were yesterday catching upwards of 40kg on a tide, while those using scoop nets closer to the river mouth were picking up "a feed" and sometimes a bit more.
Department of Conservation (DOC) Hokitika ranger Ted Brennan said the season has also provided "the usual riverbank arguments" and unusually large deposits of litter.
"It's something we will probably have to sort out in conjunction with the district council, but we have spoken to a few people about the vast collections of beer bottles left in some places."
Westport baiters have fared worst of all, three weeks into the season.
DOC Buller ranger John Green said whitebaiters in most rivers in the north were "picking up a pound or two, with the odd big catch in between".
Compliance had been good but he said that was usually the case when pickings were lean.
- NZPA
