Ahuriri River Valley

Ahuriri River Valley

Location & Characteristics

The Ahuriri lies in the McKenzie Country in the heart of Central Otago. The river flows from the foothills of the Southern Alps, through rugged, barren country to pour into the great reservoir that is now Lake Benmore but once was the mighty Waitaki River. The Ahuriri is a large river in its own right and anglers are fortunate that it was spared from the hydro electricity development with which it has been threatened over the past twenty years. The catchment area lies just one ridge away from Lake Ohau to the east and Lake Hawea to the west.

The Ahuriri Valley is often used by trampers to gain access to the Hunter River and right through to Lake Hawea. This upper valley can be reached by the road to Birchwood Station but permission must be obtained before venturing past the station homestead. There is a walking track, marked by poles, at the end of the farm road. The fish are few and far between in the upper valley but they are most likely to be large browns, some as big as 5 kg.

Further down, near Ben Avon Station, the river meanders, snakelike, across the flat tussock lands and good stocks of both rainbow and browns will be found. The fish in this section can often be spotted in the backwaters and in such quiet water, they will prove a challenge even for the experienced angler. They average 1.5 kg but there will be the occasional trophy size fish, especially in the tarns near the road. These are the Horseshoe Lagoon and Green Lagoon and both have yielded some huge browns over the years. They provide some angling opportunities when the main river is discolored. The river always has a blue tinge to it and is slow to clear but fishes well when it is clearing.