Choosing The Right Line Strength
Best Line for Tekapo & Ōhau Canal Fishing
If you’re planning a fishing trip to the Mackenzie Basin, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the best line for canal fishing. The Tekapo and Ōhau Canals are famous for producing some exceptionally large rainbow trout, brown trout and salmon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need heavy fishing line.
As a Twizel fishing guide with many years of experience fishing and teaching anglers on the Mackenzie Basin Hydro Canal system, one of the most common mistakes I see is anglers arriving with tackle that is simply too heavy.
What Line Strength Should You Use for Tekapo Canal Fishing?
For most Tekapo Canal fishing, I recommend approximately 6lb to 8lb line matched with a quality rod and reel with a smooth, correctly adjusted drag.
It can be tempting to think that because the Tekapo Canal holds very large trout, you need extremely heavy line. But when your tackle is balanced correctly and you know how to play a fish, surprisingly large trout can be successfully landed on relatively light gear.
The clear water of the canals also means presentation matters. Lighter tackle can help create a much more natural presentation, particularly when soft baiting and egg rolling.
Best Line for Ōhau Canal Fishing
The same principles generally apply to Ōhau Canal fishing.
Conditions throughout the canal system can vary considerably depending on water flow, wind, clarity and where you’re fishing. However, rather than automatically reaching for heavy line, I prefer a balanced setup that allows anglers to present their bait or lure naturally while still having enough strength to handle a powerful canal trout.
A good-quality drag is extremely important.
When a big trout takes off, you don’t want to lock everything up and try to overpower it. Let the fish run when necessary, maintain steady pressure and allow your rod, reel and drag to do the work.
Why Lighter Line Can Catch Big Canal Trout
Choosing the best line for canal fishing isn’t simply about using the strongest line available.
Your line is part of your entire fishing system. Rod action, reel quality, drag setting, knots, leader material and angling technique all contribute to whether you successfully land a fish.
This becomes particularly important when targeting the large trout found in the Tekapo and Ōhau Canals near Twizel.
Learning how to play a powerful fish properly can be far more valuable than simply increasing your line strength.
Learn Canal Fishing with a Twizel Fishing Guide
At Boothy’s Fishing School, I teach anglers how to fish the Tekapo and Ōhau Canal system using techniques that I’ve developed through many years of fishing these waters.
Whether you’re completely new to canal fishing or an experienced angler wanting to improve your results, I can help you with soft baiting, egg rolling, lure selection, tackle setup, reading the water, drag settings and correctly handling fish for release.
The Mackenzie Basin Hydro Canals offer year-round fishing opportunities, and there’s always something new to learn.
If you’re planning a fishing trip to Twizel and want to learn how to target these incredible fish, come and spend a day with Boothy’s Fishing School.
Fish lighter. Fish smarter. Let the drag do the work.
Boothy’s Fishing School
Twizel Fishing Guide | Tekapo Canal Fishing | Ōhau Canal Fishing