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Bruce Creek

Bruce Creek is a small purist's river offering the chance to fish for freely rising large trout in a small clear spring fed water.

Fish typeMostly brown trout though there may also be a few rainbow trout.
Situation30kms from Moana on the southern end of Lake Brunner
SettingBruce Creek drains some swampy land and then flows north to join the Orangapuku River just before it enters Lake Brunner. It has a large number of feeder streams.
Maps

Access map

Check conditionsView the MetService weather forecast
DescriptionMostly the stream runs quietly over a stone bed and being spring fed tends to remain clean and clear even after heavy rain. The water often carries a small amount of colour and flows over a brown rocky riverbed which can make spotting trout very difficult. The river also has a large amount of river weed which supplies good food in the form of aquatic insect life and good cover for the trout during the day.
Fish numbers and sizeThere are very good numbers of fish in the Bruce and they can reach impressive sizes for this small river.
Ease of fishingThe fishing is easy for most of this river as it flows over open farmland. It is wadeable.
AccessAccess is via Kumara - Inchbonnie Road that takes you to a small side road that leads down to the river near Swan Bay.
Recommended lures

Nymphs:
Small Hare and Copper, Pheasants Tails variants and any small straggly looking nymph in small sizes (size 16 or even 18 preferred) work well. Some weight may be required in the deeper and faster sections.

Dry flies:
Small winged patterns such as Greenwell's Glory, March Brown or Adams. Green Beetles are effective in early summer and Cicada patterns from late summer are very effective. Use bushy flies in the faster water.

Wet flies:
Small wet flies such as March Brown, Greenwell's Glory or caddis emerger patterns work well throughout the days and are particularly effective in the evening rise.

Spinners: Small bladed spinners such as Veltic or Mepps fished through the deep pools (allow to sink for the best results) or upstream into the faster water.

Regulations
Applicable toBruce Creek
RegionWest Coast
Season

Trout: 1 Oct-30 Apr

MethodsArtificial fly, spinner, bait
Bag limitRainbow trout: 2

Brown trout: 2

Size limit (cm)No limit

Other fishing waters of the region



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