D'Urville River

The D'Urville rises in the Spenser Mountains and runs 26 km north, between the Ella and Mahanga ranges, into the southern end of Lake Rotoroa in Nelson Lakes National Park. It flows over gravel and small stones down a beech-forest valley, and the water is usually clear with a blue tint. No road reaches it. It holds brown trout and some rainbows in moderate to good numbers, and Fish & Game's guide says most of the fish anglers report are 1.8 to 2.3 kg (4 to 5 lb). This is backcountry fishing for big, wary fish, and the guide calls it a real challenge.

On a sunny day you can see the fish well against the open gravel, so most of the fishing is sight fishing. Wary fish in clear water need a careful approach and a long, fine leader: at least 15 ft, with 3 kg fluorocarbon tippet, on a 5 to 7 weight rod with a drab floating line. Small unweighted nymphs such as a Pheasant Tail or Hare's Ear suit the clear water. Beetle patterns work in early summer and cicadas in late summer, and a Blue Dun covers mayfly days. A Greenwell's Glory or March Brown wet fly is worth a swing, and a small red or gold spinner can move the rainbows.

The quick way in is a water taxi from Rotoroa to the head of the lake, a ride of about 30 minutes, and water taxis run all year. You can also tramp in on the Travers–Sabine track network: D'Urville Hut is 2 hours from Sabine Hut, but a bridge on that track has been removed, and you must cross a stream about 1 m deep at normal flow, which may not be safe after rain. D'Urville Hut is a 10-bunk DOC standard hut near the lake, and the D'Urville Valley Track runs 4 hours up the river to Morgan Hut. This is remote country with fast-changing alpine weather. Go fit, carry a personal locator beacon, and check, clean and dry your gear, because lake snow and didymo are in Lake Rotoroa.