Arnold River

The Arnold drains Lake Brunner at Moana and flows about 25 km north to the Grey at Stillwater, 15 km from Greymouth. It is a medium-sized river with tea-stained water, and Fish & Game rates it highly. It holds a high number of brown trout, mostly 0.9 to 1.8 kg (2 to 4 lb), and some rainbows. Fish numbers are good the whole way, and very high above the small hydro dam about 13 km below the lake. Manawa Energy runs that power station, which has been there since 1932.

The river runs strongly over gravel and stone, with deep, powerful glides, deep pools and riffles. Bush or willows line most of the banks, with some open stretches. A lot of the fishing is from the bank, because the water is deep and strong and the stones are very slippery, and the bankside scrub can make it slow to move between spots. There are places to wade. Because the lake feeds it, the river seldom colours up and is fishable in all but extreme floods. The evening hatches of October and November and of March and April are the highlight, and fly fishing is the favoured method, though every method works. Use dark nymphs with enough weight to reach the bottom: a Hare and Copper, a Pheasant Tail or a caddis pattern in sizes 12 to 14. Small dries such as a Dad's Favourite, a Royal Wulff or a March Brown work at any time of day, with a bushier fly on the faster water. Small wets such as a Greenwell's Glory or a Twilight Beauty work in the evening rise and seem to suit the rainbows. Spin a small Mepps or a Toby through the deep pools, close to the bankside cover. Some anglers drift the river in a boat.

Arnold Valley Road follows the river for most of its length, and Fish & Game marks the access points along it. The West Coast Regional Council's gauges at Moana, near the lake outlet, and below the dam are live on this page. Check, clean and dry your gear between rivers to stop the spread of didymo.