The Cascade River is definitely ‘off the beaten track’ and must be one of the best-kept secrets in New Zealand. It has probably only been fished by a handful of anglers.
The reason for this is due to its location at the very end of the road down the West Coast of the South Island. Most travellers turn east at Haast and head through the Haast Pass to the delights of Wanaka and Queenstown. Even the few intrepid souls that venture south past Haast probably only get as far as Jackson Bay.
Many will be surprised to learn that the road continues on 20 km from there and finally ends at the wide valley of the remote Cascade River. The gravel road is of a reasonable standard and a 4 WD drive is not normally required. The Jackson River is passed on the way, but this attractive-looking river apparently holds few trout. The road then gets a bit narrow through Monkey Puzzle Gorge but it is worth the drive just for the view from the top of the ridge before descending to the river valley. On reaching the end of the road, it is necessary to ask access permission from the farm owner at the new Martyr homestead just down the farm road.
Not far below the house is the Martyr River. This crystal clear river can be fished all the way down to its confluence with the Cascade. Brown trout up to 4 kg (8.8 lb) may be seen, with an average size of around 1.75 kg (3.85 lb). Most of them have that silver sheen of sea-run brown trout, no doubt brought into the river by the large whitebait runs. It is several km down to the Cascade junction and it would take a full day to fish this stretch thoroughly. The Martyr fish are surprisingly spooky; possibly due to the clarity of the water and the lack of cover. The best idea for this stream is to have a ‘spotter’ hidden in the matagouri on the high bank. This enables the flyfisher to stay well away from the quarry, being guided to the location of the fish by the directions from the bank.
The area around the junction fishes well at any time of the year but this is big water and it is not normally possible to wade to the far side. However there is good fishing available either up or down from here. There are many riffles as well as classic pools to give plenty of variety. Fish average around 1.5 kg (3.3 lb). These are wild trout in superb condition and strong leaders are required to subdue them in the heavy water. In the main river, the trout take freely, especially to a beadhead fly fished through the faster water.
Fishing upstream is possible for two or three km before a gorge is encountered and no further progress can be made up the true right bank. It is necessary to use a jet boat to get further up the river but after a few kilometres, even the jet boat access is halted due to the shallowness of the rapids. It is then a matter of tramping or forking out for helicopter transport. There was an old track between the Cascade and the upper Hollyford valley but this is not much used now so it might be hard to find. However there is so much under-fished water, that there is no real need to venture much past the gorge.
The Cascade is one of the best whitebait rivers on the West Coast and there is quite a large settlement at the mouth of the river during the whitebait season. This is well worth a visit if a jetboat is available. The conditions that the whitebaiters put up with while they pursue the little delicacy would not be tolerated by many. They are a hardy lot, the West Coasters!
