Auckland/Waikato Reel Life September 2018

Have a go - spring fishing competitions

The very popular Kilwell Lower Waikato River Trout Contest will be held from October 6 to the 13^th.

Right: Lake Moana Nui rainbow caught by Mark Bannister.

The competition is based on the Waikato River below Karapiro Dam and has some great prizes.

This event provides a good way to learn how to fish the Waikato River and the organisers are happy to help out new anglers.

For further information call Sweetman’s Reel Fishin’ 07-8287 462 and you can enter the competition at https://www.reel-fishin.com/.

Tokoroa ‘Take a Kid Fishing’ Competition will be held at Lake Moana Nui November 2 to the 4th.

Lake Moana Nui is stocked by Fish & Game annually and it’s a great place for kids to fish with good walkways and playground equipment next to the lake.

Kids can enter the competition at the lake on the day and although you don’t have to attend all three days, the prize-giving is worth attending.

For more information contact Cath MacPherson on 07-8867059, or 027-5034486, or check out the Tokoroa Sports Fishing Club's Facebook page.

Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game would like to thank Pure Fishing NZ for kindly supporting this event.

Waihi mining co seeks big water take

The huge open pit at Waihi.

Gold mining has lots of environmental impacts, but most people don’t consider what happens when mines close.

If an open pit mine fills slowly from rain and groundwater the water can become toxic and acidic.

There have been some environmental disasters and in one case in Montana in the U.S., an estimated 10,000 snow geese died after landing in the toxic water of a lake formed in an abandoned copper mine.

OceanaGold has applied for a host of consents in preparation for the closure of its Waihi open pit mine and one of the consents asks to take 20% of the Ohinemuri River.

The consent would allow the firm to take up to 20% of the river's flow 223 days per year, according to the company.

The water would be used to fill up the pit mine, that would take seven and a half years or even longer.

Considering the Ohinemuri River currently tops 19°C for a good portion of the year, our staff are strongly concerned about habitat loss and elevated temperatures that could result from this water take.

Fish & Game has objected to the consent and will fight hard to protect the Ohinemuri River fishery.

Back to Reel Life