Wellington Reel Life Feb 2017

Better Late Than Never

Finally some settled weather has arrived, and those who have made the most of it have found some exceptional fishing on offer.

The trout are dialled in on terrestrials at present and going by the condition they've been feasting on cicadas for some time.

This year is, in fact, one of the best cicada seasons we've had in years.

So, if there's anything to be taken from the wet summer it's the fact that the cicadas have done well and been able to pop out of their burrows which isn't often not the case when the ground is packed hard from prolonged dry.

That, in turn, has meant fit fish happy to pounce on an angler's imitation!

Pictured above right is Fish & Game officer Hamish Carnachan with a well-conditioned back country cicada muncher (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).

Drift Dives well under way

It has been a very tough season for staff trying carry out their extensive drift diving (fish counting) programme with so much rain and associated turbid water conditions.

That aside, we've done our best to make the best of any available opportunity to get in the rivers and most of the core sampling is now complete.

Staff drift diving one of the smaller lower North Island rivers (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).

Initial observations suggest many of the rivers in the bottom of the Wellington Fish & Game region have been affected by floods with fewer fish per kilometre but a high proportion of larger fish. This would make sense as the bigger trout are more likely to be able to withstand and survive the flood flows.

Further up the catchment we've observed average to above average numbers of fish and the high country catchment is yet to be surveyed (we'll keep you posted).

Weekly reports proving popular

Don't forget to sign on to our Weekly Fishing report which are really proving popular among our anglers.

Sent out every Thursday, the reports provide timely and useful information over the duration of the angling season.

If you aren't already receiving it, but would like the email offering tips, live weather and river flow reports, an angling noticeboard of local events and much more, click on the 'sign on' link above and email us your request to be included in the mail out.

Fish & Game NZ magazine online

Features articles, photo spreads, columns and fly tying - check it out Fish & Game NZ magazine online.

And if you're on Facebook, 'like' the Fish & Game NZ Magazine Online page so we can keep you up to date with new content releases, competitions and other offers.

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