Reel Life December 2025 - Nelson Marlborough

The holiday season is almost here, and we’re sure you’re looking forward to a well-earned few weeks off. The fishing has been heating up with the weather, and recently we’ve been receiving positive reports from around the region, even managing to catch a few ourselves!

We’ve had a busy season so far, with plenty of activities — including educational events, catchment group work, fish releases, and even a Parliamentary fishing trip where we showcased our stunning fishing region and the work we do with a limited budget and small team. (By the way, they were quite impressed by their experience and even caught plenty of fish!)

It doesn’t stop there; we have plenty of great stuff coming up. Read on to find out.

Lake Argyle Tag Comp

It’s safe to say our iconic Lake Argyle tagged fish competition remains popular with anglers, and it's business as usual this year with fantastic prizes, including two $500 Henderson’s vouchers. From Christmas Eve onwards, 200 fish will be released into the lake, with 20 prizes up for grabs. Entering is straightforward:

1. Catch a tagged fish
2. Send us the number, preferably with a picture (via email, phone or Facebook Messenger)
3. We’ll tell you if you’re a winner

Thanks as always to Henderson’s in Blenheim for their sponsorship!

Fish Releases

Our release programme is an important part of our strategy to grow and maintain our angler base, and we know many of you love catching these fish.  So, we have great news for you: this year, we’ve ramped up the number of fish we’re releasing to around 6000 (1kg +) rainbow trout, and have had a busy season so far, releasing fish into Lake Argyle and Waimea Park.  We’ll be stocking up both locations for the busy holiday season and will be chucking in some double-digit thumpers into Argyle while we are at it – a chance to snag a trophy 10+ pound trout to brag about!

Hatchery Manager, Rob Foster, with a brute of a rainbow – 50+ of these fish will be released before Christmas. Photo: Jacob Lucas

Branch Leatham release

We’ve also liberated some trout into the Branch & Leatham rivers by vehicle.  These were released into the lower half of the Branch and the lower 6 km of the Leatham.  These rivers are a fantastic option for beginner to experienced anglers, offering crystal clear water, a backcountry setting, and obliging fish.

Rainbow trout have been released into the Branch & Leatham rivers. Photo: Jacob Lucas

Fishing Clinics

Soft bait success

We’ve had a busy season of soft bait clinics, with four successful events held in Marlborough and Tasman. These sessions were led by Josh Ponder from Henderson’s, and the feedback from attendees has been nothing short of excellent. Josh has a great way with words and explains everything you need to know about gear, lures, and how to fish them. Although our series of soft bait sessions has all but finished for the time being, we’ll be bringing more events next season, so keep an eye out next year.

Josh Ponder from Henderson’s delivering a successful soft bait clinic at Lake Argyle. Photo: Jacob Lucas

What a result!

Lynette and Gary attended our Lake Argyle soft-bait clinic a few weeks ago and afterwards visited Henderson’s in Blenheim to upgrade their gear. That evening, using the techniques taught by Josh Ponder, they swiftly caught three excellent fish, one of them weighing in at 12 pounds! Outstanding effort from all involved!

Lynette Juno with a cracking Argyle rainbow caught on a soft bait – she attended our soft bait clinic that morning.

Junior Fly Fishing Course

Recently, we held a three-part junior fly fishing course in Tasman. Attended by 15 eager young anglers, we covered the basics of trout fishing, including gear and flies, trout biology, knots, and casting. The course concluded with a trip to Waimea Park, where the group practised their skills by catching lively rainbows to take home.

If you or your child (12-18 years) is interested in joining next year’s junior fly fishing course (either Tasman or Marlborough), please complete our simple online form here.

Young anglers (plus Weesang Paaka and Jacob Lucas) at the Waimea Ponds for the final session of the course.

Motueka Fly Fishing Workshop coming up – March 2026

Come along and learn how to fly fish the Motueka River on Sunday, 8 March. Last year, around 40 people attended our inaugural event, and we received excellent feedback. The Motueka River is one of our region's top trout fisheries, but understanding its intricacies is key to regular success.

Taught by experts with in-depth knowledge of the fishery, the course will cover your gear, flies, the best times and conditions for fishing, and where to locate the fish. Although recent floods have likely reduced the adult fish population somewhat, early reports suggest that there are still plenty of fish there, and we expect them to pile on condition as we enter summer. Further details on trout numbers will be available after our drift dives are completed in the new year. 

Register here.

Don Clementson teaching anglers about the mysteries of the Motueka River. Photo: Jacob Lucas

Introduction to Fly Fishing Course – Blenheim, March 2026

Register your interest in attending a three-part fly fishing course in March 2026, based in Blenheim. The course will cover the fundamentals of fly fishing, gear, flies, and casting, and include a session on the water to practise your skills.

Session 1: Basic principles of fly fishing - class-based

Session 2: Knots, casting

Session 3: On the water

Click here to register for the course.

Murchison fly casting workshop

If you’re from the Murchison area and want to learn how to cast a fly rod, we are gauging interest in running a casting workshop early next year (date TBC), with certified casting instructor and Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game Councillor, Kylie Sargeant. Kylie has a wealth of knowledge on fly casting (and trout fishing) and has recently been doing a fantastic job of teaching the basics of fly casting to new and learning anglers.

Register your interest here.

Kylie Sargeant in action at a recent casting workshop. Photo: Gebhard Krewitt

All these events are made possible by the generous donation from Jim and Fleur Ring – you can read more about it in the latest Fish & Game magazine: Beyond the Fishing Diaries: The Legacy of Jim Ring.

Waimea Park Junior Ponds Open 20 December

If you’re seeking a fun holiday activity with the kids, visit Waimea Park junior ponds, which open on 20 December. The ponds will be stocked with fish before Christmas, but ensure your child grabs a fishing licence beforehand (free for under 12s; for ages 12-17, it’s $6 for a day licence or $31 for the season).

You can get your licence here.

IFun at Waimea Park junior ponds – the perfect holiday boredom buster. Photo: Jacob Lucas.

Lake Fishing

While our lakes are relatively few, the variety they offer makes a trip to our still-water fisheries well worth it.

Cobb Reservoir – a place to catch medium-sized rainbow and brown trout (and plenty of them); this family-friendly destination is a great holiday option. Huts and camping are available in a stunning setting, just remember your insect repellent.

Nelson Lakes (Rotoiti and Rotoroa) – surrounded by magnificent beach forest, cruise the edges casting soft baits or flies over and around weed beds and into deeper corners and beech overhangs, or simply relax and enjoy some trolling.

Lake Daniell – a pleasant two-hour walk to a stunning lake with large brown and rainbow trout. Perfect for a couple of days with the family, but remember to book the hut first.

Sedgemere Tarns (Bowscale & Fish Lake) – the jewel in the crown of still water fisheries in this region. A 20-minute walk to Fish Lake or a 45-minute walk to Bowscale will take you to an area full of fish, set amid a truly spectacular landscape that only Molesworth offers. It’s ideal for a few nights away ($60 vehicle toll if travelling through Rainbow Station). Lake Tennyson nearby also offers another fishing spot and can be fished with a small boat.

The Sedgemere Tarns are a fantastic Stillwater angling destination. Photo: Jacob Lucas.

Nelson Trout Club Update

It’s been a huge year for the Nelson Trout Club, with plenty of fantastic monthly evenings, on-the-water events and lots of conservation work.  They have assisted Fish & Game with river access work, farm clean-up days, and trap building for a local catchment group continues (with nearly 300 traps built so far!).  The Club has several river mentor days coming up, where club members can fish with experts on local rivers.  At just $40, it’s a bargain to join the Club; you get huge value for money and even get that back on their mid-winter dinner subsidy!

If you live in Tasman/Nelson and want to join this club, visit here.

Nelson Trout Club and Fish & Game staff helping local farmers after the 2025 floods. Photo Gebhard Krewitt.

Fish & Game Online Access Tool

There's no better resource to help you plan your fishing missions this season than our new online interactive access maps.

Click the map below to start planning your weekend angling outing!

Check Out Our Annual Fisheries Report

From drift dive results from your favourite river to the all-important environmental advocacy, read our Annual Fisheries Report to see what your Fish & Game staff have been up to. You can check it out here.

Fish & Game Magazine

If you didn’t receive a copy in your letter box, you can take a read of this fantastic publication (which comes free when you purchase a whole-season licence).  This edition is one not to be missed; it features a stack of great articles to keep you entertained and informed.

Check it out here.

Short Casts

Goulter River access – due to a washout in 2022, the road to the Goulter River remains closed at Mt Patriarch. From there, it is a 7 km walk/bike to the car park. Staff have also recently drift dived this fishery, and it is currently only holding around 25% of the adult fish the system can support during stable periods, due to flood damage to the fishery.

Branch River access – there are no access restrictions for the Branch River this year, as logging crews have been diverted to the clean-up job caused by the July rain/wind event. The Bridge over the lower Leatham is out of action, so normal 4WD fording is required.

Designated Waters reminder – currently, we have 3 rivers in this region which require a Designated Waters licence to fish (Upper Wairau, Upper Matakitaki and Travers).  Don’t forget to get your Designated Waters Licence if you want to fish these ($5 for resident anglers for the season, $40 per day for non-resident anglers – max 5 days per region).

Visit here for more information on Designated Waters fisheries.

Motueka River access points – while most of the Motueka River access points have been worked on from the Stanleybrook confluence downstream, some access points remain out of action due to the June/July floods. We hope to have these reinstated for next season.

The Nelson Trout Club assisting Fish & Game on Motueka access tracks. Photo: Jacob Lucas.

Useful Resources

Access pamphlets

Check out our most popular regional fishing access pamphlets:

Motueka River, Wairau River, Pelorus River, Lake Argyle

New to fishing?

Check out Trout Fishing Made Easy for everything you need to know, including plenty of great videos.

Fish & Game YouTube channel

For heaps of quality videos delivered by Fish & Game staff, check out the Fish & Game YouTube channel

Fish & Game website

For all the latest news and events, plus everything you need to know about trout fishing, visit the Fish & Game website.

 

Office Hours Over the Holidays

Our staff are generally contactable throughout the holidays, with phone and email monitored. The office will be closed from Christmas Eve for a couple of weeks, although some staff will be working through this period (mainly out and about doing fieldwork and catching up with anglers).

 

On behalf of the team at Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game, we wish you a safe and happy Christmas – tight lines!