Reel Life February 2026 - Auckland Waikato

Fisheries Manager Dr Adam Daniel moves on

Fisheries Manager Dr Adam Daniel has accepted a position with the New Zealand Fish & Game Council and will be leaving the Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game Council. Adam has worked for Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game Council for nearly 13 years.  Adam will still be contactable via his current phone number and email for future communications.

Pirongia floods

The Pirongia Mountain floods smashed the Kaniwhaniwha and Ngakoaohia Streams. Most Pirongia streams experienced significant flooding, and many trout and eels were found in paddocks afterwards. Locals have asked for a couple of weeks to clean up the mess, so please give them some time to mend fences before you head up for a look. The extent of damage to the fisheries is currently unknown, but is likely to be significant due to the overland flows. On a positive note, the flooding was localised, and most other Waikato streams were unharmed.  

Quarry Road post flood

Blue Springs clean up

The Te Waihou Walkway (Blue Spring) Near Putāruru has been overwhelmed by tourists since it became a social media hotspot a decade ago. The mass influx of tourists has caused overcrowding and infrastructure issues that led to a ban on swimming in 2016. Rubbish and parking issues still plague the site, and early this summer, local iwi and the district council went to the media about garbage in and around the springs becoming an issue. Auckland Waikato Fish & Game staff drift dive the Waihou River just downstream of the springs and found a disturbing amount of garbage during pre-dive scouting. Staff members Danielle Lelievre, Beau Jarvis-Child, Roslyn Simmonds and Adam Daniel cleaned the spring area in conjunction with the annual drift dive. The team collected coins, three umbrellas, multiple hats, energy drink cans and golf balls. The drift dive was also a success, with over 700 fish counted.

Staff members Adam Daniel, Beau Jarvis-Child, Danielle Lelievre, and Roslyn Simmonds with some of the treasure they removed from the Blue Spring.

Sport Fly Fishing NZ Competition - Whanganui River Sunday 19-21 April 2026

Sport Fly Fishing NZ will be holding an NZ versus Australia competition on the Whanganui River between the Piriaka Power Station and the confluence of the Ongarue River, Sunday 19 April to Tuesday 21 April 2026. There is only one competition allowed annually on the Whanganui River, and it has to be held when water temperatures are below 19°C, restricting competition to dates outside the peak fishing season. The river is not closed to fishing during the competition, but it will be impacted due to the number of fish landed.

Sport Fly Fishing NZ competition area, Sunday 19 April to Tuesday 21 April 2026.