Reel Life February 2026 - Wellington

Exceptional Run Of Angling Continues Despite Periodic Rain

The fishing across the Wellington Fish & Game region has been exceptional, despite conditions shaped by a series of short‑duration but intense weather events.

Image above: Josh Lutter with a cracker Wellington brown - some very big fish are being caught this season.

Several fronts passing over the lower North Island brought bursts of heavy rain that temporarily pushed river levels up, but true to the summer hydrology in the region, most waterways settled back down quickly and returned to fishable within a short window.

In late January, a “weather bomb” that impacted parts of the North Island sent a noticeable pulse of water through larger catchments.

As a result, anglers focussed on smaller streams, which cleared faster and offered excellent sight‑fishing opportunities once flows stabilised. Flows across most of the region’s river catchments have been high throughout summer, and the fisheries have benefitted with trout in superb condition – the best many anglers have seen in years.

This uplift in flows in the larger waterways also stimulated trout movement, improving angling prospects as fish re‑positioned into refreshed river systems.

As February progressed, conditions continued to improve (despite a weather event on February 16). From early and mid‑February, mainly fine weather across the Wellington Fish & Game regions allowed for uninterrupted angling.

The combination of warm summer temperatures and periodic freshes has certainly helped maintain cool, oxygenated flows that kept trout active throughout the day.

The frequent rain has also been a boon for insect life. We’ve had the best cicada season in around 10 years, and a plethora of other terrestrial insects (including passion vine hoopers which are currently flavour of the month) have helped the amazing condition we’ve seen fish in.  

The condition of the fish in Wellington region is the best it has been in many years.

Overall, the last month has delivered a classic late‑summer trout fishing pattern: intermittent rain events briefly elevating rivers before quickly dropping to optimal flows, revitalising the fishery and offering anglers regular windows.

With stable weather periods now more common and rivers in good shape, prospects for continued strong trout fishing remain high across the Wellington Fish & Game region heading into late February.

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Click And Win

Send in your favourite fishing photos from this season and you could be in to win a $300 voucher to spend in store at Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing.

We won't blow your secret spot, just include the name of the angler(s), photographer's details, and general location in the Wellington -Taranaki Fish & Game region.

• Click here to submit your entry.

You can send us as many fishing photos as you like. By submitting images to enter the competition you acknowledge that Wellington Fish & Game can publish and use the photos for publicity material.

Entries must be in by 5pm Sunday, March 29, 2026. The winner will be announced in the Lower North Lowdown weekly fishing report on Thursday, April 2, 2026.