Reel Life January 2026 - Nelson Marlborough

Lake Argyle Tag Comp Nets Major Prize Winners

Congratulations to Mark Wills and Craig Buckthought, who each claimed a $500 Henderson’s voucher - our two major prizes for the annual Lake Argyle tag competition.  Other prizes given away so far include free fishing licences, polaroids and lure packs.  While both major prizes have been won, there are still lots of other prizes up for grabs, so we hope you can join the fun at the lake and catch a tagged fish.

Thanks as always to the team at Henderson’s for their generous sponsorship!

Drift Dive Season In Full Swing

After a turbulent spring and early summer, during which rivers remained high, staff have finally managed to get out and dive some of our local rivers.  Here is a brief summary of our findings so far:

Goulter – after hearing reports of improved fishing here from the season prior, it was disappointing to record an underwhelming count for this river over three sites. While fish were seen, some showed signs of wear from flooding and poor handling by anglers.

Riuwaka – the trout population has been slightly reduced due to winter floods, but still has respectable numbers, and anglers are reporting some decent fishing in this river.

Pearse – a similar count to when it was last dived in 2023, with 16 large fish over the 1km site – this is an above-average count

Opouri – 14 large rainbows and 10 large browns seen for the 2km site above Ronga River – this is a lower than normal count

Lee – only one medium brown trout seen from Long Gully to Meade Reserve Bridge – river showing signs of increased stability due to the dam, however, low fish numbers remain

Waikoropupu – once a river full of epic fish, seals have had a major impact on this river (and the wider Takaka catchment) for over a decade – only 1 small brown trout was seen.

Motupiko – numbers are down in this river, with 7 fish seen over the 1km upper site.  As a comparison, 20 fish were seen last season and 13 the season prior. Being a major spawning tributary of the Motueka River, this river can bounce back quickly, as it did after successive large floods in 2022.

We have a busy month ahead as we aim to complete dives in the Motueka Catchment to assess the impact of the June/July floods, during which we will float the Baton, Upper Motueka, Wangapeka, and the main-stem Motueka. We will also be completing the Branch/Leatham, Wairau, Rai/Pelorus, Owen and others.

Goulter River drift dive 2025. 

Leatham Fish Release

In mid-January, a release of 130 rainbows was made into the Leatham River at Caves Hut.  It was a mission getting the heavy fish tanker to this site, having to negotiate some tricky side streams, however, after a minor setback getting through Boulder Stream (and some help from a Fish & Game friend, Lou Franklin), the fish were successfully liberated.

If you manage to get into the Leatham and catch some of these fresh fish, we’d love to hear from you.

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.

Introduction to Fly Fishing Course – Blenheim, March/April 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.

Shedwood Bush Trapping Update

A partnership between the Motueka Catchment Collective, Fish & Game, and the local conservation group, Shedwood Bush Betterers (SBB), has seen 40 DOC200 traps installed in Shedwood Bush near Tapawera, along with several AT220 auto traps.  The auto traps have already successfully removed plenty of possums from this locally important area of native bush, which has diverse flora and is home to many native birds.  Possums are the main target for the SBB, which also undertakes weed control and native plant restoration. Monitoring work prior to trap deployment recorded high possum numbers, and the group is confident that these traps will do the trick in reducing their numbers, which will hopefully enhance native bird life and plant species.