Reel Life March 2026 - North Canterbury

Honouring a Career of Dedication: Steve Terry Receives Rare Fish & Game Excellence Award

Image above: Fish & Game Field Officer Steve Terry holds Fish & Game Excellence Award at the McIntyre Wetland opening in the North Canterbury High Country on the 18th of March 2026.

After more than two decades of working hard for our licence holders and for our sports fish and game bird habitats, North Canterbury’s Steve Terry has been recognised with a Fish & Game Excellence Award.

The award was presented to Steve at the official opening of the McIntyre Wetland, a project Steve achieved after years of continual effort. Minister for Hunting and Fishing James Meager presented the certificate and acknowledged the importance of what Steve has done, watched on by colleagues, landowners, and project partners who understood the effort it had taken.

The award itself is something pretty special. A framed certificate with a gold medal featuring a trout and mallard, it’s reserved for those who go well above and beyond the job. Fewer than 15 have ever been handed out, so it takes someone special to be awarded one.

Steve started his Fish & Game career back in 1999 with Central South Island, before joining North Canterbury in 2000. Over more than 25 years, he’s built a reputation as someone who just gets on with the job quietly, consistently, and always with the long game in mind.

Fish & Game Field Officer Steve Terry is presented Fish & Game Excellence award by the Minister of Hunting and Fishing James Meager at the McIntyre Wetland opening in the North Canterbury High Country on the 18th of March 2026.

While his work has covered a bit of everything over the years, habitat protection especially in the high country has been where he’s really made his mark.

That’s been most evident in the High Country Wetland & Waterway Protection Project. It’s a piece of work that’s delivered real, lasting gains, including returning the East Branch of Glenariffe Stream to its original course. In doing so, 44 hectares of wetland habitat have been restored and key salmon spawning and rearing grounds protected, alongside this a number of other important waterways within the catchment have been protected through the project.

Speaking at the event, James Meager highlighted just how important that work is:

“Thank you to everyone involved in this significant project, in particular Steve Terry; who has dedicated decades to Fish & Game and worked tirelessly on this project.”

A lot of Steve’s work has happened under the radar. In recent years, especially, he’s spent much of his time up in the high country often, as he’d put it, “sitting around the round table” talking and planning with Mark Ensor and Belinda Bull, the landowners at Glenariffe Station. Steve has always said, “fixing things at the headwaters first is essential for what goes on further downstream. By working alongside landowners to get practical outcomes that stick, we are giving our rivers and fisheries the best chance of survival as things continue to change.”

Fish & Game Field Officer Steve Terry holds Fish & Game Excellence Award at the McIntyre Wetland opening in the North Canterbury High Country on the 18th of March 2026.

When the award was presented, Steve was genuinely stoked, and also he later admitted he didn’t see it coming at all and didn’t even know the award existed.

Away from work, Steve is currently facing a battle with cancer, while doing his best to spend as much time as possible with his two sons and daughter. Whether it's fishing, boating, motorbiking or spending time at his holiday home, Steve works hard and plays hard, and puts his all into whatever he is doing.

Across the team, there’s a strong feeling this recognition couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person. A hugely well-deserved acknowledgement for someone who’s made a lifetime of work result in a legacy that will serve our community now and into the future.

Lake Roto Kohatu Set to Reopen

Paul McFadden caught an epic brown trout on the fly in the North Canterbury region.

Lake Roto Kohatu reopens on 1 April. This close-to-Christchurch put-and-take fishery is always a popular option, and it’s shaping up nicely for the winter season.

Just a few weeks before the closing over summer, we released a solid number of 1-2lb rainbow trout into the lake. Any fish that avoided capture will have had plenty of time to grow, so anglers can expect some quality rainbows on offer.

A reminder – the daily bag limit at Roto Kohatu is two sports fish.

Stream Closures Reminder

The following Waimakariri River tributaries close for the season from 31 March:

• Cass Hill (Bullock Creek)
• Cora Lynn
• Winding Creek

As always, make sure you check the regulations before heading out.

During this season, North Canterbury & Central South Island Fish & Game released the best practice tips for Catch & Release of Sea-Run Salmon. Check them out here.

Sea-Run Salmon Card Returns Underway

Sea-run salmon harvest cards are starting to roll in, with anglers already using the online form.

If you’ve reached your season limit (one fish), you can return your card anytime before the 7 May deadline.

• Scan the QR code on your card for quick online submission
• Drop cards into your local Fish & Game office
• Even if you didn’t fish or didn’t catch anything, your return still matters

Every card helps build a clearer picture of the fishery and plays a key role in future management.

Use this link to return your card: https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/freshwater-fishing-in-new-zealand/fishing-licences-and-regulations/sea-run-salmon/sea-run-salmon-return-form-2025-2026/

Fish & Game Officer Harry Graham-Samson completes a creel survey with two anglers at Lake Coleridge.

Creel Surveys Wrapping Up

Since December, North Canterbury staff have been out on the high country lakes running creel surveys – a key tool for understanding what’s really happening on the water.

These quick chats give us valuable info on catch rates, methods, fish condition, and harvest. It’s practical data that helps guide decisions and, where needed, fine-tune regulations to keep these fisheries in the best shape.

You’ll often see us doing these alongside licence checks, and they only take a few minutes. The feedback we get from anglers is hugely valuable – every conversation helps paint a more accurate picture of how our lakes are performing.

 

Tight Lines North Canterbury Anglers!