Reel Life September 2023

New Season Countdown

Anglers throughout New Zealand are looking forward to the start of the season on Sunday, October 1 with an excited air of expectation.

The Rotorua lakes Tarawera, Okataina and Rotoiti attract many anglers to the region to relax, chase a trout, catch up with friends and family, and enjoy the great outdoors. 

While October 1 provides an exciting beginning for the season, it’s also a great time to make plans for the year ahead; spend time on the water or rekindle the passion of pursuing a wily trout.

Last season was a cracker on the lakes with a little something for everyone - bigger fish from Rotoiti, solitude from Okataina, peace and action combined from Rerewhakaaitu, high catch rate from Rotorua etc, etc! Although the weather didn’t always play ball last summer, NIWA are expecting a warm season ahead which will be good for angling on the deeper lakes or at locations where cold inflows occur.

Many of our Eastern Region rivers are looking in good condition following on from a dry, calm late winter period. Recovery post cyclone Gabrielle continues but signs are good and rivers and trout are robust and tend to bounce back quicker than we sometimes give them credit for. At this stage the weather forecast for the opening looks stable. 

Above right: Young Corbijn van de Wetering looks delighted with his first trout, a Tarawera beauty!

Check, Clean and Dry message more important than ever!  

Our Check, Clean and dry message is even more important this year with the discovery of freshwater gold clam in the Waikato region. Due to the recent invasion of the Waikato River by the highly invasive gold clam it is critical that boats used in the Waikato River are not moved to other waterways until they are properly decontaminated.  The Waikato River is full of invasive species like hornwort, catfish, and koi carp. When it comes to biosecurity our licence holders are amongst the most educated and responsible group of recreational users in New Zealand.  The didymo outbreak has prepared us as an organisation to be proactive about biosecurity and a big part of our social licence is based on our ongoing vigilance. One of the worst things you can do as an angler is to leave the boat ramp with weed on your trailer as it signals to other users that anglers don’t care about biosecurity and need to be regulated to prevent the spread of invasive species. It may take years to detect an invasive species, so it is important to Check, Clean and Dry (CCD) wherever you use your fishing equipment. If you do use your boat in the Waikato River please follow the CCD advise on the MPI web site.

Datawatch tagged Trout

Tagged trout can now be entered online. Entries go into the draw to win one of 20 free whole-season fishing licences: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QCH5ZR6

Eastern Region Fishing Diaries – All lakes and streams
Fill in your fishing diaries here to help us manage the Eastern Fish & Game region. Participants go in the draw to win a $100 voucher from Kilwell: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QRSD7D3 

Tight Lines

Mark Sherburn, Eastern Fish & Game