Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report - 5 February 2025

Fine Weather And Bonus Fishing Day!

A bonus day off for Waitangi Day and some gorgeous weather... It doesn't get much better for anglers. 

There's no better way to celebrate our national day than getting out on the water and and enjoying what, for many, is our national pursuit - fishing!

Pictured - Angus Blake (7) kitted out in his gears from Hunting and Fishing, hooked, landed and released this lovely silver Ruamahanga River rainbow near Masterton (Photo: Kieran Blake)

Most parts of the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions received some much-needed rain last weekend.

While this wasn't ideal for angling in some of the larger waterways, it has been blessing, providing a fresh and blowing out some of the algal growth. 

The fish will certainly have also appreciated the cooler water temperatures the rain brought with it.      

A feisty little Ruamahanga rainbow - there are large numbers of fish this size in the mainstem at the moment with plenty of larger browns too  (Photo: Hamish Carnachan).

Cicadas also enjoyed the brief damp, humid period and have emerged full-noise right across the lower North Island, with many anglers now getting into trout with large terrestrial dry fly imitations. 

All the starts are aligned, so make sure you get out and enjoy this fantastic summer fishing.     

       

Get Into The Awesome Summer Angling Action!

Jump online and get a licence the easy way - it only takes a minute and your sorted.

Click the image above to get started. 

Here's the outlook this weekend...    

 

Hutt Valley

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Hutt Valley.

The Hutt River and tributaries received a good pulse of rain last Friday which was much needed to remove a bit of the algae that was starting to smother the rocks. The mainstem is now back to excellent fishable flow - just slightly above summer low flow. Anglers are starting to pick up some of the larger resident browns on cicada imitations, though they are being selective about size and colour - make sure you have a range of different sizes and colour variations (black or green) to match the naturals.      

The Hutt River at Heretaunga this morning (Photo: Al Markham)

 

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Kapiti Coast. 

The Otaki, Waikanae and Ohau are running relatively low but with good clear conditions and the rocks are clean from last week’s freshes from rain events. The Kapiti Coast is looking great for fishing opportunities for later Waitangi Day adn into the weekend.

The Otaki River at SH1 this morning (Credit: Phil Teal).  

 

Wairarapa

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Wairarapa region.

The Ruamahanga River and tributaries - the Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau - are stunning this week after the fresh that pushed through on Saturday. The extra flow has pushed a lot of the algae growth out of the Ruamahanga and water temperatures have dropped too. Cicadas are deafening so get your big bugs on!                           

Check out the latest conditions for the lower Ruamahanga by calling this free-phone number - 083229069.             

The Ruamahanga River at the Cliffs this morning (Photo: Hamish Carnachan).

 

Manawatu

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Manawatu region.

The Manawatu River, Pohangina, Oroua and Mangatainoka are all sitting at good summer fishable flows and running clear. With sunny skies, warm temperatures, and cicadas chirping, you'd be a fool not to make the most of the excellent summer fishing on offer.          

The Manawatu River at Weber Road this morning (Photo: Horizons).

Rangitikei

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Rangitikei region.

The Rangitikei and Hautapu rivers have fallen back nicely after the rain that went through the region last Friday. Tomorrow is looking settled and clear; Friday sees a few showers but there's no malice, and the rivers should be good to go for what is forecast to be a nice weekend in the Central High Country.                

The Rangitikei River at Mangweka this morning (Photo: Horizons).           
 

Taranaki Ringplain

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Taranaki Ringplain region.

Warmer, clearer weather is back on the menu for the Taranaki Ringplain region, with light westerlies and south-westerlies forecast as we move into the weekend. There may be patches of rain Friday and Saturday, but these should be short-lived if they do occur. Rivers are still low and clear. Throughout the course of the day, water temperatures in many waterways will fluctuate quite largely, with periods of cooler water in late evenings, and particularly early mornings - targeting trout at these times may bring success as they turn on to feed before the true heat of the day.

Check out the up-to-date data on rainfall and river flows. 

The Patea River near Stratford this morning (Photo: Jack Harland).

Waimarino

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Waimarino region.

High air temperatures and clear skies are in the forecast for the Waimarino region. Some rain may fall on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday will bring more dry and heat. Much like the Taranaki region, dry flies such as cicadas and blowflies are fishing well at this time of year, with most rivers having good water clarity and sitting on or around their summer low flows. 

For up-to-date river flow and water temperature information, you can check out Horizons website here for data on the Mangawhero River.  

The Mangawhero River at SH4 this morning (Photo: Horizons).

 

 

Photo Competition - Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Jackson Funnell with a Ruamahanga River rainbow (Photo: Joey Williams). 

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 Tuesday, April 2, 2025. The winner will be announced in the Lower North Lowdown report on Thursday, April 4, 2025.

 

 

Tip Of The Week - Check And Clear Your Hooks 

A nymph covered in algae (Photo: Hamish Carnachan).

After a long spell of warm weather and low flows, many of our rivers are experiencing significant build-ups of aquatic algae.  

When it gets particularly bad, as is the case in the middle reaches of the Ruamahanga River in Wairarapa at the moment, big patches lift off and drift in the current.

It can be very frustrating for anglers because the weed catches on hooks, smothering flies and lures, and even builds up on connecting notes in your leader. 

The fish are still feeding happily amongst the algae drifts, but they won't touch a fly or lure that has even the smallest amount of weed on it (see image above).

It is therefore essential to check your hook often - almost before every cast - to make sure it is free of weed.

Annoying? Yes. But remember that no natural bait fish or insect you're trying to imitate will have a trail of green filamentous algae attached to it.        

        

Video of The Week - Quick-Fire Manawatu Session

The Manawatu River is fishing sensationally this season. This video captures a short after-work session on the river with four fish netted and several lost.     

Click the screenshot above to watch. 

 

 

 

Check, Clean Dry - Help Protect Waterways

Now is the perfect time to familiarise yourselves with the NEW North Island Check Clean Dry procedures. Click here to watch. 

 

Noticeboard

• Wellington Region River Works: Don't let bulldozers in the river ruin your fishing plans. Click here to download a schedule of Greater Wellington Regional Council's latest planned river engineering works.
• Manawatu Flood and Drainage Works: Anglers can access Horizons Regional Council's latest schedule of flood and drainage river works here.   
• Access to Lake Namunamu, near Hunterville, is closed as the access road is upgraded in preparation for the logging of Ngaruru Forest over the next three to five years.

If you have any angling-related information you'd like posted to this noticeboard, including upcoming angling club meetings and outings, please get in touch with us.  

*This report was accurate at time of writing. For your safety, please ensure you check the latest weather and river flow information before you head out on the water.