Weekly Fishing Report - 18 October 2018

The sensational run of weather continues into the long weekend and, like the temperatures, the angling is really hotting up too! 

We're getting some great reports in from anglers who are stoked with the quality of both the trout and the fishing in the waterways newly opened for the season. 

Licence sales are up significantly on this time last year and that's a feature of both the great fishing conditions and the quality of the catch - not extra large fish but anglers are commenting about the exceptional condition they're in. 

If you haven't bought your licence then grab one online here and make sure you're set to go for Labour Weekend which offers three whole days of angling bliss. 

The weather is spot on, the angling is on fire, and we've all got a bonus day off work - No excuse other than to get into the action!  

Please ensure you know the regs for this season and have your licence on you at all times.  

PS - Please note that some important changes have been made to the regulations for the Rangitikei backcountry fishery. See the Notice Board below.   

Pictured above right: Matt Hince with a beauty brown taken only minutes from the Hutt CBD (Credit: Andrew Harding). 

Here's the outlook:

Hutt River and tributaries

Click the weather icons above to update.

All systems are go for the Hutt River catchment right through to next week. Flows, water temperature, fish, weather - everything is aligned for some stunning action. Good reports are coming in from both the Hutt main stem and smaller feeder streams - Get amongst it!              

Kapiti Coast

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All the Kapiti Coast rivers will be fishing well this long weekend. We haven't heard much from anglers plying their trade on the Otaki and the Ohau but the Waikanae is fishing very well according to locals. Don't forget that, despite the low rainfall of late, there's still plenty of water and fish holding in the little streams.  

Wairarapa

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The Ruamahanga is low and clear and fishing very well at the lower end (no reports in from the middle reaches yet). Links to the live flows for the smaller tribs can be found here but the weather is looking so good there's likely little need to check them. Just find some water and get into the action.                  

Manawatu

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The Manawatu is clear and low and should start to fish really well as the temps warm and the insect life kicks into gear. The Pohangina and Orua rivers are fishing well with plenty of winter run fish holding and yet to drop back into the main stem. Three days of fishing are on offer over the long weekend so seek out some of the smaller streams and you'll likely find some hot angling at this time of year.             

Rangitikei

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It's picture perfect on the Rangitikei this morning and it will stay that way if the current weather forecast holds true. Anywhere in the mid to upper reaches, including the tribs (which means many miles of fishable water) will be really starting to fire.                             

Video of the week

We often go on about how good the Hutt River is... well, click the screenshot below to check out a short clip that proves the quality of the angling this exceptional river has to offer Wellington anglers.  

Tip of the Week - Planning Ahead

There's no doubt the Internet has revolutionized angling - it's forever changed how we fish, how we learn, where we go, how we dialogue and engage with other anglers or Fish & Game. 

The information anglers now have available to them is staggering. Just take this Weekly Fishing Report as a case in point - it offers live river flow information, weather conditions updated almost hourly, easy contact with us, and quality videos shot on point-and-shoot camera...

Perhaps one of the more underutilized bits of info available to Wellington Fish & Game anglers though is the Horizons Regional Council web page streaming regularly updated images of river conditions in the catchment.          

Click the screenshot above to update the webcam image.  

This is an incredibly handy tool because if you can't link to the live river flows, or you don't understand what the graphs mean, or whatever, the webcam shots of key rivers provides quick and easy reference as to whether they are fishable or not and what type of flow conditions you'll face when you get there. 

In future issues of our Weekly Fishing Reports which we'll make this link and information more prominent.  

It can save many hours of wasted drive time for, say, Wellington anglers wanting to fish the Rangitikei who arrive only to find it's flow is normal but it's coloured up from a an old slip still bleeding out... 

The web doesn't cover all the waterways you might want to fish but by looking at the larger rivers close by you'll be able to ascertain whether your desired location is good to go, or not.

The Horizons webpage with these images can be found here. 

Unfortunately the rivers in the Greater Wellington Regional Council do not yet have webcam coverage. Hopefully they're working on it. 

By Wellington Fish & Game officer Hamish Carnachan.

Notice board

• Important changes to the regulations for the Rangitikei backcountry fishery come into force at the start of this season - click here for more. 

• River bulldozing - Don't let this destructive activity by Greater Wellington Regional Council ruin your fishing. A schedule of river bulldozing in the region's rivers can be found here. Email Debbie.Kelly@gw.govt.nz to register your complaints with this practice. 

• Ruamahanga access at Gliding Club (Greytown). Anglers are being directed to the Tilsen Road access.

Email Wellington Communications and Field Officer Hamish Carnachan if you'd like any fishing or freshwater-related items posted to this noticeboard.

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