Weekly Fishing Report - 22 February 2018

It's a tale of two halves this week, with the region's southern rivers blown out, but those in the north close to fishable.

Cyclone Gita has dumped plenty of rain in the Tararua Range and coastal Kapiti, meaning all the rivers south of the Manawatu Gorge are carrying plenty of flow - they're going to take some days to clear.

At time of writing though, it looks like the rivers sourced in the Ruahines escaped much of the deluge... and the weather looks great for getting out on Saturday and Sunday too.

Those intent on fishing this weekend should look closely at these northern river catchments, which we'll give a tentative orange light at this stage but please make sure to check the flows before departing.

Pictured above right: The Ruamahanga River this morning - plenty of flow to clear before it's fishable (Credit: Hamish Carnachan) 

Here's the outlook:

Hutt River and tributaries

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The Hutt River is in flood this morning and will take some days to return to fishable flow. At a long shot, some of the smaller tribs may be worth exploring from Sunday.             

Kapiti Coast

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The Kapiti Coast rivers - the Waikanae, the Otaki and the Ohau - are all big and brown after bearing the brunt of Gita's wrath. Forget fishing this weekend but look to hit plenty of hungry trout when the rivers recede next week.           

Wairarapa

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The Ruamahanga and it's tribs are raging torrents. If you need to wet a fly, head well north. Otherwise get stuck in next week - by Monday things should be coming right.         

Manawatu

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The Manawatu has faired remarkably well and even this morning looks clean and low at Ashurst. This is unlikely to remain the case though as the Mangatainoka is carrying quite some extra flow. Look to hit the mainstem Manawatu in the upper reaches. The Pohangina is and Orua are both looking good at time of writing.           

Rangitikei

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The Rangitikei is reportedly running milky around Bulls but clear higher up in the catchment. In and around Taihape, or even further up, is going to be the best bet. A tentative green light for the upper catchment at this point in time but please recheck the flow before you go in case conditions have changed.                          

Video of the week

Click the screenshot below to check out Andrew Harding's latest production showcasing the quality of our freshwater fishing in the Wellington Fish & Game region.

Tip of the Week - Download Our NEW Hutt Brochure

You can download our new Hutt River Access brochure by clicking on the image above (it is a large file).  

The brochure provides heaps of info on both popular and lesser known access points, tips for fishing different reaches and user friendly maps.

The Hutt is one of New Zealand's great brown trout fisheries, we're doing everything we can to help our anglers make the most of this stunning resource on Wellington's doorstep.

Don't forget we also have a dedicated brochure on How To Fish The Hutt River - ask at our office (06)3590409.             

By Wellington Fish & Game officer Hamish Carnachan.

Fish & Game NZ magazine - online

Did you know there's a heap of information - feature articles, columns, fly tying info, photo spreads - available free through the Fish & Game magazine website?

Why not head over and check it! Click the homepage image above.

And while you're there, you could grab a subscription - an absolute bargain at just $35 for the year.

Notice board

• River bulldozing - Don't let this destructive activity by Greater Wellington Regional Council ruin your fishing. Click here for the latest schedule of river wrecking (you can also register your complaints by emailing: Debbie.Kelly@gw.govt.nz).

• Ruamahanga access at Gliding Club (Greytown). Anglers are being directed to the Tilsen Road access.
• Moawhanga Flushing Flows - Click here for more information but following is an early alert for the dates the flushes be will conducted: 
  - 13/14 March
  - 17/18 April

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.