Wellington Weekly Fishing Report - 10 December 2020

The photos below tell their own story - the rivers aren't looking flash. There is a silver lining, however, the last of the rain will pass through tonight so we might get some fishing later in the weekend.

Lovely calm conditions, and even sunny skies, are forecast for the weekend, so it will be well worth keeping an eye on flows in the smaller streams which will clear the extra water faster than the main rivers.

Many of the larger waterways in the region are already at peak flow and starting to drop, so there's also every chance that these could have fallen back enough for spin fishing by Sunday - check the live flow updates before heading out. 

With Christmas rapidly approaching, and what tends to be a hectic time for everyone trying to wrap up work and slot in some shopping, Saturday might be the time to hit the malls, and in doing so earn some brownie points and free up time for when angling conditions really shine.           

Now's a good time to grab your licence so you're ready to hit the water when the rivers clear later in the weekend and early next week.  

Here's the outlook:   

Pictured: This well-conditioned rainbow was caught and released in a lowland Wairarapa river recently by angler Camlo Carter (Credit: Camlo Carter).   

Hutt River and tributaries

Click here for live weather updates.

Given the very high flows, the Hutt is going to be marginal this weekend, unfortunately. The Akatarawa, Whakatikei and Pakarutahi are very high but starting to drop and at this stage are most likely a Sunday proposition, with the Pakarutahi our pick. Flows and weather conditions look stunning early next week, so try and pop out after work if you can as the fish will definitely be in feeding mode after several back-to-back high-flow events.   

The Hutt River at Moonshine this morning (Photo: Steve Doughty)           

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live weather updates.

The Otaki, Ohau and Waikanae are carrying lots of dirty water and are only just starting to drop. There is a heap of flow that needs to push through before these become fishable but some of the smaller streams on the Kapiti Coast should be okay. Sunday will be a good day for exploring. And don't forget the lower reaches and river mouths with whitebait still running.  

The Otaki River this morning (Photo: Phil Teal)             

Wairarapa

Click here for live weather updates.

The Ruamahanga is not carrying as much water as one would expect after all the rain we've had here. At the rate the river is falling, it could well be fishable above the Waiohine confluence by late Saturday. The Waiohine and Waingawa are also falling fast - there's an outside chance these could be okay by Saturday but it would certainly pay to check the latest flows on Friday night.   

The Waiohine River at SH2 this morning (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)               

Manawatu

Click here for live weather updates.     

The Manawatu is a write-off again this weekend but the good news is the other rivers look like the will drop to fishable flows at some stage over the weekend. While the Oroua is very dirty at time of writing, the Pohangina is almost okay for spinning and the Mangatainoka is very nearly good to go today too. Check the flows before heading out... or take the opportunity to poke your nose up some of those smaller streams in the Manawatu region.            

Pohangina at Piripiri this morning (Photo: Horizons)

Rangitikei

Click here for live weather updates.

The Rangitikei is loaded with colour at Mangaweka again and given the look of the river further upstream, it isn't going to clear any time soon. At time of writing the Hautapu is in a reasonable state for fishing, however there is more rain forecast today for the Central Plateau so check the flows again when the weather has moved through, which is supposed to be tonight.                           

Rangitikei River at Mangaweka this morning (Photo: Horizons)

Angling Newsletter Out Now! 

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Tip of The Week - Chase the Whitebait Chasers

The outlet from Lake Onoke to Palliser Bay has been blocked for some time and only recently opened by Greater Wellington Regional Council's flood protection team late last week. 

This means that the large schools of whitebait that have been sitting out there waiting to come in can finally make their run... It also means there will be larger fish chasing them!

The outlet from Lake Onoke to Palliser Bay last week (Photo: GWRC)   

If you're after some high-energy, turbo-charged sport, you could do worse than get into some hard fighting sea-run trout and kahawai on light tackle this weekend. 

The fish will take flies but because the water is very murky after all the rain, spinning will be best in the current conditions. Use large flashy lures - the metal kahawai-style ones - as Rapalas likely won't be visible to the fish. 

If you're intent on fly fishing, go to very large salt-water flies with plenty of tinsel and a heavy epoxy head to get down in the strong outflow.   

Please take extra care around the outlet as the bank is unstable and the current very swift.     

- By Wellington Fish & Game officer Hamish Carnachan.         

Webcams

Click the screen shot below to go to Horizon's website showing the list of available river webcams.

Notice board

• Fishing regulations for the Wellington Fish & Game region can be found here.  
• Don't get a nasty surprise by Greater Wellington Regional Council's river bulldozing ruining your day on the river. The upcoming activity schedule can be found here.

  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 - For your safety please ensure you check the latest weather and river flow information before you head out on the water.