Wellington Weekly Fishing Report - 16 February 2023

Rivers Fast Returning to Fishable Flows                 

Pictured - Andrew Harding with a Wellington region 'hog' caught last weekend before the storm. 

It isn't all dire news for fishing in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

While angling in some parts of the region will be out of commission for some time, smaller streams in other areas are falling quickly back to fishable flows.

The weather forecast is for lovely weather too - warm sunny days with light winds - which is well overdue. 

A lot of fish will have moved into the lesser waterways to escape the velocity of major flood flows in the mainstem rivers. 

They will linger there for some time too, waiting for the flood to recede and the water to clear. 

Fishing the confluence areas and clearing waters with spinners or large dark streamers is going to give anglers the best chance of success this weekend.

Please be take care if you choose to venture out. Banks could be unstable, rivers and streams may have changed course, and wading should be avoided.        

Here's the outlook for the weekend:

Hutt River and tributaries

Click here for live weather updates.

The Hutt is understandably running very high still and will take the better part of a week without rain to return to normal flows. The Akatarawa, Pakarutahi and Whakatikei were dropping back quickly, however, they registered a slight spike at time of writing as the last of the rain pushed through. Check the flows of these smaller stream on Saturday - they could be well worth a look if dropping.  

The Hutt River at Silverstream this morning (Credit: John Miller)  

Kapiti Coast 

Click here for live weather updates.

The Kapiti Coast rivers - the Waikanae, Ohau and Otaki - are carrying plenty of flow and sediment from the storm but appear to be dropping at a reasonably steady rate. Local reports suggest spinning and streamers could be viable techniques come Saturday if enough colour has dropped out.                                  

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

Wairarapa 

Click here for live weather updates.

The Wairarapa rivers have copped the tail of Gabrielle, with heavy rain finally clearing at time of writing. The Ruamahanga is going to be a write off this weekend, with the Waiohine an outside chance for flinging streamers. The Tauherenikau is still very large and dirty and unlikely to offer much joy, however the Waingawa and Waipoua are falling back fast. The lower reaches of the latter could fish very well this weekend if it has dropped enough flow.        

The Waiohine River above SH2 this morning (Credit: Hamish Carnachan)

Manawatu

Click here for live weather updates.  

Serious flooding in this catchment means the Manawatu River and many tributaries - even the the smaller ones - are going to be far too high and dirty for fishing, sadly. The Oroua is still high and climbing slowly; the Pohangina suffered a major flood event with road access to the upper reaches cut off at time of writing. The Mangatainoka is also going to take days before returning to fishable flows.                         

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

Rangitikei 

Click here for live weather updates.

The Rangitikei River catchment was ravaged by the cyclone with the mainstem reaching a massive peak flow of 1700 cubic metres per second. All the mains rivers are still looking very angry in this part of the region so if you're still keen to make the most of the nice weather forecast, grab the family and rods and head to the Marton Reservoir.          

The Rangitikei River at Mangaweka this morning (Credit: Horizons) 

Kids' Fish-Out This Sunday!

The Capital Trout Centre is having a kids fish out day this Sunday - perfect timing with many rivers high and unfishable.

Registration at Capital Fishing or Hutt Valley Hunting & Fishing.   

For more information, please contact Strato Cotsillinis on 04-386-3740. 

A Major Threat to The Future of Fishing 

The Government's proposed replacement for the Resource Management Act (RMA) has major ramifications for the future of angling and access to our outdoor resource. 

To find out more, and have a say, click here.   

Angler Access - Your One Stop Shop

Click the map below and visit the one-stop shop for all your angling access information.    

Noticeboard

• Treble Hooks - New regulations for the 2022-23 season ban the use of treble hooks on waterways where there are maximum size limits on trout i.e., fish over a certain size must be returned. These rivers are identified in Note 3 on page 39 of the regulations book. This measure was adopted by the Wellington Fish & Game Council to help the survival of large fish, the breeding specimens, when released after being caught. Please consult the Wellington section of the regulations guide, particularly Note 5 which details where trebles are permitted. All other waters only single hooks are allowed. 

• Wellington Fish & Game has been advised of the following dates for flushing flows from the Moawhango Dam:

14 Mar, 21:00-02:00

25 Apr, 21:00-02:00

• River Bulldozing - Don't get an unwelcome surprise by Greater Wellington Regional Council's river bulldozing ruining your day on the river. The upcoming activity schedule can be found here.

 If you have any information you'd like to have considered for addition to the notice board, 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.