Wellington Weekly Fishing Report - 26 November 2020

In trying to be positive about the fishing prospects for the weekend ahead, there's a reasonable chance that some of the smaller waterways will be clear. 

At time of writing a rather soggy system is moving in over the country in numerous fronts, with the severity varying across the region. 

The Rangitikei catchment and Central Plateau look like they will receive plenty of rain, while the Ruahine and Tararua ranges are forecast to get a lesser amount.

With rivers and streams already holding extra water from yesterday's rain, the weather situation makes predicting the fishing conditions troublesome.    

Saturday looks like the pick of the days, but region-wide it's going to be a case of checking the flows regularly to see if it's worth venturing out. 

That leaves no excuse not to grab your licence, right now, so you can hit the water when conditions allow.

Here's the outlook:   

Pictured: Kerry Hibbard and son Caleb caught this cracking rainbow from a major Manawatu River tributary last week.   

Hutt River and tributaries

Click here for live weather updates.

The Hutt is high and carrying a good bit of colour - possibly okay for spin fishing at time of writing. While the fresh has flattened out, more rain this evening will likely see the river rise further, leaving only an outside chance for fishing over the weekend. The Akatarawa, Whakatikei and Pakarutahi are fishable now but the flow graphs show they are on rise. 

The Hutt River at the Whakatikei confluence this morning (Steve Doughty)           

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live weather updates.

It's going to be 50:50 for fishing the coast over the weekend. The forecast only has showers for the ranges which shouldn't bring the rivers up too much if it holds true. The Otaki and Ohau appear to have levelled out and should drop to fishable flows for Saturday if there's no further rain. Meanwhile the Waikanae is still on the up. It's going to be a case of checking the flows regularly to see if it's worth venturing out this weekend.

Otaki River at State Highway 1 this morning (Phil Teal)                  

Wairarapa

Click here for live weather updates.

Heavy rain has the Ruamahanga almost bank to bank at Gladstone. The river is dropping but as you can see has plenty of water to clear before it becomes fishable. The Waiohine and Waingawa are also dropping but have plenty of water to clear before the weekend. Even the eastern tributaries of the Ruamahanga are high. Kourarau Dam could be a good option for local anglers. 

Ruamahanga River at Gladstone this morning (Hamish Carnachan)               

Manawatu

Click here for live weather updates.     

The Manawatu looks like chocolate milk - forget it for this weekend. The Mangatainoka is dropping quickly; the Oroua (as you can see from the image below) is holding heaps of water and colour and will take a while to clear. On the bright side, the Pohangina actually looks lovely - it has higher flow and a hint of colour but is otherwise fishable at time of writing. Check the flows on the smaller streams on Friday evening and Saturday morning if you're after somewhere to fish this weekend.           

Oroua River at Almadale this morning (Matt Kavermann)

Rangitikei

Click here for live weather updates.

The Rangitikei is just too today and has too much water to clear before the weekend. On top of that there is more heavy rain forecast for the ranges. A weekend for sitting behind the vice and tying some flies.                     

Rangitkei River at Mangaweka this morning (Horizons)

Angling Newsletter Out Now! 

Our 2020-21 angling newsletter should be arriving in letterboxes soon. 

If you haven't received one, or want an advanced read, click on the cover shot above to download a digital copy.

It's full of info about the season ahead, new places to try your luck, tips and techniques and other details around what we've been up to in order to enhance your fishery and your angling experience. Enjoy!     

Tip of The Week - Top Flies for the Lower North Island

Given we're facing a wet weekend and the prospect of limited fishing due to high rivers, it could be a good time to load up the fly box by either popping into your local tackle store or tying your own.

Below are some of the top patterns for the lower North Island that may just help fly anglers who are starting out:

1. Bead Head Hare and Copper nymph – Great for all lower North Island rivers, use as a 'point fly' (the first fly you tie on) with a natural pattern tied off the hook shank.
2. Pheasant Tail nymph - Another general purpose pattern that will pull fish from all our rivers, great as a 'dropper' beneath a dry fly. 
3. Parachute Adams – A go-to dry fly to be used as either a natural when mayflies are hatching or as an indicator fly when a nymph pattern is fished underneath. 
4. Damsel Fly nymph – Good for some of the lagoon systems around Lake Wairarapa. 
5. Horn Cased Caddis nymph – These are best fished in our lowland rivers like the mid/lower reaches of the Ruamahanga and Manawatu. 
6. Bead Head Wooly Bugger - When the rivers are holding a little colour, fish these across and down; expect aggressive strikes. 
7. Dad's Favourite – When trout are on a mayfly hatch, these are great imitations. 
8. CDC Emerger – A perfect fly for those frustrating time when fish appear to be rising but won't take anything off the top; these sit just under the surface.  
9. Deer Hair Caddis – A pattern that can fish well in our rivers at night time because it is big and bulky and looks like a bully. 
10. Royal Wulf – The ultimate dry fly that will catch fish from the lowlands to the gin clear headwaters. 

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.
• GWRC is hosting a public open day this Saturday (Nov 28) to hear from the community about improvements for the health of the Hutt River. It is being held at the Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt between 9am and 3pm. Points that could be raised by anglers attending include:

1. Minimal in-stream intervention of machinery.

2. Stream/river structure (pools-runs-riffles) and integrity to be improved for fish and invertebrate habitat.

3. GWRC’s engineering and biodiversity teams to work together and with Wellington Fish & Game to ensure better ecological outcomes for the various river schemes.

  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.