Wellington Weekly Report 05 December 2019

The fishing Gods appear to be smiling on us - recent rain has recharged rapidly falling rivers nicely and set up some great angling for Saturday.  

Unfortunately the window of opportunity is going to be brief, though, with more rain arriving on Sunday from the west. At least you can put off the Christmas shopping until then!

On that note, with such a great season unfolding - and the best weather and fishing conditions still to come over summer - why not consider gifting someone an angling licence? 

For roughly the same price as four paperback novels, a season licence offers untold adventure and lasting fun!    

Get your licence here and make some else's Christmas while you're at it.    

Pictured above right: Enjoying the recent stunning weather and angling, Aaron Houghton and his daughter Ainsley with a Wellington brown caught last weekend (Credit Richard Virtue)

Here's the outlook:

Hutt River and tributaries

Click here for live weather updates.

The Hutt River and tributaries are running a little high from Tuesday's rain but still well fishable. With a little rain coming through early Sunday, Saturday morning is going to be the best window for fishing. The wind might present a few problem so it would pay to look to the tribs for a sheltered option.                

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live weather updates.

The Waikanae, Ohau and Otaki are all dumping Tuesday's rain but are in fishable condition. Watch for the front coming through in he early hours of Sunday though which could bring the rivers up again. Saturday should be fine but the nor-west could prove problematic to fly anglers. Consider casting some spinning lures around the lower reaches because the whitebait are still running well.      

Wairarapa

Click here for live weather updates.

The recent dry spell has seen irrigators going full clap and the Ruamahanga dropping rapidly as a result. Tuesday's heavy rain in the hills was just what was needed though, with the flow restored to good levels. It is high but fishable at the moment, and dropping nicely, as are the main tribs - the Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau. With more rain forecast early Sunday morning, Saturday is the day to be on the water.                

Manawatu

Click here for live weather updates.     

Clearly all the rain fell in the Tararua Range and not the Ruahines because the Manawatu, the Pohangina and Oroua are all looking great today. That should last through to Sunday too but anglers will have to contend with a little drizzle. The Mangatainoka is up a little but dropping nicely and will still be fishable today and through to Sunday. 

Rangitikei

Click here for live weather updates.

It's a bit blustery up in the central high country this morning but the Rangitikei and its tribs, including the Hautapu, are at really good flow and looking great. With sunny skies and a slight reprieve from the breeze, tomorrow looks like the best day before showers arrive on Saturday preceding Sunday's rain.          

Tip of the Week - Advanced Spin Fishing 

Our new brochure explains how to catch trout with advanced spin fishing techniques. 

Wellington Fish & Game is always trying to help our anglers catch more fish and, as a result, get more value from their investment in an angling licence.

Realizing not everyone is into fly fishing, and that there are in fact a great deal of licence holders who are dedicated spin anglers, we've produced a new resource detailing how to combine threadline fishing and fly angling. 

There's heaps more information too, include techniques like soft-bait fishing for trout, the different set-ups and rigs, and where you'll have the best chance of locating fish in a river. 

If you'd like a free copy, please email your name and address to us and we'll mail out a copy. Otherwise you can download a copy by clicking the image above.  

By Fish & Game field officers Hamish Carnachan. 

Webcams

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

Notice board

• Anglers wanting to fish the Rangitikei backcountry must have a licence endorsement for this fishery. Click here to find out more. Or purchase your backcountry endorsement.   
• Fishing regulations changes for the Wellington Fish & Game Region in 2019-2020 might affect you. Find out about the changes here.  
• Don't get a nasty surprise by Greater Wellington Regional Council's river bulldozing ruining your day on the river. Check out the latest schedule of activity here. 
• Northern Ruahine 1080 operations are going to be conducted by DOC. Please click here to find out what catchments are to be affected. A facts sheet can be found here. 
• Flushing flows from the Moawhango Dam, which will cause the rivers downstream (including the Rangitikei) to rise, will be conducted on the following dates: 

Release from Dam 9:00pm Tuesday 10 December 2019 – 9 hours
Release from Dam 9:00pm Tuesday 28 January 2020 – 5 hours
Release from Dam 9:00pm Tuesday 18 February 2020 – 5 hours
Release from Dam 9:00pm Tuesday 17 March 2020 – 5 hours
Release from Dam 9:00pm Tuesday 28 April 2020 – 5 hours (subject to monitoring triggers being met)

More info 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.