Fishing News index > December 2008

TARANAKI TROUT FISHING DECEMBER 2008

Taranaki Ringplain

The season so far has been characterised by moderate freshes every 7-10 days (see Figure 1 below) which have maintained streams in good condition and provided plenty of opportunities for trout to feed and recover peak condition after spawning.  Anglers have reported good hatches of mayfly, caddis and midge this season and the warm, humid conditions have also meant plenty of brown beetle on the wing.  The evening rise has been productive, particularly for anglers who have been able to “match the hatch”.  Nymph and spin fishing have also brought success during the day, with several reports of anglers landing brown trout in excess of 2.5kg.

 
FIGURE 1. Manganui River flow at SH3 Midhirst, 1 October-13 December 2008.

With stream flows inevitably receding toward summer levels, December/January will be a good time to target daytime trout sipping food items from foam lines.  With fish now well accustomed to taking brown beetle and with green beetle increasing in abundance, walking the rivers and streams to spot rising fish will be well worthwhile.  Windy days can make casting difficult, but they can also be good for beetle fishing as the insects are blown off riverside vegetation and concentrated in foam lines.  The middle willow-lined reaches of the Waingongoro River in south Taranaki is as great place to find both brown and rainbow trout feeding under foam lines and these fish will often have no hesitation in taking a #14-16 brown and green beetle imitation. 
 
Small (#14-16) tungsten bead head nymphs fished on their own or under a dry fly indicator have taken plenty of trout so far this season and they will continue to be a good bet in the riffles and faster runs and in pocket water in the cooler upper reaches of medium and larger sized streams.  With good hatches of caddis and midge anticipated and with plenty of brown beetle still about, early summer is also an ideal time to target the evening rise in the larger river pools. 

As flows recede further, brown trout in medium and smaller sized streams will often abandon their drift feeding lies to cruise the pools and deeper runs in a beat.  This provides an exciting opportunity to cast a dry fly into the path of surface-feeding fish.  Scan the water carefully, as it’s important to spot the fish before casting.  It’s generally best to study the fishes’ beat and cast your fly onto the water when the fish is still well away from you.  It also pays to cover 2-3 km of water in a trip, generally in an upstream direction, remembering that meandering sections tend to hold more fish than straight-channelled ones.

Hopefully, the current pattern of regular freshes will continue through the summer to maintain our waterways in great condition.  If your day off happens to coincide with wet weather, don’t be surprised to find that while northern ringplain streams are in fresh, those on the southern side of the mountain remain relatively clear and fishable.  This is often the case when fronts pass through quickly and the Taranaki Regional Council website www.trc.govt.nz is well worth checking out, as it provides up-to-date rainfall and flow information for key rivers and streams around the mountain.

Please continue to use the Check, Clean and Dry protocol to prevent the spread of didymo.  For anglers, this effectively means restricting yourselves to one river a day because of the risk of transferring didymo in damp socks and other clothing, which should be machine washed before use in another waterway.  Soaking wet fly boxes, reels, boots etc. in a bucket of 5% detergent, or putting them overnight in the freezer until frozen solid is also recommended, along with the usual spraying of waders, rods, nets etc. with 5% detergent.  Taranaki sports shops have supplies of free didymo spray bottles and publicity material, so please grab some and help spread the word.

On behalf of the Taranaki Fish & Game Council and all our staff I would like to wish all Reel Life readers a safe and Happy Christmas (how many Sage rods will be delivered by Santa this year i wonder?) and all the very best for 2009!

Allen Stancliff
Senior Fish and Game Officer

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