Fishing News index > May 2009

Taranaki Ringplain

As is usual most of the ringplain rivers and streams have been closed to fishing from 1st May but for those who are more than happy to brave the changing elements and cast a line than a number of waters remain open are continuing to produce good fish.  Good fishing can still be had at Lake Mangamahoe, the Waiwhakaiho River downstream from the end of the gravel track at the right-hand end of Rimu Street, Opunake Lake, the Waingongoro River and the Kaupokonui Stream downstream of SH45.  Given the closure of other ring plain fisheries these spots can expect to be busier than usual but rarely get too busy or over crowded for most of the anglers that visit them. 
Waimarino

Anglers in the Waimarino have reported that this has been a difficult season for some however the fish are certainly there to be seen if not caught! Local anglers had the pleasure of meeting some of the national fly fishing a short time back when a competition took place on the Manganui-o-teao River and were surprise that the visitors didn’t land more fish.  I have been reliably informed that a couple of the locals fished the same stretches of the river where the visitors appeared to struggle to connect with a fish and had no problems getting into some nice fish.  I’m not sure if this is a classic case of local knowledge going a long way or just another “fisherman’s tale”...I’m going with the local knowledge though!

Regular anglers in the Waimarino District are pretty well conversant with the regulations and restrictions for the area however it still pays to check your regulation guide as a number of river sections are closed to angling, including the upper Retaruke River upstream from Oio Road Bridge, the Mangawhero River upstream of the SH49 “golf course” Bridge and tributaries of the Manganui-o-teao River, including Waimarino, Orautoha and Ruatiti streams. The Manganui-o-teao mainstem remains open until 30th June, as does the Tokiahuru/Waitaiki and the Mangawerho River downstream of the SH49 “golf course” Bridge (open all year).

We had a bit of a scare recently on the Manganui-o-teao River when a visiting angler from another region noted a distinctly didymo like algae growing in the area of the Ruatiti Domain.  This was reported to Taranaki Fish and Game Staff who immediately informed MAF Biosecurity NZ.  Fortunately the algae was not didymo but another naturally occurring growth that had changed due to a sudden drop in liver levels and the subsequent exposure had cause it to begin to die off and look like the dreaded pest.  Taranaki Fish and Game would like to thank the angler concerned for reporting the sighting and while this turned out to be a benign form of algal growth, it serves as a good reminder of the current threat posed to our fisheries by didymo.  We urge all anglers to continue to exercise the Check Clean and Dry policy and commend those that do, if on your jaunt up a stream or river notice any suspicious algae that you believe may be didymo, report it at once.  Better report it and it be nothing than not report it and assist in its spreading between water catchment areas should it ever get a foothold on the North Island.

For those who don’t feel like travelling too much to the main fisheries in your area then remember some good sport and an equally good feed can be had if you fish close to home and target the perch that are abound in many of the local ponds, lakes and some of the larger dams.  Perch are easily caught using worm and can prove to be excellent sport when caught on a spinner.  Try any lure that has either is a combination of black and gold, if the water is particularly turbid then use a silver of gold to attract the attention of the quarry, or try to exploit the cannibalism trait of the larger perch in the water and use a small imitation perch!
Tight Lines!

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