Reel Life - September 2016

The joys of spring…daylight saving and the opportunity to go for an evening fish (especially if it ever stops raining).
And the trout are starting to feed with more vigour as nature's catering kicks in – insects both flying and aquatic are starting to hatch, while whitebait are starting to head up river.
Adding spice and intrigue to the re-opening of three Rotorua lakes (Tarawera, Rotoiti and Okataina), somewhere is a healthy trout with a green tag worth a tasty $10,000 – which would be a great catch by anyone's standards. Read further on for details.
In North Island regions like Taranaki and Hawke's Bay, Fish & Game staff are tipping local trout streams to be in good condition for the new fishing season after receiving some solid freshes over winter.
In the South Island, the lower sections of North Canterbury rivers which were closed over winter, will reopen.
With a mild winter in the south, trout should be in great condition, so our advice is to get out there early.
If you are angling anywhere along the east coast of the South Island and catch a tagged trout, please let North Canterbury Fish & Game know where and when you caught it.
Eighteen hundred tagged brown trout were released into the lower Rakaia as part of a project to learn more about the fishery.
The Central South Island region has opened up more fisheries to spin and bait fishing to give anglers more options, so be sure to check the rules & regs as new areas are now open to you.
P.S. - Thanks Nicole for this month's cover pic – new to trout fishing, she sent us this photo of her fine catch at Lake Rerewhakaaiku.
P.P.S - If you think you've got a freshwater fishing image worthy of featuring on our 'cover', email it to Richard Cosgrove for consideration.