Reel Life January 2023

February is a fantastic time for fishing - it's the time when fish are aggressive and hungry. 

Cicadas are in full swing, and these are the biggest terrestrial insects trout can feed on in New Zealand, and to copy a phrase from the team at Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game – when they hit the water with their legs wiggling and wings beating, fish react like a bunch of college students around free pizza.  

With Waitangi Day just around the corner, it gives you an extra day on the river or lake and the chance to try and tempt some monster trout.  

If you are a spin angler looking for a new challenge, then the team at Southland Fish & Game suggests trying fly fishing.  

They have some basic fly fishing advice to demystify it and to help you on your fly fishing journey.  

Be sure to check out the regional links above, as they are packed full of advice, tips and tricks to help your fishing experience.  

One message we do want to get out there is to be safe around the water; there have already been too many tragedies around the water this summer, so take moment before heading out to check you have the necessary safety gear with you for whatever type of fishing you are doing.  

The sea-run salmon season has been picking up in the Canterbury rivers of late, but salmon fishing can be a bit daunting for many anglers. To help anglers out, we are launching a five-part series on sea-run salmon fishing today, with the first short video released here.  

If you are keen to try out salmon fishing, check out the videos as they drop over the coming weeks, but remember to fish for sea-run salmon requires the sea-run salmon endorsement, which you can learn more about here. 

Otago Fish & Game joins the regions providing weekly fishing reports  

If you want the latest Otago freshwater fishing info at your fingertips each week?  

You can now sign up, and every Thursday, we’ll email you the latest fishing conditions, weather and river flow info, and tips for your next fishing mission.    

Click here to subscribe.   

Tight lines 

The Team at Fish & Game