Northland Reel Life January 2020

In 2019 rainfall in many parts of Northland have been the lowest ever recorded.

The long term forecast is for hotter and drier conditions until the autumn unless we get a tropical low come down from the pacific.

This has led to very low water levels in many of our rivers and creeks.

Right: Lower Kerikeri River

Weed growth has taken off making fishing difficult in our lowland water bodies.

These are challenging conditions for our trout population.

We suggest targeting our lakes and reservoirs to have some success.

However a couple of rivers are still fishable.

Trout can be under a lot of stress as the temperature increases so keep you’re playing to a minimum and consider taking those legal fish (greater than 300mm) as some may not survive a release.

Puketotara Stream and Lower Kerikeri River

This is a small tributary of the Kerikeri River and its confluence is located downstream of Rainbow falls.

The lower reaches are accessed via Golf View Road and the Lower Kerikeri River can be accessed via the Kerikeri River Track.

The river has many large boulders that make traversing it difficult.

This stream can also be accessed via SH10 and fished upstream for a number of kilometres via a esplanade reserve.

Trout average one kilo in size.

Spin fishing or lure fishing are all good methods.

Waipapa River (Puketi Forest)

Access to this river is via Forest Pools Road.

You can fish up the river or walk upstream on the lower Waipapa Track and fish back downstream.

Best advice in the dry conditions is to seek out deeper pools with shading and cover.

On a recent trip mullet were up in the catchment a considerable distance feeding franticly in most pools.

Water is usually clear so light gear is recommended.

Small brown nymphs or dry flies fished in the evening work well in this river.

2020 Fishing Licence Photo Competition

Entries are now open for the 2020 Fishing Licence Photo Competition.

You can click the link below to find out how the competition works and enter your photo.

Who knows, it may be one of your photos on next seasons Fish & Game fishing licence.
https://fishandgame.org.nz/national-site/photo-competition…

Tight Lines

Graham Gallaghan, Northland Fish & Game Officer.