Reel Life December 2023

Bugs Abound as Weather Warms 

We’ve had some really hot temperatures this last week and the warmer conditions have triggered an abundance of insects.  

Although they are a few weeks away yet, with high soil-moisture levels so far through December we're picking it's going to be a belter year for cicadas.

Until then, the fish are already looking up.  

A backcountry excursion last weekend saw trout happily feeding off the surface, with plenty of the larger terrestrial bugs around including spiders, grasshoppers and beetles, to name a few.     

It is often said that the best fishing of the season starts when the large terrestrial insects appear. Well, now's the time, so get into it.     

Grab your licence now!

Photo Comp – Be In To Win $300 

Share your trout fishing pics and be in to win!  

Simply send in your favourite fishing photos from this season and you could be in to win a $300 voucher to spend in-store at Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing. 

You don't have to reveal your secret spot, but please include the name of the angler(s), the photographer's details, and the general location in the Wellington-Taranaki Fish & Game region. 

Click here to submit your entry.   

You can send us as many fishing photos as you like. B

y submitting images to enter the competition you acknowledge that Wellington Fish & Game can publish and use the photos for publicity material. 

Entries must be in by 5 pm Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

The winner will be announced in the Lower North Lowdown report on Thursday, April 4, 2024.   

Holiday Fishing Hotspots 

Whether you heading away for the Christmas holidays or staying put, lower North Island anglers are blessed with so many varied and easily accessible fishing spots.  

Our ‘Park n Cast’ webpages make it easy to find spots where you and the family can simply pull up, park the car and be in with a good chance of catching fish! 

You’ll find this resource handy if you’re travelling and want to break up the trip by stretching the legs and firing a few casts into the water, or if you’re after a safe place to teach the kids and perhaps even camp overnight.  

Don’t forget that all our fishing maps are now housed on this awesome website.  

And, very conveniently, you can download all the info to your mobile device and have it with you on the river no matter if you’ve got network coverage or not which maker it super handy for the travelling angler these holidays!  

Check out the website here. 

Get The ‘Lowdown’ on Fishing In the Lower North  

We send out a fishing report each Thursday during the season to help you plan your outing for the weekend ahead.  

It contains live weather and river flow information for the main catchments – Hutt, Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Rangitikei, Taranaki Ringplain and Waimarino (on the Central Plateau).  

If you are not yet receiving this, flick us an email and we’ll sign you up for the best fishing intel out there!   

You can check out the latest report here.  

Tight Lines 

Hamish Carnachan, Wellington Fish & Game Officer/Communications Officer.