Reel Life November 2022

Fishing Report

Every brown trout in the Waikato River will be migrating in the next month

The Waikato River is nearing the maximum temperature most trout will tolerate, so it is time to shift your focus from the Waikato to Waipa tributaries, as nearly all of the brown trout in the lower Waikato will be on the move in the next couple of weeks.

Targeting the mouth of cool Pirongia tributaries should be productive starting this week.

Fish will soon move to cooler water provided by streams with bush cover like the Kaniwhaniwha, upper Waipa, Mangatutu and Puniu.

The best way to predict the timing of the brown trout migration is to watch the councilriver monitoring site; when the Waikato hits 19C°, the fish will be on the move.

Above Right: Waikato Regional Council river monitoring website.

Be ready to measure fish on the Mangatutu before you go

Our dedicated tagging team has been working hard to get some data on the Mangatutu Stream.

If you are fishing the Mangatutu, please be prepared to measure a fish.

All we need is the tag number and the length of the fish from the nose to the fork in the tail.

If you don’t have a tape measure to bring, just place a piece of electrical tape on your rod to mark the fish length and then measure it when you get home.

If you do kill the fish or have a net with a scale, we would also like the weight.

With that in mind, if anyone happens to find my net on the Whanganui near the gravel pits, please let me know adaniel@fishandgame.org.nz.

Finally, Fly fishing classes on the North Island!

Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game staff have been looking for a pathway for anglers to learn fly fishing for a long time, and we are excited to announce there is now a beginner fly fishing course in the Central North Island.

Former South Island Guide Chappie Chapman has relocated to Motuoapa (near Turangi) and is now teaching two-day fly fishing classes for beginners.

With over 30 years of experience guiding and teaching, Chappie is well-qualified to help anglers navigate the learning process.

The course includes two X two-and-a-half-hour casting lessons using quality gear and even covers basic insect identification so students can learn to match the hatch.

The courses are quite comprehensive and also include instruction on:

• how to select a fly rod

• Fly line selection

• Landing nets

• Wading gear

• Polarised glasses

• Leaders and tippet materials

• How to use a wading staff

Beginner classes are limited to five students and cost $300.

For more information, send Chappie an email at fishinchappie@xtra.co.nz.

Tight Lines

Adam Daniel, Auckland Waikato Fish & Game.