Reel Life October 2021

The early season is awesome for fishing.

Our expert staff from around the country all say that the new season is the best time to get onto a fish, most waterways around the country will reopen on October 1, and fish are starting to become more active with the arrival of Spring.

Early reports from staff say fish are in excellent condition, and staff are excited about the coming season.

Many anglers hold off for holidays like Labour Weekend or the summer Christmas holidays. However, there's no need to wait; the fishing is excellent in Spring, and why miss the opportunity to get on to some great fishing.

Always remember to check out the links above for your local info; the team at your local Fish & Game Office want to help you have an enjoyable fishing experience, so they are always willing to give tips and advice to any angler.

The Central South Island Fish & Game team reports the result of one of their trout tagging projects in Tekapo.

It's the most impressive tag report to date, an 18-pound brown trout caught by Graeme Johnson this winter.

It grew to 18-pounds incredibly quickly after being tagged and released by Fish & Game staff 12 months and 18 days earlier.

When tagged, it was 461mm long and estimated to be no larger than 3-pounds, meaning it has grown five times its size in about one year!

This coming season brings in a number of regulation changes, like new opening days for some lakes in the eastern region, a salmon season bag limit in Central South Island and North Canterbury and many more.

Be sure to check the latest regulations for where you are going fishing.

Also, be sure to check out the latest blog from outdoor survival expert Matt Butler, founder of Kea Outdoors, to prepare yourself for your adventures in the outdoors.

Best of luck for the new season from the team at Fish & Game.