Reel Life September 2023

It is time to start planning opening weekend!

Our rivers are in great shape and opening day is just around the corner, so it is time to start planning.

Don’t wait until the last second to start scouting and planning, now is the time to book in your trip and get prepared.

Buying your licence early will save you time and hassle.

If you plan on visiting some new water for the opener, now is the time to knock on doors for access or start looking up fishing spots on Outdoor Access Maps (WAMS).

Our staff have listed hundreds of fishing spots for you to explore.

If you need advice for an opening day trip check out our Fishing Travel Guide or give us a call 07 849-1666.  

Above Right: Auckland/Waikato fishing locations.

Don’t bring the gold clam with you on opening day

Due to the recent invasion of the Waikato River by the highly invasive gold clam, it is critical that boats used in the Waikato River are not moved to other waterways until they are properly decontaminated. 

Hornwort on a trailer: photo: Taranaki Regional Council

The Waikato River is full of invasive species like hornwort, catfish, and koi carp. When it comes to biosecurity our licence holders are amongst the most educated and responsible group of recreational users in New Zealand. 

The didymo outbreak has prepared us as an organisation to be proactive about biosecurity and a big part of our social licence is based on our ongoing vigilance.

If the spread of gold clams is linked to fishing or fishing vessels, you can expect closures of unaffected waterways.

One of the worst things you can do as an angler is to leave the boat ramp with weed on your trailer, as it signals to other users that anglers don’t care about biosecurity and need to be regulated to prevent the spread of invasive species.

It may take years to detect an invasive species, so it is important to Check, Clean and Dry (CCD) wherever you use your fishing equipment.

If you plan to fish outside the Auckland/Waikato Region on opening day, make sure you don’t use your boat in the Waikato River the week prior.

If you do use your boat in the Waikato River please  follow the CCD advise on the MPI web site.

If you have any questions please call our office 07 849-1666 and if you think you have spotted the clam report it on the MPI web page.

Plenty of browns in the Waikato (only a couple weeks till the Lower Waikato River Trout Contest)

Post spawning many of the regions big brown trout move into the Lower Waikato River to feed until the river heats up in late October or early December.

Now is the time to fish the Waikato River from Karapiro Dam all they way down to Mercer.  

Most of the trout in the Waikato come out of the Waipa River so Ngāruawāhia is a great spot for hungry fish.

The Lower Waikato River Trout Fishing Contest will be Thursday, October 12th to Sunday, October 15^th, for more information check out the competition web page https://www.crossrhodesband.com/brown-trout.

Tight lines

Adam Daniel, Auckland Waikato Fish & Game