Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report - 5 December 2024

Summer in Full Swing   

Staff are making the most of the great start to summer and knocking out some field work and compliance activity in the Central North Island this week.

We've got an abridged Lower North Lowland fishing report but the links below will take you to live weather and flow updates to help you plan your weekend adventure.

Pictured above - A spectacularly marked Taranaki brown taken early season by John Hardie Boys.        

We'll be back to normal reports next week.

Hope to see you on the water.   

Get In to The Action! 

Jump online and get your licence the easy way - it only takes a minute.

Click the image above to get started. 

 

Here's the outlook for the weekend:

 

Hutt Valley

 

Hunting & Fishing Photo Comp - Win $300 To Spend in Store

Mac Povey caught this impressive brown in a backcountry stream in the Manawatu area - 75cm and 5.5 lbs.

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.

We won't blow your secret spot, just include the name of the angler(s), photographer's details, and 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. By 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 5pm Tuesday, April 2, 2025. The winner will be announced in the Lower North Lowdown report on Thursday, April 4, 2025.

Family Fishing Weekend - Hokowhitu Lagoon  

Families enjoying a relaxing day at last year's Family Fishing Event at Hokowhitu Lagoon, Palmerston North. 

The Hokowhitu Family Fishing Weekend is on this weekend - December 7 and 8. 

Wellington Fish & Game is releasing around 750 two-year-old rainbow trout into the Hokowhitu Lagoon ahead of the event, so catch rates should be high.

No time slots - just turn up with the family at your leisure and enjoy the fishing!  

All anglers must have a licence. Grab your gear and licences from Manawatu Hunting & Fishing - 35 Grey Street, Palmerston North. 

Kids fish for free; junior licences (for those aged 12 to 17) are $6 per day.

For more info on licence options, click here. 

 

Tip of The Week - Grab Our Handy 'How-To' Guides

The team at Wellington-Taranaki Fish & Game have produced some handy ‘how-to’ guides to help you get the most out of your investment in a licence and catch more fish.

These cover tips and techniques that will help you get started, take your fishing to the next level, or trouble-shoot some common issues anglers encounter on the water.

Select from the links below to download the right resource for you:

- SPIN FISHING BASICS

- ADVANCED SPIN FISHING

- READING THE WATER

For any anglers visiting or new to the Wellington Fish & Game region, and have had the Hutt River on their bucket list, we've designed a dedicated brochure to help you be successful on this exceptional but challenging piece of water.

Although the fishery holds high numbers of trout, the Hutt isn't an easy river to fish. However, the rewards are exceptional with large hard fighting browns the prize.

- HOW TO FISH THE HUTT RIVER     

  

Lower North Island - An Angler's Dream 

Click the YouTube screenshot below to watch a snapshot of some of the stunning angling on offer in the lower North Island.