River Condition Survey Post Cyclone Gabrielle

  • Hawke's Bay
  • 19/06/2023

Thanks to those who took the time to fill out the survey and let us know what they are seeing out there on our rivers since Cyclone Gabrielle.

Start time What river/s have your visited recently? How clear was the water? Did you find signs of invertebrate life? Did you catch anything?  If Yes what was the condition of your catch?  Any other comments? 
6/7/23 12:36:16 Tuki tuki Clear, good visability   Yes Lean   
6/7/23 12:38:19 Waipawa Murky, medium levels of silt Some Yes Small but good condition Definitely  not the numbers of fish usually about in any if the rivers ive fished 
6/7/23 12:46:02 Tukipo, mangaonuku, waipawa., tuki tuki  Clear, good visability In smaller tributaries yes. Less presence in larger rivers Yes Smaller fish of good condition.. larger fish below normal condition  Northern rivers and lake tutira lot more effected. These will need help to recover. 
6/7/23 12:55:20 Tuki, Tukipo, Waipawa, Makororo Clear, good visability ? Yes Fairly good  
6/7/23 13:22:14 Tuki, Nagaroro Murky, medium levels of silt Yes Yes Average Rubbish everywhere, i filled a bag full and thats on nearly each trip
6/7/23 13:48:28 Tutaikuri Clear, good visability Very low No   Went for a walk upper tutaikuri/Donald rivers, no fishing just looking. Very few nymphs, 2 fish seen only.
6/7/23 14:03:17 Tukituki Clear, good visability Yes  Yes Mostly a little lighter than usual but also a few healthy rainbows .   I've been on the Tukituki and covered a fair amount of ground along Kahuranaki rd and have had decent success both seeing and catching fish which has been hearting  
6/7/23 14:19:16 Tuki Tuki Clear, good visability Yes Yes Ranged from one very think jack to a few decent condition jacks and hens and one very good condition, large hen  
6/7/23 14:49:46 Tukituki Clear, good visability No Yes Two very fat Jack's around 4lb  No
6/7/23 15:29:59 Tukituki Clear, good visability   Yes Very fresh fish. Good silver rainbows A few fish rising still. I'm getting a few trout
6/7/23 15:53:40 Tuki tuki  Clear, good visability No Yes Mid   
6/7/23 16:10:13 Mangaone, tukituki Murky, medium levels of silt Sorta  Yes Nice sorta fat but it wasn’t dirty looking or skinny  The tukituki is really clean and caught a nice fat 3.5 pound rainbow 
6/7/23 17:20:50 Tuki , waipawa  Murky, medium levels of silt Have not bothered to even use my license to go fishing as the rivers have been dirty most of the year so far No   Made comments under number 3
6/7/23 17:43:05 Tukituki Murky, medium levels of silt Yes No    
Start time What river/s have your visited recently? How clear was the water? Did you find signs of invertebrate life? Did you catch anything?  If Yes what was the condition of your catch?  Any other comments? 
6/7/23 18:42:05 Tuki Tuki and Ngararoro rivers.  Murky, medium levels of silt No nothing.  Yes All fish have been skinny. And no food in there guts.  It appears a lot of fish were swept down the rivers during the flood. They are late in making their way back up river. A lot of small fish appear to have survived which is good to see. These were in the Tuki Tuki. I have fished the Ngararoro river when it was fishable but each time no fish were seen. 
6/7/23 20:40:43   Murky, medium levels of silt Yes I think  Yes One was nice and fat the other was a bit skinny  Coming good 
6/8/23 9:16:16 Tuki tuki Clear, good visability No No    
6/8/23 11:46:18 Tukituki Murky, medium levels of silt Yes No    
6/9/23 16:59:44 Tuki Tuki Murky, medium levels of silt No Yes Ok  River seems ok, not a lot of small fry around though. Fish caught where 1kg mark
6/13/23 8:12:03 Tukituji tukipo makeratu Murky, medium levels of silt Nah Yes Preety beaten up trout none of good size  can ya fix the tracks along the tukipo 
6/13/23 10:29:34 Mangaonuku stream Murky, medium levels of silt No No   Lots of weed along the banks and the river stones are very loose/soft
6/13/23 12:08:09 Ngaruroro Clear, good visability No No No No
6/13/23 14:11:51 Tukipo Clear, good visability Yes Yes Good  No
6/13/23 17:04:23 Waipawa Murky, medium levels of silt Couldn't see Yes Poor slabby scarred Hard to gauge numbers as too dirty
6/13/23 17:08:36 TUKI ROCHFORD RD Clear, good visability Yes Yes Good , 3 female rainbows,  1 x bird bite mark on back Tutaekuri unfishable, ngaruroro up 2 whanawhana to murky, silty , any updates on access to the ohara?
6/13/23 23:07:17 Tukituki/Waipawa and a large amount of tribuataries Murky, medium levels of silt Yes, Mayfly Larvae and other larvae, possibly toe biters.  Yes Variable, some trout large and fat, some looking to be struggling Water condition is constantly variable, the mining on the river looks to be very damaging to the river bed. making for flatter river sections with less structure that does not promote healthy trout numbers. Also noted less of the endangered bird specie Shore Plover along stretches with river mining. Also - has still been good may fly hatches recently, trout of all size being caught and have also seen small bully and large flounder in the river
             
Start time What river/s have your visited recently? How clear was the water? Did you find signs of invertebrate life? Did you catch anything?  If Yes what was the condition of your catch?  Any other comments? 
6/14/23 9:08:05 Tuki Tuki  Murky, medium levels of silt No Yes Long and thin as if it was starving  I'm surprised that there are some good size fish in this river specially for the amount of water we've had.
6/14/23 16:51:11 Esk River Muddy, high levels of silt no No   Hard to see this River coming back to what is was like before the cyclone
6/14/23 20:08:44 Tukipo Clear, good visability Plenty of trout, eels and freshwater crays Yes Healthy I found that all the tributaries of main rivers recover quickly and fish are in good condition the bigger rivers are still holding fish but have been to dirty to fish recently 
6/15/23 19:54:06 Tukipo Clear, good visability No No   The stones are very slimy to walk on and there is some plastic debris. It was too slippery to wade around picking up the rubbish. The council have graded the piles of rocks where the river use to meander and the braiding is entirely opposite to what it was prior to Gabrielle. Some watercress is appearing but there are parts of green slime and brown slime.
6/18/23 7:57:39 Ngruroro Clear, good visability Yes No   Please let them dredge our rivers so we don't loose our home and livelihoods. Living through this experience has been a night mare and it continues please consider people 

 

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