Weekly Fishing Report - 29th November 2018

Forget about all the torrential rain the last few days - that's well behind us and the weekend is going to be awesome for fishing!  

The rivers were raging last week but they are dropping very quickly across the board and will be set up superbly for the weekend with a hint of colour and hungry trout keen to get back on the feed. 

This is probably the best set of weekend angling conditions we've had so far this season so make sure you get into the action.

All the rivers are fishing well, some exceptionally so, and there are plenty of trout around this year... more than the last few seasons in some key catchments. This all bodes very well for the coming months!

If you find your preferred fishing spot is still running a little high come Saturday by all means don't pack in, aim for one of the smaller waters which has cleared faster. Seek and ye shall find some great trout fishing.    

Please ensure you have your licence - buy one here if you still need to. 

Pictured above right: The Waiohine this morning - surprisingly fishable despite the huge volume of rain that fell this week (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).  

Here's the outlook:

Hutt River and tributaries

Click the weather icons above to update.

The Hutt River is up but falling nicely and with no appreciable rain forecast it should be in superb shape by the time the weekend rolls around. These are the conditions that tip the scales in the angler's favour on the Hutt so get into it! The tribs such as the Akatarawa, Whakatikei and Pakuratahi are still worth a look too.                

 

Kapiti Coast

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The rain is flushing through the Otaki, Ohau and Waikanae pretty quickly now and should see them back to normal flows by the time the weekend rolls around. There's nothing like a good fresh to get the fish feeding again and the return to normal conditions coinciding with the weekend is just perfect for anglers.  

 

Wairarapa

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The only real question mark for fishing hangs over the Ruamahanga this weekend which is still carrying plenty of flow. All the other tribs should be good to go.                           

Manawatu

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The Manawatu is up and dirty still but falling. An outside chance for the weekend unless you get high up in the catchment, otherwise look to the smaller tribs such as the Pohangina, the Orua and the Mangatainoka which are all clearing quickly and should be in good shape for the weekend.                    

 

Rangitikei

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The Rangitikei is flowing chocolate brown downstream of Mangaweka, but it's beautifully clean and clear high up. Pick your spot accordingly as it will still be carrying plenty of colour downstream of Vinegar Hill this weekend. The tribs, however, should be spot on. Please note there are some important changes to the regulations for the Rangitikei backcountry fishery. See the Notice Board below.            

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Tip of the Week - Dry Flies on Spinning Gear!?

Yes indeed! I first came across this method when fishing a large-ish river in northern Spain. Before that I'd never seen or even dreamed of it.

What made me a believer was the number of fish the local angler using this technique caught; far surpassing my efforts with traditional fly rod.

A set up showing the bubble and dry-fly ledger rig (Credit: Hamish Carnachan)

Basically you set up a terminal rig with a bubble 'float' at one end and two or three dry flies tied off in a ledger pattern (Google search 'ledger rig').

Be sure to check the regs to ascertain the number of flies that can legally be used, as this varies between regions and rivers. 

The flies set up in this manner creates a dangling effect off the main tippet which the angler can control by lifting or lowering the rod tip. 

You achieve a really realistic dapping motion of an insect hovering over the water surface and this makes for exciting and savage takes, particularly if there are an abundance of smaller rainbows!

The method is exceptional when caddis and sedge flies are hatching en masse too. Letting the flies swing across and downstream and then controlling the height of the imitations with the rod tip creates a skating effect that mirrors perfectly the action of the naturals.

Large terrestrials can also be effectively deployed when they're about. Think cicada season or hoppers. 

Casts should be made upstream and across, as you would with a fly rod when fishing dry fly patterns, and stay in touch with the flies by winding in any slack line at the same speed as the current, not faster, so you can strike when a trout takes.  

It's certainly a little different but it can be a deadly technique. Give it a shot!

By Wellington Fish & Game officer Hamish Carnachan.

 

Video of the week

Click the screen-shot below to check out Andrew Harding's latest video clip of Wellington region trout fishing awesomeness.   

We Need Your Eyes On The Water

Worked recently carried out by Greater Wellington Regional Council in Wairarapa turning a meandering braided river into a lifeless channel.  

If you see any bad activity when you're out and about fishing the region's rivers, please take a photo and let us know what you've happened across. 

Recently an angler took some shocking images of stock in water (dead and alive) and the ghastly impact it was having on the water quality. A simple photo taken on the cell phone and details of where it was taking place has meant the matter can be followed with the local authorities. 

We're also interested in photos of atrocious river bulldozing like that illustrated above. There's no reason for rivers to be destroyed in this manner, in this day and age, particularly by the regional council which professes to be looking after the environment.

If you encounter any such activity please email the pics and details to us. 

Webcams

 Click the screen shot below to go to Horizon's website showing the list of available river webcams.

Notice board

• Important changes to the regulations for the Rangitikei backcountry fishery come into force at the start of this season - click here for more. 

• River bulldozing - No update received this week so email Debbie.Kelly@gw.govt.nz to enquire or register your complaints . 

• Ruamahanga access at Gliding Club (Greytown). Anglers are being directed to the Tilsen Road access.

• We've just been advised of the flushing flows from the Moawhango Dam which will cause the rivers downstream (including the Rangitikei) to rise: 

  Water Released from the Dam Tuesday at 9pm:

  Wednesday 12 December 2018 – 9 hours

  Wednesday 30 January 2019 – 5 hours

  Wednesday 20 February 2019 – 5 hours

  Wednesday 20 March 2019 – 5 hours

  Wednesday 1 May 2019 – 5 hours

   

 Email Wellington Communications and Field Officer Hamish Carnachan if you'd like any fishing or freshwater-related items posted to this noticeboard.

​*This report was accurate at time of writing - please ensure you check the latest weather and river flow information before you head out on the water.