Wellington Weekly Fishing Report - 4 February 2021

Another long weekend and the fishing conditions are set up perfectly yet again! 

The southerly moving across the region today and tomorrow makes way for a hot and sunny Waitangi weekend, with very settled weather from the high country right through to Cook Strait.

These cooler few days, however, will be welcome respite for the trout that have been coping with warmer water and it should really liven up the activity again when the sun returns on Saturday.

The cicadas have been going for it this past week, and anglers have had a ball fishing to trout actively feeding off the surface!

Mayfly hatches have also been prolific, particularly on the Ruamahanga - keep an eye out for the swallows working overhead. 

Summer angling is really in full swing so make the most of it and get out as often as you can over the long weekend.   

Grab your licence if you haven't already and get into the action which is running hot! 

Here's the outlook:   

Pictured: A Wairarapa backwater brown coming to the net (Credit: Ben Ellison).   

Hutt River and tributaries

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The Hutt, Akatarawa, Whakatikei and Pakarutahi are stunning this morning. Recent reports from local anglers suggest the cicadas are really making their presence known in this part of the region, so now is the time to nab some of those often wary big Hutt River brownies.       

The Hutt River at Whakatikei this morning (Photo: Steve Doughty)           

Kapiti Coast

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It's a cracker day on the Kapiti Coast this morning. The Otaki, Ohau and Waikanae are all set up superbly with good flows, good water temps and sunny overhead conditions. This will last right through the long weekend so get out there and have a ball.     

The Otaki River at SH1 this morning (Photo: Phil Teal)             

Wairarapa

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The Ruamahanga, Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau are sitting under cloudy skies this morning but that is due to clear away by Saturday. All rivers are good to go this weekend, but the Ruamahanga is the standout so far this season. It is fishing really well with good numbers of feisty rainbows in the 2.5lb class and some going up to 4.5lb. Cicadas, passion vine hoppers and mayflies are all on the wing providing plenty of food for actively-feeding fish.              

The Ruamahanga near the Waiohine confluence yesterday (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)               

Manawatu

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The Manawatu, Pohangina, Oroua and Mangatainoka are all sitting at summer flow levels today and nothing is in the forecast that will make that change for the long weekend. Anglers are reporting plenty of surface feeding activity from fish on the mainstem Manawatu, and our recent drift dive of the Pohangina shows good numbers of trout higher up in the catchment. This equates to there being plenty of options for Manawatu anglers!                         

The Manawatu River at Teachers College this morning (Photo: Nathan Field)

Rangitikei

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The Rangitikei, Hautapu and other central high country rivers are really starting to get low. Fortunately the overnight air temperatures are helping to keep the water cool enough so fish are still actively feeding. To the delight of anglers the cicadas are finally out in this part of the region and we've also had reports of good mayfly and evening caddis hatches on the Rangitikei.                                     

Rangitikei River at Mangaweka this morning (Photo: Horizons)

Tip of The Week - Size Matters!

There are many different types of cicada imitation but getting the right size is often the key to success (Copyright: Hamish Carnachan) 

Now that we're in the thick of the cicada season I thought I'd share some personal insight into what is arguably the most exciting period on the angling calendar.

Cicada season gets anglers into such a frenzy that over the decades all manner of concoction has been been created to try and imitate these insects. 

It can be mindboggling for the average angler to discern which pattern to go for, with the ubiquitous Clark's Cicada often the default selection because it is the most 'life-like'.

What I've found over the years, however, is that size, not pattern, is the most important element. 

Let's face it, most cicada imitations essentially have the same shape - big and bulky. Whether it's a PMX, a Clark's, a Stimulator, or any other of the multitude of variants, aside from a few added appendages and flashy bits they all look like buggy blobs on the water. 

All natural cicada species have the same body shape, however, not all species are the same size. 

This can often be the cause of many anglers' frustration when they find themselves in a trout cicada-feeding frenzy but the fish simply won't take their offering. 

Nine-times out of ten the problem will be that they are using the wrong size. 

At the moment the predominant cicada on the wing (and on the trout menu) in Wairarapa is a small species, completely black and only about 20mm long.

Most cicada imitations are tided in a limited range of hook sizes (much longer than these naturals) and the result is the fish just aren't taking the stock standard store-bought flies. They will, however, go for a good match in size, no matter what manner of fluff and tinsel is tied to the hook. 

So, size matters, even during cicada season.             

- By Wellington Fish & Game officer Hamish Carnachan. 

 

Tip of The Week - CPR Sessions For Anglers

Wairarapa Fish and Game Club members taking part in the 'CPR for Fishing' course.   

Members of the Wairarapa Fish and Game Club recently undertook a ‘First Aid/CPR for Fishing’ evening led by Matthew Hitchiner and Brian Veitch from the Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA) Heartbeat team.

Both Matt and Brian are keen trout anglers, Brian being a member of the Wairarapa club. As such, the session was geared towards CPR in the various fishing environments and conditions that club members may come across.

All members were brought up to speed on administering High Performance CPR.

Likewise, Matthew showed the members how to access the AED Locations app on their phones and stressed the importance of having their GPS switched on, at all times, while out and about fishing.

Club secretary John Pansters note: “It was good to update our knowledge, the variety of CPR methods used at the beginning of the session was very varied, it was invaluable to learn the latest best practice, and to have a hands-on session with the CPR dummies.”

If any fishing clubs in the WFA area would like a free CPR training session, please log onto the Wellington Free Ambulance website and fill out the online booking form.

- Report by Brian Veitch.

       

Webcams

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

 

Notice board

• Fishing regulations for the Wellington Fish & Game region can be found here.  
• Don't get a nasty surprise by Greater Wellington Regional Council's river bulldozing ruining your day on the river. The upcoming activity schedule can be found here.

  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 - For your safety please ensure you check the latest weather and river flow information before you head out on the water.