Reel Life September 2022

As I write, a freshly hatched dragonfly is hovering in front of my window; spring has sprung!

Well, somewhat. Warmer days, in general, are well on their way.

Winter rainfall has been very significant, with rivers regularly brown and flowing high.

Fish, however, seem to be bouncing back time after time after the rivers drop.

Kids Fishing Day

The Kid’s Take Me Fishing Day went off without a hitch on the 28^th of August, with over 40 kids catching a trout to take home.

Both fly and spin fishing were used at the Game Farm pond with good success, with trout caught up to 4 ½ pounds.

The stoked look on the kid’s faces said it all.

Season Prospects

With October just around the corner, many anglers will be looking forward to a new season of trout fishing.

Hawkes Bay is blessed with a large array of fisheries, and it is likely that some of these streams will be fishable on October 1^st.

Popular areas for fishing early-season trout are predominantly the tributaries of the Tukituki, Ngaruroro, and Mohaka rivers.

All three catchments provide high numbers of Rainbow Trout that are keen to pack condition on after their winter of spawning.

During the first week of the season, trout are at their most vulnerable to fly fishing, since they haven’t seen a line or fly in four months.

Trout tend to take a preference to larger flies during the first few weeks of the season with bomb nymphs taking more fish on average than the smaller naturals.

The classic pheasant tail and hare n copper nymphs are hard to go past for a first choice.

Early season trout are more susceptible to a high visibility nymph with a pink or orange hotspot as they are looking to take most food items that are drifting past.

Pool water is where many trout are sitting throughout October, so begin your search for them here.

While they will hold deeper towards summer, most fish are sitting high, less than a metre below the surface.

Glenfalls Hut

Glenfalls hut is available for hire by all holders of valid whole-season or family fishing licenses, as well as whole-season game gird hunting licenses.

Over Summer (1 Oct – 30 April), the price is $40 per night, and through winter (1 May – 30 Sept) it’s $30 per night.

This is a perfect gateway to the Mohaka River, being centered above the Glenfalls DOC reserve alongside Waitara Road. 

2022/23 Licence sales are available now

The countdown is on to the 2022/23 fishing season, and licences are available now!

Get yours now here!

Blair Whiting, Hawkes Bay Fish and Game