Get Your Easter Fishing Fix                 

Pictured - Beautiful weather last week allowed anglers to make the most of some excellent fishing conditions (Credit: Matt Kavermann).  

A mainly fine Easter is on the cards which means the public holidays on Friday and Monday are a great opportunity to get an extra fishing fix!

Our fisheries are in top order despite past adverse weather, and the angling is really starting to heat up with trout congregating in numbers and readily feeding ahead of the spawning season.

There’s still plenty of high-quality fishing to be had, and with Easter break this weekend, some fine weather conditions, the start of the school holidays, and discounted licences now available, it's the perfect time to hit the water with mates or to get the kids out of the house and off their screens. 

This is our last issue of the Lower North Lowdown for the season.

It has been a challenging one at times, but with the La Nina weather pattern that has brought all the rubbish finally gone, and El Nino establishing, next season should be a return to much better angling conditions.

We hope to see you on the water again in 2023-24.   

Here's the outlook for the weekend:

Hutt River and tributaries

Click here for live weather updates.

The Hutt, Akatarawa, Pakarutahi and Whakatikei are all looking perfect this morning. Some scattered rain is forecast for Saturday but at this point in time it doesn't look like it will come to too much. The smaller tribs should clear quickly so there are plenty of angling option over the four-day weekend.       

The Hutt River has less than half the flow it has in this pic from last week (Credit: Al Markham)  

Kapiti Coast 

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The Waikanae, Ohau and Otaki have good flow but are all beautifully clear and clean. AS with the Hutt catchment, there may be a small fresh pushing through from scattered rain on Saturday but it will be short lived.                           

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

Wairarapa 

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The Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau are stunning this morning and fish were seen actively rising on the Waiohine when the shot below was taken. The Ruamahanga is carrying good flow but is clear and fishable. Angling on the mainstem has been tricky the last month or two - move around to find the fish and concentrate on the confluence water.             

The Waiohine River at SH2 this morning (Credit: Hamish Carnachan)

Manawatu

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The Manawatu River is coloured up below the gorge from sediment still spilling in from the Oroua and Pohangina. Once again, though, upstream of the gorge the Manawatu is clear and looking very promising at time of writing this morning. Anglers should still be looking at the smaller tribs too as fish start their spawning runs. Remember that most of these smaller waters are only open until the end of April.                               

The Manawatu River at Weber Road this morning (Credit: Horizons)

Rangitikei 

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More mixed conditions for Central High Country anglers with milky mainstem rivers. The Rangitikei River is  carrying colour in the mid reaches but is fishable and falling up around Pukeokahu. Look to target Mangaohane and Springvale areas if you're out over the long weekend. With scattered rain on Saturday it'd pay to check the flows before heading out too.        

The Rangitikei River at Mangaweka this morning (Credit: Horizons) 

Tip Of The Week - Licences Discounted... Take a Mate Fishing

The start of April marked the availability of discounted licence categories, and with some of the best angling of the year still to come anglers can get on the water for a song.

And with a four-day weekend ahead, it makes for a great opportunity to introduce a mate or family member to fishing.      

Winter season licences are now on sale, allowing fishing over the exciting pre-spawning period coming up over the next few weeks, and then right through to the end of  September. At just $87 for an adult – that’s a huge saving and offers exceptional value.

Fishing is the ultimate school holiday boredom buster. 

Just looking to take a mate out over Easter? Consider getting them to grab a Short Break licence ($52) which allows fishing for three consecutive days.

The Adult Day licence ($23) and Junior Day licence ($5 for under 18s) is the perfect option for those mates looking for a quick-fire fish when time allows. 

Looking to get the kids out of your hair or off the screens these school holidays? Fishing is the ultimate school holiday boredom buster.

No matter where you live in the lower North Island, there’s a safe fishing spot for the kids that’s handy to your home.

Under 12s can fish for free, and Junior anglers aged between 12 and 17 years can hit the water for just $29 for the whole season.     

Not sure how to go about getting them started? We’ve got plenty of tips and advice, as well as ideas on suitable local waters to set them off on their big angling adventure. Just get in touch. 

Video Of The Week

Not strictly fishing related, but the Guardian's short video investigating the impact of river 'flood control' practices is particularly pertinent given what we've recently experienced.  

With the amount of river engineering carried out by Greater Wellington Regional Council, and to a lesser extent Horizons RC, it raises serious questions about their outdated management practices.    

Click the screenshot below to watch.

Angler Access - Your One Stop Shop

Click the map below and visit the one-stop shop for all your angling access information.    

Noticeboard

• Treble Hooks - New regulations for the 2022-23 season ban the use of treble hooks on waterways where there are maximum size limits on trout i.e., fish over a certain size must be returned. These rivers are identified in Note 3 on page 39 of the regulations book. This measure was adopted by the Wellington Fish & Game Council to help the survival of large fish, the breeding specimens, when released after being caught. Please consult the Wellington section of the regulations guide, particularly Note 5 which details where trebles are permitted. All other waters only single hooks are allowed. 

• Wellington Fish & Game has been advised of the following dates for flushing flows from the Moawhango Dam:

25 Apr, 21:00-02:00

• River Bulldozing - Don't get an unwelcome surprise by Greater Wellington Regional Council's river bulldozing ruining your day on the river. The upcoming activity schedule can be found here.

 If you have any information you'd like to have considered for addition to the notice board, please get in touch with us.  

​*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.