Wellington Weekly Report 28th March 2019

Welcome to what will be out last Weekly Fishing Report of the season. 

Please note that there's still the whole month of April open to fishing in the main season before the upper river reaches close for spawning from May onward. 

And don't back your gear away after April 30 because there's plenty of world-class water open year-round in the Wellington Fish & Game region! 

Meanwhile, conditions look good for this weekend with a slight fresh having passed through the rivers and generally sunny skies prevailing. 

Thanks again for reading our Weekly Reports! As always we appreciate any constructive feedback you've got. Catch you next season. 

Pictured right - A fine Hutt River brown caught on cicada last week (Credit: Andrew Harding). 

Here's the outlook:

Hutt River and tributaries

Click here for live weather updates.

The Hutt and Akatarawa rivers are falling quickly after last night's rain and should be all go for the weekend. Still some fantastic cicada fishing on offer and some very well-conditioned fish around so make the most of the opportunity this weekend.    

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live weather updates.

The Waikanae, the Otaki and the Ohau rivers are dropping the rain that they received yesterday and overnight and should be firing this weekend. A stand out is the Otaki - our drift dives last week revealed big numbers of big browns around the Crystals area upstream of the SH1 bridge.    

Wairarapa

Click here for live weather updates.

The Ruamahanga is quite large at time of writing and has a bit of water to clear; meanwhile the Waipoua has had a much-needed boost of water. The Waiohine and other tribs are high but should be fishable by the weekend. 

Manawatu

Click here for live weather updates.     

The Manawatu is looking clear all the way through at time of writing, however there is a pulse of water coming down the Mangatainoka River which could stir up some sediment. The Pohangina and Orua are looking great and haven't been affected by any rain so far.  

Rangitikei

Click here for live weather updates.

The Rangitikei and Hautapu rivers look stunning this morning and nothing in the forecast suggests that will change over the weekend. Both have been fishing spectacularly well but the Rangitikei has been exceptional in the easily accessible mid reaches so get into the action while it lasts.             

Tip of the Week - Hot Winter Angling Action

There are ample winter angling opportunities open to lower North Island anglers so don't hang your gear up when the main season closes at the end of April.

A prime Ruamahanga River rainbow taken in early winter (Credit: Hamish Carnachan) 

The regulations guide provides a wealth of information about which water remains open. Have a scan and you'll be sure to find some nearby fishing. 

If you haven't got a Whole Season Licence, the Winter Licence is great value and provides months of fishing to trout that are probably in the best condition!       

We Need Your Eyes On The Water

Work 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

• Don't let Greater Wellington Regional Council's river bulldozing ruin your day's angling. Click here for a schedule of upcoming activity.  
• Important changes to the regulations for the Rangitikei backcountry fishery come into force at the start of this season - click here for more. 
• 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 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.