TRM angler David Westwick enjoying the superb conditions for 2017.
— AUGUST 2017 Trout fishing report —
(All images from DOC report)
The great fishing continued into August with the rainbow spawning run in full swing. This has been aided by the unusually wet weather – Waipa stream fish trap recording a total of 312.5mm of rain for the month, up 112mm from the same time last year.
The Hinemaiaia continues to fish well, especially those that are Czech nymphing. However, in terms of success rate, it is clear there is a large gap between those who are practiced in the art and those who are just beginning. This gap slightly exaggerating the high CPUE for the river.
Anglers fishing the Tongariro river, especially the lower and middle reaches, have been enjoying the red-hot fishing. An angler from Auckland nymphing near the Red Hut who kept his 6-fish limit, had an average fish weight of an astonishing 2.21kg! Although the fish size and condition is optimistic this season, we are continuing to encourage anglers to harvest fish as the increase in fish numbers will be unsustainable in the long term.
A total of 276 rainbow trout were recorded through the Waipa stream fish trap in August compared to 89 last year, with fish showing an average 39% increase in body weight. The brown trout run has slowed up but those that are still moving through continue to be much larger than last year. The heaviest was a hen – 650mm long and 4.4kg.
As expected there aren’t too many complaints with the fishing now. The main ones being people leaving rubbish behind and issues with overcrowding – an aptly reminder to always be a tidy kiwi. Rangers were busy interviewing a total of 183 anglers in August. From these the average rating for fish size and quality was 7.8/10, catch rate was 7.1/10 with a record-high fishing enjoyment score of 9.6/10.
Compliance has generally been very good, with only a small number of minor offences currently being processed. Please remember to always carry a copy of your fishing licence with you and if you see any dodgy business please call our 24/7 Duty officer 0272907758.
Fish counts carried out via river drift-diving have been tricky to schedule with the wet weather influencing water visibility. However, all but one of the usual 6 rivers were completed. The counts also reinforcing the great fish condition and general increase in numbers. For a detailed insight on the months data check out the graphs below.
Stay safe out there, have fun and tight lines.
