Update – with a new season about to start…
Pinched from Fish & Game:
Reel Life – September 2017
Spring has sprung some awful weather on us…but we “relentlessly positive” folk reckon it can only improve for the new fishing season.
As always in spring, the trout are stirring, feeding up after spawning. As one Fish & Game staffer puts it: the rivers are recharged, the fish are fresh…and so are the opportunities.
In Auckland/Waikato, many streams are in good shape and staff are tipping some “big fish to show up.” In ever popular Lake Arapuni, predictions are for some 3kg plus fish to turn up. Some rules around spinning have been relaxed too!
In the neighbouring Eastern region, Fish & Game is again dangling some irresistible bait in front of anglers, as lakes Tarawera, Rotoiti and Okataina re-open for another fishing season.
A Fish for Gold red tag fish is worth $10,000 – while a second fish could net someone an outboard motor.
The word is that Lake Okataina may provide the largest two-year-old hatchery fish and Lake Rotoiti has produced some superb fish in recent times.
Down south, if rivers are still running high, spinning is a great way to catch some fish. Check with your local Fish & Game office on the right stuff for your target spots.
On the West Coast, trout are taking advantage of the whitebait run in the lower reaches of rivers and streams, while over in the Mackenzie Country, the canals have been fishing well but the new season offers a raft of new angling opportunities.
Fancy a new Epic Kiwi Classic fly rod as we head for summer? Head on over to the Fish & Game NZ magazine website and discover how to enter for a chance to win one of these fabulous New Zealand-made rods.
You’ll also have heaps of awesome info to soak up, including select features, columns and gear reviews and more. If you didn’t get you pre-season Special Issue magazine, you’ll find it on the website.
P.S. Our cover shot shows Sam Reach with a ripping trout from a Canterbury high country lake last month.
P.P.S – If you think you’ve got a freshwater fishing image worthy of featuring on our ‘cover’, email it to Richard Cosgrove for consideration.
Pinched from NZFishing.com…..
Licensing and regulations changes: 2017-2018 season
Fish & Game have advised some changes to licencing and to the sportsfishing regulations effective from 1 October 2016
Make sure you check the regulations for the region you are going to fish in the Fish & Game 2016-17 sports fishing regulations booklet that comes with your licence before you head out.
| New licence categories | |
| Fish & Game has increased the cost of some licence categories by either $1 or $2. | |
| No regulations changes in these regions | |
| No changes have been made to the regulations for: | |
| Auckland/Waikato regulations | |
| The following changes have been made to the regulations for the 2017-2018 season. | |
| Use of scented soft baits | Scented artificial lures may be used in all waters that are not restricted to flyfishing only. The lure must be retrieved so as to imitate a live bait fish. |
| Tumai Stream | The Tumai Stream which flows into Lake Arapuni has been opened to fish (fly and spin) from 1 Oct to 30 April. |
| Hydro Lakes | The flooded backwaters of the hydro lakes Arapuni, Waipapa, Karapiro and that part of the Waikato river downstream of the Maraetai Dam to upstream of the Karapiro Dam are allowed to be fished. |
| Taupo regulations | |
| A number of changes have been made on the regulations for the 2017-2018 season. | |
| Taupo region |
Taupo region is controlled by the Department of Conservation and has a season that runs from 1 July to 30 June. It requires a seperate licence to all the other regions. There have been very significant changes to this season’s regulations that can be viewed here>>> |
| Wellington regulations | |
| The following changes have been made to the regulations for the 2017-2018 season. | |
| Otaki River |
Downstream of the Tararua Forest Park on the Otaki there is now a 1 fish bag limit. Once you have killed a fish, you must cease fishing for the rest of that day. |