Licence Photo Competition Winners January and February
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Reel Life – February 2026
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Licence Photo Competition Winners January and February
January 26 Winner: “Ōreti river possibilities“. Credit: Belle Phelon
Congratulations to Belle, the winner of January’s photo competition, who has received a $250 Kilwell voucher.
Take a look at February’s winner below.
February 26 Winner: “Nelson Lakes casting“. Credit: Joe Fitzgerald
Joe is February’s photo competition winner and has scored a $250 Kilwell voucher.
You can vote for Belle or Joe to win the overall $1,000 grand prize. Find out more below and cast your vote here!
You get to choose which picture goes on your fishing licence!
It’s time for you to judge the ReWild Snap & Share: The Fish & Game Licence Photo Competition.
The images from left to right are:
November winner – “The day was calm, the fish was cruising along the edge of a deep pool. I crawled close to the shore, set the trap, and the fly did the job perfectly.” Credit: Radek Baus (pictured: Lucie Baus).
December winner – “Conditions were challenging, but after spotting an empty stonefly nymph shuck on the riverbank, I switched to a matching imitation — and it paid off with this memorable 6-pound catch.” Credit: Simon Zenzen, Nelson.
January winner – “My partner and his son fished the upper Ōreti River — no trout caught, but walking back together, rods over their shoulders, felt like everything.” Credit: Belle Phelon, Southland.
February winner – “A couple of days’ walk into the backcountry near Nelson Lakes, my mate and I came across a pool with four trout. We took turns, two each — one of the most special memories I’ve ever had.” Credit: Joe Fitzgerald, Nelson/Marlborough.
Have your say on these stunning images by casting your vote here.
Voting closes on Friday 20 March.
The Golden Transition: Cicadas, Condition, and Resilience
Trout eagerly taking cicada patterns fished on a bubble float. Credit: West Coast Fish and Game.
As we move into March, the unmistakable buzz of the cicada continues to define the season, but the soundtrack is beginning to change.
Across the West Coast, Nelson/Marlborough and Wellington, we’re entering a true “best of both worlds” window. Massive terrestrial hatches, including the best cicada season in around 10 years, have left trout in superb condition, with many anglers reporting the best-looking fish they’ve seen in years.
Even in regions like Taranaki and Southland, where settled summer weather has been periodically broken by refreshing rain, large cicada patterns, the “steak and chips” of a trout’s diet, have been the hero of the fly box.
A Landscape Reshaped
An image taken from a flight that shows the Waiau Uwha just above the Hanmer Springs bridge. Credit: North Canterbury Fish and Game.
While the fishing has been “firing,” many of our waterways are sporting a brand-new look.
Recent weather events in Northland, North Canterbury and Auckland/Waikato have physically reshaped riverbeds, shifting braids and filling old pools with fresh gravel. While this has been a “bullet dodged” for regions like Hawke’s Bay, which is celebrating a brilliant return of 3-year-old trout post-cyclone, it means many are finding themselves on “reconnaissance missions” to find new holding water. Whether it’s exploring the newly formed lies in the Kaimamaku or tracking the resilient trout numbers through drift dives in the Motueka and Mataura, the message this month is clear: the rivers have changed, but the fish are there, and they are hungry.
Community, Connection and Regulation
March is a busy month for the angling community to connect and sharpen their skills.
Following the success of family events like the Taylor River Whanau Day and Alexandra Take a Kid Fishing, we have a packed calendar of clinics. Nelson/Marlborough is hosting a Motueka Fly Fishing Workshop on March 8th, while Otago kicks off a four-evening fly fishing course starting March 9th. It’s also a month of important changes: Central South Island anglers should note that Sockeye spawning regulations officially began on March 1st.
As the days begin to shorten and the morning air turns crisp, we are entering the final golden stretch of the season. Whether you’re attending a workshop to refine your cast or heading out for a solo evening rise, March is the month to make every moment on the water count before the winter chill sets in.