Reel Life November 2023

Season Starting to Fire!

The weather is certainly starting to warm and the fishing is firing now too. 

The lower Ruamahanga River is being described as the best it has been in years, with Andrew Harding and Peter de Boer really getting amongst some stunning fish last weekend – browns, rainbows and kahawai.  

Andrew was quick to comment on the condition of the fish: the healthiest he had seen “in a very long time”.

In fact, we’re hearing similar comments from right across the region and Taranaki too. 

While the weather has been a mixed bag, the good flows have meant the smaller feeder streams are still holding good numbers of fish and providing exciting action for anglers getting amongst them in tight confines.  

The backcountry season has also started well and has perhaps been the most consistent in that the freshes drop out much faster the higher you are in the catchments.   

Forecasts are for the weather to settle in the coming weeks as we head into the start of a hot summer.  

Grab your licence and don’t miss out on the hot fishing action!!!   

Find A New Favourite Spot 

Wellington and Taranaki fishing access information is now combined on our new mapping website. 

This is a great tool for anglers looking to plan their next angling adventure, or those looking to new horizons for fishing exploration.  

The mapping website is fully interactive and has a mobile-friendly interface.  

Importantly, it allows you to downloadable maps and access details for the main river systems so you can have them with you on your phone whether you’ve got reception or not. 

Wellington and Taranaki are the first regions to go live on this superb new mapping solution – other region’s are in development and nearing completion.  

The Latest Angling Intel

In line with our objective of working together with Taranaki Fish & Game towards a formal amalgamation, we’ve also recently started to incorporate the neighbouring region’s content into our weekly fishing report – the Lower North Lowdown.

For those not in the know, each week we send out a fishing report on Thursday to help you plan your outing for the weekend ahead.  

It contains live weather and river flow information for the main catchments – Hutt, Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Rangitikei, Taranaki Ringplain and Waimarino (on the Central Plateau).  

The report also features commentary on how the fishing is going around the two regions, tips and techniques, latest videos and news including fishing events. 

If you are not yet receiving this, flick us an email and we’ll sign you up for the best fishing intel out there!  

You can check out the latest report here.

Tight Lines 

Hamish Carnachan, Wellington Fish & Game Officer/Communications Officer.