Hawke's Bay > Fisheries > Mohaka

Mohaka

The Mohaka River originates from the Kaimanawa Ranges and flows out to sea between Napier and Wairoa. Stretching through vast areas of the East Coast, the Mohaka makes itself readily available to any angler that is after that fishing experience.

‘Backcountry fishing on the Mohaka’

As the Mohaka flows from mountain to sea, the variety of angling the river can provide is impressive. You could start at the Mohaka township and fish the river mouth, where sea runs can be caught feeding on whitebait in November, from there you could drive to fish any access point from State Highway 2 to 5 and experience the challenge of fishing deep pools and powerful currents, finally you could then drive, or even put the tramping boots on to reach those pristine and remote upper reaches that are renowned for trophy sized fish.

It is these upper reaches along with the challenging middle sections of the Mohaka that has given it such a big name here in New Zealand and even across the globe. It draws anglers from all over as they try their luck for a Mohaka trophy. Many guides operate on the Mohaka providing anglers with an experienced hand at catching a fish. Some guides and adventure operators also offer the chance to access fishing spots that no other can through the use of inflatable rafts and even helicopter. These methods enable anglers access to areas of the river that otherwise would be difficult and sometimes impossible to reach, giving anglers that increased opportunity at a trophy sized fish.

‘A helicopter giving remote access for anglers’

Like most rivers all fishing methods can be used to a certain level of success on the Mohaka. It is choosing when and where to use each method that will produce that higher success rate. For instance, wetlining is ideal for fishing the areas around the river mouth, using flies that replicate smelt and whitebait, this being especially successful during the whitebait season in November. Spinning is great for young kids or beginners who aren’t capable of fly fishing, it is also very productive for fishing vast wide areas of river and areas that are in high flow, as spinning enables the angler to cover a large area of water in one pass. Dry fly fishing is ideal during the summer months when the temperatures are warm and trout are feeding heavily on the surface as hatches such as caddis occur. The pick of all methods however, for most rivers and this being the same for the Mohaka, is nymphing. Nymphing is very rewarding as an angler can fish both deep and shallow runs successfully, it is also a very accurate way to fish as an experienced angler can know where his nymphs are the entire time, this being especially important when sight fishing. So by knowing when and where to use each of these methods, your success as an angler should increase.

'The powerful middle reaches of the Mohaka’