Fishing News index > May 2008

Hawkes Bay Fishing News and Issues
By Thomas Winlove

The cold southerlies and high rain falls of the winter season have arrived. With this, several rivers have risen to high levels and have flushed many river sections free of silt build-ups. With winter bringing cold southerlies and plenty of rain, the Mohaka will most likely be the pick of the Hawkes Bay rivers. The Mohaka as been fishing superbly of late and as it seems to refresh itself the quickest after heavy rain, it will again provide some quality fishing throughout the winter months.

Tutira has just received another top-up of trout from the Ngongotaha Hatchery in Rotorua, so these should provide some good angling opportunities when they reach a mature size. The released fish have clipped fins to help us identify their age and time of release so if a clipped or tagged trout is caught, we encourage you to return this information to your local fish and game office. At the northern end of Lake Tutira we are looking at tidying up the car park area by a means of spraying and fencing off a defined parking area, while leaving a lane for launching kayaks and rowboats. This will hopefully tidy up the area and prevent people driving freely up and down the lake edge.

Cochranes Creek was once a very productive spawning tributary to the Waipawa River, however over time it has become overgrown with willow. Large amounts of this willow have continually spread up the creek and have choked the stream making it almost impossible for spawning trout to swim upstream. However, we are in the process of taking action on this matter along with support from the concerned farm owners and the regional council. The aim is to clear as much of the willow as possible, open up the stream to free it of any debris preventing fish movement and then to fence off and replant the creek edges. With this project complete, the aim would be for it to regenerate itself as a great spawning ground as it once was.

Speaking previously of the Mohaka, work is almost underway to create some more access to the river around the McVicar and Waitara Road areas. At completion this will create some more access to a river that is becoming more popular as the days go by. Along with our access tracks to such rivers as the Mohaka, we are also trying to keep our signs in good condition. Unfortunately some people out there feel the need to vandalise others’ property, so if you come across a broken, painted or even an old, worn out sign please contact the Hawkes Bay Regional Office and let us know, we would really appreciate the help.

I don’t have any great words of wisdom or tips for fishing this time around, so just get out there and do it. It might be a bit colder now, so get those thicker waders and a warm jersey on, as most of the regions’ rivers are fishing excellently and are awaiting your visit.

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