Fishing News index> February 2008

Fishing News

The month of February has certainly lived up to its summer billing with long hot sunny days and higher than normal temperatures.

Warmer water temperatures will reflect upon fishing prospects, as fish seek deeper cooler waters or shaded running headwater runs.

Northland, luckily has had exceptional water flows and higher than normal soil moisture deficits due to good rainfall coming into summer. This abundance coming into February has meant that insect productivity and waterway marginal vegetation growth has been high, which definitely makes streams and rivers the place to target large hungry Trout.

Anglers need to take advantage of this weather, as sight fishing will be tremendous with higher water clarity and cleaner flows. Older resident anglers will know the signs especially on the Wairua and Waitangi rivers as these larger waterways fish really well when the water clears and turns almost black with clarity.

The Wairua in particular is a great location to target large Browns that will cruise the river edges in search of emerging insect larvae and nymphs. Often anglers are caught off guard by these fish that are extremely stroppy and hard to stop.

A tendency towards 8- 10 lb fluorocarbon leaders and tippet is usually the only way anglers can stop these fish, as weed rafts and submerged debris are numerous.

Countless reports of bust offs and straightened hooks certainly get the heart racing as do large deep swirls from disappearing feeding fish.

Catch reports are minimal as we think folks have been far more interested in the great beach weather that has been in short supply for the last couple of years.

Reports and catch talk should pick up with the cooler coming months, especially when the lakes and reservoirs start producing now that boating traffic eases back.

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