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Fishing News index>April 2007
TARANAKI TROUT FISHING –March 2007
Taranaki Ringplain
With most ringplain rivers and streams closing to fishing from 1st May, anglers have only a few days left to enjoy what has been a pretty good season’s fishing, despite waterways being at low flow for most of the summer and autumn. Over the current season, there have been many reports of anglers seeing and catching significant numbers of juvenile or maiden fish, often in great condition, which in our fairly low recruitment ringplain fisheries bodes well for future seasons. There have also been plenty of reports of trout in the 2 - 3 kilo bracket, with the occasional larger fish, which is also a sign that the fishery is in good heart. The only down side is that the Stony River continues to suffer from erosion in its Pyramid Stream headwater tributary and it is hard to envisage the Stony recovering sufficiently to support a fishery anytime soon.
With 10 years of Regional Council state of the environment monitoring indicating that ringplain water quality is at least being maintained in the face of dairying intensification and the possibility that water quality may even improve over the next 10 years as a result of the implementation of the dairying and clean streams accord, the outlook for the fishery remains positive, provided of course that didymo does not become established. The devastatingly rapid spread of didymo in the South Island undoubtedly increases the likelihood that sooner or later didymo will spread to the North Island and eventually to Taranaki. The use of chelated copper to control didymo is no silver bullet and anglers must continue to take personal responsibility by checking, cleaning and drying any clothing, equipment, fishing gear etc. before moving between waterways.
For those wanting to fish locally in May, there are a number of waters that remain open, including Lake Mangamahoe, the Waiwhakaiho River downstream from the end of the gravel track at the right-hand end of Rimu Street, Opunake Lake and the Waingongoro River and Kaupokonui Stream downstream of SH45. Further a-field in the Auckland/Waikato region, the Awakino River is well worth a visit, though it can get fairly busy on weekends at this time of year.
Waimarino
Anglers in the Waimarino have also had a good season, with the bulk of the fishing effort being expended on the Manganuioteao River. While some anglers commented negatively about the abundance of smaller fish in the Manganuioteao this season, as mentioned above, this bodes well for the future of the fishery. Increased use of the Manganuioteao has not been without its issues, both in respect of access (people not obtaining permission to cross private farmland and parking in front of gates) and the quality of the angling experience (seeing more footprints than usual), but it is fair to say that most anglers obtained the appropriate permission and enjoyed their fishing on what is undoubtedly our region’s best fishery.
With regard to the rest of the current season, please check your regulation guide before fishing in the Waimarino after 30th April, as a number of river sections are closed to angling, including the upper Retaruke River upstream from Oio Road Bridge, the Mangawhero River upstream of the SH49 “golf course” Bridge and tributaries of the Manganuioteao River, including Waimarino, Orautoha and Ruatiti streams. The Manganuioteao mainstem remains open until 30th June, as does the Tokiahuru/Waitaiki and the Mangawerho River downstream of the SH49 “golf course” Bridge (open all year).
Allen Stancliff
Fish and Game Officer
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