Fishing News index>September 2007

TROUT SEASON OPENS MONDAY 1^st OCTOBER

Season Prospects
If the current weather pattern continues, all rivers and streams will be low and clear for opening day and the prospect of a leisurely walk up your favourite stream casting to sighted trout on their feeding lies with a nymph or dry fly will be a great way to start the season.

With stream flows steadily receding in September and water temperatures rising to 14-17^oC, anglers visiting the winter fishing reaches are already finding large, well-conditioned trout rising to the dry fly. A two-fly rig consisting of a small nymph (e.g. #14-16 pheasant tail, hare & copper, halfback, green caddis etc.) suspended under a bushy dry fly gives trout a choice and should be a great early season combination, particularly in the smaller waters. Even larger rivers, such as the Manganuioteao and the Waingongoro, which normally carry plenty of water in spring, are currently low and very fishable. Anglers visiting the Manganuioteao may still want to use a Tongariro-style two-nymph rig to get down to fish in the pools, but split shot can easily be added to the leader to achieve the same effect.

While there will undoubtedly be some early season freshes, the surplus of groundwater present during the wet winter months has disappeared out to sea and rivers should quickly fall back towards low flow following rain. Spin fishers should take advantage of the 24-36 hour period that rivers are tannin stained on the tail of freshes, when the usual veltecs, rapalas, z-spinners, tobys and cobras will have increased effectiveness. Creeper fishing has its devotees and this will also be an effective early season method on the Taranaki ringplain, especially when rivers are tannin stained.

Didymo
Anglers are urged to do their bit to keep the invasive exotic alga, didymo, out of the North Island by continuing to CHECK, CLEAN and DRY their fishing gear (lines, reels, rods, flies, nets, waders, boots etc.) and any clothing that has been in contact with water before moving from one waterway to another. Recent research has confirmed the effectiveness of the “Check, Clean and Dry” method for killing didymo. Spraying non-porous materials with a 2% solution of bleach or a 5% solution of detergent for at least one minute is effective. For porous or absorbent materials, such as felt-soled waders, spraying is not effective. They need to be soaked for at least 40 minutes in hot water kept above 45°C OR soaked for at least 30 minutes in hot water kept above 45°C containing 5% dishwashing detergent or nappy cleaner OR frozen solid. Because of the risk, it is best to leave your felt-soled waders at home.

Kids Trout Fishing Days
Organised kids’ fishing events involving supervised fishing for 2-year-old rainbow trout released into a netted-off area of a lake or river are scheduled for New Plymouth’s Lake Rotomanu (8am - 1pm) and Lake Wiritoa in Wanganui (9am - 12pm) on Saturday 6^th October. Children can register for these events by calling into Taranaki Hunting & Fishing or Eides Sports. All fishing gear will be supplied. Volunteers are still needed, particularly for the New Plymouth event, so if you can help give F&G a ring on 06 757 9676. Additional events are scheduled for Stratford, Waitara and Opunake on Saturday 8^th December.

Taranaki Region 2007 kids’ trout fishing events.

National Angler Survey
This season, Fish & Game NZ will be undertaking a repeat of the national angler survey conducted during the 1994-95 and 2000-2001 seasons. At the end of each two monthly period (e.g. Oct - Nov) during the season, a random selection of anglers will be telephoned and asked which rivers or lakes they fished during that period and how many times they fished them. The survey will give unbiased estimates of angling use for each water for comparison with previous figures and the information will help Fish & Game advocate for the protection of water quality and trout habitat. Anglers can help by recording their angling effort, for example in pages 70-73 of the 2007-08 North Island regulation guide issued free with their licence.

Regional Angling Newsletter
Copies of the 2007 Taranaki/Wellington regional angling newsletter will be direct mailed to last year’s licence holders in early October. Additional copies will be available from licence agents. Anglers who did not receive their free special fishing issue of F&G Magazine can also get a copy from licence agents or by contacting F&G at fgtar@clear.net.nz

Allen Stancliff
Fish and Game Officer

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