Reel Life November 2018
- 27/11/2018
December is a great month for all kinds of fishing.
Head to our regional writeups for some seasonal tips on where to fish and how to fish.
From now on into summer, is a great time to target those trout which inhabit the estuaries and tidal reaches of the South Island's main rivers.
In the Central South Island, it's a great month to target sea-run trout and there are no white baiters to negotiate.
The occasional sea-run salmon gets caught in December, mostly in the Rangitata, Rakaia and Waimakariri rivers.
The West Coast has estuarine fishing too – click here to watch a video with some great tips which are applicable anywhere in New Zealand!
Up north, the upper reaches of some popular Lake Rotorua tributaries, which have been closed for the spawning season, will re-open for summer angling from Saturday, December 1, 2018.
The streams are noted for good runs of browns into December and Fish & Game's monitoring trap on the Ngongotaha Stream has shown there are lots of browns from 2.5kg to 3kg, and some even bigger…
Further down the island, there have been encouraging catches coming in from the Ruamahanga River, and reports of superb fishing from the main-stem Rangitikei.
We're pleased to announce the winner of our Reel Life prize draw – Kevin Taylor from Tirau will receive an Epic fly rod worth more than $1200.
A huge 'thank you' to all you readers who answered our short survey to go in the draw - we gained some valuable insights from your answers – we'll have more details in next month's newsletter.
P.S. Thanks to Steve George for the photo (above) of this 12kg rainbow he winched from a Twizel canal. He spent the night canal-side in his ute with a flat battery and caught the monster ("bam!") at first light with an imitation salmon egg (by the way, he tried to release it – Ed)
P.P.S - If you think you've got a freshwater fishing image worthy of featuring on our 'cover', email it to Richard Cosgrove for consideration.
Fishing News
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Anglers all set to target big browns Anglers are making plans to catch some big wild trout in particular as some of Rotorua and Waikaremoana's best known streams re-open for summer. The popular Lake Rotorua tributaries open on Saturday, December 1, later than other local waterways, to protect the late spawning that occurs on these streams. For details, click here. |
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Christchurch river NZ's most improved A Christchurch stream that cattle were photographed standing in just two years ago has been named the country's most improved river. The cows were on fenced off Environment Canterbury(ECan) land along the Ōtukaikino River, but quickly removed. The award for the deep spring-fed waterway on the northern outskirts of the city was presented at the Cawthron Institute New Zealand River Awards in Wellington. Have a look here. |
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Scientist Mike Joy: cut cow numbers to solve many environmental issues Is there a single answer that addresses all the freshwater and environmental problems? Yup: it's fewer cows, writes ecologist Mike Joy in an extract from his new book, Mountains to Sea: Solving New Zealand's Freshwater Crisis. Click here for more details. |
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NZFFA urges dumping of anti-trout Bill The controversial proposed law promoted by Conservation Minister Eugene Sage that would allow the Department of Conservation to eradicate trout from any river should be withdrawn because it was "simply bad, unrealistic law" says the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers. In a submission to the Bill's Parliamentary Select Committee Federation President Graham Carter and executive member Rex Gibson said trout were wrongly blamed as "invasive predators" for the decline in whitebait numbers. Read more here.
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Native fish bill MP's feast on whitebait MP's hearing submissions on the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill dined on whitebait fritters at Parliament. Members of the Environment Select Committee ate whitebait fritters supplied by National Party West Coast List MP Maureen Pugh as they listened to submitters. Click here for more information. |
Advertising Opportunity!
If you would like to advertise in the above banner position and directly reach the fishing community across New Zealand, please contact Don Rood.
Streamside with...
Will Spry says those who've braved the cold have had some excellent fishing...
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Chris Dore has tips for fishing rivers in full flow…
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NZFFA's David Haynes says we're not "wasting" water when it flows out to sea in our rivers…
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Creasy's Column - By Hugh Creasy
There's an odour in the air, of hot stone, of increasing algae, exposed to the sun as the river falls, of animal ordure, of dusty lupin coming into flower, of fresh, fallen grass as fields suffer their first cut for haymaking.
There's a noise of bleating sheep and lowing cows, separated from their young who are fated to die in the next few weeks, unwanted stock of the wrong sex.
Summer is coming, the sun is strong and winds blow. In the early morning, amid a racket of blackbirds calling, a buzzing insect falls to the water in a nearby pond. It floats and flounders in aimless circles for an hour or two before drowning. It is a herald of foliage vandals, a blitz of insects hatched from Stygian darkness to wreak havoc on riverside foliage. Brown beetles are in flight...
This Month's Regional News
Click on the region to read.