Reel Life March 2021

This April is the month to go fishing, with loads of holidays in the coming month that will give anglers the chance to hit the rivers and lakes and catch some fish.

With Easter, Anzac weekend and the school holidays all falling in April this means there are lots of opportunities for anglers.

Now that the summer heat has gone and the waters cooling down, fish will become more active as they look to pack on the condition before the coming spawning season. 

Check out the regional links above to get the best info on how to fish your region. Also, don’t be afraid to click on other region’s links as with the coming holidays why not take a trip to a different region and enjoy our waterways with other kiwis. 

All of the upcoming holiday options gives you the chance to try the out backcountry, with no foreign anglers visiting the backcountry rivers; it really is the time to enjoy the wonderful backcountry rivers in NZ.

Down in the Tekapo Canal the CSI team reported a stunning result from their trout tagging project last July, with a tagged trout being caught that had packed on nearly double its weight in just seven months. 

The team at Auckland Waikato Fish & Game need anglers’ help with another tagged trout project in Lake Arapuni. Sterile trout were released into this lake last year and because these fish are sterile, they will become monsters. So, if you can let them know the details of any tagged fish you catch in the lake that will help them immensely.

A 20-year battle to remove the Kaupokonui Glenn Road weir in Taranaki has succeeded with the weir’s demolition recently. For 120 years this weir had prevented fish passage to 85 percent of the Kaupokonui Stream catchment. 

Last month’s report of Koi Carp in Northland’s Kai Iwi lakes has meant Fish & Game have been busy supporting the Regional Council and DOC to search for these fish. So far, after an intensive trapping regime, no carp have been found, but it serves as a timely reminder for anglers to Check, Clean, Dry your gear and boats between waterways to make sure we don’t transfer any nasties into them. 

You may know someone who hasn’t had the chance to go fishing this season; let them know about the Winter Licence option, which is valid from April 1^st, and as fish are becoming more active it’s a great time for you to take a mate fishing.