Reel Life September 2026 - Nelson Marlborough

Welcome to the 2026-27 Fishing Season

After a long winter, the new season is knocking on the door, and we hope you are fizzed up for October 1 and the season ahead. After a turbulent 2025 when our trout fisheries endured some challenging moments, we’ve had a reasonably stable 2026 which bodes well for successful recruitment and growth in some of our fisheries that were hit by floods.  So, how are our trout fisheries, and which ones are best to concentrate on, you might ask? Take a read of our 2025-26 Annual Fisheries Report to get the lowdown on where fished well last year and where might be best to look this year.

One of the best things about the Opening of the trout season is finding yourself on waters that haven’t seen an angler for five months.  There are literally hundreds of quality trout waters within 2-3 hours, so why not take Thursday 1^st off (and the Friday, for that matter) and make a good fist of it this year?  These are the days you will remember, and they play a key role in our health & well-being. 

As always, we have plenty happening this season, which keeps our small staff team busy throughout the year.  Read on to find out what’s in store.

As always, tight lines from the Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game team.

Fishing Clinics

We have a huge season of fishing clinics coming up both in Tasman and Marlborough, working with angling icons and local fishing clubs.  Over the past two years, we’ve put hundreds of anglers through our range of workshops and received nothing but positive feedback. 

A highlight is our upcoming First Steps course, hosted by Tony Entwistle and Fish & Game.  Tony needs no introduction and has forgotten more about fly fishing than most people will ever know, and we know you will get a huge amount out of his course, whether you are completely new to fly fishing or have fished before but wish to further develop your knowledge and skills.

Check out the details and dates below, and register for the courses here.

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	INFO
Junior fly fishing course	Starting Monday 26 October (4-6pm)	Richmond	A 3-part intro to fly fishing for 13-17 year olds
After School Club	Starting Monday 16 November (3.30-6pm)	Waimea Park	A place for junior anglers to fish for trout, with F&G staff onhand to assist
First steps course	October 11 - all day	Richmond	An introduction to fly fishing run by Tony Entwistle and Fish & Game (max 20, $50 per person)
Intro to fly fishing	Starting Monday 2 November (5.30-7.30pm)	Blenheim	A 3-part intro to fly fishing hosted by Josh Ponder and Fish & Game - open to all ages
Softbait courses	Wairau River - Saturday 21 November (5-7pm)	Marlborough	Learn from Henderson's Josh Ponder on all things soft bait to maximise your catch.
	Lake Argyle - Sunday 29 November (9am-12pm)	Marlborough
	Waimea Park - Saturday 12 December (5-7pm)	Tasman
	Motueka River - Sunday 13 December (9am-12pm)	Tasman
Motueka Masterclass	Sunday 7 March (9am-12pm)	Motueka River	Specific to improving your fly fishing success on the Motueka River

These clinics are supported in part by the generous bequest of Jim & Fleur Ring.

Josh Ponder from Hendersons Ltd delivers some great info at last year's Lake Argyle clinic. 

Release Programme

Thanks to a generous fish-food donation from NZ King Salmon and Cawthron Aquaculture, we are excited to inform you that we have 6000-7000 rainbow trout for our 2026-27 release programme. This is an increase on the usual number of fish, so staff will be kept busy each month as we liberate fish into the usual angling hotspots, including a pre-season release into Lake Argyle and Waimea Park.

Regulation Update

Scented softbaits: Scented artificial lures may be used where spin fishing is permitted, when actively fished so as to imitate a baitfish.

Taylor River: The junior-only regulation has been removed, meaning all licence types can now fish the Taylor River.

A reminder on bag limits: Once you have caught your limit, you must cease fishing.  Staff and rangers will be active and inspecting catches, particularly at Lake Argyle and Waimea Park, to make sure everyone follows this regulation (Schedule 1, 6).1)

You can check out this season’s regs here.

Women on the Fly Going From Strength to Strength

Women's fly fishing in the Top of the South continues to go from strength to strength, not only in increasing numbers of participants but also in engagement and collective depth of experience. A recent Mentor Development Weekend held in Nelson drew WoTF representatives from around the country to connect, collaborate, and learn from fly fishing and teaching guru Tony Entwistle, techniques to become effective coaches for women starting out in the sport. As the number of women in the many fishing clubs around New Zealand increases, the need for a consistent and positive mentoring system also grows, and WoTF guardians and volunteers are working on the framework to build this. 

Locally, the Nelson Trout Fishing Club has several upcoming events planned for our women members, including days out on local rivers, weekend trips further afield, and social get-togethers off the water to have fun, grow connections, and form a network of keen fishing buddies. Keep an eye on the club newsletter and website for details!

News

Waimea Park Volunteer Group: We have established a volunteer group to maintain and enhance Waimea Park, and we're seeking a long-term sponsor for our work here.  The group has held a couple of working bees at the ponds to carry out mowing, fix broken tables, weed control, native plantings, and road maintenance.  Massive shout-out to local angler, Kevin Omlo, who has put in a pile of hours over the past 6 months keeping the place tidy.  If you want to join the group, contact Jacob Lucas here.

NZ 4X4 Fishing and Hunting Expo: Come and see us at the NZ 4X4 Fishing and Hunting Expo at Trafalgar Centre, October 16-18. We have a stand here alongside the Nelson Trout Fishing Club, promoting our world-class angling opportunities and the great work we do.

Nelson Trout Club assisted with Motueka access tracks: Thanks to the Nelson Trout Fishing Club, who recently assisted staff with access track maintenance in the Motueka Valley.  We plan to get around most of our 200 access points over the next month or so.

Handy Links

2025-26 Annual Fisheries Report available now: Check out our latest 2025-26 Annual Fisheries Report, where you can get the dirt on all our drift diving results and see what the team have been up to over the past year.

Fish & Game magazine: Take a read of the latest Fish & Game magazine – an exceptional magazine free to full-season licence-holders. On the local scene, the magazine features access updates, a snapshot of how the Motueka catchment fared in the wake of the 2025 floods, and even an article by Paul Taylor (Nelson Trout Fishing Club) who analysed thousands of trout captures over decades of fishing by Jim Ring to see whether the full moon really does affect trout catchability.

Click here to view the magazine, or stop by the Fish & Game office and grab a copy.

Fishing Knowledge Hub: We have launched a Fishing Knowledge Hub – your one-stop shop for anyone who wants to get into freshwater fishing or improve their skills. It covers the basics of fly, spin, softbait, and bait fishing, plus access to information and other handy links, such as fishing with children, understanding fish behaviour, handling fish, recipes, and more.

Online access map:  To view our interactive access map, which shows all our regional fishing access points and the regulations for each point, visit here.