Reel Life September 2026 - Taranaki

Excitement is building as we count down to the start of the new fishing season on Thursday 1^st October. Now’s the time to dust off your gear and get ready, with daylight saving just around the corner and warmer weather on the way.

Image above: Brooklyn Hale and proud dad Scott with Brooklyn's opening weekend brown trout from last season.

Taranaki region rivers and streams have had no large floods in the last year, just a series of minor to moderate freshes. This is pretty unusual, but it means that early season baseflows will drop quickly after freshes and be close to their summer lows, providing great conditions for fishing right from day one.

For the spin fisher, 7g toby, veltec and paddle-tail soft baits will be go-to lures, while weighted tungsten-bead hare and copper, halfback and caddis nymphs in ^#12-16 will be good for early season flyfishing.

Check out Fish & Game’s new on-line fishing knowledge hub with everything you need to know to get started in freshwater sports fishing.

There have been no changes to the Taranaki angling regulations for the 2026-27 season. A free Taranaki regulation guide is available from licence agents or download here: 

Information of Taranaki trout and perch fisheres is available here.

An early season ringplain brown trout caught on the tail of a fresh in September 2025 (Mike Bakker).

 

All the best for the new season.

From the team at Taranaki Fish & Game