Curly McEwen with a nice Taranaki ringplain rainbow trout.
It’s time for Taranaki anglers to get their fishing licenses before the upcoming trout season.
Fish & Game New Zealand senior field officer Allen Stancliff says the new season starts on Saturday, October 1, and is expected to be good.
“River flows are falling back to fishable levels following recent
rainfall. It’s looking like the showers forecast for Saturday won’t impact flows too much. While last summer was unusually wet, the last four months have been drier than average and as a result, Taranaki ringplain streams are clearing very quickly after rain. There have also been no damaging floods over winter and trout caught in the winter fishing reaches have been in great condition.”
He says spin fishing will be a productive method in the early season, with 7-10-gram tobies, mepps/veltic bladed lures and rapalas all likely to take fish.
“T-tail and paddle-tail soft baits are also working a treat in the winter-season waters, so give them a try on a 5.2 gram or 3/16 oz jighead. For the flyfisher, tungsten bead mayfly and stonefly nymphs, along with creeper imitations, will all work well.”
