It can be tricky knowing where to catch Fish and Game’s Adam Daniel now that the freshwater fishing season is officially open.
Hamilton’s Jim Reti fishing on the Kaniwhaniwha Stream (near Pirongia) on opening day
It’s a safe bet he’ll be somewhere in Waipā, King Country or South Waikato alongside other keen anglers, including many farmers.
“Rural people do tend to get much better value out of their fishing licences,” the Auckland/Waikato fisheries manager said.
“We sell a lot in the Auckland/Waikato region, but people who live in Hamilton, and especially Auckland, don’t have the opportunities that our rural communities do.
“We’re blessed with some extremely good rivers and streams throughout the King Country, Waipā and Waikato – I really enjoy fishing there as well as on the Whanganui and Whakapapa Rivers.”
Sharna Brown pictured with son Ryker, aged two – ReWild Snap & Share Fish and Game Licence Photo Competition winner
The region’s waterways netted a fair haul of anglers on opening day, October 1, with brown trout topping the menu, Daniel said.
“It was pretty good in the morning, especially as it was a midweek opener, and some anglers did really well. Anglers on the Whakapapa landed 15 fish on opening day and, usually, our season just gets better as the summer goes on.”
Well stocked rivers and streams – in part due to an absence of winter flooding – are encouraging more people to cast off.
“In the last few years, we’ve had cool summers and limited high flow events on our rivers during the spring. Last year, the Awakino and the Whakapapa, for example, had some of the highest fish counts we’ve ever seen and this season our fish stocks are in very good shape.”
As a result, the season has been extended, in some cases indefinitely.
“The Auckland/Waikato region’s had significant rule changes this year. We’ve opened up a lot more streams to anglers and we’ve extended the season for most streams that aren’t spawning streams,” Daniel said.
“It means that we can now fish pretty much year-round on most of our rivers now. This has added a lot of extra opportunities for the same price – people can get even more value from their licences.”
Adam Daniel landing a brown trout on the Waipapa River
As there are regional variations for the opening of some waterways, anglers are encouraged to check regulations before heading out, Daniel said.
A little free kai can go a long way towards balancing the household food budget, encouraging people to make some healthy ‘bank withdrawals’.
“Being able to put a feed on the table is all part of the attraction of fishing, especially during tough times,” Daniel said.
In addition, fishing has been shown to be healthy for our minds too.
“There are significant mental health benefits from fishing. Recreational and outdoor time, often with family, is really positive. Recent studies sponsored by Fish and Game have really shown that, basically, the more you fish, the better our mental health should be.”
The study was released shortly before Mental Health Awareness Week (October 6–12). The largest of its kind, it concluded that fishing can significantly boost wellbeing and mental health.
Among other findings, it revealed that active anglers were less likely to experience psychological distress, thoughts of self-harm, and anxiety.
Fishing provides health benefits for our environment also. In total, Fish and Game expects to sell approximately 140,000 licences this season with licence fees helping the organisation to protect New Zealand’s waterways.
Adam Daniel landing a brown trout on the Waipapa River
