Recreational fishing has been dramatically impacted in Hawke’s Bay due to Cyclone Gabrielle, but conditions are improving faster than anticipated.
The start of the fishing season kicked off in the first weekend of October and Hawke’s Bay Fish & Game Council interim regional manager Kerry Meehan said despite the cyclone, there was evidence anglers were still catching some “pretty decent fish”.
“We saw good numbers (on fishing season opening weekend) considering the weather, especially around the Tukituki which is the least affected river in the region,” Meehan said.
“It’s been tough for anglers over the past eight months as the silt loading in the rivers doesn’t make for very good conditions, but things are improving faster than what we had anticipated.”
Meehan said local fishing guide Dave Hern gave feedback on what he’s been seeing and Hern mentioned visiting the Tukipo River, the Maharakeke, the Manganuku, Black Creek, Cochrane’s Creek, the Makaratu Stream.
“At all public access points, I saw Trout at every visit. Not big fish and not the usual numbers but more than enough to know that anglers will have fish to fish to.”
He also visited the Ngarororo at the Mareakakaho access.
“I saw several fish, but more importantly, met a couple of anglers that had been upstream for a few kms, and they had been having good success, swinging wets in the current water and Nymphing along the edges and the drop-offs.”
Hern said the Tukituki and Waipawa were clear and he was informed by anglers that the lower Tukituki has been fishing well.
Meehan said the cyclone had “dramatic impacts” on fishing due to the numbers of slips which came down but was heartened to see fish recovering.
“A lot of them are down into the rivers so while we have fine weather the water has a chance to clear, but as soon as we have rain they muddy up again very quickly,” Meehan said.
“It also had a serious impact on the invertebrate life in the rivers so the fish that avoided the worst of the flood had a lot less to eat, but again we are seeing a good bounce back so the condition of the fish being caught is pretty good, considering.
“There’s good evidence of this on the local Trout Fishing Facebook pages with anglers still catching some pretty decent fish. We are also working through what access points to rivers have been affected or damaged and will work through the process of rectifying those.”
Meehan said the river-flows had also been impacted.
“The last warm patch did see rivers clear quite quickly but also drop pretty quickly as well, and then the return of rain has seen them come back up but muddy up as well, so it proves tricky for anglers wanting to get out on the rivers.
“Also, the rivers have changed quite a lot, and many favourite fishing spots may have changed, so anglers will now have to hunt out a new spot which can provide some new challenges.”
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