Fish stocks good

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 480, 6 April 1993, Page 4

Fish stocks good

by

Matthew

McDougall,

TFGC.

The Taranaki Fish and Game Conncil have been vindicated in their recent decision to relax the bait fishing regulations on the Manganuioteao River near Raetihi. Fish and Game staff have just completed a drift dive survey of the river and discovered trout population have increased dramatically since the last survey in 1981. Medium size rainbow and brown trout are up 273 percent on the 1981 figures and large trout by 33 percent. Regulations on bait

fishing were relaxed in 1991 to encoura£e younger and less experienced anglers to fish the Manganui a Te Ao. Since then, Taranaki Fish and Game Council has received wide-spread criticism from elitist anglers who considered the regulation change would impact detrimentally on fish stocks. The Manganui a Te Ao is fishing well at the moment. One angler reported catching 20 takeable fish in one day's fishing (all were returned). Size 14-16 hair and copper, half-back and

flash-back nymphs with split shot on the leader are proving very successful. At the end of the summer many anglers consider the fishing season over but there is still plenty of good fishing left. With the arrival of cooler weather, brown and rainbow trout feed voraciously as they seek to gain the extra condition required to see them through the winter spawning season. April, the last month of the trout fishing season in the majority of Taranaki rivers, is therefore a time when some of the largest and best conditioned fish are caught. All methods should bring success, but size 12-16 caddis, hare and copper, and half-back nymphs are recommended. Trout will also take dry flies, particularly those imitating the

delta-winged passionvine hopper, adult caddis, crahe-fly and midge. Bait fishing with a worm, or live bully, should also produce fish, although brown trout will be wary if the streams are low and clear. Remember to don those polarizing sunglasses, they are a great aid for trout spotting.