Wairarapa Wanderings

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote makka Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2015 at 2:10pm
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Heard my first cicada of the "summer" on the weekend, fingers crossed for a good one this year!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote googe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 7:16pm
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Im in carterton, do the nz cicadas sound like the Aussie ones?, havnt heard any here. Im real keen to get out and into it, still looking a regulations ect, bit confusing about where I can fish. Been looking at the ruamahanga as it's only 5 minutes from.home.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote makka Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 10:15pm
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Give it a month mate, you will hear them, they are heaps smaller than Aussie ones but heaps more of them so the noise is deafening, pm me your mobile number mate and I will give you a ring next time I'm over your way
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote googe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Nov 2015 at 4:55pm
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Cheers maka.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Gulfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2016 at 8:59am
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Sorry its be an age since Ive posted anything, but here goes,,,,
The Raumahunga  river is the worst I have seen it, not quite the lowest ( yet) but the conditions are pretty bad, red and green slime everywhere, floating down river continually some clumps as big as your boot make anything but dry flies frustrating...., the temp at the surface last Saturday morning was 25 C, there are fish to be had if you know where to look, generally under cover adjacent to cooler water running in, or deep deep pools.   The tribs are holding good fish but well up into the ranges, where as  from the bush to the Rau it  is hard work finding anything decent.
 
Lots and lots of cicadas, hoppers etc,  main river waters too  warm though so  surface feeding is pretty spasmodic,,  as a fall back we are using very small bully patterns, fished wet style on fast sinking lines in the deeper pools or as above. Every now again we come across a fish feeding on the surface,  there is lots of food present, esp Bullies, a number  of the fish seem to feeding close to the bottom.
 
Mate caught catch a couple of salmon while spinning for kahawai recently, there is always the odd one about. Made a nice change...
The only excuse for not having a go is.... Sir I'm dead Sir !
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote makka Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Feb 2016 at 8:49am
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It feels like ages since I have got over the hill for a fish, hopefully the rain gave the river a bit of a flush.
Were the salmon up river or in the mouth?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Gulfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 12:54pm
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They were in the mouth of river at Lake Ferry with a few Kahawai feeding on Anchovies. River has flushed well, awakend the fish, was a fun weekend.
The only excuse for not having a go is.... Sir I'm dead Sir !
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote flyfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Feb 2016 at 1:01pm
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Did they take any pics of the Salmon Gulfisher? Would love to see if so. Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Gulfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Apr 2016 at 10:02am
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It’s amazing how a few short weeks can change things so drastically, 6 weeks of 30+ temperatures and we began to see something very unusual.

In one side creek that runs through a mate’s property, he noticed a large number of eels on the banks “gasping”?? There was also a white deposit in the creek, so he called in the local council who tested the water for O2 levels and found there was basically no oxygen in it.

So why? Being a clever chap he had noticed that the willows bordering the creek where absolutely covered in Aphids, I mean completely covered, feeding off the incredibly high sugar levels that willows produce, the resulting excrement was going straight into the river and un educated guess was that there was possibly some sort of significant Nitrate in it, which combined with the 2 km stretch meant significant damage was being done to the ecosystem.  Bugs not cows.

 

This gentleman collected up and disposed of about 40 eels, just in his section of the creek, some of quite significant size. This creek is spring fed.

  These nitrates caused a major increase in weed and slime production, all life in pools seemed to have died or disappeared, the growth continued   and then all of a sudden  the weed died and system totally collapsed  everything let go and now  nearly 3 months later the stream is pretty devoid of anything.

 

In the main river where we fish, insect life, bullies and general fish literally disappeared over a two week phase, maybe this was a contributing factor, but as you can’t fine bugs, who cares??

 

We have seen these aphids in the willows over the last three years, but never in the number we saw this year, they were so thick, if you parked under a willow and banged the branch above your car you literally got covered???

From what we can see it is only a local issue, possibly due to our unusually high temperatures we sustained in late summer this year.

Unhappy
The only excuse for not having a go is.... Sir I'm dead Sir !
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Slab Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Apr 2016 at 11:53am
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Wow, interesting stuff, its really unusual to have such summer conditions right up until nearly may.. Hows the Rua going?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote o Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Apr 2016 at 7:15pm
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good work saving the eels
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tiggs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2016 at 8:09am
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What an interesting observation re the aphids. I have noticed the willows covered in aphids but could never connect them with the pollution of our streams. While the instance was very dramatic on this stream, would it be possible that it may happen on a less noticeable scale but still have an influence on the ecology. I came across a very dead but fresh eel in the Upper Tukituki over the weekend and pondered over why it had died.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote o Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2016 at 11:12am
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What's the latest on that dam on the Tukituki Tiggs?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tiggs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2016 at 7:16pm
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Originally posted by o Neill o Neill wrote:

What's the latest on that dam on the Tukituki Tiggs?
Yesterday it was announced that the council had enough farmer support to get the go ahead with the dam. There remains a final court case but the thinking is that it will be approved.
 Note that the original cost was estimated at $200 million, this rose in stages to $600 million and then a 50% rise to $900 million. It is apparently the largest reticulation scheme in NZ.
I can only suggest we enjoy the fishing around central HB while we can as already some of the aquifers under the  plains are too polluted to use for human consumption. Some of the rivers I fished and swam in now are virtually dry, being drained by draw off from the aquifers.
I dont wish to be classed a "greenie" but I worry for the future in remembering the wonderfull fishing I had as a child in central HB. I also challenge the price of progress and if the cost will ever be recouped by the relatively small number of individual farms. I now live in BOP but understand that some families are split by either those in favour or against the dam.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote o Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Apr 2016 at 8:48pm
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Yes I enjoyed many days fishing or guiding on the wonderful rivers of the HB up until 10 years ago. Those who fish in the region are now losing out. Trout fisheries destroyed by greed farming on marginal land in a falling dairy market that is just dumb and sea fishery on the verge of collapse due again the commercial greed.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rudini33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 May 2016 at 11:58pm
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Was fishing the middle Rua last week for heaps of smaller fishies(all on streamer) ..no big ones though ... but looks like it will be good next year with better sizes then?!!

Any other reports?

Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote flyfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 May 2016 at 9:39am
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Ruamahunga fish are generally quite small and this does not change year on year, this is due to the fact there is a large population in the system and competition for food is rife, that's not to say there are not good fish.. there are, but they are certainly harder to catch, often holding deep beneath the willows during the day. A 4lb fish is a good fish, a 5lber is exceptional, but the norm is around 0.5-3lb.

I think the largest I have ever had from the main system below Mt. Bruce was 6.5lb, many years ago. You hear of big fish.. but seldom see any evidence of such. Still a great fishery, I wrote a 4pg. profile on it in the last Fish & Game mag which may be of interest to you.

Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rudini33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2016 at 7:04pm
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ok...thanks mate!

Nice fishing there indeed!... I'll probably explore a bit the upper regions of the Rua next time... but before I'll head to Otamangakau before its closed to test my #6 Epic (which I've build in the last 6monthLOL)
hopefully not to much water there though in 2weeks

Had a play with the Epic before yesterday in the Hutt and Akatarawa... was surprised by the high level(cz rain just started today....obviously a lot of water was going down already from way upstream) and pretty dark as well ...clear but dark...
anyway... couldn't find the fish until dusk ...saw a lot of smaller fish feeding on the surface and tried with a 16# Emerger to have at least a bit of fun... but none of them wanted to grab my yummy emerger ...was very hard to locate my dry fly above the emerger though.... but eventually something hit ,could see the "wave" the fish produced just before it took the fly as the water was very shallow in this area...otherwise I wouldn't have had recognized the bite I guess...

was very happy with this beauty after half a day with no contact


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Gulfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 May 2016 at 4:26pm
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Bit more on the aphid issue, which is still pretty dire here,  the honeydew they create, from feeding off the willows, feeds bacteria in the water that it falls into, this reaction due to the massive amounts landing in the water  causes  the oxygen levels to drop to the point the waterway cannot sustain life.
 
There are  still some good fish above the forest boundary ( closed now obviously) , the middle reaches which were always sparce, still are,  but the smaller tribs and the middle Rau seem to be stuffed.  The bulldozers are continuing to rip up the main river bed ( as flood prevention lol)  so this cant be helping either.
 
Might be a bit tough next year.
The only excuse for not having a go is.... Sir I'm dead Sir !
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rudini33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2016 at 10:46pm
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Anyone knows hows the Rua at the moment?

Cheers
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