Fishing in Auckland? Any tips appreciated

[Volitan]

Further downstream and centered around Matamata, im familiar with the river near the Opal Hot Springs, and where State Highway 29 crosses the Waihou, and near Okororie Hot springs. All of these are good. Slower river, less clear (which can be an advantage because the fish don’t see you), lots of willows but lots of clear bank too.
 

So if it’s easier for your family to spend time in Matamata then perhaps get them to drop you off by the Opal Hot Springs about 5km out of town. If you choose the opposite bank to Opal, and go downstream, you will find miles of fishable water with minimal willows. Seldom fished. Some nice big trout too. Going upstream is good too but there are long stretches of poor access due to steep banks. The farmhouses where you should ask permission are obvious. Keep moving when fishing a river - and when fishing a river wherein you cannot see the fish try to exploit the whole river, keeping your lure sometimes tight to the willows, sometimes down deep, and sometimes raking across the surface. 

also, check anything I have told you about open seasons and permitted methods. I don’t have time to check it myself.

good luck

Edited September 20, 2023 by Volitan

[AlbertW]

10 hours ago, Volitan said:

Yep. Walking and fishing along the Te Waihou walkway is great. It’s heavily fished and there will be other anglers there but don’t let that bother you. I’ve steered you towards the Te Wairoa track area because I’m assuming you won’t have a lot of time and will want to spend it all fishing not doing reconnaissance, so it’s important to go to a predictable spot even if it’s not the most productive. You could equally go downstream, or to anywhere else on the middle or upper Waihou or the waimakariri (a little further along state Highway 5) and you probably will be on your own and probably get better fishing.

Actually I think the land around the walkway is private land, but DOCs or Fish and Game or whoever has negotiated access with the farmers so you are welcome as long as you behave yourself and shut any gates etc. You get that quite a bit in NZ, where anglers access has been negotiated and signposted etc. Elsewhere access is not a problem if you ask first - I don’t recall ever being denied fishing access in NZ. There’s also the ‘Queens chain’ law where the public has guaranteed access within 22 meters of any permanent waterway, which is an interesting right but most anglers think it’s important to ask regardless.

I spent a long day of about 14 hours on the Te Waihou starting at that car park you have highlighted and never got as far as the Blue Pool so it’s a long way when you are investigating every pool or run.

As I said, the river there is clear, the fish wary, the fishing pressure is quite high, so don’t expect lots of fish or big fish. Treat it as a lovely bush walk and an exercise in learning about trout and how they inhabit a river and exploit the resources in it. Learn how to sight fish by spotting fish in the water and presenting your lure without spooking them. Look at where they lie when they are feeding and where when they are resting. Learn their tolerance for close approach etc etc. It’s best if you have Polaroid glasses. Waders are good too, although not essential for lure fishermen, especially if you don’t mind crossing the cold river every now and then. Make sure you have very light trace material, and a range of lures, and make sure you have a lure or two that will get down deep very quickly as there are a few deep holes. Be biased towards small lures.

 

 

 I'll  be happy with just one fish haha, if not the view and the learning experience would already be worth it. Heres the freshwater lures my mate left me. 

[Volitan]

Good selection. Those celtas - the ones in the middle row - they’re one of my favourites for streams. Trout love the buzz they set up, sort of reminiscent of a cicada and an aquatic insect and a little fish all at the same time. Also, they are a good lure for small streams where you can’t cast far because their action starts immediately you begin the retrieve - unlike most lures where it takes them a meter or two to get into their action. That allows you to catch fish close to the opposite bank. The only thing I would add is some white soft plastics for fishing muddy water. We forget that often a fish doesn’t take a lure simply because it doesn’t see it - it’s not like they have some magical method of seeing everything in the pool - if they can’t see it they won’t take it or worse you’ll get just a hit but no hookup where they haven’t seen it well and blunder the take.

the hardbodies on the left are good too but remember not to drag them towards fish. Fish will be intimidated by another fishlike thing swimming towards them. I know there’s a big size difference but fish aren’t logical thinkers. It’s easy to spook trout with lures.

[AlbertW]

2 hours ago, Volitan said:

Good selection. Those celtas - the ones in the middle row - they’re one of my favourites for streams. Trout love the buzz they set up, sort of reminiscent of a cicada and an aquatic insect and a little fish all at the same time. Also, they are a good lure for small streams where you can’t cast far because their action starts immediately you begin the retrieve - unlike most lures where it takes them a meter or two to get into their action. That allows you to catch fish close to the opposite bank. The only thing I would add is some white soft plastics for fishing muddy water. We forget that often a fish doesn’t take a lure simply because it doesn’t see it - it’s not like they have some magical method of seeing everything in the pool - if they can’t see it they won’t take it or worse you’ll get just a hit but no hookup where they haven’t seen it well and blunder the take.

the hardbodies on the left are good too but remember not to drag them towards fish. Fish will be intimidated by another fishlike thing swimming towards them. I know there’s a big size difference but fish aren’t logical thinkers. It’s easy to spook trout with lures.

Thanks so much for the feedback Volitan , I'm also looking at getting some green pumpkin zman larvaz to imitate a caddis or mayfly larva, also at the shad fryz in the smelt or pearl in order to imitate a little baitfish, with how light I can rig them I figure I can sort of fly fish and drift them through the current. However I'll have to buy them in NZ because I just had this amazing whim today and just realised how perfect they would be, I'm thinking of ordering off <vendor removed> and getting them to deliver to my hotel or maybe even collect it because my hotel is only a couple of minutes away.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Little_Flatty
Removed vendor

[AlbertW]

2 hours ago, Volitan said:

Good selection. Those celtas - the ones in the middle row - they’re one of my favourites for streams. Trout love the buzz they set up, sort of reminiscent of a cicada and an aquatic insect and a little fish all at the same time. Also, they are a good lure for small streams where you can’t cast far because their action starts immediately you begin the retrieve - unlike most lures where it takes them a meter or two to get into their action. That allows you to catch fish close to the opposite bank. The only thing I would add is some white soft plastics for fishing muddy water. We forget that often a fish doesn’t take a lure simply because it doesn’t see it - it’s not like they have some magical method of seeing everything in the pool - if they can’t see it they won’t take it or worse you’ll get just a hit but no hookup where they haven’t seen it well and blunder the take.

the hardbodies on the left are good too but remember not to drag them towards fish. Fish will be intimidated by another fishlike thing swimming towards them. I know there’s a big size difference but fish aren’t logical thinkers. It’s easy to spook trout with lures.

I'm guessing with the retrieve for all lured its just a slow roll downstream right? As if a baitfish or insect was swimming upstream it would look entirely unnatural because they wouldn't expend energy for no reason.

[Volitan]

2 hours ago, AlbertW said:

I'm guessing with the retrieve for all lured its just a slow roll downstream right? As if a baitfish or insect was swimming upstream it would look entirely unnatural because they wouldn't expend energy for no reason.

Not convinced. No problem with them being hauled upstream at all. Lures are about critical stimuli,  not imitation, so the fish may have no problem with a baitfish or even an insect lure swimming upstream. Flies are a bit different because they are typically fished slower and are examined more closely so have more emphasis on imitation. Also a lure is unlikely to work unless it’s exhibiting something close to the action it was designed to have.

In any case, you have to mix things up and see what works. Try different strategies. The only constants are to fish light, wear dull colours or camouflage if you can, minimise movement and be stealthy near the streambank, fish small lures, minimise splashing, don’t intimidate the fish with your lures, spell a pool for a while if you get a hit but no hookup. Don’t spend too long flogging one pool, trout are the type of fish where the likelihood of getting a strike decreases with each cast - not like a barramundi where you can goad them into striking by casting over and over. But in contrast don’t ‘waste’ the pools either by not prospecting them fully.

the two soft plastics you have picked out look good choices.

[AlbertW]

3 hours ago, Volitan said:

Not convinced. No problem with them being hauled upstream at all. Lures are about critical stimuli,  not imitation, so the fish may have no problem with a baitfish or even an insect lure swimming upstream. Flies are a bit different because they are typically fished slower and are examined more closely so have more emphasis on imitation. Also a lure is unlikely to work unless it’s exhibiting something close to the action it was designed to have.

In any case, you have to mix things up and see what works. Try different strategies. The only constants are to fish light, wear dull colours or camouflage if you can, minimise movement and be stealthy near the streambank, fish small lures, minimise splashing, don’t intimidate the fish with your lures, spell a pool for a while if you get a hit but no hookup. Don’t spend too long flogging one pool, trout are the type of fish where the likelihood of getting a strike decreases with each cast - not like a barramundi where you can goad them into striking by casting over and over. But in contrast don’t ‘waste’ the pools either by not prospecting them fully.

the two soft plastics you have picked out look good choices.

ahh thats good to know then