Trout And Salmon Season Opens

A winter wonderland storm has failed to dampen the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of anglers who headed out on New Zealand’s rivers and lakes to welcome the start of the 2020 fishing season.

Anglers on Lake Opuha in the South Island were braving the chilly temperatures to experience some painfully beautiful scenery as they caught fish on Opening Day.

On Lake Opuha in South Canterbury angler Neil Marett was taking his fourth generation of anglers fishing in grandchildren Blake and Holly. Blake had early opening morning success with a lovely brown trout, but Holly was still persevering when visited by Fish & Game.

Not missing out were anglers on the Ohau Channel in the North Island, angler Gary Coker was happy with a couple of trout for the smoker and also the camaraderie of Opening Day with being out with mates and giving each other a bit of stick.

"Each year thousands of Kiwis unlock the experience of a lifetime when they buy their fishing licence. It can take you endless places and is only limited by your imagination with so many options of where you can fish in New Zealand," Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says

Kiwis stuck in New Zealand due to Covid-19 have leapt in behind the Government’s call for domestic tourism and Fish & Game have pitched in to help out by creating the "Park & Cast" website.

This gives anglers a quick and easy resource that will put them onto locations across the country where anglers can have easy access to sustainable populations of fish for harvest.

Many of our premier back country fisheries are also open and will not be receiving the angling pressure from visiting anglers this year, so it is a prime opportunity for Kiwi anglers to get back into the outdoors and enjoy these special fisheries.

There are also some new backcountry fisheries this year around Hanmer Springs and Lake Te Anau which are ready for kiwis to explore. To fish a designated backcountry fishery, licence holders only require a licence endorsement, which they can get from the Fish & Game website.

Anglers are also reminded to take their camera with them, as Fish & Game will be running their annual fishing licence photo competition starting in January. With $4000 in prizes up for grabs and the winning photo going on next season’s fishing licence it is one of New Zealand’s most lucrative photo competition prizes.

Video available here:

North Island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ML2a4rqHM

South Island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvJk4IjECLE

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