1 October – Biggest "Sick Day" of the Year for Freshwater Anglers

The opening day of the Rotorua lakes fishing season on 1 October is the classic “sick day” for anglers with many taking the day off work to fish the lakes at the time of the year with the maximum chance of success.

Three of Rotorua’s best fishing lakes, Lakes Tarawera, Okataina and Rotoiti, are open to fishing from 5am Thursday, 1 October after being closed to winter fishing to allow fish to spawn and grow without pressure from anglers to ensure high numbers of good sized fish for the new season in spring.

“Most people take the day off, it is the classic sick day,” says Rob Pitkethley, manager of Fish & Game’s Eastern Region.

“The other lakes in the Rotorua region remain open all year round and still produce good winter fishing, but the start of the season on Tarawera, Okataina and Rotoiti is where the celebrations of the new season is focused. The other hot spot is the Ohau Channel, and this typically produces the largest fish on opening day with some 7kg, or heavier, brown trout being caught.”

Opening day on the 1st of October is the day of the year when the angler gets to target the maximum number of large trout during the season and Fish & Game, the organisation that manages most of New Zealand’s freshwater fisheries, expects thousands of anglers to be out on opening day morning.

The Fish & Game trout hatchery at Ngongotaha is having an open day on Wednesday, 30th September with kids’ fishing, demonstrations, filleting and cooking displays. Hatchery tours will be held to give visitors an insight to the work Fish & Game does to keep New Zealand’s lakes and rivers clean and stocked with fish. At midday, local experts will be giving tips on how to catch trout on Rotorua’s lakes. A Blessing of the Boats ceremony will be held on the shores of Lake Tarawera at 5pm on Wednesday, 30th September. For the past ten years, this ceremony has attracted hundreds of participating boats.

ENDS

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