Maitai River Trout Fishing

The Maitai River is a very attractive small river or stream that runs through a beautiful wooded valley before entering the sea in Nelson.

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Fish type	Brown trout in small numbers especially outside the town of Nelson. The fish are also quite small being below 2lb in size on average.
Situation	The Maitai River runs through Nelson.
Setting	The Maitai is a small river that rises in the Bryant Range and feeds first into the Maitai Dam before flowing through the very scenic Maitai Valley and through the town of Nelson. Above the dam is of no interest to anglers.
Maps	Access map Access map with topography LINZ topographic maps: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000) O27 Nelson
Check conditions	View graphs at the Tasman District Council website of recent: - Maitai river flow - Maitai rainfall View MetService weather forecast for Nelson.
Description	A small river that can get very low in the summer months. While it does hold fish it is not a particularly productive fishery. The best fishing is in the lower reaches especially where it runs through the town of Nelson. The river is recommended for junior anglers who can have good fishing with a fly or spinner, especially in the town section.
Ease of fishing	The Maitai is an easy river to fish.
Access	There are many access points within Nelson and the Maitai Valley road follows the river to the Maitai Dam allowing easy access to a number of fishing points. See the access map
Recommended lures	Nymphs: Any small Pheasant Tail or Hare and Copper. Dry flies: Small Adams, Greeenwell's Glory or March Brown can work well in the evenings or ear;ly morning when fished near the overhanging vegetation. Wet flies: Small wee wets such as March Brown, Greenwell's Glory or Invicta patterns work best in the evning or when fished subsurface in faster water. Spinners: Bladed spinners such as Veltic or Mepps.
Regulations
Applicable to	The Maitai below the Nile St Bridge (in Nelson town)
Region	Nelson/Marlborough>>>
Season	All year
Methods	Fly or Spinner (though child licence holders may fish with bait).
Bag limit	2
Size limit (cm)	No size limit

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