| Fish type |
Brown
and rainbow trout plus some salmon in the lower reaches |
| Situation |
The river
mouth is at Hokitika and the river runs for many kilometres
inland from there. Much of it is accessible by vehicle. |
| Setting |
The Hokitika rises in the Southern
Alps and flows north west to enter the Tasman Sea at Hokitika
township. Much of the lower reaches are wide and the unstable
shingle bed is not an ideal trout environment. The middle reaches
provide a wide variety of fishing waters that will suit all
anglers and methods. Further inland the river provides very
good habitat for trout and in the upper reaches there is some
excellent back-country fishing. This is a river of many moods
and has the added bonus of the excellent scenery. It is very
subject to flooding as this area has a very high annual rainfall. |
| Maps |
Access
map
Access
map with topography
LINZ
topographic maps: 1:50,000 (260
series)
|
| Check conditions |
View MetService
weather forecast for Hokitika. |
| F&G pamphlet |
West Coast Sports Fisheries
access pamphlet >>> |
| Description |
The lower reaches tend to be
suitable for spin fishing and does hold a number of brown and
sea run trout. Salmon can also be present in this section between
Jan to April. This wide slower moving section through the township
of Hokitika up to the junction with the Kokatahi River is not
highly recommended for the angler however. In the middle reaches
the river flows over a shingle and stone bed through fairly
open countryside and is suited to both spin and fly fishing.
The river is braided through much of this area and flows through
a varietyu of channels. These can change very quickly especially
after a storm and so anglers need tto be constantly evaluating
their fishing options and methods to suit. The upper reaches
are seperated from the middle reaches by the inaccessible Hokitika
Gorge. Above the Gorge is some wonderful fishing for maostly
alrge Rainbow Trout in a pristine wilderness environment. |
| Fish numbers and size |
Fish numbers are low in the
lower reaches but there are moderate numbers in the more fishable
upper reaches where some of the fish grow quite large. Most
are in the 2-4lb range however. Some salmon enter the river
between Jan and April and larger sea run fish trout can be caught
between Sept and Dec in the lower reaches as they enter the
river chasing whitebait. |
| Ease of fishing |
A river that caters for all
levels of fishing skills though the upper reaches are really
only for the more experienced angler. |
| Access |
The Kaniere
- Kowhitirangi Rd runs close to much of the lower reaches
with a number of side roads leading of giiving access to the
middle section. These include Wall Rd, Stopbank Rd and Whitcombe
Rd. Whitcombe Valley road takes the anglers wishing to fish
the upper reaches to the beginning of the track inland at
the start of the Gorge.
See the Hokitika River access
map. |
| Recommended lures |
Nymphs:
In the upper reaches small flies are recommended such as a
gold
bead Hare and Copper or Pheasants
Tail (sizes 14 - 16). In the middle reaches anglers should
use slightly larger nymphs (12- 14) though again smaller patterns
may be more appropriate during the warmer months when the
river is lower and clearer. Again any Pheasant
Tail variant or Hares
Ear or Stone
Fly patterns work well. Use weighted flies in the deeper
or faster water. The lower reaches are less suited to nymphing
but should anglers still wish to pursue this method use large
dark nymphs with some weight.
Dry flies:
Small well dressed dry flies are the order for the upper reaches
in patterns such as Royal
Wulff, Kakahi
Queen or Blue
Dun. Sizes need to be small. In the middle reaches dry
flies are very effective when fishing to the trout that can
be seen cruising the shallows but keep them small as the trout
are easily spooked. Any Adams,
Greenwell's
Glory or Mole
Fly can be effective and during the early summer a Green
Beetle or a Cicada
pattern from late summer work well during the day when the
trout are feeding on these larger morsels.
Wet flies:
Small wets work very well during the evening when the fish
are rising. Patterns such as a March
Brown, Dad's
Favourite or Greenwell's
Glory are all effective throughout the middle and upper
reaches. There can be a good evening rise in the lower reaches
as well during the summer months. Larger patterns such as
a Muddler
Minnow or Mrs
Simpson also work well when fished deep in the lower reaches
and bright patterns such as Grey
Ghost or Jack
Spratt are good when the whitebait are running. At night
use very dark patterns such as a Hairy
Dog or Black
Fuzzy-Wuzzy.
Spinners: Spinners
work well throughout the river and are the only effective
method in the lower reaches. Black
and Silver Toby
patterns, Rapalas
and Tasmanian
Devils are best in the lower reaches with bladed spinners
such as a Mepps
or Veltic working
best in the middle and upper reaches. |
| Tributaries |
The Hokitika has a number of
important tributaries that provide a range of different fishing
expereinces. These are the Kaniere,
the Kokatahi
and its tributaries the Styx
and the Toaroha,
and the Whitcombe. |
| Regulations (1) |
| Applicable to |
Hokitika River upstream of the
swing bridge at Lower Gorge |
| Region |
West Coast >>>
|
| Season |
1 Oct-30 Apr |
| Methods |
Artifical fly, spinner, bait |
| Bag limit |
Total: 4
Rainbow trout: 2
Salmon: 1 |
| Size limit (cm) |
No limit |
| Regulations (2) |
| Applicable to |
Hokitika River downstream of
the swing bridge at Lower Gorge |
| Region |
West Coast >>>
|
| Season |
Trout:
All year
Salmon: 1 Oct-30 Apr |
| Methods |
Artificial fly, spinner, bait |
| Bag limit |
Brown trout: 4
Rainbow trout: 2
Salmon: 2 |
| Size limit (cm) |
No limit |
