Tukituki River

The Tukituki rises in the Ruahine Range and runs about 80 km through Central Hawke's Bay, past Waipukurau and Pātangata, to the Pacific south of Napier. It is mostly a rainbow trout river, with some brown trout. Fish & Game puts the average at about 1.5 kg, and fish up to 4 kg are caught, mostly in the lower reaches. From the State Highway 50 bridge down, the river is open all year.

This is a braided river over gravel, with little bankside vegetation, so it is open, easy to wade and easy to cast on. Nymph the riffles and the edges of the braids with a size 14 or 16 Hare and Copper, Pheasant Tail, Halfback or stonefly nymph. Mayfly and caddis dries cover most rises, with cicada and cricket patterns in summer. A Hamill's Killer, a Mrs Simpson, a Parsons' Glory, a Grey Ghost or a Jack Spratt swung through the runs also works, and spinning is allowed throughout. The river colours after rain but clears fairly quickly. In summer the flow drops, the water warms, and weed can choke the lower river, so fish early in the day in midsummer.

Roads run close to the river for most of its length, from the State Highway 50 bridge at Ashcott down through Waipukurau, where State Highway 2 crosses, to Pātangata and Red Bridge, south-east of Havelock North. Use the bridges and roads to get on, and ask before you cross private land. The rules change at the State Highway 50 bridge: above it the river is open only 1 October to 30 June, with a bag of 1. Below Red Bridge, bait is allowed as well. Two gauges read the river: Tapairu Road near Waipukurau for the middle river, and Red Bridge for the lower river, which also reads water temperature.