Hangaroa River

The Hangaroa river rises in the eastern section of the Urewera National Park. The headwaters and upper reaches flows through virgin native bush in before emerging onto open farmland. It joins the Ruakituri river just upstream from the Te Reinga Falls.

Fish type, number and size	Brown and rainbow trout are present in good numbers fish averaging just under 2 kg. In the upper reaches rainbow trout are the most common with brown trout preferring the lower reaches.
Situation	The Hangaroa river rises in the eastern section of the Urewera National Park. In its upper reaches and headwaters flows through native bush and then emerges out over open farmland before joining the Ruakituri river upstream from the Te Reinga Falls.
Maps	Access map
Check conditions	View the MetService weather forecast.
Description	In the upper reaches and headwaters the Hangaroa River flows through bush over a rock and stone bed. The water quality is good and fish can be easily spotted in the clear water. The river itself is made up of a series of well-defined pools and long glides punctuated by short rapids. The most popular section however is over private farmland and so permission should be sought from the owners.As the river increases in volume as it flows towards the Ruakituri, the water quality deteriorates markedly. The last section of the river does not provide great fishing as the river tends to be slower moving and the river carries a degree of colour.
Access	Turn off the road at Te Reinga towards the Tiniroto Lakes and continue on to the small settlement of Tahunga. See the Hangaroa access map.
Methods	In the upper reaches and headwaters, the Hangaroa river provides high-quality dry fly and nymph water.
Recommended tackle	A 9 foot rod capable of casting a weight five to seven line. A short leader (around nine to 12 feet) with a four to six pound tippet is all that is required. In the clear waters in the upper reaches, it is best to use fluorocarbon.
Recommended lures	Nymphs: Small lightly weighted nymphs in dark colours such as Pheasant Tail, roughly tied Hare and Coppers, and Halfbacks in sizes 14 to 16 work best. Dry flies: In the early season use may fly patterns such as Kakahi Queen and Adams. Sedge patterns throughout the season and in the early summer, beetle patterns can be very deadly and try cicada and cricket patterns during the height of summer. These flies are also good indicator of flies when fished with a small nymph trailing below. Wet flies: In the upper reaches, small wet flies such as a March Brown and soft hackled spider patterns can work well particularly in the evening when fish are often taking insects just subsurface.
Tributaries	The Hangaroa river has a number of small tributaries that join it. These provide excellent fishing at the confluence and during the hotter weather when trout will often congregate around some cooler in flowing water.
Regulations
Applicable to	Hangaroa River
Region	Eastern region regulations
Season	1 Oct-30 Jun
Methods	Artificial fly, spinner
Bag limit	2
Size limit (cm)	None

Other fishing waters of the region

Murphys Guides