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Despite recent problems with some poor farming practices, the Maraetotara remains a wonderful small water fishery that provides challenging fishing for a reasonable population of good sized fish. The water will often remain clear when other rivers in the area have become silt laden and so provides anglers with an alternative venue.

In the upper reaches the river is quite overgrown making casting difficult. Trout can be spotted in the clear water and so short casts are often the only way to target them. In the middle and lower reaches below the Waimarama – Havelock North Road bridge, the river flows sedately over open farmland. There is good bankside vegetation providing good cover and insects for the trout. Care must always be taken, particularly in the late season when the fish nave become very well "educated" when approaching any fish. This is a river that will challenge and frustrate you should not "match the hatch" as the fish in this section can be very finicky feeders.

Dry flies: Small mayfly patterns such as a Parachute Adams during the day or a Kakahi Queen or Twilight Beauty at dusk. Cicadas can be good in late summer.

Wet flies: Small spider patterns or a wee-wet such as an invicta that imitates an emerging insect.

Spinners: As small a pattern as possible and bladed spinners such as Mepps are the most likely patterns except at the mouth where Toby and wobbler patterns that imitate a small fish can attract the sea-run fish that occasionally enter this water.