October 1 is perhaps the most important day in the life of a trout fisher.

It marks the start of the new fishing season and the opportunity to get back out there after the winter.

Anglers all around New Zealand will be counting down the days until October 1.

The Rotorua lakes offer some of the best fishing in the country and the season traditionally kicks off with a bang when hundreds of fishers get out onto lakes Rotoiti, Tarawera and Okataina.

'The lakes close over winter and that gives the fish a bit of a rest period. Opening day usually produces some good fishing as the rested fish tend to be a little more naïve,” says Fish & Game's Matt Osborne.

Last season, all of the lakes in the Eastern Fish & Game region were fishing well with a good balance of catch rate and fish size, says Matt.

'It's rare to have all the lakes performing well at the same time, but we saw it last season so we are hoping for more of the same over the coming summer.”

Fishing is seen to provide huge mental and physical benefits and Fish & Game are promoting family inclusion with a licence specifically for that.

The family licence can include a partner to the primary licence holder and up to four children or grandchildren under the age of 18.

Licences are on sale now, and anglers are encouraged to check out the many categories available to ensure they get the most suitable and best value licence for their needs.

'It will be important for anglers and other lake users to remember the Check, Clean and Dry message as we roll into summer too,” says Fish & Game.

'Ensuring we keep local waterways pest free is critical to our continued enjoyment of the resource and everyone needs to do their part.”