Rivers Filling Up With Rainbows

Fly Fishing Reports
 

Rivers Filling Up With Rainbows

Tongariro Spawning Runs Well Underway

The Tongariro River is certainly having one of its best winter seasons for probably about 5-6 years. While there has been much talk of 5-6lb fish it would be more accurate to say that the fish are averaging about 3lb for us, which is supported by recent DOC angler surveys. Lets hope that this is the beginning of a longer term trend rather than a blip.

Fish are spread throughout the river and with back to back fronts and heavy rain once more rolling across the Central Plateau its likely the quality fishing will continue. Each drop of the barometer brings another run, though fish can often move fast and can be easily missed. Time on the water looking for these schools is eventually rewarded, though over the next couple of months fish will tend to build up and hold more than they have earlier in the season.

Over the past few years September and October have been the best months for the winter runs, so perhaps the best fishing is still to come. Then again people who have fished a lot this season are saying there have been more earlier runs than recent years. Personally I am betting on the next couple of months being sensational.

Many anglers disappear from the Taupo tributaries at this time of year as back country waters open and with the warmer weather other activities compete for our leisure time. That will be great as at times this season the fish have been so plentiful that the greater challenge to success has been avoiding other anglers!

Small Stream Afternoon Rewards

Fly Fishing Reports
 

Small Stream Afternoon Rewards

Being First On The Water Is Not Always Important

Often being first through the water is especially import if you are chasing fresh run rainbows in winter. This means early starts, sometimes frozen rods guides and the need for a hot drink by mid morning to thaw out! While this effort is usually worth it, sometimes – particularly in high water conditions – its not necessary and can even be counterproductive; because as as the day progresses, the water levels drop and the sun comes out the visibility of the fish and you catch rate can often improve.

The Lake Taupo catchment is blessed with a number of smaller streams, which seem to remain a mystery to many… too many snags, limited access, no backcast etc are often the usual excuses. Thats a pity as there really is very little mystery to fishing these streams and nothing to fear. What is needed is a sense of exploration to find good water and access and an ability to understand water levels and time your expeditions accordingly.

A couple of common mistakes anglers make on these smaller streams is because they are smaller its assumed less weight is needed to get your flies down to the fish, and that a ‘tennis ball’ size indicator is necessary! The reality is that these rivers are often deceptively deep and swift and the drift of your flies is generally shorter than on larger rivers, so this means get down deep and fast. Also ditch the large indicators and go for a smaller sliding indicator on your leader, as especially when the water clears the fish school up in some pools and become very spooky. Some stealth is often the difference between success and failure.

Hinemaiaia Runs Slowing

Fly Fishing Reports
 

Hinemaiaia Runs Slowing

Trout Spawning in Shallows

The Hinemaiaia Stream at Hatepe Village has a well deserved reputation for being one of the better early season rivers for fresh run rainbow trout. Especially in recent years this has meant insane amounts of anglers trying to fit into limited space, such that avoiding other anglers becomes more important to your success than finding and deceiving a few trout!

Having said this though it seems like being first on the water although often very helpful, is not perhaps as vital as some rivers because in low barometer conditions the fish sometimes seem to keep moving through during the day. A pool or run that may have been empty earlier can often have fresh undisturbed fish later in the day.

This year the Hinemaiaia has once again been the gift that keeps on giving. It now appears though that the runs here are slowing and most trout in the river are well into spawning. Its a great place to take people and especially kids who have never seen trout spawning, as its easy to get up close and watch them procreating in the shallows. While some of these may be tempted they tend to be rather flighty and preoccupied, and are often best left alone… it almost seems wrong to interrupt!

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