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!
