Sydney with a mint Whanganui bow.
Brian Willson, NZPFGA member, is a professional guide and I Love Fly Fishing close friend and Ambassador, brings us his weekly fly fishing report from Turangi for the Central North Island lakes and rivers. For up to date info, for what flies are working call Brian, 021667867. Euro/Czech, Dry Fly, Trout Spey, Nymph and Wet Fly.
Greetings fellow fly fishers,
What a hot week it has been with the Central Plateau/ Taumarunui area consistently being around the hottest temperatures in the country. Finally!! The fish are rising fairly consistently during the day with fish beginning to take dries more readily. There are millions of cicadas around but not many on the surface yet but next week might be a different story so make sure you have got plenty of cicada flies. The odd lacewing moth is starting to show up now too, something you would expect to be more in March, so the trout will soon be targeting those in great numbers. Make sure you have plenty of dry patterns on the ready because the trout are super selective, and it can be very frustrating to have your offerings refused time and time again after what you think are perfect casts. Vary the sizes too. Sometimes smaller is better.
I had the pleasure earlier in the week of taking a senior fisherman from California over to The Whanganui River. This man could fish, and the highlight was at the end of the day when having landed some nice rainbows earlier in the day he hooked up a really solid brownie at the end of the day. Now my client was fairly elderly, and The Whanganui River is always slippery under foot so, as I had him in a secure spot, he had to play the fish from where he stood and not dare to venture to the shore and follow the fish down a rocky, slippery bank. Soon the brown had him well into the backing and unfortunately took up residence on the other side of the river in the strong current making it impossible for me to get a net under it.
There was a lot of line out I was just waiting for the 2X Camo Stealth leader, https://iloveflyfishing.kiwi/product/tippet-camo-stealth-chameleon-50m-2x-5x/ (available from I Love Fly Fishing ), to break. Fortunately, it didn’t, and he managed to eventually work the big brownie over to me where I made no mistake with the net. Sydnee and Daniel from Maine USA also had a good (although hard) day over on The Whanganui River. They were a delightful young couple who, as it turns out, used to own a fishing lodge in The States. Sydnee told me she was a fly fish beginner, but she was much too modest. She could handle a fly rod better than most female (and men), that I have guided. In short, she made my job a lot easier than I thought it would be.
A couple of nice bows from the Tongariro River. – View of the lower Tongariro River.
All rivers are low and clear and afternoon showers are on the cards for tomorrow with some more rain forecast for next week. There are plenty of fish in the river with some big browns in the lower Tongariro and moving upriver. I lost a big brown a couple of days ago when I hooked it and there was little or no movement. I thought I had a small fish as my indicator was almost to my rod tip but then I saw what a big brown was who just decided to wake up and go for a run. It was during this run he just got off. Nothing I did wrong, obviously just not quite hooked good enough. Blast!! There will be another time 😬
For all I Love Fly Fishing gear check it all out out on-line at www.iloveflyfishing.kiwi and order what you need. Feel free to call Barrie, 021-925006 or barrie@iloveflyfishing.kiwi. You will receive your goods in quick order and at a great price.
Brian – NZPFGA Member,
