The Hinemaiaia River remains popular.
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,
Well, here we are now well into Spring, but you wouldn’t have thought that was the case this week as it has been bitterly cold for a lot of it. I went to have a look up the “TT” yesterday as it had dropped to a very fishable level of 0.5 after it had been unfishable at about 1.5 earlier in the week. The day was generally fine but there was a nasty cold southerly wind, and I would have to admit that, although I was well prepared, it would have had to be one of the coldest days that I have had on the river this year. There was plenty of evidence of this by a good covering of snow that had just arrived along the length of the Kaimanawas.
I took a couple of rigs up the “TT” being a wet line (which I always take up this river as there are so many deep pools in areas where nymphing, due to accessibility, is just impractical and a euro line set up. I started Euro style but the Southerly intensified ( weather forecast said it was supposed to die out but indeed the opposite was happening), and soon enough concluded that today was going to be wet line only as my conventional nymph rig was back in my truck and I wasn’t going to walk back to get it. Not to worry I thought, there will be plenty of action to be had on the wet line. In the middle reaches of the river, I couldn’t get a hit in some of the go to pools so I figured the fish must have moved up a bit. And so, it proved to be. Once I got up to first river crossing, I found a number of pools were stacked with fish and the action was steady without really slowing down. I was enjoying the newly found action but man was it getting cold so I had a few cups of coffee in between spells so that I could carry on fishing for a reasonable time.
The fish I caught were generally pretty good although more spent fish are turning up now and they can fool you a bit sometimes because some of them can really put up a good scrap. The Olive Woolly Bugger was doing the job with or without a bead head, it didn’t seem to matter.” When I get days like this when the wind is howling, I like to use a heavy sinking line say 8 or 9 wt. which will cut through any wind if cast correctly. The Hinemaiaia and Tongariro Rivers continue to fish well and also are reasonably heavily fished but at various times of the day pools that you may want to have a go at often become available and as the fish have been moving constantly through the week because of the on again off again rain, you have a good chance of intercepting fish anywhere really as they are moving through.
The shingle beach along much of the “TT” makes playing a strong fish easier. – Increasing number of recovering fish turning up now. – The Tongariro has been fishing well.
Flies for me this week have been:
Wetline: Olive or Black Woolly Bugger.
Nymph: Cleardrift Egg, Pheasant Tail, Hare and Copper.
I find keeping the nymphs fairly small is the key, say 14 or even 16.
Trail these behind a suitable bomb (or you may wish to fish 2 small nymphs and use split shot to get them down. There are merits for both methods. Why don’t you experiment and see which best works for you. A bit more unsettled weather coming up I think but the fishing is good so make the most of it while it is here. Well, that’s it for another week, remember to purchase your Fish and Game licence for waters outside Taupo which open on October 1. These licences are available to buy now.
Well, that’s it from me this week so until next time, tight lines. 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,
