Tongariro River as painted Brian Willson.
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.
Link for Cleardrift Eggs: https://iloveflyfishing.kiwi/product-category/fly-tying-materials/eyes-tungsten-beads-bodies-jarvies-cones/soft-eggs-cleardrift/
We are now into the last week of November and Christmas is just around the corner. I have had a pretty tough week because I am just getting over a nasty cold which I must have picked up on the plane coming back from the South Island last week. As I had a couple of guiding jobs this week, I had to test myself for Covid and thankfully I was negative, but it wasn’t totally pleasant coughing and spluttering through the day. The first couple I took were a delightful duo in their seventies who were remarkably fit and learnt quickly with the fly rod. Fishing was pretty tough and indeed it has got tougher through the week as we have had no rain at all, and all rivers are low and clear.
At time of writing (Thursday), the Tongariro is running at 28 cumecs and the Tauranga Taupo is at a height of about 200, too low for my liking. Anyway, my first duo did have some action with a particularly good fish (there are still some around) hooked and lost with some other fish of not so good condition landed. There certainly are a lot more spent fish around at the moment which is to be expected. Today was a similar day when I took a young couple out from Sydney in Very bright, warm conditions. They had never fly fished before but surprisingly saw a bit of action. The biggest hard luck story was when one of them saw a large fish jump straight out of the water close to them and I knew it had (unknown to my client) taken the nymph at the end of the drift.
I was guessing it wasn’t too well hooked and suggested that I take the rod while I escort my client (a lady) out of the water where she can then play the fish out from the safety of the shore. The fish was behaving itself following us in without too much resistance and we both made it to the bank. This was all going too easy I thought as the fish was hardly fighting at all and I had already sighted it and it was a big fish and in good Nick. I was just about to hand the rod over when all hell broke loose, and the trout took off into the centre of the river at lightning speed and then it was gone clearly not well hooked as I thought. The trace and hooks were intact so it least it wasn’t a bust off, but it would have made a nice photo.
3 shots Jenny and Manuel on The Tongariro.
Still some steady action with some lesser quality fish, some caught and some lost, made for a satisfactory day with some pretty happy clients at the end of it. Small nymph patterns were the order of the day whilst the large fish lost took a Cleardrift Egg. Earlier in the week a past lady client of mine sent me in some photos of some trout she had caught in the tails of some of the mid river pools, swinging a woolly bugger so that is always an option and a method I use frequently throughout the year. Some rain forecast for the next few days so hopefully that will juice things up a bit.
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,
