“A big rainbow is a fish of the heavy water… he is a fighter, a leaper, a plunger, a fish that never knows when he is beaten, a fish that will take you down into the white water and break your heart or your tackle, or both.”
— Roderick Haig-Brown, A River Never Sleeps
Greetings fellow fly fishers,
The one element that has dominated this week has been the blustery winds, which have also brought a drop in temperatures, being mainly southerly with a real bite at times. Today (Thursday) has been an exception, with light winds and a very acceptable 21 degrees making for perfect fishing weather. I have just come back from the Tongariro Delta and had some excellent action with some beautiful fish getting ready for an early spawning run. The nice day saw a few more boaties out and even a number of shore-based anglers trying their luck at the Delta. The fish seemed to come off and on, and when they were on, everybody seemed to get hooked up, which is typical of the Delta. Just as easily, fishing can get very quiet and then all hell breaks loose.
Earlier in the week, I decided to take a look at the Hinemaiaia River and, while the fish numbers are nowhere near as high as one would expect in the winter months, there are enough fish up there to keep you interested and the dry fly is a good option. The Tauranga Taupo mouth is still producing pretty well on smelt flies, although a lot of the fish upstream from the drop-off in the channel are recovering and generally not in the best nick. However, there are some that are superb, so it is worth a look. Over in the Whanganui and Whakapapa Rivers, I have found the fishing to be pretty tough but rewarding when hooked up, as they are a tough-fighting strain over there.
Just a warning if fishing below the Piriaka Power Station: I got caught in a water release with three clients from Australia the other day, and the water flow and level increased dramatically within minutes, leading me to exit my clients from the water ASAP! I don’t know why a better warning can’t be implemented on these hydro rivers. Information is given in real-time regarding river flow at regular intervals; why isn’t a notification alert put on the same day when water is released on these same sites?
The rising can happen before you know it, and my suggestion is, before entering the water, take a visual look at a rock penetrating out of the water and use it as a measuring gauge for the rising level. If the rock looks as though it is disappearing, get out of there. 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 Johan, 021-02209719 or johan@iloveflyfishing.kiwi. You will receive your goods in quick order and at a great price.
Until next time,
Tight lines,
Brian – NZPFGA Member,
