Greetings fellow fly fishers,
Well, at last we have some warm, calm weather. All rivers are low and clear at present (Wednesday 7/10/26). The Tongariro is running at 20.5 cumecs. The Whanganui is 14.5 cumecs and the “TT” is at a height of .1. I went over to check out the Whanganui and Whakapapa Rivers yesterday, and both rivers look pristine and are holding good amounts of fish. There were also a number of fishermen (and others) on the river, with the school holidays still in full swing and the fact that it was a gem of a day. The holidays will be over at the end of the week, though, so one can expect less pressure thereafter.
One thing I noticed was that some parts of the Whakapapa River had changed in nature since I was there last. I had one spot that I loved to fish, and I had even given it a title, i.e. “Brian’s Rocks”, and, alas, it is no more. The main river now is more over to the true right, and my great spot is now a small backwater with little appeal for the fly fisher. Never mind, this season will see me look for a few other favourite spots.
The Tongariro continues to fish pretty well and is the pick of the Taupo Rivers at the moment. I have noticed this week that, of the fish I have caught, most of them have been in pretty good nick but not overly big, being around the 2½–3 lb mark. There was one exception to this, however. I hooked up with a very large trout (it jumped when it took the hook, giving me a clear visual, and the sound it made when it landed confirmed that it was a trout of some size). Unfortunately, it went on a crazed run downstream and didn’t stop until it spooled me. Some fish just can’t be caught, and this was one of those. Had I tried to stop it, the line would have broken, such was the speed he/she was going, and I would much prefer to get my hooks back (which I did) rather than have a trout having to put up with one (or two) hooks in its mouth.
I had a stranger experience the other day. I was fishing this great channel in the Tongariro, and I had the whole beat to myself. To reach this channel, a long cast was needed as it was closer to the opposite bank. Suddenly, out of nowhere, another fisherman came out of the bushes on the other side of the river and started to fish (nymphing as I was), working his way upstream. The trouble was he was fishing in exactly the same channel that I was. I reasoned that he wasn’t deliberately trying to jump in front of me, but in reality he was, and as he was wading in the river, he was spooking any fish that I may have had a chance at. I elected to drop back down the river about 50 metres and slowly work my way back up and not have the disturbance of the other angler on the other side. Bravo! I was in action immediately, and while plan A had been achieved, I no longer had the nice, fine, carpet-like silt underneath me, but rather some pretty slippery rocks. (This was the trade-off.) However, this is when a good wading stick is worth its weight in gold. Not one that is in your pouch, but one that is extended, attached to a bungee strap and then to your wading belt. I always fish with a wading pole wherever I am. It is so easy to let it float behind your back while fishing and retrieve it when you are about to move, ensuring BOTH feet are firmly anchored at all times.
Small nymphs, again, are the way to go in the clear conditions, and no less than an 8 lb leader. Fluor or nylon, there are arguments for both. Well, that’s it from me for another week. The weather conditions look as though they will continue to the weekend, although we may get a bit of rain on Sunday.
Until next time,
Tight Lines,
Regards,
Brian Willson
Professional Fishing Guide
I Love Fly Fishing friend and Ambassador
Phone 021667867