Catch More Fish At Lake Taupo Stream Mouths

Have you ever wondered how you could catch more fish at Lake Taupo stream mouths. Here are a few tips that may increase your catch rate.

1 – When there is a lot of rain about and the major rivers become unfishable, the small stream mouths become a viable option to fish. Where the stream enters the lake the water will be discoloured but not so on the edge of the current where it will be clear. This is where you want to be positioned to cast a large streamer fly out and slowly tease it back towards you on a slow irregular retrieve. It should be noted that the fish could also be congregating some 50 metres or so down the beach where the current turns and comes back to the shore. If it is not obvious what the current is doing, I normally throw 3 or 4 pieces of pumice into the current at different intervals and study the route. Generally, you will find these pieces of pumice all end up in the same place regardless of where they were first put in the current. The point where the current turns back to the beach is another good place to target. The current direction is largely influenced by the wind and being aware of this will help you decide which stream mouth to fish. For example, a strong nor’wester will make fishing a stream like the Waipehi impossible to fish but because the lake is basically a circle, when fishing a stream like the Whareroa or Omori in these conditions the angler will experience calm conditions.

2 – If fishing shallow water like the Omori or Waipehi, ensure your floating line is clean. Unclean floating lines will sink enough to snag on rocks etc which gets very frustrating.

3 – Keep traces short and up the breaking strain to 4kg. Some of these hits on a desirable looking streamer can be ferocious.

4 – Consider fishing at night and a dark night at that. Do your homework on conditions, flow and marker points in the day time though.

5 – If the water is discoloured use big dark flies like rabbit, marabou or woolly bugger. Luminous flies can be deadly too but the Brownies tend to shy off these. (There’s plenty of rainbows out there though).

6 – Check that your hooks are sharp, your knots are adequate and  your leader is knot free.

7 – If fishing at night and the current is moving you will be able to sense that one leg is slightly cooler than the other if you are standing in the prime spot. If nothing is happening move slowly, laterally if you have room to do so.

8 – DON’T stand out too deep. The fish will come up to you if you let them.

9 – Have a good head torch as well as a spare in your pocket somewhere.

We have the luxury in the Taupo area that even if all rivers are heavy in flood, we have a lake that can be fished at all times. I hope these tips are useful.

Cheers – Brian Willson – NZPFGA member (021667867)