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Brian Willson, professional guide, 021667867, brings us his weekly fly fishing report from Turangi for the Central North Island lakes and rivers.
Hello fellow fly fishers,
Well if we were ever wondering when winter was going to arrive, this week has certainly confirmed it. We have had a lot of rain, wind and plenty of snow about in the desert road area which has made fly fishing very testing.
Once again there has been flooding in the wetlands area of Waiotaka and Waimarino and the rivers have been up and down like yo-yos.
I had a client come down from Auckland for a week’s fishing last Thursday. The weather was pretty rough on his arrival and was forecast to get worse the next few days. Friday came and the weather hadn’t improved and, even though I was going to take him out, he decided to reschedule to come back in a month’s time and he was quite happy to have a lazy day reading a book before quietly making his way back to Auckland.
I am pleased he made this decision as the Tauranga Taupo River has been out of action all week and still is whilst the Tongariro has not been ideal for most of the week.
The Hinemaiaia River has been an exception to the other rivers however. Because of its very nature, the Hinemaiaia seldom floods significantly as the flow is largely determined by the dam a few kilometres upstream. It does colour up very quickly though when the river rises but if you can time your run on this water, you can have some superb fishing when the river starts to drop.
The photo shows the Hinemaiaia River flowing about 2 feet above normal yesterday morning but slowly dropping. I started fishing mid-morning and nothing much was happening but by late morning the action had really picked up. There were not many anglers about at first but they started to arrive later on in the morning. They were aware that while conditions were not ideal earlier on they would improve and even excel later on.
Don’t be put off on this river if it is high and dirty though. As long it is falling and you entertain the thought of a large streamer like a black Woolly bugger sunk quickly, you will get some action.
Look for slower bends and let the woolly bugger hang out at the extent of your cast for a while before retrieving. Give it the odd twitch and as I say leave it for perhaps a minute or so before retrieving. Something will hit it soon enough.
The 2 trout in the photo are Whakapapa trout caught Czech nymphing. Conditions aren’t the best in the Whanganui/Whakapapa areas at the moment but may improve next week.
The top photo shows Mission Point at Waitetoko. This is a spot I mentioned in last week’s report and is always worth consideration. It is reasonably deep water here and a fast sinking line cast towards the island off the nose of the point is the way to go. The point can take a number of rods.
Just a short stroll south of the point is the Waitetoko Stream mouth which can also be quite productive. Deep water here also so no need to change your rig and the bottom is sand so no rock problems.
Remember this is the last month for your Taupo license and also the last month to fish the Whakapapa River.
I have spent a good part of this week tying flies and have made some out of ostrich feathers which I will be trialing this week so I’ll let you know how they work in next week’s report.
The I Love Fly Fishing shop remains busy and I have a number of anglers calling me for goods and services throughout the week. Just ring me about anything fishing anytime and I’ll do my best to help you out. 021667867
Until next time,
Tight lines,
Brian Willson
NZPFGA member. Tongariro River Flow Tauranga-Taupo River Flow
Brian
My name is Brian Willson and I have been a fly fisher for over 50 years. I am a professional fishing guide and current NZPFGA member of which I have served at executive level and have guided anglers of different skill sets, ages and gender from all over the world. I have also written two books on fly fishing and am a keen artist. I am passionate about fly fishing and the therapeutic qualities it offers and enjoy sharing this experience with people on and off the water. Over the years I have made some amazing friendships that continue to this day. I have partnered up with one of these friendships, Barrie Barnes from I Love Fly Fishing, and I sell exclusively, quality, affordable fly fishing gear at my premises at 8 Wiremu Street, Turangi, the designated I Love Fly Fishing shop in Turangi which is open all hours— just ring 021667867 anytime. I take a serious interest in my clients and freely offer advice when asked and am happy to talk fishing anytime. Tight lines, Brian Willson
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