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Early, frosty morning, Hinemaiaia River.
Brian Willson NZPFGA member, professional guide and I Love Fly Fishing shop partner, 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 and if you want to call to the shop – 8 Wiremu Street – call Brian on 021667867. Brian fishes Euro/Czech, Dry Fly, Trout Spey, Nymph and Wet Fly.
Greetings fellow fly fishers,
Well, it has been a busy week in lots of ways, so I’ll just get right on with it. There has been a real influx of anglers in the last couple of weeks, probably the most I have seen since pre covid times. Fortunately, most people seem to be practicing good etiquette and allowing other anglers access points. There are a lot of fish in all rivers at the moment so being in a particular favourite spot is not so important as the fish will find you if you are patient. It can be quite frustrating at this time of year when you can see a lot of fish in a given area, throw the perfect cast and be rejected time and time again. When this happens, consider casting to fish that you cannot see (faster, shallower water), and you will find your hook up rate will increase.
I have found that getting the right recipe and the right weight is super important at the moment. All rivers are still very low and where you would generally fish an area with a certain size bomb will probably be different now, (perhaps a bomb of half the weight followed by a nymph of your choice). You could also consider deleting the bomb altogether and fish 2 equal size smaller nymphs behind an appropriate weight if split shot. Another variation of your presentation can be to have your 2 nymphs split (a triple knot up from the bottom effectively giving you 2 ends to attach 2 nymphs. This is an alternative to the truck and trailer method, which is fine, but it does present your offerings differently.Most anglers I have been talking have been catching their fish with a variety of nymphs and naturals have been working well. I have found the Cleardrift Egg to be as good as anything with colour not as important as size whereas I have found 6mm to be working quite well. I spent a couple of days in The Hinemaiaia River, and it is fishing very well. Be very careful when you wade in this river not to upset the spawning redds. You can see the obvious areas with depressions in the bottom, quieter water and groups of trout (often in pairs).
One thing I noticed were a couple of dead trout travelling down the river and they were both superbly conditioned Jacks. They were obviously caught and released but not done so properly. Remember, a trout will die if certain precautions are not carried out. Briefly summarised they are as follows.
1/ Keep the fish in the net when removing the hook (preferably with pliers/forceps).
2/ Ensure your hands are wet.
3/ Take your photograph quickly while you have the fish out of the water (10 seconds max).
4/ Keep your hands AWAY FROM THE GILLS!!
The Tongariro River has also been fishing well. I have found it has its quiet moments but can come on at times too. Patience is the key here because there is no shortage of fish in the river.
The wet liners and Spey fishermen are also doing quite well here especially in the lower river area.
As always, all your fly fishing and fly tying needs call and see me at the I Love Fly Fishing Shop in Turangi, 8 Wiremu St, phone 021667867. If there is anything you need, give me a ring and I will open up anytime (within reason of course 
), just call me and I’ll sort you out. 021667867.
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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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