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You just never know.
Fri 15th March, 2013
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As we slip further into Autumn there's a definite nip in the air when your out and about early.There were a couple of times I was glad I'd packed the flask and the fleece but as the sun rose it soon warmed up and by mid-morning the temperatures were back in the twenties. Most of us have enjoyed this record breaking summer with its thirty five percent increase in sunlight hours but with the drought tightening its grip across New Zealand it won't only be farmers who are hoping for rain. 
The prolonged dry spell has impacted on the fishing, especially during the last few weeks.
It probably explains this years generally poor cicada action on the Tongariro. Because as the ground continued to dry out and harden it made it difficult for the cicada nymphs to burrow up, preventing a mass emergence.
Mayfly hatches might also have been affected this summer. We know that trout and the aquatic insects they eat tend to be more active at times of low-light, hence the early and late rule. On cloudy days these preferred conditions are present all day long, extending the possibility of a hatch taking place, which could trigger the fish to feed.
One of the reasons mayfly prefer to hatch at these times is connected to physical changes the insect undergoes as it transforms from nymph to dun. The mayfly dun has no functioning mouth parts and is unable to feed or take on water. Emerging in the cooler parts of the day helps to safeguard them from the effects of dehydration. So on hot days the best times for mayfly to emerge are usually morning and then again during the afternoon into evening. 
During "normal" summers we often get cloudy periods and even a few showers mixed in with warm settled spells and during this overcast cooler weather mayfly will hatch at various times throughout the day. This summer its been almost wall to wall sunshine for months and I've seen very little surface activity during the day.
As a consequence I haven't done much conventional dry fly fishing and like Glenn Good pictured above {and left} I've stuck with small nymphs. Glenn was the first correct answer out of the email bag when we had a " guess where " competition while Gail and I were on holiday last November. As a punishment for spotting it was Norfolk Island he had to spend five hours with me on the Tongariro ... that'll teach him. Congratulations are in order because while we we were on the river his daughter went into labor and later that day gave birth to his first grandchild.
THE RAINBOW WARRIOR
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a fly called The Rainbow Warrior which has been working well in the present conditions. This simple, easy to tie pattern has been around for a few years and I think
I first came across it in the UK on one of the still waters I regularly used to fish. Too be honest I'd forgotten all about it until I spotted some in one of the Turangi tackle stores. It was dreamed up by American competition angler Lance Egan and like some of his other creations, for example the Iron Lotus and the Frenchie, its tied with a hot-spot collar. He gave this account of how he came up with the pattern on an internet discussion thread.
"I tie flies many nights a week. Generally I’m refilling my boxes with go to patterns. Usually the night before a fishing day I also build some “try me” flies. You know, the “what if I combine this with that, add a little of the other thing and see what the fish think” kind of flies. The warrior is a “try me” fly.
I tied 4 #18 pearl warriors one night, placed them in my nymph box and there they sat for at least a year. One day on the Provo River I was struggling. I was catching the odd trout, but I could see fish actively feeding near the bottom and my go to patterns were not producing as many fish as I thought I should be catching based on the feeding level of the trout. At this point, after trying my go to flies I start into the “try me” patterns. I tied a few others on first, but they didn’t produce any better than my go to flies. Finally I put on a Rainbow Warrior. I had 4 of them tied, in an 18 and 3 of these flies turned my 8ish fish day into a 40 fish day. I kept one unharmed to ensure I could duplicate them!
The warrior has since become one of my go to patterns. I’ve taken fish on it from New Zealand to Alaska. It works surprisingly well in all water conditions, yes even in clear water ( I know it is too flashy but it works, try it.
The pearl version is most popular, but don’t overlook the black and red versions. I carry all colors of warriors in sizes 12 – 22. The originals were tied with pearl glass beads. Currently I rarely fish them with anything other than a silver tungsten bead.
So there you have it. It wasn’t a stroke of fly tying genius, just a stroke of good luck. Why I combined those materials we’ll never know…"
MATERIALS: { not exactly the same as the original }
HOOK: Curved hook of your choice. I use a Kamasan B110 Grubber.
BEAD: Silver Tungsten, Glass, Silver Cyclops bead etc depending on the weight of fly required.
THREAD: 8/0 Red.
TAIL: Pheasant Tail Fibers.
ABDOMEN: Pearl Mylar, medium or large depending on fly size.
WING CASE: Tag end of Mylar used for the abdomen.
I put a drop of clear epoxy on top to highlight it.
THORAX: I made up my own to darken it a bit but the original is tied with Wapsi Sow Scud Dubbing.
I find that the versions tied using glass beads are not particularly durable because the beads tend to break off. But that might just be my cack- handed casting. The metal bead alternatives are great little nymphs equally at home tied off the bomb or used as part of a dry and dropper set-up.
Despite the Mylar covering the red tying thread along the abdomen, when its viewed from different angles the red coloration shows through. At times fish possibly mistake it for a bloodworm so it would probably work well up at Lake O. The tinsel also gives off an eye-catching blue green flash which fish obviously find attractive and its going to be a good choice during the spawning runs. From now on I'll definitely be keeping a couple on my fly patch.
I couldn't resist sharing this one with you:
 A man walks into a bar, notices a very large jar on the counter, and sees that it's filled to the brim with $10 bills. He guesses there must be at least ten thousand dollars in it. He approaches the bartender and asks, "What's with the money in the jar?"
"Well..., you pay $10, and if you pass three tests, you get all the money in the jar and the keys to a brand new Lexus."
The man certainly isn't going to pass this up, so he asks, "What are the three tests?"
"You gotta pay first," says the bartender, "those are the rules."
So, after thinking it over a while, the man gives the bartender $10 which he stuffs into the jar.
 "Okay," says the bartender, "here's what you need to do:
"First - You have to drink a whole bottle of tequila, in 60 seconds or less, and you can't make a face while doing it. That's test numbers one"
"Second - There's a pit bull chained up in the back yard and it has a bad tooth. You have to remove that tooth with your bare hands."
"Third - Upstairs there's a 90-year old lady who believe it or not has never had sex.
You have to take care of that problem as well to get the money."
The man is stunned! "I know I paid my $10 bucks but I'm not an idiot! I won't do it! You'd have to be nuts to drink a whole bottle of tequila and then do all those other things!"
"Your call," says the bartender, "but, your money stays where it is."
As the evening wears on the man has a few more drinks and finally says, " Ok ... where's the damn tequila?!"
He grabs the bottle with both hands and drinks it as fast as he can. Tears stream down both cheeks -- but he doesn't make a face -- and he downs it in 58 seconds!
Next, he staggers out the back door where he sees the pit bull chained to a pole. Soon, customers inside the bar hear loud growling, screaming, and sounds of a terrible fight -- then nothing but silence!
Just when they think that the man must surely be dead, he staggers back into the bar. His clothes are ripped to shreds and he's bleeding from bites and gashes all over his body. He sways to and fro as he looks around then drunkenly says, "Right then..., where's that old woman with the bad tooth?"
ROGUES GALLERY
SUMMARY
Last report I finished up by saying " There are browns in the usual middle and upper river pools but
I haven't scored yet around town. " Well ... that all changed this trip when this fella picked up a small natural at two in the afternoon on a "stinkin hot" bright sunny day ... you just never know.
 
It was a bit of a long scrap and I had to go walkabout to land it but after a few quick pics and several minutes TLC it swam off to fight another day. With rain likely for the first few days of next week expect more fish like this to join the others already scattered throughout the river. This is probably the best time to target big browns on the Tongariro and anglers have once again reported seeing some impressive fish down river. There are also reports of a few fresh rainbows making a move although I haven't come across any yet. If the rain does materialize ... next week could be a good un.
Tight lines guys
Mike
PS
As you're probably already aware some of the car parks are once again being targeted by thieves. Ensure your vehicle is locked and don't leave anything of value inside it. Make a note of anything or anybody that doesn't look quite right, especially people hanging around in other cars. If in doubt give the local police a call on {07} 386 7709 or dial 111 |
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| COMMENTS |
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Hi Mike, nice brown! I was one of the people whose car was broken into, but luckily I didn't have anything to steal. Unluckily I had to get a replacement rear quarter window for my rental and typically with rentals there is no insurance for this type of damage. Still, $180 is a lot less than replacing rods, passports, money etc. my next visit is likely to be about August so hopefully by then it will have rained!
Cheers,
Murray |
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| Muzza | Thu 14th March, 2013 | |
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