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Tongariro still firing.
Wed 12th November, 2014
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The Tongariro continues to fire with plenty of recovering fish and more late Spring runs keeping anglers busy.
Over the weekend just about every fish I hooked seemed to be a male trout sporting full spawning colors but today it was the turn of the ladies as more fresh runs shot through the town pools.
We know the overall size and condition is down on last year but at the moment there are some nice fish moving through the town and middle stretches.
Plenty of insect activity throughout the river and despite anglers having to cope with a tricky wind, with more to come, it didn't prevent some hatches.
If you've been fishing the runs and riffles you'll probably have spotted the odd fish taking emergers. The classic "head and tail" rise is normally the clue here, quite often in the seam between the "soft" water nearest the bank and the faster stuff a little further out.
Try a bushy dry like the "Humpy" with a small dark nymph on a shortish dropper a foot or so below it.
 
Small Deleatidium nymphs have worked well and are becoming a popular pattern on the Tongariro. But the fish are also taking "white caddis".
Arthur Daly pictured above ... who looks a bit like Grant from Creel Tackle hooked this one on caddis in Major Jones this morning.
In between buying and selling Arthur told me he'd caught fish earlier in the week stuffed with them.
A few of these little guys around as well.
I'm no expert but I think this is one of the non-biting midges of the Chironomid family. Midges are often associated with slow, sometimes poor quality water but the blood of this species is rich in haemoglobin, the protein which carries oxygen around the body. This helps the larvae survive in less than perfect habitat. It also gives them the red color and their name ... blood worms. In New Zealand and many other countries they've adapted and are found in rivers just like the Tongariro.
I'll have to dig out my blood worm imitations and give them a try.
 
The Major Jones has been a bit of a "hot pool" this week and has been consistently chucking out fish for days. Because its so popular I don't often fish it but Grant and I stopped off there on our way back late this morning and caught a couple of fish.
Its probably the most well known pool on the Tongariro river.
The following is from "Pools of the Tongariro" by Allan and Barbara Cooper :
" Named after Major Rhys Wykeham {or Wykham} Jones, who, according to Joe Frost, fished this pool with a seventeen foot rod which he used on the Spey in Scotland.
He was about six feet two in height and might have tipped the scales at twenty stone.
He played his fish with the delicacy of a ship weighing its anchor in a hurry. I understand that he originated from India and I should imagine he would be a fine sight on parade, monocle and all ".
{Joe Frost to H. Hickling : Freshwater Admiral }.
More wet, windy weather is forecast for the rest of the week which should keep the fish moving.
But they're also predicting cooler mid-month temperatures than you would expect for November with morning frosts inland on both islands.
I suppose this could slow down the dry fly action for a week or two although I've had a couple of fish come up and nudge the big indicator fly this week.
A few more anglers around on weekends but during the week you almost feel as if you've got the whole of the river to yourself.
With fish moving in both directions most of the pools have fished quite well ... especially the town pools as more fish move up.
But there's a lot of good water in between that they also have to pass through ...
Have a great week guys.
Tight lines
Mike |
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