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Terrific Tongariro.
Fri 5th June, 2015
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  I couldn't get on the river until mid-morning today and was pleasantly surprised at how few anglers there were around.
As I walked down the true right bank I spotted a couple in the Breakfast Pool and three in Major Jones and that was about it for the rest of the afternoon on my side of the river.
With the color just beginning to drop out and the flows already back down to 40 cumecs I was looking forward to the next few hours.
The Tongariro didn't let me down. As usual after a spate the fish were tucking into the larvae and nymphs dislodged during the fresh and it wasn't difficult to hook up ... what a terrific river.
Black or dark nymphs fished close in along the seam lines produced fish in the murky water.
When the river is still colored up like this its a good idea to take more time than you usually would as you move through a stretch.
Thoroughly explore every bit of where you think the fish will be lying because you may have to put your flies right on their noses' before they can see them. If you "rush" through a stretch and haven't hooked up, it might not necessarily mean there are no fish there ... may be your flies simply haven't drifted close enough for the fish to spot them.
Using flies with contrasting colors help with this ... for instance a black nymph with white rubber legs.
Experiment with fly size. Big or "bigger" is normally best in these conditions.
Play around with things like presentation ... its amazing how many anglers stick to the " same ole same ole" even though they're not hooking up.
Most wouldn't dream of using the dry and dropper when its like this but its a killer after a fresh as the color drops out. Remember what you're trying to imitate ... insects carried down during a flood.
After a fresh the water is full of all kinds of aquatic and terrestrial insects that ended up in "the drift" as the flows and river levels rose. As they're carried downriver they are at the mercy of the current and rise and fall as they're swept downstream. If you can read water there are spots where these hapless insects become concentrated and fish often stack, picking off this easy food supply as it drifts by.
Mimic this and you will hook up.
An unsettled outlook for the week ahead with a mix of sunshine, showers and a day or two of rain.
The fishing is already pretty good and its only going to get better ... enjoy the weekend.
Tight lines guys
Mike |
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