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A busy weekend.
Wed 29th July, 2015
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  With a couple of clubs in town holding their annual competitions it was another busy weekend on the river.
I fished with Sean Seamer on Saturday and Sunday. Despite starting early and walking up the TRB wearing headlamps, when we arrived at Boulder Reach on daybreak four others had already beaten us to it.
It was the same story a little further upriver but luckily for us there were a couple of "old hands" in the pool who moved through, giving us room to drop into the tail.
A few drifts later Sean hooked up to a nice fish unfortunately after several spectacular leaps a moments lapse of concentration saw them part company. But ten minutes later he was in again and soon had a fish on the bank.
  The day before we'd spent some time on the middle river and it had been just as busy.
When there are a lot of anglers on the river things can sometimes get a little heated.
Thankfully you don't often get problems and to be fair everyone we came across over the weekend followed the rivers etiquette.
In fact I think in the last ten years I've only ever had a couple of occasions when I've been forced to speak Welsh to another angler.
 
So far this week there's been no where near as many anglers around, resulting in a much quieter vibe along the Tongariro.
The rain and heavy showers maintained the increased flows we've enjoyed recently. This has encouraged more runs and a better spread of fish, so conditions are spot on.
You should hook up which ever method you decide to fish from now on. Globugs, nymphs, wet-lining everything seems to be working.
Over the last few days everywhere I've been I've seen anglers carrying fish. I bumped into this happy fisho heading back to his vehicle with a limit bag at around nine thirty this morning.
If you're new to the Tongariro to give yourself the best possible chance during the winter runs ... get on the river early and fish with plenty of weight.
A lovely sunny winter day today and they've promised even better weather tomorrow with less wind. Looks a little unsettled as we head for the weekend but as I mentioned conditions at the moment are perfect. It shouldn't matter too much where you fish but if your not catching ... move ... some good reports though from the lower river.
Its been "gone" for a while now but there are still lots of us out there who miss the Braids. If your new to the river this was the stretch of water below the lower Bridge Pool that was sacrificed a few years ago as part of Waikato Regional Council's flood prevention scheme.
Before the bulldozers altered the course of the river it used to divide here into several smaller channels and flow past the lodge in a series of runs, glides and pools. The trout had to pass through this braided area on their upstream migration and for a number of years it contained some of the most productive water on the Tongariro.
With places like the Honeypot, Plank, Stones and Spot X it had a character all of its own and was the first port of call for many ... sometimes too many.
Since the bulldozers did their worst we've had several big floods through here and despite some wishful thinking nothing much changed.
The river would temporarily flow down its old course but once levels dropped back in the main channel the rest of it would quickly revert to dry riverbed again.
However since that last big one the flows have continued and we still have the beginnings of a river in front of the lodge. Of course it could also be down to the fact that the river runs higher at this time of year. But I don't recall this happening after any of the previous floods.
Weeks later there is still water flowing from above Spot X down through the Stones towards the Plank. Its still not enough to get the fish excited but this could be the start of some change here ... fingers crossed. 
Tight lines guys.
Mike |
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