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Make the most of it.
Fri 17th February, 2017
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After heavy overnight downpours the Tongariro is flowing at just under sixty cumecs this morning but is already falling back again. The rain has eased and the sun is trying to break through but there is more wet weather forecast later today and tomorrow.
 The river has continued to fish well since the last report particularly for anglers using the dry or dry and dropper.
Norwegian angler Tore Aalberg is a regular face on the river during February and makes the long journey every year to target Tongariro browns. I've bumped into him a few times recently and he'd either hooked or landed some decent fish.
Cicadas are still making their noisy presence felt but noise levels are beginning to thin.
You'll often spot them underfoot now as their all too short life above ground comes to an end. Not great news for the cicadas but as they die more of them end up in the river so fishing a "big dry combo" is a great option at the moment.
 
The next few months is my favorite time of year on the Tongariro. As brown trout numbers build it offers anglers a very real chance of that fish of a life-time whatever method you prefer to use.
Over the last couple of weeks I've caught them on the indicator, czech nymph and the dry and dropper. And I had a lot of fun with the one pictured left when it picked up the czech nymph under the 5wt in a less often fished spot on the upper/middle river.
If you're interested in targeting them, for the time being I'd still concentrate my efforts between the lower and middle river. I know that sounds a little vague and that's a lot of river but not all of it will have that mix of soft water near faster water that browns like.
The tail-outs of pools are other great places to find these big fish, especially during "cicada time" when they're taking large bugs at the surface.
This'll be the kiss of death ... but its shaping up to be a pretty good brown trout "season".
No shortage of rainbows either and it doesn't seem to matter where you fish ... again all methods are working but I've done better with the dry and dropper.
Suspend a couple of nymphs under the dry and drift them along the seam lines ... you will hook up.
     So a bit more rain as we head into the weekend with next week looking good ... so far.
Depending how much we get the flow graph will be up and down over the next couple of days and then settle back again for the rest of next week.
Expect more top water action and some really good browns to figure in the reports.
If you're new to the river and your nymphing ... caddis, small Hare and Coppers or flash-back flies will all take fish.
Tight lines
Mike |
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