Fly Fishing NZ Tongariro - Rainbow Trout Trip Report

[Davidpriddy]

My mate Col and I did our annual trip to NZ at the end of October (always the weekend before Melbourne Cup) for 5 days fishing the Tongariro region. We spent time fishing the local streams around the township of Turangi fishing all the famous runs and holes locally. We also snuck up 'backcountry' for a day for a change of scenary. The fishing was awesome! One of our best trips. We maxed out our bag limit each day within a couple of hours at arriving at any spot. It was mostly catch and release for us. But we did bring home some nice fish destined for the smoker. Fishing was all nymphing under indicators. The weather while we were there was very good, although wind played havoc with us on two of the days. Mostly the fishing was via sight ... you could see the fish you were after and had to work at putting the wet flies in the right place. This is the second time we've done NZ. The two years prior we did trips to Tassie. I'd highly recommend NZ for a crack at Rainbows for anybody interested!

[mark1]

Any pics?

[Centrepin]

David,

I am heading over in March.

I'll PM you.

Thanks for the tips,

Geoff

[Davidpriddy]

Any pics?

Hi there Mark.

I hope i've done this right ... i've uploaded some images to the Gallery section. I'll attempt to post link here: http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=17271&do=view_album&album=686

[Davidpriddy]

David,

I am heading over in March.

I'll PM you.

Thanks for the tips,

Geoff

Hey Geoff,

Fish the local stream from Daves Hole (turn off on the right before the bridge as you come into Turangi from Taupo and drive to end of road - bitchumen turns into dirt road - to to very end and fish drop off 100 feet through scrub - spot otherwise known as DeLatours) up to Fence pool. The best spots to fish were any of the pools starting at the fish research station is heading out of town. Six foot of leader under your indicator, but on a nice heavy gold bead grey fur type nymph, and then tie off 8 inched under this a small copper wire nymph and you'll clean up! If you want to know more specifics on where the fish are, drop me a note.

[Davidpriddy]

David,

I am heading over in March.

I'll PM you.

Thanks for the tips,

Geoff

Hey Geoff. I've been going to NZ and fishing the tongariro for 9 years now (i go over every year or so ... i try and tie in some work so i can write off some of the trip) ... anyway, you'll love the terrain when you get there. We based ourselves at the Creel Lodge (you can find them via the net) ... aswesome accommodation right on the river. They have kitchens, a dedicated fish cleaning room, with BIG freezer to pack away your fish. Highly recommend them. We've stayed there twice. A lot of fishos head to the waters around the bridge on the way into Turangi. I've fished there many times ... its okay ... but I didn't bother this recent trip. It gets hit too hard and is pretty boring to fish. I've got a fly fishing blog at http://flyfishingguru.blogspot.com/ where there is heaps of details about where we fish, the rigs, etc, etc. There is also a really awesome guide who operates out of Taupo called Peter Fordham. If you can put together a few pennies, he is awesome to get to take you back country fishing (make sure you have the right licences!!!) You can find out more about Peter here: http://www.allfly.co.nz/ ... tell him I put you onto him and he'll look after you. I've been using Peter from the first day i took up a fly rod. You cant beat local knowledge! There's a good fly shop in Turangi to pick up all the flies (and tips on where they are biting) callled Sporting Life. Ask for Graham ... he'll look after you with Licences, flies, etc, etc. There is an bakery next door to pick up your morning pie and drinks for the day! One of the good places to go for a feed if you want to go out at night is on the corner of the state highway and Arahori Street. It is a hotel, but has pretty good meals if you don't want to cook. There is a local grocery store in the main part of town to pick up your essentials. If you can track down a book called Volcanic Trout A Complete Guide to Fishing the Taupo Region by Brendon Mathews, grab it!! It has awesome details of all the spots to fish. The trip we just did had some terrific fishing in the runs adjacent to the Tongariro National Trout Centre. Park in the car park and walk to the river ... follow the track beside the bank and fish all the runs up to Silly Pool. Oh, when you get to Silly Pool, don't just walk out into the water and work your way across to put in your first cast ... as soon as you step into the water, make your first cast!!! There are 8 pounders sitting 15 feet in front of you!! Its pretty deceptive because it looks like you should walk out 30 feet before you make your first cast. But the fish are sitting right there in front of you! Don't forget this little tid-bit of info. I pulled 5 fish out of this one piece of water and got SMOKED by 3 fish! One of the other bits of water where i pulled over 15 fish out of over the days we were there is Blue Pool. This is a pretty popular spot ... its a bit out of town, so head there first reasonably early in the morning and fish the channel closest to you at the bank. TIP - as soon as you walk down from the track at the carpark to the bank start fishing from there up to where the water falls into that run. Make casts upstream (15 feet) close to the bank where you are, then put a cast a few more feet to your left, and repeat, repeat, repeat until your casting about 15 - 20 feet out towards the centre of the creek. You will see a distinct 'run line' where the quick water hits the slower water. Most of your hits from fish come from along this line. BUT there are heaps of sneaky buggers in the still water just at your feet! You will be amazed when you see the indicator go down when its 5 feet from your rod tip! If you get to this spot later in the day and you work your way up to the head of the Blue pool and you see people in Kyakes, or river rafts come floating over teh rapids and into your pool, don't be discouraged. I don't know why, but for some reason the fish go off after these boaties have been through??? Another tip for you on Blue Pool ... once you've worked the stretch up to the head of that pool (about a 100 foot stretch), turn around and go do the stretch again. I would work the same stretch over 3 or 4 times and pull fish every time without changing flies. Its pretty interesting. What else can i help you with?? Hope this is helpful.

[luderick -angler]

Get over there now, i just got back from NZ and at Christmas the river was lined up with big browns and when I say big nothing under 6lb! As for a rig standard nymph rig tie on 9ft of 8lb co polymer then a 4mm or larger bead head hare and copper or caddis then 6 inches off the bend add a natraul such as a pheasant tail or flashback hare and copper or green or horn caddis,you want get on the water early sunrise and fish a globug first up, theres a lot of fish been taken in the evening on the dry fly, mainly a caddis wit ha small parachute adams ofr dads favourite off the bend swing them across and down. PM me if you want any other tips also recommend making the trip to the Hinemia if you have the time the Whakapapa in the mid reaches is also excellent you should in theory have the Tonga to yourself at this time of year as there all out lake fishing!