Weather: 12°C Partly sunny with a light breeze
Tongariro River Flow: 32.9 cumecs (m³/s)
Happy winter solstice everyone, the shortest day is today! So we look forward to the days getting longer from now, enabling longer time on the water! Conditions on the Central Plateau are great this weekend and reports from many of you out there on the water have had mixed results, mostly being good.
The Tongariro has been dropping in flow rate since the spike of rain on Thursday night which brought a fresh push of fish into the system that have seemed to remain within the winter limit. Low and clear calls for smaller natural patterns, the grey bodied Simon's Ugly paired with a size 14 Hare & Copper is a good choice and for those using eggs, the smaller paler patterns will be the go-to. Wetliners can choose smaller natural patterns in olive and brown, with an orange or red hotspot for a spawning-time trigger.
The Delta has had mixed results, with the higher flows there have been some great conditioned fish landed, but persisting to find the fish on some days has also been reported. Hit or miss, but when it's good it's been incredibly productive with fat silver fish. Try our Rio Fathom full sinking lines S5, S6 and S7 being the most popular for the Delta, sinking weight dependent on flow. Heave and leave egg patterns being a productive fly choice.
The 2 main rivers affected by the recent large flooding: the Tauranga Taupō and the Tongariro have had some significant changes in places. It's well worth the walk to explore what the rivers have taken away and also created. Nature keeping us on our toes and pushing us to read the new water to find those new lies and bellies where the fish now hold.
Tarn visited us this week for a session with the local fish and of course did exceptionally well on his spey and nymphing gear, pulling out some cracking fish while catching up with the team! Great to see you here again buddy!
The surrounding local rivers have been dropping nicely and still holding a bit of colour following Thursday's rain, great for swinging or nymphing with brighter woolly buggers or glo bug patterns. A few of us have noted that the wetlining success is improving with maidens seeming to be more aggressive on the swing now coming into July.
On that note the new TAUPO SEASON FISHING LICENCE comes up for renewal on the 1st July. From the DOC website: "New season licences will be available for sale online from 24 June 2025 – a week before the season begins". Please note that from this 25/26 season we CAN NO LONGER process licences from the shop due to DOC licence sale changes.
Cold frosty weather is forecast for the coming week, so make sure you have a good pair of warm gloves to keep your hands warm and able to keep you fishing on the river or lake. We have stocked the awesome Patagonia HomePool Mitt Gloves, made from 2.5mm Yulex (same material as good quality wetsuits), toasty warm wind protectors with quick drying material and easy fold backs to get to your fingers, with the option to fold back fully and access the thumb.
Keep enjoying the fishing guys and girls! It's ramping up to be a cracking season. We'll see you on the water!
Rosie & Gary