Another dull grey day here in Turangi but a break in the rain has allowed the Tongariro River to drop down to the fishable level of 55.2m3/sec which has the majority of anglers smiling from ear to ear. Swinging flies has proven very effective in the dropping flows with both rainbow and brown trout happy to intercept a large fly in the murky water. Nymphing has also been effective this morning with either caddis or egg patterns. Caddis larvae are a staple food source for the fish in the Tongariro especially after a flood dislodges them by the thousands. Sam once again proves how well a Caddis nymph can work in this high flow with another stunning brown trout to the net this morning (his constant stream of fish photos is really starting to wear thin on Neil and me while we're stuck at work). Go have a glass of champagne and save some for the rest of us!!
Our friend Evelyn has been a busy bee spinning up a few hundred of our clip-on indicators ready to be sold over winter. Thanks Evelyn, they look great!
It's amazing how much of a difference having the correct fly line makes when it comes to turning over these large indicators and heavy flies for winter fishing. The Rio Indicator Fly Line is an ideal taper for doing so, especially if you are interested in the Tongariro Roll Cast. With the bulk of its weight distributed toward the back end of the belly it effortlessly loads fast action rods when forming a roll cast D-loop. The positioning of the mass also makes mending this line very easy.
If overhead casting is your preferred way to fish, then the Rio Grand is the winter floating line for you. Its aggressive front taper makes turning over big indicators, Heavey flies and casting into the wind very manageable and has always been a main staple for many Tongariro winter anglers. There isn't much else to say about this line other than it is badass!
Neil is so excited to get on the water tomorrow that he's doing laps around the shop with the vacuum cleaner to expend all his excess energy. We can't wait to see what he finds as the conditions tomorrow should be stellar! I'm sure he'll give us the full run down once he returns to work.
Tarn.