Weather: 10.4° Areas of morning frost or fog, otherwise mainly fine. Cloud increasing in the afternoon. Light winds, northwesterlies developing in the evening.
River Flow: 21.3 Cumecs (m³/s)
The mornings have continued to follow the same pattern we've seen over the past few weeks, with frosty starts giving way to clear, sunny days. We had a little rain on Monday, but it only lifted the Tongariro by around one cumec before it quickly dropped back to about 22 cumecs.
Rosie and I headed out to the Delta on Sunday morning to test a few flies she'd been tying and see how things had been fishing in general. We've both spent plenty of time out there over the years, but had never managed to line things up for a trip together, so this was a long-awaited adventure for us.
I'd mainly fished the Delta through the summer months, so it was great to pick up a few winter tips from Rosie and learn how to adjust my approach for the colder season. By midday, we'd landed six fish, all in great condition. Surprisingly, the majority of them were jacks.
As the morning went on, the wind gradually picked up, making casting a little tougher, but we stayed put knowing the fish were there. It turned into one of those sessions where patience paid off, with fish continuing to come from the same piece of water. By about 1pm the wind had the upper hand, so we packed it in, more than satisfied with six quality fish for a short morning on the Delta.
Reports through the shop have generally been positive, although most anglers agree the fishing is still on the tougher side. Which is something we've become pretty accustomed to lately. Fish are definitely being caught, but those taking a slower, more stealthy approach have been seeing the best results. Taking your time when approaching the water, spending a few minutes scanning for fish before making a cast, and downsizing both your indicator and flies can make a real difference in these clear, low-water conditions. For those wet-lining, smaller Woolly Buggers have also been proving very effective.
At this time of year, most of us automatically reach for the heavy bombs, egg patterns and larger indicators, and they certainly have their place. However, with the current weather and low, clear water, it's well worth adapting your setup. Downsizing your flies and indicator, and fishing a little lighter overall, can make a noticeable difference to your hook-up rates.
Looking ahead to the next few days, we’re expecting some rain tomorrow and a little more again on Saturday, which we’re all very excited about. This could be the push we’ve been waiting for to get things moving and hopefully kick things off nicely. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the river conditions, as well as the reports coming through, to see just how much of an impact this has and whether it gets the fish moving.
Temperatures are set to drop significantly from next week, so making sure you’re warm and dry will be key to staying comfortable out on the water. Especially during those frosty mornings. We’ve had a great top-up of thermal base layers, neck warmers and gloves, along with some of Guideline's essentials also being topped up, so be sure to check out our online store or pop into the shop to have a look.
Fingers crossed the rain arrives, the rivers respond, and things really start to fire!
Tight lines everyone!
~Niamh (Bluey)