Weather: 9.9° Partially cloudy with moderate winds, Gusts reaching up to 33km/h
River flow: 20.8 (m3/sec)
Unfortunately, we keep getting teased with rain and the river has dropped back down after it is reaching 25.9 (m3/sec) at the weekend.
It's fairly chilly out there with strong gusts of wind, if you're willing to brave the weather, there has been reports coming in saying the fishing is starting to pick up on the Tongariro and there are good numbers and fresh fish being caught in the system. This extra bit of water in the river is making the fish start to run but we are not seeing huge numbers of fish running yet. Still waiting for a big flood to really bring on the fish and show what the Mighty Tongariro can really produce when conditions are right. Slushie's are still a top fly to turn to if you're struggling to get fish but don't neglect the naturals either. A range of different flies are working but the main thing is to get down deep enough and to ultimately get the flies in their faces because they are not overly interested in chasing after flies.
Guys that have been out at the delta or the other rivers mouths have been picking up some fish but have said the fish Rader is stacked up with fish but are sitting down deep in the lake. With the colder weather and the extra water starting to move through the system it's definitely worth having a look in these areas if you are struggling to find fish in the river.
The Tauranga-Taupo and other small rivers in the Taupo region are also worth a look and can produces good numbers of fish as well. Even though they are really low at the moment, if fished carefully and with the right technique can produce a good day on the river. Good idea is to reduce the size of your indicator or your bead size to suit the correct water. Fishing a bead that is too heavy for the water you're in can cause too much of a splash or plop in the water resulting in spooked fish. Fish are under a lot of pressure with the number of anglers on the river so a slight adjustment like this can increase the chances of the number of fish you can catch.
I went out for a gander on the Waitahanui during the weekend and got this lovely rainbow. I also saw a few nice browns, but they got the better of me and took shelter fairly fast. This guy took a plain pheasant tail with a pink bead but did get a few on the orange slushies as well.
Looking at the weather for the next few days it looks like it's going to be changing a lot so can't bet on any substile rain coming. Take it day by day here with the weather because it seems to be so unpredictable.
Hoping for a bar of gold at the end of the rainbow!!
Tight lines everyone,
Luke.