Weather: 11.8°C — rain becoming persistent through the afternoon. Northwesterlies strengthening later in the day and into the evening.
River Flow: 39.8 cumecs
The cold snap arrived in force yesterday afternoon, bringing with it steady, soaking rain that’s made it feel more like midwinter than late spring. The downpour pushed the Tongariro River up to a hefty 295 cumecs at its peak, but it has since dropped back to a very fishable level with just enough colour left in the water. Ideal conditions for wet-lining enthusiasts. With the nymphing definitely back on in the following days.
Looking ahead, the MetService “crystal ball” shows signs of improvement. The forecast is calling for some finer days heading into the weekend, with partly cloudy skies and the odd shower, a welcome change after the past few blustery days.
The long weekend itself was a mixed bag. Strong, gusty winds tested everyone’s patience, and while some anglers reported solid numbers of fish, others struggled to find success. Interestingly, river traffic was much lighter than expected, with many anglers choosing to chase trout on the lakes or explore other regions instead.
I managed to sneak out with my sister on Friday and Saturday, and despite battling the wind, we both managed to land a few fish. It took some effort to locate where they were holding, and many of the trout we found were recovering fish several showing the telltale signs of shagworm. Still, we had a great couple of days on the water.
Our most consistent setup was a stonefly pattern trailed by a red-beaded flashback pheasant tail, which produced the best results across both days.
Hamish was out on the weekend with a few of his clients over from Australia. It sounded like they had quite the adventure. Leaky waders made things a bit more “refreshing” than planned, but it didn’t slow them down one bit. They fished hard right through the changing conditions, making the most of every pool and run they could get to.
I’m not sure on the final fish count, but from the sounds of it there were a few solid hookups and plenty of good stories shared along the way. Sometimes it’s not about the numbers, just being out there, wet feet and all, is what makes it worthwhile.
Lake Fishing
Jigging on the big lake has really started to pick up. Tim was out on Sunday and had great success, finding fish sitting around the 20-metre mark. All but one were fresh, silver fish in top condition a good sign that the lake is beginning to fire up again.
We’ve got the Pat Swift jig rigs in store, which remain the go-to setup for this style of fishing and continue to produce the goods.
As the weather settles and warmer days roll in, lake fishing should only get better. It’s shaping up to be a solid run ahead, with plenty of opportunity for anyone keen to get out and make the most of it.
We’ve also just topped up on Tobies and Tassie Devils, so now’s a good time to stock up before the next trip.
That’s all for now. Here’s hoping the weather plays ball and the fish keep biting.
Tight lines,
Niamh (Bluey)