BERT ROBINSON: Rotoiti full of rainbow trout

With Lake Rotoiti reopening today to boat fishing, since closing on June 30, it will be interesting to see if negative publicity over the past few months will have as big an effect as it did last opening day.
Anglers stayed away in droves, especially during the summer of 2003/04. I could name more than 100 anglers from Hamilton who have fished further south because of the negative publicity.
Lake Rotoiti looks like it will fish very well this year if the information gathered during Fish and Game's winter survey is anything to go by.
The average length of rainbows in this lake is larger than the past two years at 583mm and with the average weight being almost 3kg.
An increase in liberation numbers has also seen a higher catch-per-angler-hour-fished at 0.38 fish an hour so putting more fish in has not decreased their size.
It would seem, on the surface at least, that the algae bloom has improved conditions for trout in this lake to some extent.
Land-based anglers were certainly a lot happier with the catch rate and size of fish than they have been in previous years as well. For those looking to get out on this lake after today's opening day, harling over shallow weed beds should be very productive.
Good conditioned fish are still being taken night-fishing off Ruato Bay as they are feeding out over the weed bed. It always pays to fish in close to start with and then move quietly out into deeper water should nothing happen after an hour or so.
A small craigs night time or scotch poachers is taking fish. The Dump still has a few fish attempting to spawn along the lake edge though they are proving to be tight lipped when presented with an angler's offering.
Lake Rotoma is producing good numbers of hard-fighting fish from over the weed beds as well. The first public boat ramp from the Rotorua side produced well over the weekend with a brown/gold marabou accounting for many of the fish taken.
Goldfish abound in this lake and are a staple part of both the rainbow and tiger trout there so gold or green are two good colours to use and large flies with a slow retrieve after dark seems to be the answer.
During the day on both the previously mentioned lakes drifting a dragonfly or damsel nymph over a weed bed has proven to be very effective.
A decent drop of rain saw the Ngongotaha and Waiteti stream discolour over the past weekend triggering fresh movement of fish upstream. Few browns are moving, as yet, but with plenty of top quality rainbows around catch rates have been high.
Shoreline fishing on Lake Rerewhakaaitu has been good for both spinning and fly fishing though there has been a high number of recovering fish in angler bag-limits.
Lake Rotoaira has fished well for those nymphing from a drifting boat. A sea anchor out the side of the boat allow's the drift to be controlled to a point where a nymph can be presented in the best possible manner. Again dragonfly or damsel nymphs are working well.
Even with the school holidays on, there are fewer numbers of anglers fishing the Tongariro and Tauranga-Taupo rivers. Reports suggest plenty of fresh fish and lots of room for anglers, so one is able to pick and choose a spot to fish.
It doesn't seem to matter if an egg pattern or natural is used - either seems to work. A light tippet in low, clear water is the only "must do". Wet lining is taking fish as well, with woolly buggers or grey ghosts the fly of choice for some.
With the moon coming on to full, stream mouth fishing will get a little more challenging so this is where fluoro carbon tippets come into their own. Dead-slow retrieves when using traditional night flies or fast twitchy retrieves when using a fly with a bit of flash in it will take fish.