Geoff Thomas: Downpour will wash fly fishers out of the woodwork

Photo / APN

The recent long-awaited rainfall has sparked fly fishing in Lake Taupo and the tributaries. It is what anglers have been waiting for and the long weekend will see large numbers heading for Turangi.

Some fly fishers have been doing well at the mouths of the Tongariro and the Tauranga-Taupo Rivers as the trout congregate while waiting for a fresh in the river, but the runs upstream are well under way.

The Tongariro did not flood, but reached 33 cumecs, so fishing was not badly affected. In fact a wet line fished downstream with Woolly Buggers or a Red Setter is fine in coloured water. Of course the best time to be on the river is as the water is clearing, and glo-bugs and weighted nymphs come into their own with the size used decreasing as the river drops and clears.

The quality of the trout coming out of the lake has improved this year according to local tackle shop proprietors, with some lovely silver rainbows up to 2.5kg taken. Another notable feature of the runs this winter is the higher number of brown trout being caught, and many anglers are returning home with their first brown. These fish are larger than the rainbows and in top condition also.

With so little rain during the late summer and autumn a lot of trout remained in the river after spawning last year and these will be in poor condition as they head back down to the lake. But with a three-fish limit bag it is not necessary to keep any fish that are not in prime condition.

The Tauranga-Taupo also saw increased runs but the fish have moved quickly through the river to the middle reaches, and the upper reaches closed to fishing on Monday as did all of the upper water on the rivers and Lake Otamangakau.

Harling on the lake has also been producing fish, with Yellow Lady and Parsons Glory working at Horomatangi Reef in 20 metres. When deep trolling with downriggers at this time of year it is not necessary to go too deep, and 25-30 metres is working well.

In Rotorua the spawning streams do not close until the main season ends on June 30, and they are full of trout after the rain. But when fishing for large, lake-sized trout in small streams which are choked with snags and lined with bushes a good supply of nymphs and some heavy monofilament leader material are needed. Some local anglers will use 4.5kg breaking-strain leader and specially hardened hooks which can stand up to pressure from big trout and snags. The Ngongotaha and Waiteti Streams produce the largest trout in the country on average when it comes to brownies, as the fish live and grow in Lake Rotorua and enter the small streams to spawn. The runs start in February and continue through until the season closes, and fish up to 8kg are taken.

Fishing is allowed through the closed season on the Ngongotaha and Utuhina Streams downstream of the main road bridges, and the main streams do not open again until December 1.

Another fishery which is overshadowed by the large lakes with the reputations like Lakes Okataina, Tarawera and Rotoiti is Lake Rerewhakaaitu. In the shadow of Mt Tarawera, this lake is surrounded by flat farmland and at this time of year offers quality fly fishing at the Homestead Arm and Gumboot Point. Anglers can wade the shallow flats looking for rising fish, or cast blind with slow-sinking lines and patterns like Hamill's Killer and Kilwell No 1. Red or orange-bodied flies work well as the season approaches, in contrast to the spring and summer fishing when yellow-bodied smelt patterns and dragonfly nymph imitations are popular. But as with all fly fishing, presentation of the fly in front of the fish is the key to success.

The shore-based anglers will also be concentrating on the Okataina, Rotoiti and Tarawera shores this weekend, and places like Ruato and Te Wairoa will be popular. The moon is waning and on clear nights will affect the fishing, but towards the end of next week the new moon will offer dark nights which are always favoured by the anglers.