Good fishing to be had around the region

Lake Waikaremoana. PHOTO/FILE

Reports in from the Waikaremoana region suggest that there is some great fishing to be had.

Fish and Game surveys have found plenty of fish in the Hopurahine Stream and all seem to be in great condition.

The swing bridge access is open again, making access to popular fishing spots along the shore of this lake a lot easier.

Stalking brown trout, virtually anywhere along the 102.3km lake edge, is a fun but challenging experience with clarity of the water, More news from the region is that the boats at Waikareiti are available again with updated safety measures and a modest fee so that anglers can access this pristine lake and the hard fighting rainbows that live within.

There are many other spots to fish close to Waikaremoana, with the tail race of the Tuai Power station and the Waikaretaheke River that drains the lake.

Brown beetle, caddis and stonefly nymphs have been found in the stomach content of trout caught in the Whirinaki and Raingitaiki rivers, though there will be plenty of other insects that they will have eaten that break down in the stomach very quickly.

These two rivers can provide great conditioned, hard fighting browns and rainbows and are a very scenic experience. When cicadas are out in force the noise can be almost deafening, a sure sign that summer is here.

The decent drop of rain mid-week will have brought fresh fish into the tributary streams of Lake Rotorua thankfully, as catch rates have been slower than some expected.

The low and very clear water has impacted on the ability of most to get a fly or two to the fish that are in there. Few browns or rainbows have been seen at the stream mouths, which is surprising considering the lake water temperature.

Spin fishing off the Hamurana mouth is the best way to cover a lot of water quickly as there is a lot of wade-able water that can hold fish. With the cold water plume being moved around a lot with the wind there is a larger than normal amount of cooler water accessible to trout.

Catch rates along the drop-off at Hamurana are still quite high. Harling two colours of lead line, or a very fast sinking line seems to be effective though spin fishing from an anchored boat is also producing well.

Lake Rotoehu has fished well from the shore, ginger mick flies did the damage for one young angler who hooked seven very good conditioned fish in a short period of time as he walked along a sandy beach. While not one of the more pristine lakes in the area, the catch rate of good conditioned rainbows is very high and the lake is quite scenic.