Keen Rotorua angler to fish Lake Rotoiti on opening day

Neil Porter is a keen angler ready to get back out on the lake. Photo / Stephen Parker

Neil Porter will be up before the sun on Monday morning trolling and jigging on Lake Rotoiti.

Porter estimates he's been trout fishing for 20 years and this opening day will be no different.

"Depending on the weather, we're going to go out on Sunday afternoon and spend the night out there so we can start out reasonably early.

"We'll sleep on the boat and I normally get another two mates and we all anchor up out in a secluded bay out of the wind."

Porter said trout fishing was a great pastime and something most people could do.

"We've got so many lakes. It's a lovely wilderness out there and it's nice to enjoy it," he said.

"It gets you out, you can relax and it gets you away from work.

"I love sea fishing but I get quite seasick. I like the lake when it's not windy and flat. It's also peaceful and pristine."

Porter said he thought Lake Rotoiti had reasonable fishing but many people were "sticklers" for Tarawera and Ōkareka.

As for how to cook a trout, Porter had a few ideas.

"I used to smoke them in the past but I smoked so many I don't do it any more."

Now he often fillets the fish, cubes it and crumbs the cubes and fries them in a pan.

Another option is to cut them in half, garnish with fruit like oranges and lemons and some herbs, wrap in tinfoil and bake in the oven.