Peter Jessup
Work to improve the outflow from the Tongariro River has stopped in accordance with the agreement with Maori and anglers not to disturb the annual spawning runs.
So far all are positive about the removal of willows and rubbish and the shifting of some rocks to straighten the flow.
Upriver, there has been little change since last fishing season because of the low water levels. The first good fresh arrived last week and assisted in clearing the mouth, as well as encouraging the first, heavy runs up river.
It seems that at Taupo and in the Rotorua lakes, fish have been enjoying the long summer and feeding up large but the recent fall in temperature has prompted major change.
On Lake Rotorua, temperature was 23C on February 23, down to 20C by April 1 and is now 15C, falling fast in the past two weeks. That drop prompted one of the best "catches" in the Te Wairoa trap at Tarawera on Monday, 120 fish.
"The best in many years," said Fish and Game manager Rob Pitkethley. "The fish are two to three centimetres bigger this year and the results from the trap give a fair indication of what's going on all around the shoreline."
The Ngongotaha Stream, Ohau Channel and other "winter" spots have started to fish well. At Lake Okaitaina, a smaller size limit appears to have improved the condition of fish caught. "There are far fewer previous spawners," Pitkethley said.
There is rumour the Department of Conservation will try a similar approach on Taupo, reducing size limit from 45cm to 40cm from July 1.
It's believed the smaller sizes will result in summer boat fishers keeping more, so enhancing the feeding opportunity for the rest, thus there will be bigger fish in the early runs which start now and go through June.
There will also be changes to rules regarding downriggers, apparently.
Graham Whyman at Sporting Life in Turangi said wet-lining is getting best results right now with woolly buggers, red setters and rabbit flies best. Glo-bugs are also working.
The Tongariro was high but fishable this week, other smaller rivers in the area were discoloured but expected to improve, though more rain is expected over the weekend.
Saltwater fishing is best not talked about, thanks to the wild weather.
I get plenty of questions about best line type and best knots for line type now that soft-baiting is expanding so rapidly. I had intended turning out the definitive article but it turns out this subject alone is worth a book.
So here are the basics.
The standard monofilament is made of synthetics combined in a gel then extruded while cooling. It is tough, it stretches and so provides shock absorption (and so is still best for game-fishing where a hit on braid will often rip the fish's mouth off), it can enhance the action of some lures.
But it deteriorates more rapidly than braid and other lines because it absorbs water and is affected by ultraviolet light and sunlight.
Fluorocarbon is made from polyvinylidene fluoride or PVDF, a carbon-based resin which is heated then pressed. Its best feature is that its refractive index is very close to that of light and so it is close to invisible to fish once submerged. It doesn't absorb water, is not affected by sunlight, and has more strength and less stretch than mono. Drawbacks: it is expensive and it can have bad "memory" on the spool - so use it as leader.
Braid materials were originally designed for stitching bulletproof vests. Early "Spiderwire" types were strands woven in a diamond pattern, as a spider weaves a silk web. Advantages: tough, low diameter means it sinks much more quickly than mono. Disadvantage: floats and so flips over lures and tangles easily if not fished properly. Tangles are either pulled free easily or hopelessly interwoven and have to be cut.
Copolymer line is a mix of mono and nylons and/or Spectra-type braids. It is thinner than mono, but less abrasion resistant, and thicker than braid.
Superlines are gel-spun polyethylene heated and pulled into strands, with the strands then compressed and bonded together. It has no stretch and no memory but is more visible than fluorocarbon.
So line choice will be determined by type of fishing - salt or fresh, shallow or deep, clear or murky, with or without heavy current.
As to knot type, go to Google.
But braid, because of its composition, does require work to learn new knots. The standard uni and double knots will slip badly.