STOP PRESS - The Tongariro shot up over 200 m3/s overnight but is now back down to around 40 and is just fishable… unless you have to manage a motel that is…
(Now I have posted this Reed Pool update I’ve remembered it is still only Thursday and this was programmed for Friday… See what happens when Boof and I are left on our own without our Caregiver, SWMBO, to organise us. The management is a complete shambles without Her. But as Andrew’s Pool Report updates were missed for the last two weeks I decided you would not mind a day early.)
Hi there,
The last few weeks have been extremely busy and Ross has been nice enough to grant me a few weeks leave from doing the report to concentrate on guiding and my own website reports. But between guiding this week I have a minute to do a report and give you guys some insight to another pool. Many anglers will know this pool better than me as it seems to have it’s regular guys who love this pool and stay loyal to it.
Welcome to the Reed Pool.
The Reed pool is a very famous lower river pool and is favoured by older anglers as it is one of the best wet lining pools on the Tongariro river. Most books on the Tongariro will mention or have a write up on this pool as it used to be and still is one of the most productive pools on the river. It is also angler friendly. It’s productivity is due to location in the lower river and being a great holding pool for groups of fresh run fish which are still in the same pod that they entered the river in. Fish seem to stick together or move at the same pace while still in the lower section of the river or at least while they are below the bridge and this is why if you hit it right in the winter you can have some double figure days pretty quick. To have double figure days consecutively you must be following the group of fish you found the day before up river as they wont be in the same pool as the day before.
Given the length and depth of the Reed pool it is easy to see why large numbers of migrating trout form in here and even take up residence for spawning in the sandy bottomed shallows. Quite often you can see fish digging redds in the shallows and coloured up jacks chasing in behind or snapping at other smaller younger males trying to move in on their patch. I personally stay away from this behaviour as they are usually hard to catch and the males that you can tempt with a glo bug will generally be very dark or skinny fish. (Editor’s note: But remember usually about 20-30m down river there will be few old jacks feeding off any displaced eggs!)
All methods of fly fishing are welcome in here and most anglers will get along well in here as there is plenty of water for everyone to have a fair chunk of their own and not bother anyone else. Wet liners love this pool as it is easy wading with a good solid sand base and they can stand up to their nipples and get a nice long cast to the other side and swing their wets right through the best lies. I would use a fairly fast shooting head or sink tip in here with a short trace and a big Woolly Bugger attached with plenty of crystal flash sparkle in the tail to entice fresh running trout. If wet lining start at the head of the pool. It is generally the thing to do and slowly creep your way down to the tail while working as much water as you can cover as you go. As I don’t wetline a lot I can’t quite remember but I’m pretty sure that the pool is fairly snag free and if you do pick up the odd log you can usually wade down and retrieve it as the current is constant and your feet firmly cemented under the sand.
Nymphing should be done in reverse of course. To be really successful in this pool I think you will need a fairly long cast followed with a good mend to get the right drift and flies down to the fish on the far side. The head of the pool supports a shorter cast but does not allow you to stand there all day and hog the spot where wet liners enjoy starting their run down. While nymphing up you must be aware of anglers working down river and cross over at the right time to avoid confusion and tangles. Simple communication is all that is needed. I have seen some great arguments on the Tongariro over the years and they all seem to be between wetliners and nymphers in the winter fishing the spawning runs. Who fishes for this reason? You could stay at home for an argument!
Dry fly in the summer with those big ugly Cicadas can take some very large Browns which sit under the willows on the far (true left) side and with a directed cast and good drift they will get accepted on most occasions. Never dismiss any pool in the summer for Brown trout as they will be where you find them and especially in the lower river close to the edges and overhung banks. Down river they are mainly night time feeders but with the right fly and the correct approach they are great targets during the day as well.
Access to the Reed pool is very easy and is another reason why it is popular with many anglers and in particular those who like a gentle stroll down memory lane or those (like Ross) who can’t handle the uneven stony terrain of the upper river. The best option for me is to park in the Plank Pool car park off Graces Rd and take the track which follows the river down on the true right hand side. Not so long ago you could park right on the river but in recent times a large log has been wedged across the track so vehicle access has been obstructed and confined to the main car park. In more recent times I have noticed that the log has been cut in half or dragged aside and you could squeeze your truck down there once again but I’m not sure if this is supposed to be happening. To save hassle you are best to park in the main car park. The walk down through the trees to the Reed Pool should only take 15 minutes and where the track runs out onto the river you will not mistake the head of the Reed pool, as it is the one you are looking straight at.
The Reed Pool pretty much starts where you walk out at the track and follows down to the next set of rapids, thus making the pool about 500 metres in length all of which is fishable. I was going to include the Jones pool in the same report as it does get mistaken quite often as the same pool but as it is such a significant piece of water it deserves it’s own write up. To keep things fresh in everybody’s mind I will report on the Jones pool next week. Then it will warrant a walk down there on your next trip to Turangi.
Tight lines
Andrew Christmas www.taupotroutguide.com