Here we go again – as at 8 am – after heavy rain last night. Don’t think of it as rain. The rise in the graph is signalling the increased numbers of trout from another another fresh run of Rainbow Trout surging up the Tongariro River to their spawning grounds. It is still very ‘fishable’ at 40-50 cumecs. This will add some colour as well to make it easier for anglers. What a wonderful season.If you imagined it has been a bit soggy in Turangi in 2017, then you are correct. We blame Dan the TV1 weather man for any poor weather here. The rain is always welcome as the trout don’t mind getting wet. It is the wind that we detest – it affects casting.
After 8 months the Taupo region has exceeded the usual annual rainfall. Metservice stats from Claire Flynn, Metservice meteorologist, are interesting:
Turangi annual average is 1556mm. Rainfall for the Year To Date 1300mm.
Compare annual averages for:
Auckland – 1065mm. YTD 985mm.
Wellington average 1230mm. YTD 1135mm.
Hamilton 1129mm. YTD 1110mm
Rotorua 1313mm. YTD 2046mm.
Taupo 954mm. YTD 992mm.
They suggested that Turangi was wetter than Taupo being closer to the mountains. In our experience most of the rain falls in the mountain ranges east (Kaimanawas), south (Tongariro National Park up on the plateau) and west Hauhugaroa Range) of Turangi before it gets here.
For anglers the weather here is just perfect, but some have asked if this wetter than usual year and high lake levels contribute to the wonderful trout fishing in 2017? Tongariro River flow at Turangi for the last three months shows a reasonably regular flood pattern below:
Images from Eunice Algie with her Dad Alec (another over 80 years young angler) fishing the river mouth yesterday at day break.