2011 Update: Extract from a TRM Daily Report:
2011 started in a very positive way. Over the last 2010-2011 holiday period Andrew and I discussed how long it could take if one seriously attempted to land a trophy trout on the Tongariro. I know he doubted my confidence.
So we made it his challenge for 2011 – to land a ten pound plus trophy quality brown jack suitable for mounting.
It took him only one trip. On January 2nd he landed his in Cattle Rustlers Pool – 10 pounds 2 ozs.
It is now a beautiful specimen mounted above his fly tying bench.
Access
There are three main access methods (see Google picture).
a) Park at the hatchery angler’s access car park, and walk round and down to TLH.>(See photo right)
b) Park at the Admiral’s, and walk up to the tail of the pool
c) Walk around via Red Hut Bridge or Koura Street swing bridge.
From the first two, you used to be able to wade across to the TRB(x TRM head office – as at January 2009 others have suggested this is now in the very difficult category as it is now too deep) just watch the fish you disturb as you do so. If you see a chap in thigh waders, go away…..
The Cattle Rustlers is one of
the more complex pools on the river, and is more like 4 pools in one.
It offers lots of opportunities to not catch fish….
Pool rating
13 (Out off 20) At the time of writing, (Jan 2009) it is badly silted in the main
holding areas, but there are still quite a few fish holding in the
pool.
The Head.
It is deep – very deep. Approach with caution – the fish sit close in
to the TRB, until scared away by fishermen. If you walk up along the
stone bank, you have already scared the fish! Wetline is about the only
way to get into fish right at the head. Having said that, just in the
eye of the pool, a nymph floated through often picks up the fish
waiting in the eddy! But use a loooong leader.
Trailing a wet fly round the
head, make sure you let it run out below you (ie downstream) into the
shallower water – the fish sit about 10-20 feet out from the bank in
the pool proper as well below the head, and you’ll pick them up there
as well. That is why you carefully did not walk along the top of the
stones beside the pool. If you can’t cast to the far bank (85 feet)
then just strip off more and more line, and let it run in the current
to the far bank. But fish your feet first.
If
you want to try the TT method of fishing it, wade out to where the
Lower Birch flows into the Cattle Rustlers, and cast at the far bank,
and actually hit the bank. Your line sinks, and the big eddy holds your
line in the main current on the far bank. Retrieve. Repeat, but release
10 feet of line each time, until you have about 120 feet of line out.
This has your fly drifting through the shallowing water. When the trout
hit, pray. There is a great bend in your line, and you have “a lot” of
line out. Good luck.
From the top, you can run a
nymph through, and a long drift is desirable. Because there is usually
no single holding line, you will need to cover the water.(Ie, across
the pool as well as down the pool.
The Holding Area
Opposite the curve scoop in the cliff on the TLH is the main holding
area for fish. Either wetline or nymph work, and on some days nothing
does. Having usually picked up a couple of fish on wetline from the
head, drop back 50 feet and switch to floating line, with nymph. The
fish are usually moving around, so wading is not necessary – just cast
from the bank, and allow a long drift. When the cast gets to the end of
the drift, just hold the line, and let the nymph swing in the bank.
Fish are waiting in the shallow water at the end of this section, and
take quite freely.
Optionally, wade into the
bottom of this section, and work your nymph up and across, through the
holding area, and down into the head of the channel which starts about
50 feet below the holding area. You are covering an awful lot of fish
if you do that.
The Main Channel
On the TLB, you can edge your way
along the bank to the scoop. The thing you notice is that the water at
the head is Deeeeep. Very. The fish lie on the edge over on the TRB,
and at the head of the channel. If you are left-handed, or can cast
left-handed, a good trick is to go the head of the main channel (TLB),
where there is a nice convenient place to stand. Now cast forward into
lots of fish. Summer dry fly on that rock can yield huge fun, with the
trout rising all round you. Just pray, because you can’t move to follow
a fish very well.
Otherwise, you wade from the TRB, and
fish the edge of the main channel – ie, don’t cast too far to the TLB.
As you drop downstream, it shallows, so you cast further, and can work
from both banks. This is where you can wade over. Its also a prime spot
for resting fish..
The Tail
This is pretty good water to cover.
Average depth about 3-5 feet, and trout seem to hold there in the
mornings, after moving up from Stag. Nymph, or shallow wetline can be
quite effective in covering the area (it’s a big area). And in summer,
dry fly…..
Dry Fly
Best kept secret – Cattle Rustlers in
the evening is magnificent for dry fly, especially bugs and beasties
dropping off the trees. (Cf Stag pool as well) The whole pool often
boils with rising trout. During the day, casting forward off the
above-mentioned rock with a large dry fly will often produce fish, who
are sitting in the scoop in the cliff picking off the beasties that
drop off during the day. So learn to cast left-handed.
Best Season(s)
In winter, large numbers of the trout
pause in the pool. (Ross claims they are sniffing the sexy scent of the
Hatchery Stream) In general, there seem always to be fish in the pool
throughout the year. Mostly rainbows – comparatively, not that many
browns get caught in Cattle Rustlers. No idea why that should be.
Summer dry fly is special, but no-one goes there. Dawn dry fly is also
very spectacular.
General
It’s a pretty pool, and reasonably complex, allowing a wide variety of
methods and water conditions. If you don’t take fish in one place,
change method and location and try another. Waders are not really
necessary in the head, if you cast a long line, but the lower areas
need chest waders to be effective.
This pool is essentially unchanged
since 1960, (the other is the Red Hut) and fishing notes for that
period still apply. It’s just that there is half the water there used
to be, which gives some idea of the size of the Tongariro pre-hydro.
(Deeper, not wider, and faster) Year in, year out, the Cattle Rustlers
produces fish, unlike the Red Hut, which is a shadow of its former
self.
Naming History
Cattle could be driven across the river here and there was a triangular
ravine nearby where they could be concealed during the day, prior to
being driven across at night. (X Hickling – Freshwater Admiral). After
the establishment of the Rangipo Prison Farm, the butcher from Tokaanu
used to drive cattle from the farm across the river at this point.
Barlow’s,situated above Cattle Rustlers at the mouth of the Waihukahuka (Hatchery) Stream, took its name from B. U. (Bubs) Barlow. NZ Fishing Gazette, March 1931 – “Mr. B U Barlow says he has taken 300 fish from the Tongariro so far this season. We understand that Mr. Barlow has a government whare at the Hatchery Camp.
The shingle Bank which was on the LHS has now moved to the RHS and the name of Barlows has transferred with it. – from Pools of the Tongariro by Barbara Cooper.
And since the answer is so obvious, all of the other TRM aficionados will need a tot as well. For those in the UK, US, Europe, Australia, etc – you and I had better drink theirs, for I’m sure the medicine doesn’t travel, or might go off…… They are with us in spirit.”
At the head, a sinking line cast into the flow as it heads towards the bank swings round into a holding area, where, if you can see them, there are often large numbers of fish on the bottom. They are usually deep for a nymph, and swirls and eddies make line control difficult, but not impossible. Optionally, stay below them in the pool, and cast a nymph on a reasonably long leader (2m+) about 15 feet out from the bank, just short of the incoming flow.
Take care as you approach the head – the fish are often close to the bank, and easy to spook, and most anglers don’t realise they are there, then wonder why they don’t catch any. They can see you quite easily, since you are on a raised bank of shingle, silhouetted against the sky. By casting into the rip, and feeding line, you can cover a lot of water, but you need to be deep, and line control is tricky.
Having gone down as far the corner, where vegetation starts, we switch over to floating a nymph (or, optionally, an intermediate sinking line – the tail is shallow). Most anglers don’t fish far enough down in the pool – the tail has always been a great collection area for fish.
Go right to the end of the pool, to the point just before it tumbles down to the next pool (ie, turn right when you come down to the river from the track). Work your way steadily upwards, with a shallow nymph. Why I tell you my best spots I don’t know, but this has always been a productive area, and it’s invariably under-fished. The water is about 4 feet deep, so reduce your leader to match depth/current speed. Did I say it helps if you can cast a long way? Obviously the tail can be accessed and fished from the opposite bank as well. In days of old, when men were men (dubious), and we threw back anything under 10lbs (lies), and the limit was 20 fish (true), 20 fish were taken out of the tail in one day – and then had to be carried back to Hatchery (they were to be smoked for Parliamentarians).
Just try to avoid the – people? – who use the best holding water to wade across the river! Yes, you can wade across the tail sometimes, depending on water levels, but you are walking on fish. This, of course, is Ross’s path to the pool from the Hatchery. There is a secret society who are intending to stake a trip-wire in there to fix him.
(Dawn photo of Cattle Rustlers by Ol’ardy June 2007)Recommend you fish your way across – you may be surprised, especially in winter runs.
In summer, dry fly in the tail of the pool can be extraordinary fun – and very productive – as can cicada hatches in the trees above the pool. It is not uncommon to see fish rising over the entire expanse of the tail of the pool. Of course, not many fishermen go to the Rustlers at dawn and dusk, so this is often missed – more for those who do go at those times..
The pool is delightful in many ways – a summer’s dawn, with the Blue Herons fishing beside one about 20 feet away, can be imagined, but should be experienced. The herons nest in the pines on the other side, as do some Kingfishers. Ah, isn’t nature wonderful? Given my lousy catch rate I have plenty of time to admire the scenery and the joys of nature.”
Barlow’s, situated above Cattle Rustlers at the mouth of the Waihukahuka (Hatchery) Stream, took its name from B. U. (Bubs) Barlow. NZ Fishing Gazette, March 1931 – “Mr. B U Barlow says he has taken 300 fish from the Tongariro so far this season. We understand that Mr. Barlow has a government whare at the Hatchery Camp.The shingle Bank which was on the LHS has now moved to the RHS and the name of Barlows has transferred with it. – from Pools of the Tongariro by Barbara Cooper.
What an intriguing name for a fishing pool – a reminder of a more colourful history of the river. Everyone loves Cattle Rustlers. Pools like this make the Tongariro world famous in New Zealand. We are regularly reminded by email requests from eco tourist anglers bursting with enthusiasm after their dream trip of a lifetime – to fish the Tongariro. Too often we regret NZ¹ers do not adequately respect this beautiful national treasure enough – all encapsulated in Cattle Rustlers Pool. Wow – I am already fizzing just thinking about it. This pool is one of the most attractive traditional consistent producers on the river, so naturally Murphy¹s law makes it hardest to get to. The location is midway between two footbridges at Red Hut and Major Jones. The choice is determined by other pools you might have a flick in on your way home.
Note we suggest on your way home, as it needs considerable self restraint to walk past other inviting pools, but this is worth the effort. We know some anglers might wade across the river below the Stag but cannot recommend it for safety reasons. Too many optimistic impatient anglers wade over and then return much wiser via footbridges, plus another 4 km to their car.
Readers advise of easier access than tramping in from the footbridges.emerges. As we cannot encourage this we urge caution and the use of
wading poles. TRM¹s office have modified ski poles (patent pending)
available to anglers as strong wading sticks for this purpose.
NOTE: Pool Reports for the Tongariro River are prepared from
guest/anglers experiences. As such, Tongariro River Motel do not
accept any responsibility for the opinions of other anglers who are
traditionally acknowledged liars about their best fishing pools.