Cicada Pool
CICADA POOL >- Located extreme right of above Googled aerial. Access road off SH1 is clearly seen. Anglers access sign is for “Admirals Pool”, then take right track to Stag Pool carpark. Have a flick into the tail of Stag Pool TLB before trekking across the stones to the Cicada Pool under the cliff.
2012 Update: The head of this pool changed dramatically – again – during 2011. The big hole – which is usually home to a couple of big brown resident trout – has changed again. The island has now eroded away to a shallow long bank extending most of the length of the TLB. Anglers can wade most of the pool and cast into the seam of the current or float a weighted nymph over the lip of the shallow bank where it spills into the pool. There are always some rainbows under the lip. Otherwise trout are usually spotted in seam at the head of the pool.
2011 Update: Anglers can now wade out onto an island at the tail of the pool and run a nymph through the entire flow below the cliff.
2010 Update: Pool Rating has been reviewed again to 13 – i.e.
(Access 2, Difficulty 2, Setting 2, Reliability 6, Snags 1, Wading 0, Pressure 0, = TOTAL 13 out of 20)
(From Daily Report for 22 October 2010) Following the report yesterday about more subtle changes in Tongariro River Pools after the 400+ cumec flood last month, another that has changed is the tail of the Cicada Pool. Previously the main lie was just off the big stone that broke the surface about two-thirds of the way down the pool. I was always taught that the trout rest in the tail of a pool in the morning after pushing their way through a fast run and then move up into the head of a pool into the feed line during the day before moving up to the next pool over night. Unfortunately in the Cicada Pool no-one told the trout about this. They previously rested in the middle of the pool.
We had regularly noticed there were two big resident browns in the hole at the corner who chased all the smaller rainbows out so they rested in an unusual exposed position. I could always check where they lie every time I walk along the top of the cliff on the angler access track to Cattle Rustlers. From there you can clearly locate where the lie is. Well, since the flood I have not seen any in the usual lie beyond the big stone. So, knowing you want to find their new lie, I went up the RHS above Admirals to check on Wednesday. The big deep hole under the crumbling cliff on the corner has changed contour completely. It is still there but is wider and quite different. The trout appear to be now hanging back in the tail of the hole. So perhaps those two big resident browns have been caught? Note the angler on the corner of LHS hooked up while I was taking these pics.
2009 RATING: 16 (out of 20) Previous score was 15 – increased as it is so reliable but may be subject to change – see following…
Cicada Pool is a beautiful long enchanting natural easily wadeable very “therapeutic” pool (? Well, that is how one inmate described it) which has developed as a consistent producer and known for the relatively higher number of browns which hold in the tail. The pool is located under the high pumice cliffs which dominate the landscape below the run from Stag Pool and above the fast run leading into Admirals Pool. It is a natural resting place for the trout on their spawning migrations. As this is not one of the commonly fished “named” pools or listed on the older maps or 2004 DoC map we elaborate more than usual.. It can be fished from both sides:
(Note 2009 changes to Google image – LHS of river below Admirals car park is now dry – but this report is about Cicada Pool)
- Access to Cicada Pool on the RHS is via the anglers access to Kamahi,
1 km up river from the Koura Street swing bridge, taking the last side
track before Kamahi Pool down to the river bed and then across the
stones past Admirals Pool. An old backwater extends along the base of
the cliffs where the river previously flowed as recently as the
1990′s. Anglers should skirt around this or the shallow tail is
wadeable. This will bring them out under the cliffs on a wide ledge
with the main flow at their feet.
Whilst good views into the Cicada Pool are available from the elevated RHS track extending between the swing bridges, TRM cannot encourage anglers to climb over the fence to the edge of the cliff to try to spot trout as the cliff is undermined in too many places. This section of track is fenced off for your protection. So you will appreciate TRM had to risk life and limb to bring you the aerial photos of the pool. From the elevated cliffs one can identify exactly where the lie is so it is worth going the extra distance before attacking the pool.
Many of the larger trees are now maturing and reachingthe height of the kanuka forest canopy. These will eventually shade out the kanuka and other weedy ground cover such as the broom, dreaded blackberry and native bracken. Native bird life is also spectacular. Keep a look out for fantail,tui, bellbird, grey warbler, silver eyes, wood pigeon, and on occasion tomtit, shining cuckoo and morepork can be seen or heard. On the river are the hated trout killers – (silent) black shags, plus an assortment of ducks – from (honk honk) paradise ducks to (quack quack) grey and mallard ducks and numerous (squawk squawk)) graceful white faced heron. If you are lucky you may find the rarer (whistle whistle) blue ducks (whio).
For anglers, when they arrive at the base of the Cicada cliff, there
are three options.
One is to walk along the base of the cliff around
past the backwater and cast directly up river into the main flow or wet line across and down is deadly…
Second option is to cast from the point below the backwater at the top of the rapid leading down to Admirals. You can wade a little way up river from this point.
Third option, and not as uncommon as you may imagine, find a restful place in the afternoon sun and recover from the walk….
Access is by taking the anglers access road with the Admirals Pool sign about 3 km south of TRM on SH1.
Looking along the crumbling cliff from the river bed you can clearly define several layers of recent geological history. The most prominent top icing layer is the band of whiter Taupo pumice.
When Taupo erupted in 186AD the region was covered with up to 100 km3 (cubic kilometres?) of tephra several metres thick.
In the sedimentary layers exposed in the cliffs of the Cicada Pool, underneath the tephra you can easily identify successive layers of huge ancient lahars from previous Mt. Ruapehu eruptions which predate the Taupo eruptions. Closer to the river level, alluvium can be seen, which indicates the Tongariro River ran a similar course over 2000 years ago.
2009 Changes:
Now here is the hot tip for 2009. Most of the trout previously lay just off the drop off at the tail of the pool. Now that deep tail has largely silted up but this keeps changing and could be gone after the next fresh or may silt up more – who knows? Brown trout are often seen rising in the tail of the current under the bank close to the RHS. The rainbows usually lie hugging the bottom out beyond the large stone that is obvious about two thirds of the way down the pool – located more towards the base of the cliff but inside the main flow – along the seam. Trout are also often hooked at the head of the pool.
AC is going to hate me for telling you this… During late 2007 & 2008 the Cicada Pool easily out-fished the famous Admirals Pool – but as it is not on DoC’s 2004 river map it is often overlooked. So keep it to yourself!
2009 Hint:
Before you trek across the stones always have a flick or three into the tail of Stag just where the short access track emerges from the bush. Wade out knee deep up the LHS – an ideal casting position for lefties. This sweet spot should be part of the Stag Pool report but at TRM we are allowed to depart from the script. Also have another flick there on your return after it has had a rest. You will notice guides with clients in there far too often.
Now another warm fuzzies story – why you must not go past the tail of Stag. TRM had a challenging guest, even more difficult than the usual inmate, a complete novice who was physically unable to walk far due to a medical condition but who was very keen to catch a trout. The challenging question was where to take him? The usual “drive to pool A” – Bridge pool – was over crowded and thrashed to a foam on a Saturday. So this tail of Stag LHS was where we went instead. This is where he hooked up on his third cast. Less than 1 minute walk from the car. What a fantastic result. That’s what you really call job satisfaction. I don’t know who got the most out of it.
History:
This name “Cicada Pool” was taken from the 1928 map in the booklet
prepared by Allan & Barbara Cooper “Pools of the Tongariro” in
1975.
(Photo left – Stuart Nicol, another Aussie Pom inmate, releasing a rainbow on 18 February 2009)
The Genesis Energy proposal to close the Poutu Canal for the first four months of 2008 (which was cancelled after January) is now back on track. The Poutu Canal is closed as it is subject to Genesis’ maintenance programme for the next few months. This means that for the first time in over 40 years the Tongariro River is running at natural levels – with no water being drawn off for hydro power purposes.
RHS – Access to Cicada Pool on the RHS is via the anglers access to Kamahi, 1 km up river from the Koura Street swing bridge, taking the last side track before Kamahi Pool down to the river bed and then across the stones past Admirals Pool.
This trip is worthwhile just for the natural varied scenery and
enjoyable stroll through exotic – larch and douglas fir – and native
trees including tall black beech, kowhai, totara, kanuka, red matipo,
and five finger. Many of the larger trees are now maturing and reaching the height of the kanuka forest canopy. These will eventually shade out the kanuka and other weedy ground cover such as the broom, dreaded blackberry and native bracken.
(Photo left – Alan Davison – second cast with an olive woolly bugger in Cicada Pool, March 2008)
LHS Access is by taking the Admirals Pool side road about 3 km
south of TRM on SH1. For those with more time it is also still within
pleasant walking distance along the LHS track which leads from the
Hydro Pool up river to the Trout Centre. From the Admirals access road
take the right turn to the Stag Pool car park. From here there is a
3-5 minute walk across the river stones to the base of the cliff. Most
of the pool is wadeable. Nymphers should start at the end of the
bubble line and work their way up through the centre of the pool. It
deepens towards the head of the pool where you can fish off the bank on
the corner. We know guides who regularly target this pool (Hi AC) as
it so reliable. They advise that clients usually pick up fish all
along the RHS under the high cliffs along the length of the pool. By
“polaroiding” from the elevated lookout positions above (Reminder -
TRM do not encourage anyone to cross the fence!) we usually locate a
“bunch” of trout resting just off the drop-off at the head of the pool
before the corner.
During late 2007 – early 2008 the Cicada Pool has been out-fishing the traditional Admirals Pool – but keep it to yourself!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.
