The popularity reputation of Tongariro River Bridge Pool is under threat. Often Reeds Pool is just about as popular.
Let the images tell the story.
The Braids car park photo was taken about 11 am on Monday morning when the rush was over. Some days there are 12 -15 cars parked.
By 11 am on a Monday I was hoping all the keen sparrow fart early starting anglers would be worn out and have returned for a late breakfast and the pool would be rested? I was wrong.
The first angler we came across above was Murray Cullen from West Island – here for his usual 3 week stress reducing course. Sorry Murray – not a good photo of his three trout – 2 jacks and a hen averaging over 4 pound. Despite a new knee replacement he was managing to wade in the more gentle river bed down river.
Murray has been staying at TRM since before we came here in 2003 so he has BOF (Boring Old Fart) status.
The next on left above was Neville Scrimegeour from New Plymouth. His best jack was at least 5 pound. One of the problems down river is the distance to the car park – about 20 minutes waddle in waders. That makes the daily limit quite safe as it is too far to carry (six-x-four) 24 pounds of soggy trout. So all anglers seen limited themselves to two or three.
Then we watched a local, Gary Brown from Tokaanu above on right, playing his smaller silver bullet. Gary is Chairman of the Advocates of the Tongariro River – a local community group of passionate anglers. I suspect he was looking for new members.
Next on left is Bryce from Palmerston North with another fine fish.
Then we found more TRM inmates – Rob Conlan from Foxton, 85 years young and still as enthusiastic as ever,- hooked up to a freshie above on left.. Rob is living proof about the gods detracting from ones allotted life span the years spent fishing.
He was with Peter from Palmerston North – below on right. Just pause to admire what a cold winter day looks like in Turangi… As we are comparing this to the Bridge Pool I suggest you also note the lack of crowding? Peter & Rob below are fishing buddies so their closer distance is acceptable so they could abuse each other’s technique. .
But everywhere else anglers practised the traditional courtesy of keeping well away from each other anglers “space”.
Anglers greeted each other and asked before entering the river. A very different pace and lack of any urgency compared to those experienced in the Bridge Pool. These little acts of courtesy are more important at Reeds Pool.
That should be enough for you to realise how Reeds Pool is performing. There was still enough space for several more anglers than those pictured. Others, like Peter Harvey, were reluctant to be included in the images – perhaps they do not want others to know where they catch so many?
One of the best features is that it is too far and tiring for many fishos, bless them, to even contemplate walking to. They remain blissfully unaware of its charms and pleasures.
Before you ask, I did take note of what each angler was using. It did not seem to matter between wet lining woolly buggery or real fly flicking called nymphing firing glo bugs or naturals behind heavy bombs – everyone was having a memorable enjoyable relaxing day in the sun. And that has to be the most important thing of all.
Tomorrow we will show some more images of Reeds Pool. SWMBO is concerned that too many photos of Paradise on the same day induces excessive work place stress…