Above photo dated June 2018 illustrates the popularity of the “old” Bridge Pool during a TRM tournament… That was extreme of course although quite often it was like the photo below taken in July 2017… It was so reliable, so productive and so popular.
Last Saturday morning TRM’s blog showed photos of most of the town pools commenting on only seven anglers seen, all combat casting in one pool. After asking readers which pool would attract so many (?), several suggested the Bridge Pool aka Bro’s Pool or Troll Hole. Wrong! Obviously they have not fished it or tried to wade it for the last two seasons. The Bridge Pool has gone… (The crowded pool was Judges Pool.)
So this is to update them on what happened to the old Bridge Pool – previously the most popular pool in NZ.
The changes which led to the destruction of the Bridge Pool started in 2016 – see photo above taken at the end of Herekiekie Street, when the retaining wall was rebuilt to prevent further erosion. This work by the Waikato Regional Authority was necessary. Then that was followed two years later by further attempts to control the flow and redirect it over to the TLB (True Left Bank looking down river) town side away from the new retaining wall. The photos below should tell the story to illustrate the extent of the failed attempt. Nature always wins.
After the 2018 river works the Bridge Pool changed a little but the 600+ cumec flood at the end of August 2022 and subsequent floods gradually scoured out a direct faster channel which is too dangerous to wade and does not “hold” trout in the manner of the old pool – see photos below taken yesterday to explain why it is no longer wadeable or fishable…
(Above photo taken from the road bridge to show rare (?) endangered species of Whio aka Blue Ducks.)
Looking back up the TLB towards the SH1 road bridge.
Looking down the TLB opposite the end of Herekiekie Street. Note TRM inmates wading in the lower bridge pool – accessible from Te Rewa Street. They preferred to remain anonymous so SWMBO respects their request and cannot provide names or details of where they caught their BROWN trout yesterday... (You can always pick the most successful Tongariro fishos by their faded TRM hats.)
I know you understand.
Previous blog on the Bridge Pool:
Bridge Pool over the years…
The most popular trout fishing pool in NZ – Tongariro River Bridge Pool as at November 2011.
Looking much the same a year later as at 8 June 2012. A that time there was usually a queue of anglers lined up every morning below the bridge.
Ditto 30 May 2017 – little had changed. It continued to be the highest producer of fresh run Rainbow trout in NZ. It had become a world-famous pool for reliability and furious action during spawning runs. It had everything going for it with easy access, parking nearby to the coffee cart, could accommodate up to 10 anglers at a time, could be fished from both sides, the trout could be seen waiting for anglers from the road bridge, etc.
Then in April 2018 the Waikato Regional Council arrived… Anglers could not believe their eyes.
After digging a channel through the Hydro Pool they moved down-river. The first priority was to block off the TLB (true left bank) channel to create a quarry and they began stock piling the valuable shingle and metal. All the flow was concentrated down the right side which also ruined the casting in the lower Bridge Pool opposite the retaining wall.
Above image taken on Sunday 15 April with the river flowing at around 25 cumecs.
After overnight rain, the flow increased to 45 cumecs by Monday and excavations continued. After the photo was taken the river reached 82 cumecs later in the afternoon. Anglers waited in nervous anticipation for nature to show who is really in control of the river environment…