Another blog for trout anglers as the weekend weather forecast suggests a dull soggy weekend.

At TRM we are so privileged to enjoy the company and listen to the stories of some wonderful fishy characters. Many have fished here for many years and have such interesting historical and extraordinary fishy tales to tell. Many we cannot repeat of course or we might upset a few people in DOC.

Last week TRM’s blog was about the Swedish backpackers, Helena & Jerry. It was so popular that another chapter from TONGARIRO Skulduggery has been repeated for this week’s blog. We often use Billy’s Dream as an example to convince anglers that on the Tongariro River, it is often more about achieving “a natural presentation” than the choice of fly. Agree?

Some became legends at TRM. Take Bill’s set up – his reluctance to change was always admired. He is now over 90 years young and – before he retired recently – he religiously maintained the same technique for over seventy years. The last time I noticed it his two-piece rod was green for the base section and brown at the tip. In other words, it was two old rods joined together. His super-sized xxxl fish net was handmade from some old tubular steel and wide enough to handle the biggest Tongariro trophy trout. His old blue parka tried to hide ancient rubber waders covered in patches of glue oozing out everywhere – what a sight. He always carried an old “pikau” – a sack over his shoulders – in anticipation of carrying a limit bag back to TRM’s smoker. Arthritis in his shoulders prevented him from being able to cast at all, so he just waded into the TLB edge above Judges Pool riffles, the closest distance from TRM, then he propped himself up by a long solid wading pole to anchor himself in the current, and teased his line out. See the photo above… Nobody else would fish there!

Billy’s guide – his daughter landing another trout in his classic Tongariro landing net in 2017.

But Bill’s most remarkable and talked-about secret weapon was his hand-made fly, he called “Billy’s Dream”.

Every fly has to have a name, to describe and distinguish the unique pedigree. Tackle merchants would never sell a fly like Bill’s home-tied version in any tackle shops. He had been successful with the same fly for so many years so adhered to his unique simple pattern, tying a log shank snapper hook with about one inch or 2-3 cm of white string hanging off the shank.

Inmates more accurately described its characteristics resembled an “anorexic” whitebait.

He just let out enough weighted line and wriggled it until it reached the bottom to imitate a whitebait swimming against the current. His line was two or three times heavier and stronger than other modern trace material as he never played the trout. Once he had struck they did not stand a chance of escaping on such a big hook as he winched them into his net.

It was a wonderful relief to see his catch rate was almost as good as other inmates and to match all their complex modern equipment with some good old-fashioned common sense. No doubt the tackle shops will not enjoy reading of DIY type anglers. Bill would not have been near a tackle shop for at least fifty years. His son Tony, flies over from Australia several times each year to bring him fishing to test Billy’s Dream again and again. Bill is a real inspiration to any struggling anglers to confirm how simple trout fishing can be.

The original offensive “Welcome to Turangi” sign was removed by Toe Paw Council compliance officials… We still wonder why?

Back to where we were, before we got carried away with Billy’s Dream. Most TRM inmates had completed their long apprenticeship and had passed the stages of trying to catch more trout, and then trying to target bigger trout. Eventually, they realised their real pleasure and true enjoyment and sense of satisfaction and achievement was not from increasing numbers or size of trout, but more from just being there in such a special place. They had nothing to prove. Regardless of their age group and level of physical prowess, the natural Tongariro River environment was the key to their long winding road to happiness. The connection with nature is evident as the river casts its spell to remove all the city tension and futile stress.

We can’t win – Directional information signs outside TRM in 2012 were subject to fines from Toe Paw Council. We still wonder why?

Then one day they finally realise their pleasure and confess to the warden over a strong cup of tea. They celebrate discovering their true identity with profound relief, when they can acknowledge that they do not come to TRM just to catch trout. It is like a spiritual awakening. They come to relax in the glory of the pure river environment, to meet up again with old acquaintances and enjoy their companionship, to swop fishy tales, and to enjoy the serenity of the river pools. The obvious recreation challenge of perhaps even catching dinner and smoking a tasty wild trout for all to admire and share during happy hour becomes almost secondary.

TRM’s latest “CHECK CLEAN DRY” warning sign is now relocated well inside the road boundary. Guess why?

Some of SWMBO’s best memories were witnessing anglers’ adjustment in attitude and behaviour changes over the years. She imagines She is an evangelist missionary on a quest to save souls. At that stage of their fishy maturity, they graduate into BOFs (Boring Old Farts) at TRM who then become more conscientious and concerned about peripheral matters such as biosecurity (i.e. check clean dry for Didymo) and conservation and retaining what is left for the next generation of anglers. They replace the city’s stress with worries about the state of health of the Tongariro River environment and other tributaries feeding Lake Taupo as they have to have something to worry about.

Just then, completely coincidentally, at long last, this freaky skull DNA book arrived (disguised as TONGARIRO Skulduggery) at the perfect time for them to join ranks and enthusiastically contribute to the brilliant master plan to address and maybe even fix many of the issues that had frustrated them over the years. Some of them suspected the warden could have told them much more about the skull but none were prepared to confront him. Somehow the fishing became secondary to the ladies’ not-so-secret Turangi Treaty wish list project.

TRM’s brochure above includes the “Fifty Pools to Fish Before You Die” map – the third updated version of the one below is a must for every Tongariro angler. Only available at TRM reception.