Previous updates on changes to the Tongariro River and anglers access since the recent 700+ cumec flood include the following:

10 January Town Pools i.e. Bridge to Hydro Pools

12 January Middle Pools i.e. Kamahi to Red Hut Pools

18 January Braids i.e. below Bridge Pool to Braids car park.

19 January Lower River – from Duffs to Reeds Pools.

22 January Lower Pools below Reeds

26 January Upper River – Waddells and Poutu

Today is Boulder Reach

Above is Waddells Pool (no changes) and below is Poutu Pools reported on yesterday:

Following the updates on Poutu and Waddells Pools today’s report is Boulder Reach.

The main changes to Boulder Reach are more to do with the anglers access.

The pleasant walk – waddle in waders – stroll from the car park now involves crossing a wash-out.

This has been such a pleasant bush walk for so long it was a surprise to see the extent of the damage.

We always enjoyed looking out for native pigeons roosting in the tops of the more mature trees and Manuka.  Some were so fat from eating berries they could hardly fly.

The old dry creek bed overflow from below Big Bend was flushed out by the recent 700+ flood.  This  has added to the walking difficulty along the track to Boulder Reach.

You might need a wading pole just to get there…

The images may not adequately portray the extent of the washed out track but the climb down and out again  is now more difficult for those older anglers – so you are warned…

On right you can see the impact from the “hydraulic bulldozer” which has re-created the old river bed.

Now the boulder bed of the over-flow, which used to have such famous pools as the old Breakaway about twenty years ago, looks like a river waiting to happen.

Then on to the Boulder Reach itself.  The TLB has been subject to the arrival of a sand bank which has moved down river to make wading much easier.

Anglers can now safely wade out directly from where the track joins the river, to cast into the seam of the main flow.

It may be just as well as the bubble line from the main flow has moved well over to the TRB.

The “new beach” should be evident in the images.  Usually such sand is detrimental to fishing prospects as it covers the stony pebble river bed which supported most of the trout food – caddis etc. so there is a down side.  The sand is a mixture of pumice and toxic ash.  Trout usually hate it.

However during our inspection two good sized Rainbows were easily spotted casually cruising up and down the sand bank – possibly searching for their previous food source.

The images should be self explanatory looking up and down this popular pool.

Above Boulder Reach – image on right – there is more broken water and fast riffles but it is too early with the flow at about 40 cumecs during inspection to see how much better (or worse) this may be.

The access road in from the Blue Pool Road and the car park have been improved also – see photos from the report yesterday on Poutu Pool.