On right is one of TRM’s ‘special’ inmates with his limit bag during his last visit back in April.
He is usually very consistent and managed the same again last weekend with bigger fresh run Rainbows but he did not give us a chance to photo them – we wondered why he returned empty handed…
He returned last week for another bout of river therapy – in case you were unaware, fly fishing completely stops any further ageing process. It actually makes us feel younger.
Anyway he had some excellent fishing over four days of fine weather with no wind.
On Saturday morning of Queens Birthday weekend he was about to cross over the Birches swing bridge to escape from the inevitable crowded town pools when he noticed the Breakfast Pool was completely deserted.
The other nearby pools – Major Jones and Hydro were both loaded yet the Breakfast Pool was deserted. Very unusual for such wonderful pools on any Saturday morning…
So he did not hesitate – he backtracked and nymphed through the Breakfast Pool. He soon landed his limit and hauled them back to the car park when another older angler (85 years young) was slowly returning empty handed from the combat casting clinic at Major Jones Pool. The old boy was expressing his concerns that the wading over the stones was all getting beyond him (I know how he feels…) and how he hated going home fishless. You can guess the rest. He proudly returned to his wife with his limit bag…
That sort of generous behaviour often happens on the Tongariro but we rarely mention it as we do not want to embarrass the anglers concerned. SWMBO is convinced it is all to do with their lucky hats?
But it does give us the warm fuzzies… I wonder if it happens at the various boat ramps on our coast?
So the TRM angler above had to be satisfied with the tiddler below… The weight? Over six pound! Amazing condition.
How long has it been that we have seen so many Rainbows over 5 pound this season? At least ten years….
Just have another look at those river scenes of the popular town pools from TRM photo library – what a beautiful splendid trout river – a national treasure!
For his act he was later rewarded by hooking into the biggest Rainbow Jack of his life – he fought it for 25 minutes before it bent the hook and escaped. What a great reminder of his stay.
He reminds us of another anon inmate who drove from Wellington to visit his family in Auckland every Christmas. He always planned his trip to allow just enough time for a quick flick in the Breakfast Pool. As he was well into his eighties I had to assist him into his waders and peel them off afterwards.
Every year for about ten years without fail he took them a frozen trout for Christmas – just to prove the old boy still had it together…
But then last Christmas we had to warn him our freezer was empty and he was going to have to catch one himself. And he did! SWMBO was more excited with his success than he was.