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December 9, 2015

Fishing guide update

Lake Taupo Trout Fishing Report

By Shane French

December 7, 2015

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Hey all.

The river to be on for the Taupo fishery would have to be the Tongariro. This has had some late runs go through and now the Browns are due too. If you haven’t targeted this species over summer, you really should give it a go. I landed a 12 pound hen last January and lost an even bigger one the next week after a 20 minute battle, I cried. So with a mixture of Rainbows and Brown trout the Tongariro is still humming along.

Apparently the upper TT, (Rangers up) didn’t fish as well as it has in the past. Tat is strange considering the great year the Tauranga Taupo has had. If you are planning on having a day on the Taupo rivers over summer and you don’t feel like fishing the Tongariro then dropping in on the TT can be a great way to fish the day away. There are good numbers of trout in the Tauranga Taupo over summer. I long leader and a cicada pattern can be a heap of fun. Spotting the trout is all part of the fun, then its an accurate first cast!

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I think I am due for a night fish soon….

Out on the lake the trout have been smashing smelt all over the place. I quite often get asked where one can fish with a spinner in Taupo. Well at this time of year, that technique can be quite deadly. Walking the shoreline, (especially rocky, or a deep drop off) flicking out a 7 grm Silver Toby, (with red tail) can be deadly, with the strikes being vicious. Just remember to stay 300 meters away from either side of  where a river, stream or any water flows into the lake. This zone is deemed fly fishing only. This is a great way to introducing kids to the art of Trout Fishing.

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I am guiding Darren from Hardy’s again this January. We will re visit some old haunts and I will take him into a few new ones too. The poor bugger hangs on every word that we bloggers type out. Hell when he gets desperate he even looks at TRM’s report.

:)

A question I always get asked is what do I prefer. A new angler to the sport, or someone all I have to say is “put it up under that tree, 50 meters up” and they do it. LOL is there a debate  No to be fair I love getting keen anglers that have never picked up a fly rod before and giving them the experience of a life time. many of these anglers go on to take up the sport and seeing them a few years later with some good skills gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. I always have a good laugh with beginners., That’s with, not at!

However then every so often you get an angler like Darren. Not only can this Englishman cast a mean line, (with weight too) but he is like a sponge when it comes to learning. He has a shit load of experience and fishes with some of the top fishermen in the world, however when in Rome do what the Roman’s do. This is part of the reason he did so well last season, well that and his wicked bloody casting!! I am currently tying him up 50 of my best Blue Raptors and Reapers that I can. I was honored when both Darren and Dave said my Nymphs were the ducks nuts. This is going to be an epic 10 days Darren.

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All the back Country rivers are flowing a wee bit heavier than what I would like them to be and they all certainly saw high water levels over Winter. The condition although improving is still a little down for this time of year. The good news is that the cicadas are chirping away now when we get a warm day and so it wont be long before these trout pack on the weight. I have fished quite a few river systems now and they are all pretty much the same with quality of trout. I must admit I am looking forward to some settled weather patterns.

I will be putting in regular reports as of today. I apologize for the lack of them lately. Thank you to all my friends out there.

Regards Shane

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Other stuff that might be of interest (?) pinched from the other fishing chat website:

Hi guys,

                  Any advice on fishing the Tonga with the dry? Is a dry with a dropper to a weighted nymph the way to go or just a straight through leader with a dry?
any info appreciated – have never fished a dry before so all info welcomed.
Reply 1
From my limited experience in the past.

During the day I would go for an attractor pattern (Royal Wulff or Humpy) with a 2 or 3mm bead nymph below tied off the bend of the dry (4ft tippet between the two flies) covers both bases and the dry becomes an indicator.

In the evenings go straight through with a dry either a general mayfly pattern like an Adams in size 14 or 16 then on dark skate a caddis adult like a Goddard Caddis the fish and river can really come alive on a warm, still night.
use a #6 rod just for the fun of it.Wink
Thinking of heading down there myself for a day in the near future,Tongue

Reply 2

Neil summed it up well, fish the pocket water and head side currents and you’ll get fish – don’t concentrate on the usual deeper winter-nymph water, still a wee bit early for consistent dry takes, but come Feb/March expect most on the dry and just fish it on it’s own. A #12 Royall Wullf is a great generic pattern for central NI rivers and general searching.

I used to spend my student-summers flicking dry’s on the Tongariro (The TT was never quite as good) and have some great memories, especially on Cicada where we would regulary get big browns come up – some into double figures, especially prior and immediately after the eruption. It’s a very under-rated dry fly river and hardly ever fished with anything other than big indicators and bombs. As a guide I fish a dry/dropper pretty much year round these days except in the heart of winter and a dry only Feb thru March.

You’ll have a great time, many fish are resident menders, but you’ll be surprised at the numbers of 3-4lb browns that are also resident and are always very keen to take a dry, especially floated along blackberry bushes… a favourite haunt of them. Andrew

 Reply 3
fished a royal wulf with trailing nymph a week and a half ago in ripply water 18-24″ deep. In my opinion the key is to get a very quick mend just off the rod tip (not by the fly) asap so as not to swamp the dry and as a result get a good drift. Most fish caught on the nymph but i got two really good fish on the dry in super shallow water that i didnt spot and which basically just came from nowhere to nail the dry. Much much better fun then lobbing bombs under a dead budgie in the main pools.
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