Thank you for all the interesting feed-back on the Tongariro – Monday’s TRM Daily Report explaining the anglers access to TRB Admirals Pool followed up on Tuesday by a loop walk through Kamahi & Never Fail Pools where we identified five ‘hot-spots’…  Anglers have asked for more such less popular locations and opportunities to try them out before the spawning season starts. 

We have been asked if we could describe other similar ‘doable’ loops up river?  There are some beats involving two river crossings but we need to be cautious as some of these ‘not-so-well-known’ anglers access routes can be challenging as they are always changing.

The Tongariro river-bed gravels are always on the move.  When the river is in severe flood we can hear the stones rolling over and grinding down.  This is clearly evident when comparing the cannon-ball boulders up river which are ground to pebbles and sand in the lower river. 

This will happen next week when the river will be flowing at full natural flow.  Any additional rain will mean the various braided or dry overflow bypasses will also be flooded.  The fishing opportunities may improve but SWMBO’s first priority is not to lose too many inmates.

Judging by the size and condition of trout being landed from boats in Lake Taupo recently, many regular local anglers are predicting we could be in for a boomer spawning season.  They mainly base this on the condition and number of smelt in Lake Taupo.  Therefore they are already planning their winter trips.

If you ware keen to explore these rarely visited more remote hard to access spots further we would seriously suggest you hire (aka “invest in” ?) a fishing guide.  Go to TRM links for local guides’ contact details.  These dedicated trout fishing guides spend a lot of their down-time exploring and researching (aka fishing) these spots to prepare for your trips.

Naturally TRM’s most popular guide, Richard Mowforth (image on right) would not be pleased if we described his preferred circuit but we can tell you his special beat is worth the ‘poled’ crossing as it is regularly extremely successful.  For more info:

Email: twomountainstroutguide@gmail.com Ph. 021 081 89705

Or if you want some back country guiding to more remote rivers before the season ends then contact Harry Moores.  (you don’t need to factor in the additional costs of a helicopter either…)  Most of these remote rivers pools are more stable than the ever-shifting Tongariro and are worth the extra effort.  A 3 pound trout from a 100% pure wilderness river fights harder and longer than a 4 pound Taupo trout but you need to know where to go.  The guides have already done all their homework on where to go based on your fitness.  They also have Plan B & C to provide for the more fickle mountain weather conditions.

Email: harry@harrymoores.co.nz Ph. 022 1589 130 – image below on right.

Back to the Tongariro – it is so hard to read the water through the swift riffly bumpy boulder strewn runs.  Some crossings might look easy but can be treacherous just waiting to dunk another angler…  In all honesty we cannot recommend or identify most Tongariro river crossings as they can vary from week to week and change after every ‘fresh’. 

This next week the river at full flow sustained all week (the Poutu Canal to Lake Rotoaira will be closed off to allow inspections of the tunnel to the Tokaanu Power Station), will result in many minor hard to identify changes to the flows and new holes will be formed – waiting to trap you. 

i.e. Often I can only learn when I return by ‘testing’ a particular spot, that has been reliably holding trout all season, to discover it has moved somewhere else nearby.  One such little lie quite close to the bank (within my pathetic casting range) up-river last season produced a strike on my first cast on three different visits spread over a couple of months.  I discovered heaven!  On my fourth visit I failed due to the fickle wind and it took three casts. 

But since then it has failed – yet from the surface inspection it had not appeared to have changed.  I like to think the trout telegraph were so afraid they posted a warning to keep out?  For me on the Tongariro it was as close to a certainty as it gets, as well as a good barometer on whether the trout were moving through.  This summer I have not hooked any at all from that spot as they are now holding deeper and further out closer to the main current – just beyond my cast…