(Above an angler spotting for fish from Mt. Tauhara, indicating how big the salmon are?)
According to NZ Tourism guide, an impeccable source of tourist info, there is Salmon fishing available in Lake Taupo (?) and an International Fishing Tournament on Lake Taupo every ANZAC weekend…
Really! Yeah right…
It gets worse. The discovery of the presence of salmon in Lake Taupo was revealed by two enthusiastic American tourists who flew into Auckland on Tuesday. They had booked to stay in a down town CBD hotel for two nights to recover from jet lag before going on safari – a guided deer hunting trip near Waitomo next weekend.
(On right a salmon angler in Lake Taupo dawn)
After one night being kept awake in Auckland CBD they advised they were so disillusioned they had to get out – even after paying for two nights they deserted Auckland to go salmon fishing.
They had searched the web and discovered the New Zealand Tourism Guide which advised:
(1) there were salmon in Lake Taupo (?),
(2) there was an International fishing tournament on ANZAC Weekend (?)
Upon further searching they also discovered Tongariro River Motel provides the only daily salmon fishing report for NZ so they phoned to request our assistance to equip them with enough gear to go salmon fishing…
Of course SWMBO agreed – the customer is always right.
So they – John (who is from a tiny town of about 250 people in California) with his buddy Tom, arrived at TRM on Wednesday all ‘rarin to go’ salmon fishing.
Then we checked out the website to confirm they were correct. You all know NZ Tourism guides could not possibly mislead overseas tourist anglers!
What could we say? We international tourist operators have to back each other.
At ‘sparrows’ yesterday – Thursday morning – TRM took them on a ‘recce’ (aka a personal escorted tour – not guiding – OK?) along the river and in two reliable spotting locations – in between Major Jones and Island Pool (photo on left) and up river to Admirals Pool (below).
I made sure they were wearing ‘polaroids’ to clearly identify the runs of fresh run ‘salmon’ working their way up the river.
The river was very clear, 100% pure, but fortunately in the swirly current the ‘steelheads’ looked about the same size as their North American (California and Oregon) salmon.
So I think we just might get away with it.
We kitted them out with all the gear, waders, etc. plus heavier rods boosted with 10 pound traces as these fresh run Taupo salmon can put up a brutal fight.
(Photos of regular TRM salmon fishos – below is Mike Pratt from Canada and below him is Wayne Godkin from Auckland, about to release their salmon. Note the lucky TRM hat. Now do you believe NZ tourism guide? )
Next week we might go salmon fishing in the Yemen?
Now who was the guide from Taupo who claimed the Turangi tackle shops and TRM blogs had been hyping up the fishing? We could never match the following direct “copy & paste” from the New Zealand tourism guide website advertisement… Every day I learn something new.
Check it out.
http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/taupo/lake-taupo/attractions-and-activities/fishing/fly–salmon-and-trout-fishing
Lake Taupo Fly, Salmon and Trout Fishing
In the heart of New Zealand’s North Island is Lake Taupo, the largest lake (606 sq km) in the country. The town of Taupo lies on Lake Taupo’s north-east corner and is roughly halfway between Auckland (277km, 3 hours and fifteen minutes’ drive away) and Wellington (372km, four and a half hours drive away).
Lake Taupo is the caldera of a large volcano which began erupting about 300,000 years ago and has produced two of the world’s most violent eruptions in recent times; the Oruauni Eruption and the Taupo Eruption. For geologists, Lake Taupo is one of the world’s most formidable volcanoes and scientists are on constant lookout for the warning signs that herald the next big eruption.
However, for most New Zealanders and overseas visitors, Lake Taupo is one big, beautiful lake and hugely popular for boating and fishing. In fact it is known as the world’s trout fishing capital. International fishing tournaments are held on Lake Taupo every year during ANZAC Day weekend. Fly fishing is allowed on all of the rivers flowing into the lake, as well as on the lake itself…
Just in case we were confused TRM also checked with Taupo tackle shops who also knew nothing about any International fishing tournament held on Lake Taupo every year during ANZAC Day weekend…
(Above – elderly tourists on Mt. Tauhara with NZ’s largest salmon sanctuary – Lake Taupo beyond.)