Continuing on from the reports (Thursday & Wednesday) of a typical bike ride recce to check out the pools around the Tongariro River Trail circuit, I did some spotting for another angler, Doug from Auckland, in the Cicada Pool.  Then I continued the circuit up the eastern side of the Tongariro River to Red Hut.

The image on right is taken from the cliff above Duchess Pool.

The angler was positioned towards the tail but the trout seen were located below the overflow towards the head of the pool.

Then I crossed Red Hut Bridge – no trout seen at all – and returned back towards Turangi on the old anglers access trail below the Trout Centre (instead of the Tongariro River Trail) for a better view into Cattle Rustlers below the trout hatchery stream – see image above.

There are usually fish seen here sniffing the enticing odours from the Trout Centre Stream where they would be stripping hens.

Can you spot the Black Swan.  There are also two families of Blue Ducks – Whio – one here and another in the run below the old Never-Fail Pool above Hydro Pool.

For anglers there was a small shoal located just off the beach where the old track to Cattle Rustlers Pool emerged towards the tail of the pool.

Then I continued down river past Stag Pool on right – where an angler was releasing a trout in the distance.

In the Stag Pool car park I came across Doug from the report yesterday with his dinner.

His dog was so proud at how he had guided Doug onto it.

Then the old anglers access track cuts through to Admirals Pool which is always worthwhile as a good barometer on how many trout are in the system.  Recently it has been so full the trout are overflowing in the tail to the point where they were within reach of a cast off the gravel beach.

Then continued down river past Never Fail and Hydro Pool to where the next good vantage point is in the tail of Major Jones Pool.  Trout were seen all the way down to Island Pool.

To summarise the Tongariro was low and clear and – apart from Red Hut – trout were seen waiting for anglers in every pool inspected.  Mind you, if I got serious and went fishing, they would all be gone.