Current monitoring at the Waipa spawning trap confirms a steady stream of trout are now running the Tongariro River. Bigger browns are beginning to feature, such as the 60cm 3.4kg jack photographed below.

This aligns with angler feedback, where reports confirm fresh fish are starting to turn up in catches. Brown trout traditionally run early in the season and anglers have had success using a variety of methods – swinging streamers and wet flies has been popular, while upstream nymphing has also generated results.

The larger runs of rainbow trout are yet to kick off, so fishing can still be patchy. This could all change with a sustained period of rain, so anglers will be keeping a close eye on the weather!