Inmates at TRM often team up to share their Tongariro experiences.   Above are Americans,  Jim & Suzi visiting the Whakapapa River at Owhango.  Suzi described it as better than a scene from Avatar as they don’t have trout fishing there – wherever that is?.  Then below on right they were fascinated with the old railway line access road at Kakahi.  Often the natural scenery is just as spectacular as the trout fishing.

Jim from Philadelphia visited TRM and the Tongariro last year and returned for the entire summer.  He has been fishing at TRM since November and is now off to the South Island for a month or so where he plans to meet up with another TRM fisho – James – see photos below.  Then, just for a change, he is back to TRM in March for some dry fly action.  On his way south later this week he is teaming up with another TRM inmate from England to raft fish the Rangitikei (with Tarata Fishaway – go to ‘links’) for three days.   What a great way to see NZ…

Similarly Suzi stayed a couple of weeks last summer season and was so impressed with the fishing (guided by Dave Bamford) she has returned for three months this time to perfect her casting skills and knowledge of the Tongariro pools.

Photo on right of a brown trout fighting to escape in the surge at the confluence of the Wanganui and Whakapapa.

Anglers like these overseas tourists value the Tongariro wild fishery attributes far more than most Kiwis who often just take it for granted.  They can choose any river in the world but keep coming back to the Tongariro.  What a good choice!  What does that tell you?

Following Tongariro fly fishing images from Jim are of him, Suzi and James from TRM’s “A” Team taming Boulder Reach, an upper river pool in a recent morning’s session.  From Boulder Reach they reported plenty of strikes with only one kept for the TRM smoker with all others released.  They regrouped a few hours late for their assault on the evening rise at dusk – around 8.45pm to 9.15pm. – still the most predictable and exciting fishing for most anglers at the moment.

At last over the Christmas-New Year holiday period the Tongariro anglers enjoyed warmer temperatures without the dreaded wind that dominated pool selection for most of December.  The rain over the last two days has gone and will only improve the fishing.