Some people go to Hawaii or Bali or Piha or Raglan to go surfing but there is a new secret kayak surfing location…..Turangi. It’s also possible catch a Tuna if you try hard enough. The Tongariro River rose to 263 cumecs on 18th February resulting in a great surge of brown water. While this meant fishing was impossible it did have its brighter side. For anglers this would have flushed out a lot of the small “sardines” that have been readily taking anglers flies. While they are great fun on light gear they can be a nuisance. This also means the big browns that eat all the rainbows will have to attack new prey – cicadas and nymphs hopefully. After the river clears the flush should encourage more silver bullets into the river. Photos show the river looking down to the Breakfast pool and up to the Hydro pool

While the anglers have to wait for the river to settle down the kayakers were having a great time. Below the Hydro pool, before it runs into the Breakfast pool there are some large boulders near the TLB (true left bank). As the surging water hits these it throws up a large standing wave in the river that at times was about 3 feet high. Kayakers love standing waves as they can position their kayaks in the wave and surf across and up and down in the same spot. If they miss a stroke they then get cast out the back of the wave and have to paddle to try and position themselves for another wave. If they can’t paddle into position they have to go downstream and climb out via the steps below the swing bridge, carry their kayaks up and launch again. When riverbank strollers don’t have anglers to watch this makes a great spectacle.

If the paddler drops off the wave then an exciting ride downstream (in this case upside down) follows.

But what about the tuna in the river? Look closely at the image below.

The river is falling now, the wave, along with the kayakers have gone and anglers should get their river back in better condition.