This is what typical maiden spawners on the Tongariro look like.

Under the new Taupo Fishing Regulations all these – average over 40 cm. – and add up to one day’s legal limit.  These smaller trout are superb smoked…  TRM smoker will be working overtime.

Recently we had a serious inquiry from a new West Island inmate wanting to know what the fishing is really like?  He went on to say how he knows we post the best biggest catch of the day, but what is the average run like?  What can he – as an improving novice – expect on the Tongariro?  Can we show images of the “Tongariro chrome rockets aka silver bullets” that others talk about?  Fair question as most of these tiddlers are usually returned (catch & release) to the river.  (I think he might be planning to smoke 12 fillets every day)

Fortunately we had TRM’s guide, Richard Mowforth, (Email: twomountainstroutguide@gmail.com Ph. 021 081 89705) staying last weekend recovering from his guiding, so we passed on the request asking him to take some “selfies” of his rejects, or what one could expect to catch in the easier pools.  He loves a challenge…  In total he hooked into 15 and took images of the first few which he thought were typical of what we call Tongariro torpedoes in such splendid condition: