Another request from TRM inmates – to explain how to access the Sly Grog Poo?.  This is always a difficult one to explain…  The best way to identify the Sly Grog Pool is to start with the Birch Pool…

BIRCH POOL

Birch Pool update from August 2006.  It has hardly changed. 

From the National Trout Centre anglers car park the anglers access track leads across the Waihukahuka (Hatchery) Stream to paths along side the river.

Alternatively, if crossing the stream looks difficult, easier access is through the Trout Centre public car park via the kids fishing pool to DoC’s River Walk.

Below the Silly Pool the river splits in two with the main channel flowing down the TRB. These channels join again to form the Upper Birch Pool providing a splendid attractive natural deep pool.

Then the tail out spreads over a wide shallow boulder bank to an enticing deep blue pool under the TRB forming the Lower Birch Pool – located above Barlow’s Reach. To fish the lower pool anglers need to wade over the shallow riffles. Wading poles may be needed.

The Upper Birch Pool is a big spectacularly beautiful picture book pool – also ideal for nymphing from the TLB bank beside the River Walk or by wading across the bypass to the point of the island which is favoured for wet lining.

But look out for the pool across on the TRB which cannot be reached casting from the Hatchery bank – opposite the notice board…  That is your destination BUT first have a look along the shallow edges of the upper Birch Pool TLB.  This is where kids often end up with half a container of salmon fish food after feeding trout in the kids pond and in the hatchery stream.  The food inevitably ends up thrown in the river where the trout are usually waiting. 

We have just had John Sanguinetti from Melbourne call in.  He was so excited after he counted about 8-10 big trout waiting in the shallows below where the seat is.  He left them for me as he thought they would not be allowed to fish in the grounds of the trout centre. 

But back to the main thread – I hope we will not lose too many guests by giving away this secret access to the Sly Grog pool. Possibly you may never have heard of it – maybe that is why it is a secret?  This name was allocated on the 1928 river pools map.

From the Upper Birches have a squint across river at the delightfully positioned small beach below the Upper Birch Pool.

This is how you get there. Back track to the anglers car park in the trout centre. Locate the walking track heading down river.  Follow this for five minutes to where it emerges on the old 4WD track, turn right to the river bank and follow hewn steps down to emerge below Cattle Rustlers.

This is a wonderful holding pool being a compulsory rest for spawning trout to savour all the arousing aromas spewing from the hatchery stream. If you quietly move along the shelf to the right keep polaroiding – you will usually find in the depths stressed out spooked trout pushed over this side by pressure from anglers casting from the beach opposite. From where you emerged on the river bank, turn left and wade down river.  Cast ahead as you cross.

On our guest’s report on Cattle Rustlers he claims you could be wading through the best lie. This waist deep crossing is one of the slower safer main river crossings being the widening tail out of Cattle Rustlers Pool on sandy river bed. Once across the TRB continue up the steps to the walking track – between Koura Street swing bridge and Red Hut, and head back up river for about 400 metres.

Then – this is the tricky part – locate the faint track towards the river. This leads down to the little beach above the infamous Sly Grog pool.  Often the track entrance is blocked by branches.  That is not accidental.  Only TRM inmates are allowed on this track.  OK?  Replace them when you leave.  TRM inmates ride bikes up there but always leave their bikes parked – securely chained to a tree – where the track isn’t.  They don’t want to make it too easy for others.

Here you can safely wade out to cast directly into the feed line below the Upper Birch Pool.  A truly delightful spot – particularly on cold afternoons when the sun will help thaw the spirit. But don’t tell anyone else about it…

The intriguing pool name has its genesis in Barbara Coopers’ 1975 booklet – Pools of the Tongariro – where the Sly Grog Pool is shown on Morilleau’s survey, located immediately above the hatchery stream and below the Birch Pool on the TRB.  As that is now referred to as Barlow’s Reach, the Sly Grog Pool name has been allocated to the next beach upriver on the TLB.  Clear as mud?

Its proximity to the anglers camp is perhaps significant… The hatchery was established in 1928 and an anglers camp was built there – back then anglers needing to quench their thirst after a big day wading the river but had to get around the “Prohibition Laws”.  So a still was conveniently located across from the anglers camp with access by boat…