2 and a half days, 3 Lakes and a (the) big river

Last year me and TT missed our Pre Xmas trip due to one reason or another, so we were pretty determined to make up for it. At least he was, he’s pretty much the driving force behind the planning. The guy’s fished everywhere for a long time and has a good handle on where to be at what time of the year. When we spoke 2 weeks ago I was pretty much “ohhh hell, its only 2 weeks away…”. Anyway, we decided to drag The Booger down to Rotoaira, staying in Turangi with Otamangakau and the Tongariro River as options also. I wanted some fat lake fish for smoking so it was a pretty good sort of plan. Woke and packed the car and boat on Friday and arrived at TT’s before 9. We were on the road and made decent time to Taupo, stopping at hunting and Fishing to get some caddis dries and leader as halfway down I realised I’d not packed my vest which has all that stuff in it!!!

We duly arrived at Tongariro River Motel (TRM) and checked in, then headed down to Creel Tackle for a yak with Steve and to get our Rotoaira and Taupo permits. Spurred on by a picture of a 12lb brown that the man-fish Nik Hannam had caught at Rotorua minutes earlier, we set off for Lake Rotoaira under a sunny sky, but the wind was pumping from the north. We launched and set off across the lake for a pretty frustrating (for some) session. Even with the bigger drogue out we were skating across the lake.

Looks nice, but its blowing hard

The wind was just funnelling across over the saddle from Tokaanu, getting squeezed by Pihanga and we were in the eye of the storm. Not the gentle 10-15 kts the forecast promised! We stuck it out, hitting the depths with Di7 lines and fishing up over the drop offs. We were seriously travelling so it wasn’t too much of a surprise that the fishing was challenging. I hit 3 or 4 smallish fish and I think TT got a couple as well, before we decided to up sticks and head around into Pihanga’s lee. Man it was a different world around there, calmer and sunny. We got a few reasonable drifts in, in front of the Poutu Canal entrance and I got a decent fat fish which graced the chilly bin. Then it cut up so we ran back to the car for warmer gear. Then back across to the mouth for another round of drifting. We looked at our evening options which included drifting the canal casting to caddis munchers (which I’m sure we would have done if weather allowed) but decided to head back and hit the Tongariro…. By now it was about time to pull the pin and run, so run we did. During the drive I didn’t remind TT that I had caught way more fish than him. No sir, I did not. At least not constantly, just a few times. We got back to Turangi, grabbed waders and floating lines, ditched the boat and headed to the Hydro. No cars! We went straight in, TT heading up the pool while I went down. He had such a determined stride that I figured he must know where they were lying and yup he hooked up quite fast. After losing his fly I tied another on for him…. My eyesight is getting more and more shonky… then some other drama befell him so I took his place and caught a decent kilo and a half rainbow that fought well.

Looking up the Hydro Pool

That was it so we went off to the greasy spoon truck stop for a late ‘meal’. TT doesn’t believe in rising early so I was kinda surprised that he got out of bed at 7 or so. I’d had a couple of coffees by then. It was overcast and drizzly, but at least the wind wasn’t present… don’t speak too soon Mr Snuffit! We decided to go back to Rotoaira and fish the drifts that we’d attempted the day before, this time without the gale. We drifted… and drifted... and Mr TT caught the first fish. After that it just didn’t work for him. I can’t explain how or why when you get on a bad run it just goes south.. and heck that’s happened to me so many times. I wouldn’t say that I cleaned up, but I did catch 3 or 4 before we upped sticks and drove over to Poutu mouth for a look. (Side note, the waterfowl on the lake were amazing. Geese, swan, ducks and scaup in good numbers were present). We cruised up the canal to the hydro scheme gate then came back down casting here and there. Not much doing. It was really peaceful and warm up there out of the wind.

Back on the lake we stopped and spoke with one of TT’s acquaintances, a competition fisherman. His drogue was amazing, holding his boat at an almost standstill while we moved at quite a pace. He and his mate were fishing light lines with short casts and targeting small fish in the surface film. They’d caught a dozen or so fish. We were still stripping heavier lines. So under the circumstances they seemed to have a technique that worked well.

TT - catching nothing (HARRRRR hahahaa)

We moved off and decided to fish Otamangakau, the Big O, the legendary lake…. I had not fished the lake from a boat before, only from a kayak. Having a good big stable platform would be more comfortable. The car park was full when we arrived… and the weather was worsening. We ate our lunch against a back drop of dark clouds, rain and a cool breeze. As we ate Steve from Creel drove up and told us a tale of gang members fishing with roe … then a boat dropped off another guy who complained that the fishing was slow, “just a 4 fish between 6 and 7 lbs” … we launched and headed off to set up our first drift. Again we were cursed by wind. This session was to be the real towelling for TT, he caught nothing. Nil, nada, no actually he got a tiny wee little thing that doesn’t count. The good news is that his fish, all 12cms of it, was fat as Harry. Me on the other hand, well modesty forbids me from really rubbing it in. NOT!!! I got 5 or 6 takes, landed 3, killed a fat silver hen, lost a big awesomely shaped jack, even got 2 in 2 casts losing the second in the weed. I had a ball. My home ties were working even though I lost a bunch of flies through some spectacularly bad casting, in the weed, in fish… so when we left to give us enough time to get the evening rise in on the Tongariro, I kept my mouth shut again about how the reputation of being the hardest lake out there fishing wise was tamed by the master… NOT!!! I rubbed it in. Really rubbed it in. TT took it like a man. Even though very slightly downcast, he manned up to the abuse. And promised revenge on the evening rise. We stopped at Burger King for some horrible ‘food’ then headed home, dropped off the boat and prepared for the evening rise. A bit of jungle bashing ensued.

Middle Bain Pool

TT catching a fish. You saw it here first!

Upper Bain Pool

When the fish started we scoped out a number that were hard to reach. I lost my fly early so was reduced to tying on a major mother of an Elk Hair Caddis, far too big to match the hatch… TT caught a fish, I didn’t, maybe the balance was restored? NOT!!!! On the way home we played around trying to catch a nice brownie but he eluded us also.

Our time in the Taupo district was done, but we weren’t finished yet. On the way back north we stopped at a hydro lake, launched the boat and set about catching a bunch of fish. And catch a bunch we did, maybe 20 or more smallish rainbows and good sized browns from shallows and deep drop offs alike.

A common sight. Snuffit with a fish.

The droplet barely disguises TT's rapture at finally catching a fish. A rare sight.

Fat brownie. Angler is carrying condition too. Pies, yummmm

Lovely fish TT!

The fishing was hot, under a warm cloudy sky. If only the other venues had been this good, and of course we had a time restriction so had to pull the pin on a hot session in order to get home at a reasonable hour.

Another great pre Xmas trip. Next year = Waikaremoana.