We woke to an overcast sky this morning, but some mid-morning sunshine has peaked through to thaw everything out. The Tongariro is flowing at 29.5m3/sec and is still extremely clear. Wet lining has still been a good producer when dropping down to small size 10 bugger or rabbit flies. Nymphing with size 14 caddis and hare and copper nymphs has been very effective in these clear conditions as well.
In what seems to be a rear occurrence these days Neil and I left the spey rods at home and went for a walk with the nymphing rods. The NZ strike indicator system really came into its own as adjusting to fish the different depths was crucial for success as we worked our way through various pools and runs.
Attached is my preferred rig for nymphing the Tongariro. The Level 15lb butt section allows for easy adjustment with the NZ Strike Indicator System while still being thick enough for the indicator to bite onto the leader and allows 7ft of adjustment. The tippet ring eliminates the need to retie joining knots to the butt section whenever the tippet breaks which shortens the butt section over time. Having the flies tied on tags improves the drift and hook up rate (especially on the heavy fly). having the flies spaced at least a foot apart and having your lighter fly on a 2-3 inch tag reduces tangles.
The Always Borderline fly range worked very well for us yesterday with the Gremlin as my heavy fly and Dave's mum as my lighter fly being my preferred duo for the day.
Once again until will receive some rain it is important to scale down and adjust to these clear conditions. there's some good fishing to be had and making minor adjustments to your rigs can help maximise your opportunities while out on the water. We are expecting another busy weekend on the river, and we urge everyone to be respectful of other anglers whilst out and about.
Tarn.