It's a still overcast morning on the central plateau. The weather certainly tried it's best to give us some rain yesterday afternoon however, a few light showers was all it could manage. The Tongariro is crystal clear sitting at 27.8m3/sec. The fishing in the river continues to provide a bit of a challenge but once again #14 or #16 natural nymphs and #10 or #12 woolly buggers are key in this clear water.
Uncle Pat and I decided to switch things up yesterday afternoon and spend our time at one of the local stream mouths. The fishing wasn't red hot but a couple double hook ups and a handful of fat silver fish each was certainly welcome. Slushy flies and heave and leave patterns were on the menu. Pat took full advantage of his Guideline ULS Hybrid rod, with it being 10' in length it is perfect for stream mouth fishing. The extra length allows you to keep your cast elevated above the water while wading deep and has plenty of power for throwing fast sinking lines. Pair that with the ultra-light weight Ahrex flexi stripper which takes care of your running line and you've got yourself a stream mouth cannon!
It is more important now than ever to keep those coffees nice and hot out on the river! We have had a top up on our Yeti drink wear with all the colours and styles now back in stock. Check them out instore or online here!
Hopefully the weekend brings plenty of action for those visiting town. It looks like some rain is due to hit late tonight and early tomorrow. If I were a betting man, I'd say that there's a pulse of fish ready to hit the rivers and this rain might be just what we need!
Tarn.