Tongariro River Flow: 31m3/sec
Weather: Sunny
It's day 3 of this glorious weather, and the days of exploring rivers with lighter gear seems to be a near reality for us as we look forward to the new year and a long summer.
We have good stock of Carty's cicadas and passion vine hopper flies which we hope will become a dietary requirement for the fish 😁 These patterns are to be thought of ahead of time as they do not last long in store once the fish (and anglers) are onto them.
The smelting action has us addicted for now, seeing Neil and Tarn stalking from the shoreline prior to work, then Tarn and I on the boat after closing. A big day for young Tarn, who reportedly was out like a light once his head hit the pillow 😴
Success and laughter for all, fighting a few livewire rainbow bullets and a beautiful brown caught by Neil.
While on the boat, I was motoring 10m or so from the shoreline and noticed a swirl on the surface just along the reeds. Tarn was rigged up so he made the cast, strip-strip, and after a couple of grabs the hook was set! It's awesome to see fish chase and take a fly subsurface. It's one of many reasons why we do it.
We have been using various smelt patterns by Pat Swift and having success, and yesterday a rabbit option worked a treat. When comparing the fly to the size of the smelt coughed up by fish caught, it's plain to see why they work so well and Pat Swift has certainly put the time and years into developing these patterns.
(Yes, we will remember to take a photo of the smelt during the next outing and share it with you all😅)
Going ahead with our reports for the month, we are going take you all on a deep dive into the world fly lines, to broaden your understanding and to simplify your purchase decisions.
So stay tuned for tomorrows report as we discuss floating lines suitable for the summer.
