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Very few anglers ... but plenty of fish.
Thu 16th October, 2014
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For once the forecast was right, and we've had summer like temperatures in Turangi for most of the week.
With the school holidays over, angling pressure has been light and some parts of the river have been almost deserted. This has had a positive affect and fish that aren't busy spawning are settled and feeding.
I spent Wednesday on the upper river and couldn't put a foot wrong ... by the time I headed back in the early afternoon the tally was well into double figures.
There was evidence of spawning just about everywhere there was suitable gravel, and the tail-outs of most of the pools had fish in them with plenty more sneaking upriver close to the banks.
The mid-morning mayfly hatch encouraged a few splashy rises but its still early days for the dry.
My neighbor Paul spent a couple of evenings on the river fishing dries ... with very little interest.
 
Spring is a sort of in between time in the insect world but dark colored nymphs are still working well. In the cooler months of autumn and winter nymphs are generally smaller and darker. In late spring, summer and early autumn they tend to be larger and lighter in color.
Mercer's Little Brown Bug is intended to represent a small stone-fly but along with Sean's Magic May work well under the big dry during the mayfly hatches of late spring and early summer.
Similarly in autumn, winter and early spring dark olive and green caddis are the way to go but as the weather warms up "white" caddis work better.
If you've been on the river this week I bet you've missed a few really aggressive, lightning quick takes ... so have I. Yep, the juvenile trout are back and will be with us right through the summer as they make their way to Lake Taupo. As always don't be too rough with them ...they're proper little pocket rockets so flatten the barbs on your flies. This will help avoid mouth damage while you're trying to unhook them.
There are also more and more fry showing up in the margins. These are the off-spring of trout that spawned earlier in the year.
They've spent the last couple of months in amongst the gravel sustained by their yolk sac's. But now this food source has been used up they have to emerge into the dangerous world of the open river to feed on small aquatic insects.
They'll remain in the river for the next 12 to 18 months where they too will become part of the food chain and fair game for predators ... including other trout. Combine this with environmental factors like floods and its easy to understand why the majority of them will never see adulthood.
Like most anglers that regularly fish the Tongariro I do a lot of walking and despite manufacturers claims that their chest waders are breathable I've yet to find a pair. So with summer just around the corner and day-time temperatures already beginning to warm up I decided to invest in a pair of waist highs.
These don't seem to have caught on in New Zealand but after a quick search on the internet I ordered a pair of Caddis Wading Systems waist waders from the U.S.A
I bought them on Amazon and I have to say I was well impressed with the service. I placed the order on-line on a Sunday afternoon and they arrived the following Saturday.
Not wanting to pay a fortune for them I went middle of the road and the total cost including freight and packing came to $189 NZ dollars...not too bad.
Walking and wading is all part of trout fishing in New Zealand and I think part of the reason wading pants are not as popular is because anglers are reluctant to pay out for something that they perceive will restrict their options during a day on the river. But think about it, how often do you actually fish in water above your waist or attempt crossings over waist deep.
I know you could just roll down your "chesties" but I always feel as if I'm walking around with a car tyre wrapped round me whenever I do this.
I've found my new purchase comfortable and your shirt isn't soaked in sweat when you're walking in warm weather. They're also easier to take on and off ... for instance when you need to water the flowers when you're fishing.
The sizing errs on the generous side and they are a bit baggy. Actually I could probably have got away with a medium because it looks as if I've got a dead ferret stuffed down the front of mine.
Because there are no shoulder straps {therefore no plastic snap lock buckles to get in the way} its far easier to get your ruck sack on and off, and makes carrying one less uncomfortable. I must admit I'm a waist wader convert and since I got them just over a month ago I haven't worn chest waders at all.
But there are some draw-backs.
They're made out of a lighter weight material than most of my other waders and sadly this also applies to the neoprene sock as well, alas mine began to leak third time out. I informed Caddis of the problem and in fairness they would probably have replaced them but I was confident a little bit of sealant would cure the problem and couldn't be bothered with the hassle of shipping them back.
Unfortunately I still can't find the leak. Even though the neoprene bootie is not a tight fit it looks as if it stretches in places and becomes even thinner, allowing water to slowly seep in.
Another little problem is if you're wearing them in the rain. Some wading jackets are a bit on the short side and wouldn't cover the top of waist waders which isn't an issue when you have "chesties" on.
And if you do take an unexpected dip you'll probably end up with a lot more river in your pockets if you're wearing wading pants.
So, taking all this into account would I buy another pair? ... well ... yes, I think I would.
In the warmer months of the year they just seem a much more agreeable alternative to chest waders and everything about them is just ... easier. You don't feel as if you're wearing waders at all.
When I asked Caddis if they produced them in a tougher material their CEO Mike Myers informed me they intend launching something called the Northern Guide Hybrid wader. These will retail in the US for $169 so that's $212 New Zealand and should be available in the Spring of 2015 ... I'll keep you posted.
There are presently plenty of fish in the river and during the week very few anglers chasing them. Met Service was spot on with their prediction of improving weather for the middle of October and it looks as if they're on the money again with the rain they forecast for the weekend and part of next week.
It should be good ... see you out there.
Mike |
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