Dry Fly - Tongariro

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    Posted: 29 Nov 2015 at 1:55pm
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Titanium
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Hi guys,
                  Any advice on fishing the Tonga with the dry? Is a dry with a dropper to a weighted nymph the way to go or just a straight through leader with a dry?
any info appreciated - have never fished a dry before so all info welcomed.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote o Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2015 at 7:49pm
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From my limited experience in the past.
During the day I would go for an attractor pattern (Royal Wulff or Humpy) with a 2 or 3mm bead nymph below tied off the bend of the dry (4ft tippet between the two flies) covers both bases and the dry becomes an indicator.
In the evenings go straight through with a dry either a general mayfly pattern like an Adams in size 14 or 16 then on dark skate a caddis adult like a Goddard Caddis the fish and river can really come alive on a warm, still night. 
use a #6 rod just for the fun of it.Wink
Thinking of heading down there myself for a day in the near future,Tongue
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote flyfisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 9:13am
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o Neil summed it up well, fish the pocket water and head side currents and you'll get fish - don't concentrate on the usual deeper winter-nymph water, still a wee bit early for consistent dry takes, but come Feb/March expect most on the dry and just fish it on it's own. A #12 Royall Wullf is a great generic pattern for central NI rivers and general searching.

I used to spend my student-summers flicking dry's on the Tongariro (The TT was never quite as good) and have some great memories, especially on Cicada where we would regulary get big browns come up - some into double figures, especially prior and immediately after the eruption. It's a very under-rated dry fly river and hardly ever fished with anything other than big indicators and bombs. As a guide I fish a dry/dropper pretty much year round these days except in the heart of winter and a dry only Feb thru March.

You'll have a great time, many fish are resident menders, but you'll be surprised at the numbers of 3-4lb browns that are also resident and are always very keen to take a dry, especially floated along blackberry bushes... a favourite haunt of them. Andrew
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote John_B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2015 at 10:50pm
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fished a royal wulf with trailing nymph a week and a half ago in ripply water 18-24" deep. In my opinion the key is to get a very quick mend just off the rod tip (not by the fly) asap so as not to swamp the dry and as a result get a good drift. Most fish caught on the nymph but i got two really good fish on the dry in super shallow water that i didnt spot and which basically just came from nowhere to nail the dry. Much much better fun then lobbing bombs under a dead budgie in the main pools.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote RTJC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2015 at 9:56am
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Not to assist with the answer to the first post but more to ask another on the same topic. Which section of the river does everyone fish during the summer? I am thinking above the winter limit but does town work well too?

I am heading that way for a stag do on the 19th and have suggested to my better half that I should go a couple of days early to sample the fishing. Miraculously she has agreed. I have always wanted to fish the Tongariro in summer. I am hoping to try Lake Otamangakau too. 

Do the small streams work well at all during this time?


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Cheeko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Dec 2015 at 1:19pm
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Originally posted by RTJC RTJC wrote:

Not to assist with the answer to the first post but more to ask another on the same topic. Which section of the river does everyone fish during the summer? I am thinking above the winter limit but does town work well too?

I am heading that way for a stag do on the 19th and have suggested to my better half that I should go a couple of days early to sample the fishing. Miraculously she has agreed. I have always wanted to fish the Tongariro in summer. I am hoping to try Lake Otamangakau too. 

Do the small streams work well at all during this time?


 
all of the river is worth a shot mate but I like the ripply water generally found from town up. Me and a couple mates caught over 20 on Saturday from the mid reaches on little nymphs and had one fish take my Green beetle imitiation whilst fishing the edge of the faster water. As Andrew said the river is great over summer and very under rated and if it's a good cicada season you never know what you might hook into!
 
I don't really fish the smaller Taupo rivers but all will have some residents or left over late spawners in them.
 
If it's nice and hot Ota along the edges will be well worth a shot as the lake should still have reasonable depth along the margins. Flicking damsel imitations at cruising fish is a lot of fun!
 
good luck Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Metal Float Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Dec 2015 at 8:39pm
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[/QUOTE]
If it's nice and hot Ota along the edges will be well worth a shot as the lake should still have reasonable depth along the margins. Flicking damsel imitations at cruising fish is a lot of fun!
 [/QUOTE]

Fishing was very hard on Ota over the last couple of days (by all accounts).  I fished for 2 hrs without a touch yesterday!  Lake is high and very clear.  As you say, warmer weather required, and some rain to colour the water might also help.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote John_B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Dec 2015 at 8:58pm
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Originally posted by Metal Float Metal Float wrote:

<span style="line-height: 1.4;">
</span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">If it's nice and hot Ota along the edges will be well worth a shot as the lake should still have reasonable depth along the margins. Flicking damsel imitations at cruising fish is a lot of fun!</span>
 <span style="line-height: 1.4;">[/QUOTE]</span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">
</span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">Fishing was very hard on Ota over the last couple of days (by all accounts).  I fished for 2 hrs without a touch yesterday!  </span><span style="line-height: 16.8px;">Lake is high and very clear.</span><span style="line-height: 16.8px;">  </span><span style="line-height: 1.4;">As you say, warmer weather required, and some rain to colour the water might also help.</span>
[/QUOTE]

2 hours without a touch??? ha ha. When I first went up there 25 years ago I think I went 2 years without a touch!!!!!
Much easier these days.
Maybe, just maybe I'll squeeze in a couple of days there before xmas . . . and chucking dries on the Tongariro. Its interesting to note all the recent interest in dry fly fishing fishing on the T is really nothing new . . . the Keith Drapers, John Parsons, Alex Gilletts etc. were doing this years ago as were earlier generations of top anglers. Sort of odd that interest in day time dry fly fishing dropped away a bit from 1990 ish, but sedge hatch evening fishing has always been popular.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MarkE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2015 at 11:03am
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Awesome, thanks for the info. Heading down late this week for a fish so will see how it goes.
 
I was actually down in Turangi yesterday, walked the track from Major Jones swingbridge down to the SH bridge - lots of fish around guys....
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote o Neill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2015 at 11:57am
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Might just see you there.Wink
Going for a PB perch first though.
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