1st Fly Fishing Trip on the Whakapapa

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    Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 10:01am
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Just a quick report on last weekends efforts on the Whakapapa. This was my first fly fishing trip in about 10 years (the last being not long after I left school with a big old 9 weight rod fishing wets in the waikato river)... A couplefo good friends are keen fly fisherman and I splashed out several months ago on a reasonable 6 weight Killwell Innovation, and had been waiting for an opportunity to give it a crack...
 
So we headed down to Owhango and spent Sat and Sun on the river fishing. On the first day we headed down to the lower reaches of the river where the public access road is.  Not having cast a fly road for some years and not having nymphed before this was a bit of an experience but I got lucky and managed to land a foul hooked rainbow of about a lb.  We fished our way upstream for the day and all 3 of of us were managing to hook fish in most pool.  A couple of nice 4-5lb fish were landed by my mates and I managed to lose a good sized fish of about the same.  With rod blooded as it were and the casting and medning starting to come together I was keen as for the Sunday's fishing...
 
We then headed to a spot further upriver on the Sunday (gained through private access)  What a stunning stretch of water...  Magnificent pools and runs dominated some spectacular scenery - and the fishing was good.  Both my mates again landed some good sized fish - including 2 good sized browns around 6lb and 1 that went close to 7lb...  I didn't land anything this day but did again hook what seemed to be a good sized fish (never got a good look), which took off to the bottom of a deep pool and refused to budge, and not being very experienced in playing trout I tried to hard to budge the fish and pulled the hook out - gutted!
 
All in all a great weekend and I'm now hooked on flyfishing (again!)
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Blairski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 11:53am
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Nice work RA Clap great report too.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Finatic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 1:31pm
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Good stuff RA

Good to hear you caught the target species this time around too.
What's the cheapest type of meat? Dear balls. They're under a buck.
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LOL - cheers mate... for a change... Gutted I lost 2 better fish but it was great fun!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote fush Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 6:59pm
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Hi RA

Hope those two fish in the river with your name on them is a bit of motivation to get back on the river more often.

Can only recommend less time working more time fishing as a solution to catch / land more fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pole Dancer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 7:11pm
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Originally posted by herring herring wrote:

Hi RA

Hope those two fish in the river with your name on them is a bit of motivation to get back on the river more often.

Can only recommend less time working more time fishing as a solution to catch / land more fish.
 
Good advice.. well done RA... keep at it... welcome back to the ranks of crazy people....
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tobias Alawishous Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 7:58pm
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Nice work RA. I fished this river for the first time in October and its a cracker. The fish fight very well and as you say awesome scenery.
 
Good on ya !
 
Cheers
 
Toby
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pole Dancer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Dec 2006 at 8:05pm
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Oh come on guys... the river is a **** hole and we all know it. I couldn't think of a single reason to go there and neither should you.... move along, nothing to see here.... that's enough...
 
Christ are you not man enough for the Tongariro...???
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Rank Amateur Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2006 at 9:59am
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Cheers - I totally agree Herring - will do my best to rectify that!

Actually cometothink of it that was terrible piece of river... The fish were terrible fighters and pretty small - hardly saw any of them...  LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote deltadreams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2006 at 1:38pm
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Cicada, some of us dont fish the  Big T as it is usually full of over excited J.A.F.F.A's + Just a Fly Fishing Angler Tongue
R.A. must agree I only fish the Waka cos I like small steams fishing - yeah Rite!!!!
Toby knows how small it is and I'm sure all the fish are small as wellClap
 
DD
Remember: it's not a fish until it's landed
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pole Dancer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2006 at 7:16pm
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Delta... harden up and fish the Big T like everybody else... LOL
Now, not to change the subject, but that stream you are all tlaking about really is crap... not worth a visit, hmmmmm maybe not, wonder how long until it looks like the "Big T"?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote fush Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Dec 2006 at 9:04pm
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Hey Tobias - how does that dry fly stream of mine you went to couple weeks back compare to that whakapapa

Gee just cant remember the streams name but I heard a whisper you did OK
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tobias Alawishous Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Dec 2006 at 10:49pm
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I'm suprised that little river doesn't dry up in summer. Big%20smile I also heard that the river only fishes well early in the season and come Mid december isn't really wirth going there, much better fishing to be had on the Tongariro or rotorua.
 
That stream of yours herring is like chalk and cheese to the wp ..... kinda like jet aeroplanes and bulldozers. One produces shiny and fast the other earthy and powerful. Those Rangitikie rivers have a charm all their own. My last visit there was ok. We got a couple of little ones Wink ..... you seem well informed Mr H.
 
Speaking of spreading the word on streams which should remain nameless. What did you guys make of the latest fish and game mag. Isn't  it poor managmeent to publicise so heavily a river which is only really just recovering from the brink of decimation .... doesn't this seem counter productive. I reckon a number of people will see that article and put the river discussed back on "must visit and hammer that one this season list". Maybe they have a motive but is doesn't make sense to me ?
 
Cheers
 
Toby
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote deltadreams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2006 at 7:19am
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Toby,
that river in the F & G mag should be closed for 2 seasons to get a full recovery especially as the the fisho from the western part of the N.I. slays it  but he does release them "unharmed"
Remember: it's not a fish until it's landed
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Big%20smileBig%20smile  Yep reading between the lines of my last post what it really says " I  am a selfish ***** and want the whole river to myself all the time " ..... and DD you are right I'm 100 % catch and release of healthy fish except for the odd one from Taupo or if I'm staying in the bush and running low on food .....  but that aside surely a 5 or 6 page full spread major feature on what F & G consider a river in recovery is a tad irresponsible.

Cheers
 
Toby
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote upstream Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2006 at 1:41pm
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You're probably right Toby, but the article was hardly a glowing endorsement - lot's of small fish was what I read into it.
 
I have only fished this river once but found it a tough nut to crack. Access is tricky, river is swift, banks are overgrown. I'd say that you really have to earn your stripes there, with local knowledge being invaluable. I don't think that the fish have too much to fear from newcomers.
Always keep a travellin' rod/reel in the boot of the car - next to the Ultralarge condoms and bottle of Laphroaig...
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