Between ‘seasons’ sees mixed bags

April has been an interesting month on the Central Plateau fisheries with many mixed reports coming in from anglers.

We are currently in the in-between season, with the summer fishing ending and the winter season just starting to begin. There has been a trickle of fresh silver rainbows making their way up the Tongariro, however there hasn’t been any large pushes yet. The first (and much needed) heavy dose of rain we get should see the river come alive with hard-fighting chrome bars and we are very much looking forward to it! The river needs a good fresh to clean it up a bit, with slippery wading conditions causing a few mishaps lately.

There has been success using most methods of fishing, with nymphing under an indicator through some of the deeper holes a solid option that has been producing some great fish. It is possible to pick up some nice browns during the day using this method, however, using a streamer at night with a sinking line has provided some behemoths for those anglers keen enough to brave the cold and leave the comfort of the couch. A few rainbows have been picked up on globug and egg patterns, but the ever-faithful Hare and Copper nymph should help you get into some action.

Large rabbit patterns in black and olive have been the most consistent for browns at night, with olive Woolly Buggers and Yellow Rabbits the daytime pick. The numerous rips around the lake have produced a few fantastic fish, although not in large numbers; they should really come into their own in the next few weeks if the lake continues to drop.

On the lake, it has slowed down from the chaos of the summer season, with fish numbers dropping. However, the condition factor of the fish that are caught continues to be sublime! The delta is producing some great fish and will continue to get better and better as winter comes closer. Jigging has been a little slower, with the majority of reports through the shop indicating the fish are still hanging out deep in the 55-60m mark. Use your sounder to find the depth the fish are concentrated at before fishing – this will save you a lot of time and fuel, as opposed to dropping randomly and hoping for a lucky strike. Gold Ginger Micks have been flying out the door of the shop so you would be wise to have one or two in the fly box before heading out! For the trollers, a popular lure has been the pink lightning bolt Toby, and with spawning season approaching rapidly the pink, orange, and red lures really start working well. Tasmanian Devils have a great range of colours – don’t be afraid to try the larger versions as they don’t get used as often and can make the difference when fish are used to seeing the same sized lure over-and-over again – you might be surprised at just how well they work.

For all the latest information on Taupo fishing, especially the bottom end, stop in to talk to the crew at Sporting Life in Turangi.

Connor Andrew

@newzealandflyfisher
Sporting Life Turangi