Hamilton trout

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    Posted: 30 May 2020 at 10:03am
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Bronze
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Joined: 05 Dec 2015
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Hi,

I am new to trout fishing in the Waikato region. I live in Hamilton and was hoping to get some advice about places or rivers to check out. Definitely not expecting secret spots (unless someone is feeling super generous :)

Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2020 at 8:04pm
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Titanium
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OBE - Over Bloody Eighty

Joined: 12 Dec 2006
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Hamilton had & presumably still has a very active fly fishing club so suggest you seriously think of joining ... no better way to learn. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reel Deal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2020 at 8:40pm
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Titanium
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Joined: 28 Sep 2003
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There are some monster trout in the Waikato river. Grew up of a urban myth maybe of a nz record trout caught under the police bridge. Nice gravel beds and eddies
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote taurangatroutmaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2020 at 12:33am
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Woolly buggers under the willows. Either on flyrod or spin rod with a couple of split shot. Don't need to cast far the fish are close to the bank. Cast out to the edge of the willows. Swing it til it hits the bank then retrieve close to the bank
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2020 at 11:26am
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Titanium
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There are some great fish in the Waikato system, particularly in the hydro lakes.
I don't have current info, but lived in the 'Tron for a few years and never had much luck in the urban parts of the river. It's quite funny when people who don't fish report seeing heaps of big trout under various bridges - they're actually schools of mullet.

I found the drive south to Arapuni very worthwhile, though - with very nice rainbows out of the tailraces at the top and bottom. They are (or used to be, anyway) stocked from the R type breeding programme. 

Some experienced fly fishos used to get huge browns at night in Karapiro as well. Like the ones at Arapuni, they got big from scoffing the smelt in the system.

Search this Forum for Arapuni and you should find some threads with good tips. Due to the lack of casting room in many places, a good spin rod with a 1/4oz ball sinker and a trace to a smelt fly (my favourite was a sparkle green bodied Rabbit with prominent eyes) is usually less frustrating. Cast up and across and the fish usually hit it towards the end of the swing.

I did a few trips to the upper Waipa and other small streams over towards Matamata with fly but found the average size pretty small. If you're used to catching much bigger trout, the down scaling of gear and mindset wasn't my cup of tea. When hooked, the small rainbows often scoot all around and the hook damages their mouths and faces in a way that I found hard to justify.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2020 at 9:06am
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Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Hamilton
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I live 200 M from river in Pukete and have caught small rainbows on a spinning rod but have never really done much serious fishing on the Waikato river.
Have been told that using soft baits, especially at dusk/dark at creeks entering the river works well. From Memorial park, Fairfield bridge, Days park there are easily accessed spots. Guy from Hunting and Fishing has some good info.
I remember a kid catching a 16 lb brown trout at Huntly 30 years ago. On a walk along river walkway at St Andrews, saw a big trout chasing something just behind weedbeds - really twisting and turning and splashing, giving something a hard time.
Best of luck.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
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