Upside Down and Round About

It's been a full 6 months since I last wrote, primarily because I didn't have anything useful to say, and when the time came to think about the annual MCX Christmas Stocking article, I was completely lacking in motivation, and far more concerned with grandparent duties.  Then in the New Year I was fully occupied for 6 weeks with a trip to New Zealand, where our elder son is currently working on a 2 year assignment just outside Wellington.  We visited him and his family last January and February, which included touring the South Island, but no fishing.  This year we toured North Island, courtesy of New Zealand friends who assembled the most amazing programme, including two days' trout fishing at Taupo.  The second day was on the Tongariro River, which provided the most electrifying trout fishing I've ever experienced in 71 seasons.

The Tongariro

Lake Taupo

It may be helpful to explain the background to the trout fishery based on Lake Taupo and its feeder rivers, not least because trout aren't a native species.  About 1,800 years ago - uncomfortably recent in geological time - an enormous volcano exploded and blasted a lump of rock bigger than the island of Singapore into orbit.  That's 800 square kilometres, and for the locally inclined, more than double the Isle of Wight.  It was the largest seismic event of the last 5,000 years, and devastated the North Island, leaving lumps of rock scattered across its length and breadth.  The nuclear energy equivalent would be 32,000 megatons.

Subsequently the crater collapsed and was filled by nutrient-rich water running off the surrounding mountains, which supported an incredible density of small fish, shrimps, crayfish and other species.  In the 1880s a Victorian trout fishing fanatic, who had enjoyed the incredible fishing in the Pacific North West of the USA and Canada, introduced stock of migratory rainbows from Oregon, otherwise known as steelhead.  The population exploded in both numbers and size.  By the 1920s Taupo and its feeder rivers were recognised as world's the foremost trout fishing destination.  The walls of the lodges are decorated with black and white photographs of redoubtable gentlemen in tweeds and ties, armed mostly with two-handed rods, standing behind unbelievable bags of very large trout displayed on the grass before them.  In one photo I saw, three rods had caught about 100 fish up to 20 lbs: strangely, they weren't smiling.

Overpopulation, food pressure and hydro-power exploitation of the rivers led to a relative decline in both the size of fish and the productivity of the fishery.  But today it still remains on of the most extraordinary fishing destinations, equalled only by some of the lakes and rivers in Patagonia.  The best of the fishing  is in April and May (equivalent to October and November in our calendar), when the larger fish migrate up the feeder rivers to spawn.  I was two months early for the optimum fishing, but by any standard it was still fantastic.

Head of the first pool

The Tongariro is regarded as the best of the rivers.  It hurtles off the mountains to the south of Taupo, flowing northwards to join the lake near the town of Turangi.  The best pools are in a gorge 120 feet deep, so you can't drive or walk to the river.  The adventure and excitement begins with white water rafting down the maelstrom to the first pool, and then to each successive pool thereafter.  As a result you're pretty revved up before you even start fishing.

The water is crystal clear and absolutely pristine.  This is not, however, an English chalk stream with manicured banks.  The vegetation comes right down to the water's edge, often making casting the required distance a real challenge.  Certainly I caught a lot of bushes and giant grasses.

Dry Cicada #6

The second casting problem is the fly.  We were using floating Cicadas tied on a #6 single hook that were almost 1 1/2 inches long with the cross section of a farmyard hen.  It has a closer resemblance to salt water patterns and casting style than my usual #16 Olive at short range on the Rye.  The rod was a Sage 9' #5, which worked well enough, but I should have preferred the greater horsepower of a #7.

Working hard!

Although there wasn't a significant hatch, fall and rise going on, if you cast to the lies or visible fish they came readily up to the Cicada.  In the slower water most takes were quite gentle.  The first thing I had to learn was not to strike as quickly as I do with a small dry fly and wild browns: you have to wait until the fish has turned downwards to set the hook.  After missing a couple by striking too soon, I finally connected.  At that point there was an explosion in the water and the world went mad.  The aerobatics were spectacular and the runs long and fast, even with modestly size trout in a fairly quiet pool.  The violence demanded keeping the tip much higher than is customary at home.

One handicap was that the rods were all rigged for right hand wind, to which I am wholly unaccustomed and heartily dislike.

Modestly sized
but utterly crazy fish

I was blessed with two amazing guides, Mark and Garth, both former international competitive anglers, with unbelievable casting skills and total knowledge of the water.  Garth runs the local white water rafting business in Turangi, and was reassuringly expert in his handling of the boat.  Watching Garth execute a single handed Perry Poke to deliver a Cicada 20 yards to lies under the low-hanging branches on the far bank with pinpoint accuracy was very humbling.

After a career in fishing Mark is now one of New Zealand's most successful fund managers, but still gets out whenever possible, especially to his lodge beside the Tongariro.  He is also an inspirational character: despite suffering from MS for many years, he confronts and overcomes every challenge presented by this type of fishing, whilst also being charming company and an assiduously kind host.  Whatever his success in business he has never lost his passion for fishing or his remarkable modesty.

Good fish getting away downstream
in fast water

After allowing me to get my hand in we dropped down to a tougher pool, with faster water and plenty of big rocks in the stream, casting straight upstream to fish lying in the runnels.  

The takes were lightning fast and you had to be 100% focused on presentation and line management, as well as keeping your footing while moving continuously upstream.  It had some similarities to early season upstream fishing at home - until a fish took and things went wild.

My best fish first went airborne; then looped round and under a rock before freeing itself (when the line went slack I thought I'd lost it); and then shot off downstream with the full weight of water behind it.  There was no way I could chase over the rocks, so fighting it back upstream was lengthy and hard.  Also, given the fish's propensity for violence, you get quite wary about bringing the loop into the top ring in the final stages.

Finally!
4lbs Tongariro trout

Here it is, safe and sound after 8-10 minutes of nerve-wracking excitement.  The Tongariro trout are very pretty in prime condition and well-muscled by the demands of their habitat.  You will note its unusually large fins, presumably a genetic trait brought with the first introduction in the 1880s.

I'm not at all sure how I would have coped with anything much bigger in the fast water.

Down the gorge in a quiet stretch, with Garth on the oars and his black Labrador on full alert.

Beautiful, but there's a goodly drop around the corner!

It was an absolutely wonderful electrifying day's fishing: I loved every minute and should love to do it again if I ever find an excuse to return to New Zealand.  After 6 weeks of deep immersion in the NZ atmosphere and Kiwi culture I'm now totally laid back and relaxed.  The national aphorism of "she'll be roit", meaning don't worry, any problem will sort itself out, can usefully and healthily be applied to much of our more pressured lives back home in the UK.

A Real Tackle Shop

In the UK, where the tackle business is dominated by the online giants, real tackle shops are increasingly hard to find.  Even Farlows in London is but a pale shadow of its former self, and in Yorkshire my nearest is John Norris in Penrith, 100 miles distant.  However, happiness still exists in Turangi.

Sporting Life has got everything it should have, and essentially, real expertise and experience behind the counter.  It's a delight, the sort of place you'd like to spend happy hours just browsing: sadly, for all three of my visits I was in an uncharacteristic rush.

Peter has guided and fished the Tongariro for 50 years and more.  Nigel used to own and operate the shop at Draycote before emigrating to New Zealand in pursuit of finer fishing and better quality of life.  They also have a team of guides and rent out gear at affordable rates.  Despite their best efforts my Reddington waders leaked, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment in the least.

To get an idea of the local fishing, have a look at some of the photos on their website, including those from the current season.

Salmon Fishing 2025

As this is a salmon fishing blog I need to say something about the season ahead.  My plans include:

• If April and May are wet, trying to catch a Yorkshire springer on the Ure
• Week 26 on the Orkla at Grindal Lodge with John and Patrick, hoping desperately that the run will be good enough to stop the Norwegian government from pulling the plug at the last moment.  If the water's cold it will be the first outing for the new sinking Rio Game Changer line system, which has superseded the sinking Scandi heads.
• The first week of July on the Tweed at Boathouse with my oldest Army friends, more a holiday with some fishing than a pure fishing holiday (yes, honestly)
• Sadly my planned return to the Inver and Kirkaig fell through owing to problems securing the lodge, a major disappointment.
• The first week of September on the Helmsdale courtesy of TTMN's generosity, which is really exciting as I love fishing the water.
• Autumn on the Ure, including the annual father and son bonding with HMCX.
• Getting my hands on one or more of the following rods for testing:
• Sage R8 14' #9 6 piece.  I had this rod to take to Norway last year but didn't get to use it apart from a brief try on the Ure.
• Vision XO Graphene 14' 2" #9
• Gaelforce 13' 6" #8 or 14' #9

Hopefully, if all that happens I should have something to write about.  Until then I wish everyone tight lines and all the joy of fishing, wherever you may be.