Trolling with 10 colours out, and harling with two to three colours in thirty to forty feet seems to be the most productive way of fishing still. Stay on the move, change depths  and lures regularly is the key to success this time of the year.

Jigging, as always, remains popular but it tends to be harder work at this time of the year. Once again staying on the move and varying depth is key.

As predicted the rains finally came halfway through August and the rivers fired big time.

All of the local rivers responded to the fresh and the fishing was insane for a good two or three days with big numbers of big river bars full of fight providing anglers with amazing sport. The rivers are back to low and clear with the Tongariro running at 24 cumecs as I write this.

We do have a bit of rain on the horizon next week. I’m fairly certain that we still have some major runs still to come through September.

The anglers that have been most successful in these low water conditions are those that have radically adapted their winter approach and done away with the big shuttlecock indicators and gone smaller. Smaller eggs and slushies in the early mornings but once the sun is up and the shadows disappear a complete change of rig is required with lighter and longer leaders, natural caddis and mayfly nymphs in size #14 and #16.

Even a dry fly dropper in the shallower riffles has been more effective the targeting the big deep pools.

As the days are drawing out now and we get more warmer sunny afternoons more birds can be seen working the water with small caddis emerging on most rivers with as mattering of mayfly activity. I have seen a few fish rising already to mayfly emergers on the Tongariro and Tauranga Taupo rivers. I also witnessed a small hatch of huge colabriscus mayflies hatching and getting eaten on the Waitahanui this week on a warm windless afternoon.

The river mouths have been as patchy as ever. You really need to be Johnny on the spot tobe consistent on the mouths. The lower lake levels have made most of the river mouths more accessible now. The huge Blue moon this week has pretty much killed any hope of night fishing this week but with that gone in a few days and low pressure and rain coming it could all be on very soon.

The Fish and Game license is now available with some new back country rules to try andprotect our much valued high country rivers from being overfished. Make sure you read these amendments if your favourite river is on the list.

Lake Otamangakau opens today as I write this. Personally I would have preferred the extra month to have occurred in June rather then September but time will tell.

Tight lines to all and remember to call into the shop and say hello to Karsten and myself and get the latest up to date oil on the district.

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