Lake Otomangakau

[Mike Thomas]

I finaly got to use my pontoon boat over 2 days at the "BIG O", the weather was cold and wet with some fairly strong south westerlys and the boat handled the conditions very well.
The fishing was fairly hard but I managed a total of 12 fish between 11 and 22 inches with the 22 incher bang on 2kg (4.5lb). Most of the guys managed a fish or two and it was a great weekend. Most of the fish were taken on beadhead blood worms fished dead drift in the holes between the weed beds.
The pontoon boat is a Versa Vessel that I bought second hand and I was impressed with the standard of construction, the ease of asembly and the amount of storage. The only thing I have added to the boat is a 3lb downriger ball as an anchor and it held well even in the gusty alpine conditions of the last couple of days. The only slight problem with the toon is that I find it hard to track straight when rowing into the wind, but maybe this is a problem with other brands as well? Or maybe it is just poor rowing style on my part!
All the best.
Mike.

[JeffHamm]

Hi Mike,

Sounds like a very successful way to christen the "new to you" boat! Well done.

- Jeff

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks Jeff, did you get down to Rotorua, and if so how did you go?
All the best.
Mike

[JeffHamm]

Hi Mike,

Turns out I had the dates wrong! Vanessa's organised the Women's trip this up-comming weekend, not last weekend, so it's this weekend I'm going.

And, she's giving a talk in Rotorua the weekend after next as well, so I get to go twice in a row! (I think; must check on the date of her talk!)

I went out to the Wairoa for two hours yesterday. Saw an eel (2 feet long) and caught one small rainbow (about 6 inches) which dashed out from the far bank and chased the fly until it it grabbed it! It took the "Bibio" on the top dropper of a 3 fly team. I saw the pattern on Alice Conba's page at Hans' site and liked the look of it. I've found dark flies work well on the Wairoa since on a good day the water is only "stained", so I tied this up to try it out.

http://www.danica.com/flytier/aconba/bibio.htm

- Jeff