Originally Posted by
JeffHamm
Hi Freshwaterpirate,
I'll be heading overseas when you arrive, otherwise I would offer to show you a few places. But, most are easy enough to find. There are some rivers I fish with a 3 weight, so a 4 weight is not a bad idea. There isn't a lot of trout fishing right in the Auckland area, and the only river (the Wairoa) generally is muddy and has a few, but not many, small fish. Not too far (an hour or so) is the Ohinemuri, which is definately worth a fish. Near Tirau is the Waihou and the Waimakariri. Both are small spring fed rivers that contain a lot of small rainbows (mostly under 30cm, or 12"). Rotorua area has a lot of good fishing, both lakes and rivers. Dec. might be a bit early for fishing the river mouths into the lakes, but as the temperatures warm up these can be very productive areas (especially at night when the big browns come in). Best bet is to talk to the guys in the fishing shops (either at Hammils or around the corner at O'Keefes; both will give you good advice). There are lots of guides available in Rotorua area as well, and they will know where the fish are. Then, you can continue on to Taupo area, and you should try and fish the Tongariro River (and the rivers near it). Be aware that you will need a different licence for the Taupo fishey than for the rest of the country! And, depending upon how often you will be fishing, a full seasons licence may be more economical than buying one day permits. Again, there are lots of guides and local shops that will put you onto the fish and suggest what techniques are most popular. But, don't be afraid to experiment with technique as nymphing are universally suggested for rivers as the first option! Other things work too of course.
- Jeff
P.S. This is all freshwater info. I've not tried my hand at saltwater fly (yet).
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