Made it out for a few hours today (yes, Christmas Eve; Vanessa was helping at her parents shop for the rush, and I’m useless there!). The Wairoa is a small stream just outside of Auckland. Everyone knows of it, but it’s not fished much. The rainbows are generally small, with the one I got today a decent sized one for this water (25 cm, or about 10 inches). Picked it up on a size 12 dark Cahill. It’s generally muddy or cloudy, but it was pretty clear today (although the bottom makes it look muddy in the photos, the water itself was quite clear).
I had been fishing for quite some time and hadn’t had any luck, until I made it to “hidden pool” where I saw this fellow jump and take a large reddish brown mayfly. I drifted the dark Cahill down and through and shortly after picked this one up. Water was still pretty low, but we’ve had some rain. That seems to have cooled it down a bit.
4th link is a nice fish Jeff. 1st and 3rd links are photobucket sign in pages. 2nd link looks like a stream. Sounds like you had a good day too. Merry Christmas. Jim
Here’s a couple scenery shots at “Sheep pool”, so named because last time I was here there was a sheep carcus next to the river. Someone must have stolen it from one of the near by farms as it was just the skin with wool, and some of the feet bones. The ribs, and carcus were missing, so it appears it was dressed by the river. It was a strange outting that day, as there was a dead pukeko at the first pool I usually visit, then this sheep, and then at the head of the Hidden pool, there’s a nice riffle with lots of pocket water, and there was a dead rat (so I call that Dead Rat Run now). In fact, after landing the above fish I softly hooked another about the same size in Dead Rat Run, but didn’t realise it was a take until it spat the hook and I saw the fish (nearly at my feet).
Anyway, just thought I would share some of this scenery. Hmmm, perhaps the above stories don’t really add to it in a positive way? Must work on my atmosphere developement when telling tales!
Hey there Jeff! Mighty nice that stream. Just a few months and it will be time for you to make your way down to Rotorua area for the lake-run fish in Ngongotaha. What is that, about three hours’ drive for you? When I make it back to En Zeeed you’ll have to show me around the Auckland area…we had no time at all there except to see the Maritime Museum, a shame I know. Keep up the good work mate.
Yes, once the lakes warm up the fishing at the stream mouths gets pretty intense. The Ngongotaha Stream can be tricky to fish, very close in brush and fly eating trees, combined with lots of underwater snarls and very large hard fighting fish, well, it can be a lot of what if’s! Still, there are times when I quite enjoy fishing that river. On the way there’s a couple of nice spring fed streams which hold lots of small fish with a few larger ones. They are much more open for casting.
