Winter Fishing, Taupo, New Zealand
Winter fly fishing in New Zealand is exciting and provides the angler with fresh runs of migrating fish from Lake Taupo, the number of fish in the rivers increases dramatically, the scenery moves through Autumnal golds to frosty alpine settings of smooth flowing waters with thousands of rainbow and brown trout making their way up stream.
During the New Zealand Winter (June to September) most of the fisheries in New Zealand are closed, the Taupo region is a major exception to this as it has no closed season and fishes all year round. The Rainbow and Brown trout make their spawning migration up the eastern tributaries of Lake Taupo. The runs are spread out between April and November with the main rainbow runs between June and September. Runs are stimulated by rain and cooler water temperatures. Nymphing is the most effective technique.
From 1st June to 30th November, the upper parts of the rivers are closed to angling to protect the trout while they are spawning, but the fishing is awesome throughout the winter in the lower sections of all the eastern tributaries.
Popular rivers for fishing over the winter period are the Tongariro, Tauranga-Taupo, Hinemaia and Waitahanui.
The Department of Conservation provide fish numbers and estimate that the migration up the Tongariro is 10,000 rainbow and 1000 brown trout.
The winter feeding habits and conditions are very different from that of summer and like any fishery local knowledge makes a big difference in knowing where to fish, the tackle and which flys are working at any given time. With Ken to guide you, you can be sure of finding the hot spots regardless of the season.
Book your winter fishing trip with Ken Drummond now!