Patience…………………………………………………….
Some TRM inmates report they struggled over the weekend. At TRM we are fortunate being able to check any trout going into the smoker so can soon assess what the fishing is like and who is succeeding and why, and where, and how, or worse, why not. Occasionally some unscrupulous anglers attempt to be uncooperative and hide their secrets. Then I have to let SWMBO loose to interrogate their wife/partners, so eventually She finds out everything. That is not TRM’s preferred way as sometimes She finds much more than ever intended. One inmate’s wife almost broke down and told Her that their real problem was… but back to fishing.
During the two recent floods, both over 200 cumecs, the pressure rolled all the river stones over. The upside was that it removed all the slippery slime and algae growth and made wading so much easier and safer. The downside was that it changed the shape of many pools and cleaned all the stones removing all marine insect life. So the theory is – so we are told (remember no one has interviewed the trout yet) – that the fish have little to feed on and are flashing through much quicker on their way to their upper river spawning grounds. But there is always an inmate or two who are out of step with the mob.
So we will try to relate briefly how one fisho who went fishing only once on the weekend managed his limit, while a second booked in for two days and caught his limit each day. The trout that both of them filleted and smoked were fresh run from the lake in absolutely top quality condition with firm orange flesh. There is nothing like Taupo trout for eating quality. They are what they eat. Elsewhere trout have to eat ugly insects, whilst Taupo trout choose to eat whitebait! But I digress. So why did they succeed when we other mortals (yes, I failed too) struggled.
In the first case he was a dreaded trawler – a wet liner – who gets in more practice by staying at TRM more often – hint, hint – plus regularly studying TRM reports, and usually sneaks off to the same pool and by patiently sweeping the deeper river bed always seems to return with well conditioned rainbows. He is very methodical and patient. As that is so unfair on the trout we do not encourage it. Reluctantly we admit that when the weather (despite forecasted rain) is bright and sunny and the usual nymphing techniques fail, then these river trollers plundering the dark depths of pools do seem to be more successful. Life is so unfair.
But the second example is more interesting as he is a real fly fisho angler – i.e. using a floating line. His graceful technique is to be first into a pool and gently targets pocket water and backwater swirls. Instead of mending to get the indicator to flow with the current he deliberately aims at the head of pools into the quiet confused water beside the main flow. Sometimes he patiently waits ten, even fifteen minutes, as the indicator bobs about. His theory is that eventually the trout get sick of seeing the nymphs bobbing around and out of frustration nip them. The “takes” are hardly discernible – just the tiniest bob or turn or nudge or dip. He strikes at movement that many, particularly me, would not even see. Often they attack the bomb. His results over three days last weekend prove it works.
So there you are. There is more than one way to skin a trout.
As for the weather – Jim’s forecasted heavy rain and gale winds have still not arrived?