Breakfast Pool

2010 Update:

All Town Pool and Lower River Pools are likely to be subject to major physical changes in 2011 as the result of substantial river bed works for erosion control & flood protection with a resource consent application for up to 150,000 m3/year to be removed from below Hydro Pool to the Delta.

Refer to comment below by the Advocates for the Tongariro River:

Tongariro River Gravel Extraction Consent

December 7, 2010

There has been much interest in the Advocates position on the Gravel extraction consent which has been applied for by Environment Waikato.

Turangi experienced a 1 in 100 year flood in February 2004. The flood of 1958 was slightly larger and caused much damage within the river environment. Should another flood the size of 1958 or 2004 return then Turangi is in danger of flooding. Apart from moving the town to another location which is not a realistic option, the town can be protected by increasing the size of the stop banks or removing material that has built up and which endangers the town.

Given this option the Advocates support the removal of gravel and volcanic ash from the river bed to assist the river to move the bed load through to the lake. We do however have reservations about the consent document.

Our concerns are:

1.       The action is piecemeal and not part of an overall plan for the river. Our desire is for an Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICMP) to focus on the whole river and not just a section of it. We want to see an ICMP.

2.       The consent period is for 35 years. We see a period of 3 years as reasonable at this time.

3.       The consent document is too broad and lacks detail. Many who have seen the document think that 150,000 cubic meters per year will be removedeach year  for 35 years, which is not the case, but can be read into the intent of the document.  There is concern at the meaning of “diverting the river from the area of the Hydro Pool” by many.

4.       The river as a fishery is seen as threatened by many. We don’t see the threat given that the fishery was not affected by the gravel removals at the time of the construction of the town and again recently when some 30,000 cubic meters were removed. We wish to see the consent spell out more strongly the protection of the fishery

The full consent document can be read by clicking on   ftp://tongarirorivapps:PrUkcflx@pubftp.ew.govt.nz

It is a big document and takes time to load.

The Advocates will make a submission on these points and other such as an opportunity to dredge the mouth of the river. If you wish to make a submission then it must be with Environment Waikato by the 17th December.

An opportunity exists for you to give us your opinions through this website and we would welcome your opinions.

Eric Wilson

Secretary/Treasurer

Main changes for 2007 are the new stop bank formed along LHS providing improved views over the river for tourists and new timber steps (see photo below) down to the head of Breakfast Pool.

This pool has not changed sufficiently to comment on much else since 2005 & 2006. It is a very popular pool for ease of access and easy casting throughout the pool.

An excellent improvement for anglers wasting good fishing time in their offices wishing they were here (so do we!) is the installation of the Tongariro River web cam at River Birches Lodge. This usually points above the Breakfast Pool up towards the Hydro Pool providing vital information so you can see how many are fishing without you. It is updated every 30 minutes, with a weather station providing wind speed and direction, barometer reading and outside temperature. Go to LINKS.

Perhaps some history may be of interest. It was previously known as the Nurse’s Pool as it was in close proximity to the house of the District Nurse in Kokopu Street, when this little colonial fishing village was known as Taupahi.

It is now called the Breakfast Pool because it was so close to nearby housing and TALTAC (Tongariro and Lake Taupo Anglers’ Club) where anglers could catch a trout before breakfast.

Stay away from this pool during summer months unless you want a junior audience and enjoy sharing it with local children, swimming lessons, dog¹s retrieve the stick games, skipping stones, canoeing practice, etc. During weekends and summer holidays it is used as the local beach for family picnics.

Now it is fished only from the LHS with the extended beach having easy access off Taupahi Reserve walkway.

Prior to the 2004 flood it was nymphed from RHS rocks and the side track remains, but the main flow has now moved further down the pool. Family supporters and wannabe anglers can safely watch and admire your casting skills from the footbridge 100 metres up river. The main flow is strong and deep down the RHS before spreading out left at the top of the Major Jones.

Since the big 2004 flood the Breakfast Pool is more suitable for wet liners – casting across to get strikes on the swing style. The standard rig is a fast sinking wet line and the standard menu is a small olive woolly bugger but there are no rules.

Breakfast Pool Angler Profile

Recently TRM accommodated a regular overseas angler (I hope you read this in Austria Herbert!) and we reiterate his R&R programme. After a pleasant lie-in to recover from jet lag (?) he enjoyed a leisurely cafe breakfast each day and then waited for the second shift, starting 10 am, after the dawn (sparrow fart) parade had gone. Then he always had the pool to himself. He reckoned intense early bird pressure on Major Jones would push fish through to the Breakfast Pool.

So he regularly trawled through the pool late morning (corporate office hours) Note this was in March when the river was low and there were less fresh fish about.

(Herbert Unterweger from Austria with 5 pounder from Breakfast Pool – August 2006)

Over a week or so Herbert returned with a good fish almost every day – sometimes two. He was too consistent to be just lucky. So was he too clever or is the pool better than we thought? Prior to Herbert we had another regular inmate who only ever fishes the Breakfast Pool. Guess what – every day he sneaked back with a good result in his kit.

Despite photo evidence, this pool was regarded as a bit boring and as a producer is supposed to have faded. Advantages were claimed to be more to do with convenient access – than performance. It was more often fished only because adjoining pools – Major Jones below and Hydro above, were already full. If you imagine this is just a pathetic attempt at a turnoff then you are too perceptive. Recent evidence indicates it is much more productive than most will admit.

So despite dubious critical aspersions, Tongariro River Motel’s inmates indicated the Breakfast Pool can be a good producer (with an all day breakfast menu?).

In TRM’s reporter’s survey the 10 pound maxima was snapped off in the middle of the pool after 5 minutes. Perhaps another wind knot?