….Other images today are of the lower river to illustrate the crossing – which is now too deep for crossing – over from RHS below Reed/Jones Pool. We mentioned this last week and have since had another angler taking a cold dip in waders.
Not recommended… you could lose your rod.
You can see the water was still a slight milky colour from the pumice and snow melt so he must have relied on memory and assumed the crossing was still possible. From the LHS it is very obvious this spot has deepened considerably.
So to get to these pools down the true LHS you now need to take the long tramp down river from the Crescent car park on Tautahanga Road – from the Swirl Pool car park – past the Log Pool access tracks and turn in where the tree leans across the track. Other obvious visual changes down river include the loss of the small beach at the Bends – see photo right – where they did the filming for the Destination trout NZ book and video, which made this spot far too popular.
All the usual lies have changed down through this stretch of the lower river so be prepared to try everywhere.
28 May 2008 – Poutu Canal
maintenance programme postponed until 2009. Canal re-opened and
Tongariro River now back to the managed level of a minimum of 16 cumecs
below the dam which, after additional flows from various tributaries
such as Waipa, Whitikau, Poutu, Mangamawhitwhiti, etc. results in
approximately 23 cumecs at Major Jones Pool.
2007 Report Warning – The rating of this pool had to be revised after it featured in the Tongariro River section of the 2006 Book/DVD/video combo “Destination Trout”. As a result of this unfortunate exposure it has been over crowded despite the access becoming more difficult. Part of the access track along the river was washed out during the November 2006 floods.
As such, for 2007 the rating was reduced to reflect more difficult road and track access and excessive traffic for the size of the pool. Anglers are warned to be careful wading. Soft sand has increased the wading possibilities and some spots which were previously wade-able are now either too deep or too full of snags. Hopefully some new pools might emerge from the ever changing river bed.
Car park at end of Grace Road after rain. Track located opposite car in foreground.
AccessThis lower river pool access was not reported on in 2005 due to the track being too difficult to find and the usual flooding problem towards the end of Graces Road. There were also guest-anglers who threatened me never to reveal their pool?
In 2006 DoC contractors widened the walking track so now it is easy to identify and anglers traffic has increased considerably – most regulars claim it is excessive considering the limitations of choice.
The road was re-metalled from the braided section (opposite Plank Pool) so that it is now mainly above the flood plain except when very wet.
Since then the fines have been washed out and the surface is only suitable to 4WD vehicles (or rental cars?).
DoC Notice Board at end of Grace Road.
The track entrance is located about 30 metres back from the parking area and the obsolete DoC signboard at the end of the road.
If anglers’ vehicles are parked ahead of you at the end of Graces Road it is probable that the best lies have already had a thrashing and will need time to recover.
This track is an alternative walking access to the Reed Pool and
Smallman’s Reach section. The track emerges on the RHS river bank with several limited wading spots on the way up-river to the Bend – about 15 minutes waddling in waders.
The Bend is the most popular pool, where the river takes a sharp right hand turn. There is a small beach with adequate room for a big back cast to fish the shallows out to the main current. In clear conditions many trout can often be seen lying in the shallow water above the deep corner pool so a stealthy approach is recommended. The pool falls into a deep hole on the corner and then widens away to the right – down river. The tail of this pool, where it widens out, is also wadeable and is a reliable producer. A small beach which offers good wading for nymphing and wet lines is Smallmans Reach, 5 minutes further up-river on the way to the pools, between Reeds-Jones-Parade pools. Another warning – this lower river area has more problems with snags than regular upper river users may be used to. It would be fair to suggest that the middle-upper river is more suitable for fly fishing – the fish may not like the lack of cover whilst anglers like the lack of snags. But fish prefer all the cover from numerous large snags down river.
The river bank from Graces Road to the Bends is also good for spotting big trout early in the season as they hide in/behind/under/amongst the willow roots and the fallen log jams. Occasionally they get sucked in by a deviously presented woolly bugger and then the challenge really starts as they know every snag in the river. Another lower Tongariro enthusiast, Brent Purser from Noosa wet lining Sept. 06. Don’t expect to land every hook up. Anglers often “complain” as the trout are so fighting fresh at this early stage of their spawning run they are either impossible to land or immediately find a snag to break off most anglers. This river stretch probably has the lowest rate of successful landings anywhere. (At the time of taking the photos on 10 August 2006 after a decent flood – refer photos, four anglers’ reports were: 1 – hooked five, landed one, 2 – hooked six, landed one, 3 – hooked three, lost three, 4 – skunked)
Comparatively the fish prefer the cover provided down river but many fly fishermen do not enjoy it due to frustrations
from less time fishing while often having to replace gear.
Nevertheless, this stretch has some regular devotees who know the lies and seldom fish anywhere else.
Summer fishing down river is also interesting, when this lower river is usually deserted, to quietly meander up river during the evening rise or during the cicada hatch. Dry flies do not appear to snag so often. Do not venture too far off the main tracks. Visiting anglers from Tasmania – who shall remain nameless – got lost down here as darkness descended after the evening rise on a moonless night. They took several hours to find the track back to Graces Road just before local mozzies devoured them.
This stretch of the lower river requires Huckleberry Finn type unorthodox tactics and particularly special roll casting skills – a real challenge for Summer anglers
On some of the old maps this Bends pool was named the Fence Pool – not to be confused with the Fence Pool above the Whitikau at the winter limit. Many pools named below this point were popular back in the dark ages when the only access to the Tongariro River for pioneering anglers was by boat across to the delta from Tokaanu. The usual trip from Taupo was by ferry via the Tokaanu Hotel. So it took many years before the upper river became popular. The 1928 map names sixteen pools and “reaches” from the end of Graces Road down to the delta. By 1974 these had reduced to nine. Now they are but a faint memory…
On the 1977 river maps the walking tracks extended down river to Cobhams Pool on the RHS and to Dog Island on the LHS. Delatour lived for his fishing at the turn of last century. According to P. J. Burstall, Conservator of Wildlife, De Latour was a scientist who took a private interest investigating the fisheries. He fished the Tongariro and the Waitahanui where a pool is also named after him. Jason Klivington from Portland, USA, practicing his bow & arrow style casting at big browns hiding behind flood debris. Even if he hooked up there would not be much chance of a successful landing from these positions. 20 January 2007.
One day, when NZ elects a Prime Minister who is a fly fisho, DoC will remove the riverside debris and flood carnage to extend the walking tracks down to the delta and this lower forgotten stretch of the Tongariro could recover it’s glory days. Could some one out there encourage John Key to go fly fishing?? Update August 2008 – Another angler’s advice from web site forum for Delatours Pool
Lower river access … drive to the end of the airport road (first left after the town bridge). Drive through the big gravel puddle at the end of the road; don’t be scared to hoof it thru’ – let me know how you go if the river’s up though 
then park at the gate/ mud roundabout. There’s a track heading in the rough direction of the township about 10 metres from the fishing sign – wade down the track 150-200m until you see a sandy bank just through the leafless willow trees on your right. Fish that bank (Daniel’s Stretch) up to a second small sand bank (fish is under the upper willow handing into the river on your side), then duck under the trees 10 metres to a deep hole, just before the quick water on the corner. Stand on the trees hanging into the water a biff a globug with 2 splitshot up into the top of the hole. You should catch at least half a dozen fish in two hours here on a good day without getting your feet wet. And loose half a dozen flies on the snags in the hole. But don’t tell anyone, it’s our secret, right.
These Pool Reports for the Tongariro River are prepared from guest/anglers experiences. As such, Tongariro River Motel do not accept any responsibility for the opinions of other anglers who are traditionally acknowledged liars about their best fishing pools.