Fishing out on the lake [Lake Taupo] has again been good this week. Harling has been very good especially very early mornings, still the same fluo orange Cobra lure and Green Orbits doing the damage.

Other flies to try now will be the Ginger Mick, Parsons Glory and Yellow Lady, and during the day with Grey Ghosts to emulate the smelt will be good.

Top spots have been the Golden Mile, Ranagtira Point round to Whakamoenga. Whakaipo Bay and Mine Bay. On the other side of the bay, Waitahanui round to Rotagnaia, and Whareweka Point have been going well.

Jigging has started to pick up momentum with some good catches coming from Whareweka Point.

The Moari Carvings and Mine Bay, the Horotamangi Reef produced some exceptional fish for some of our customers this week with fish up to 5lbs being caught on small smelt patterns and mini Green Orbits.

Local fly fishing continues to be quite good, some good reports from the Hinemaiaia this week with good numbers of fish being caught on small nymphs, some spazmodic dry fly sport during the day also on Green Beetles.

The Tongariro is still fishing very well, reports of some very good fish being caught this week and some early browns have been showing up just to spice things up a little. Lots of recovering fish being caught but a remarkable improvement in condition compared to just a couple of weeks ago. Local lakes have been a bit hit and miss this week with rain colouring the water a little for a few days. Rotoaira is probably still pick of the bunch for consistent sport.

River mouths should be set to improve soon over the next few weeks, many of the mouths have been a little hit and miss for many anglers recently as far as numbers go but some good quality fish showing up for those that persist, Hatepe has been giving up some good sized rainbows to 5lb this week on smelt patterns , small Woolly Buggers and small Boobies.

Good evening rises on most rivers this week although the cold winds have been holding them back over the last few days.

Hearing plenty of cicadas now when its hot. Bring it on!!

Tight lines
Gary Lyttle

It is always good to hear from customers that take the trouble to thank you for good advise, it also wonderful when with a beaming smile they bring in fish like the one pictured to be weighed and photographed, good not just for us but for the whole of the Taupo community to see signs that justify that we may just be seeing the evidence of an upturn in our wonderful fishery.

This fish was caught by local Keith Ensor jigging with some of our smelt specials, it was just a couple of ounces under the magic 10lb mark but could well have lost those vital two ounces during the day in the ice bucket. Not the longest fish but the condition was just outstanding for such a young maiden fish.

An hour later on Saturday morning local customer Mr Ryan came in to tell us of a 14lb Brown caught and released by his wife Theresa over in Kawa Kawa Bay, further reports today have been coming in of more large fish caught before the weather packed in on Wednesday night as I write .

Harling has made a sudden comeback this week with many locals enjoying some superb sport over the Taupo Bay itself and at Waitahanui also Mine Bay and Whakaipo Bay have been good. Orange and Gold Cobras and Green Orbits also the Ginger Micks have been top lures. Jigging has also fired up for quite a few anglers with reports that most of the local points such as Ranagtira , Moari Carvings , Mine Bay and Whareweka have been producing on smelt patterns.

Local fly fishing has been good for those that have fined down, top river will still be the Tongariro for numbers of fish but many will be returning kelts, The dry fly sport continues to improve on the right nights, you will need mayfly emerger patterns for the early part of the rise, adults and spinners for the change of light and caddis adults for the last splashy rise forms of the evening.

We have had some very good fish on our visits this week including some early browns entering the river. The Hinemaiaia opened this week but we have not had many reports but it sounds as thought there have been quite a few solid fish caught and many tales of bigger fishy lost in the infamous snags .

River mouths are starting to perform now as the smelt start to appear at the entrances.