Bert Robinson: Positivity among anglers

There are still reasonable numbers of fish downstream of the control gates at Okere Falls, some of which are fresh fish from Lake Rotoiti.

With the new fishing season fast approaching and the relevant fishing licences now available there is a new positivity rising among anglers.

Daylight hours are longer and though lake temperatures are not moving at this stage, it is likely they will start shortly.

Add to this equation a forecast of a warmer and wet spring from Niwa and the outlook for an early start to our summer fishing well up there as a real possibility.

Let's hope we don't get a repeat of last year's summer when Lake Rotorua's water temperature didn't get high enough to push the fish into the stream mouths.

While we are waiting to see if this happens there are still plenty of opportunities for anglers to cast a line with a real expectation of catching fish.

The Ngongotaha Stream will continue to have fresh rainbows moving upstream to spawn as the conditions required for spawning are suitable all year round.

It is still a couple of months until the start of the brown trout run but this event will be upon us before we know it.

Other streams entering Lake Rotorua will also have fresh fish moving into them especially with any rain event.

At this time of the year it is not so critical to have fine tippets and small flies because there is, usually, some colour in the water and quite often, during the middle of the day, a hatch of insects which gives anglers another opportunity to target trout with dry flies.

Most, if not all, of the fish that take surface insects at this time of the year are recovering fish, meaning that they are not in good condition, or smaller fish that have not yet spawned but either way they do provide a lot of fun for anglers.

There still reasonable numbers of fish downstream of the control gates at Okere Falls, some of which are fresh fish from Lake Rotoiti.

Two fly fishers, who fished this area last weekend, got into some good fish last weekend, as did I, though the better fish that I hooked there either straightened my hook, broke me off or had the hook pull in the faster water.

There is still plenty of signs of fish spawning above the gates and will be so for at least another month so I am looking forward to that stretch of water opening to fishing on October 1.

Many of the outlying streams in the Eastern Region Fish and Game Council's area open to fishing on October 1 also and will, based on previous years, provide some great opportunities for those first on the water.

Depending on the weather leading up to the opening either nymphing or wet lining will be the way to go. If the stream that you are fishing is carrying a moderate amount of colour then across and down with a wet fly is the better option.

After opening day there is very likely to be more regular insect hatches happening during the day so being prepared to change tactics quickly is critical for success.