Fishing: Jigging catches on at Taupo

In a charter boat on Lake Taupo the client finally turns to his guide and says: "I think we've caught enough fish."

That comment turned up in a discussion last week with Graham Whyman, the owner of Turangi tackle shop Sporting Life, when we were talking about jigging.

Jigging for trout has slowly but steadily been attracting followers on Lake Taupo and converting many from the traditional trolling methods. Some anglers and guides now specialise in the technique.

Jigging, which was developed for seafishing, has been around for years but only recently adapted for Taupo after successful experimentation on the Rotorua lakes.

It is done by lowering a metal jig or sinker, with flies attached to the trace above it, to the bottom of the lake, then moving the rod up and down to induce a strike as the flies flit about. Arguments on the correct way to move the rod vary considerably, but a slow rise and fall of half a metre to a metre is the most popular.

Whatever the personal preferences, jigging is a proven fish-catcher. A survey at the southern end of the lake last summer showed the deep-trollers were catching three to six fish a trip, the harlers six to 12 fish and the jiggers six to 20. Whyman has heard of more than 40 being caught on one jigging trip.

Brendon Mathews, in his excellent guidebook Volcanic Trout, says that by far, the main attraction of jigging is the catch rate. Superb fishing can be experienced, multiple strikes are common, and "sometimes everyone on board can be playing a fish within moments of each other".

Jigging can be done all year round, but the best time is from October to April and the peak December to February, when the smelting season is at its best. Best times are dawn and dusk. Best places to jig are anywhere between 7m and 35m along the drop-off - which is between 30m and 300m out - and off river-mouths, over reefs and holes and on the lee sides of cliffs and headlands.

Whyman says a jigging outfit can be inexpensive to set up, and has proven a more enjoyable style of fishing for a family outing, especially for the youngsters, who find it easy to do and take a much more active role than when trolling, which can become a little boring for them.

Many jigging anglers have their own ideas, their own little tricks about what works best and catches more. Whyman recommends, as a general rule, a small, light, overhead-style baitcaster reel and a 2/6kg rod with a braided line and a fluorocarbon trace of 8/12lb.

A metal jig with hook, such as a grim reaper, can be tied on with two flies above it. Whyman is keen on flasher rigs, silicone smelt flies and the ginger mick. The olive woolly bugger, the red setter, yellow lady, green orbit and traditional streamer patterns such as the taupo tiger and parson's glory have also proved popular.

He says you can pay as little as $59 or up to $500 for a jigging set-up, and recommends about $140 for a starter combo of rod, reel, line, jigs and flies.

Boat guides charge about $60 an hour out on the lake, so a morning trip will cost a group of four $240, or $60 each.

"Jigging is certainly picking up a lot of fish and will become more popular as more and more anglers take it up," says Whyman. "Families can enjoy a great day out. They need to get out there early, find where the fish are and put a jig down. They can have some wonderful fishing."

To find fish, he recommends looking for areas along the drop-off into which the trout can herd smelt and other food - for example, an indentation in the drop-off wall that serves as a shelter.

"Most times you'd go to a depth of about 100 feet and drift through the places you want to jig. Lift the rod so the tip rises and falls steadily through a metre. The takes can be fast. When you get one, lift and crank straight away."

Reports from Turangi this week show the jigging improving markedly as the weather clears and the smelting picks up.