Waiteti
Stream mouth
The last few
hundred metres of this stream, where it enters the lake is quite deep and very
slow moving. Most people fish it successfully with a nymph/wet fly combination
though a double nymph or wet fly works as well. Few fish out in the lake and
those that do can do very well. I consider this both a summer and winter
fishery that produces both brown and rainbow trout. While the water temperature
entering the lake is not as low as Hamurana or the Awahou this stream attracts
a lot of fish all the same. Walking directly out from the stream mouth, one can
get out 250 metres while heading off on a tangent to the right will lead you to
a reasonably significant depression in the lake bed. This depression seems to
be where a lot of fish hold over the summer and I suspect that it does in the winter
as well though any wind from the West or South – Southeast tends to push the
stream plume away from there. Woolly buggers grey ghosts catch fish here when
used with a floating line and long trace of around 8lb. Casting a brown or
white tokoroa chicken, green or red veltic or a zed spinner works well for
those who don’t fly fish.
Ngongotaha
Stream mouth
Easy access to
the mouth is from Beaumonts Road in Ngongotaha. One can walk along the reserve
to the stile at the end of the reserve or walk through the water – fishing all
the way to the mouth which is about 150 metres to the left of the boat ramp as
you face the lake. For some reason this stream mouth seems to fish best at
night with a South – Easterly wind during winter. It fishes fairly well at anytime,
especially if there is rain coming or has arrived as well though. The secret to
fishing this mouth during the winter spawning months is not to venture out too
far. Stand at least 12 metres upstream of the very small delta at the mouth and
cast a line that allows your fly to swing in the current right were the delta
drops way to the lake bed. It is here that trout will rest for a while before
moving upstream. Cast this distance and direction 10 or 15 times, then lengthen
your cast by one metre and repeat. If you decide to change your fly, start with
your original length of cast and repeat the above instruction. As there is less
flow and water volume at this mouth, browns will move into the delta if they
are around but be sure to cast into the quieter water to the side of the
current every now and then in case they are there. Wooley buggers in olive or
black, craigs night time and similar variants, dragonfly and damsel nymphs
catch fish here. Casting a brown or white tokoroa chicken, green or red veltic or
a zed spinner works well for those who don’t fly fish.
Utuhina Stream
While fishing solo at any
of the other stream mouths entering Lake Rotorua is relatively safe, I can’t
say the same about this mouth. The stream enters the lake in a significant and
relatively unstable geothermal area. There are pockets of very hot water at the
mouth and some very soft patches in the lake bed. The true right bank, which is
the easiest access point, also has patches of geothermal activity so one has to
be very careful when walking up to the road bridge on Lake Road. The pool
directly below the bridge does hold a lot of trout and fishes superbly summer
and winter. The only drawback is parking one’s car on a side street several
hundred metres away. A weighted nymph/glowbug or streamer pattern works well
here.
The
Ohau Channel
The Ohau Channel links lakes Rotorua
and Rotoiti, allowing fish to move both ways. Brown trout up to 9kg and
rainbows up to 4.6kg have been caught in this short stretch of water over the
years. Unfortunately the amount of public access water is quite limited as much
of the surrounding land is in private hands or Maori owned. Some of the larger
brown trout have come out of the privately owned access points. The channel
delta has fished well over the years but seems to be in decline since the wall
was finished, The drop-off at the delta is still there but downstream of that
the bed is infilling fairly quickly and is less than 1.5 metres deep in places.
A slow or medium sinking line and smelt patterns such as a woolly bugger or
grey ghost stripped in fast seems to work better than anything, particularly
late in the season. By crossing well above the delta, access is gained to a
long stretch of water which can hold a lot of fish after Opening Day on October
1. Nymphing using glowbugs is successful in this area. The mouth of the channel
provides the easiest access for anglers and it is here that most anglers
congregate. Access to the weir from the true left bank is via public reserve
and sign posted from the road at the western end of the Marama Resort property
boundary. The more tradition method of wet fly fishing from this bank is being
steadily superceeded by nymphing as it appears to be more productive overall.
Heavy bombs and egg patterns work well most of the spring, summer and autumn.
Access to the true right bank is via Takinga Street, which is opposite the
Duxton Hotel, and one can drive to the water’s edge. A short stretch of the
channel is available here, courtesy of the adjoining landowner. A fast sinking
line or shooting head is best when used in conjunction with any smelt pattern,
though at times silver works best. I have had a fair amount of success when
using a floating line and smelt pattern here as well so try this line if you
have one. Fishing from the weir is quite popular and one's line is fed out and
allowed to drift in the current. On the Lake Rotorua side of the weir there is
a hole either side which holds good numbers of trout at any time of the year. A
smelt pattern is cast across the current and allowed to drift over the hole,
then retrieved fairly quickly will result in fish being hooked. Night fishing
is a viable option too as the fish hold in close to the bank. A floating or
sinktip line is best inside the channel. After June 30 fishing is restricted to
the Lake Rotorua side of the weir, marked by two yellow and black landmark
poles. The water on the downstream side of an imaginary line drawn between the
two poles is closed until October 1. Even so this area is well worth a visit
over winter. Large brown trout and reasonable rainbows can be caught any time
of the year. Mission Bay One of the most overlooked fishing spots on Lake
Rotorua, access to this bay is close to Marama Resort. The lake bed has large
rocks dotted all over the place and is a favourite haunt of both rainbows and
browns. To the right of the bay, as you look across the lake, a point juts out
into the lake. There is a spring coming from the bottom of the lake here and
during summer especially, it holds a lot of fish. Spinning and fly fishing is a
common method of fishing for the few who fish this area. Standard smelt
patterns and floating line or tokoroa chickens and green or red veltics work
particularly well.
Where
To Stay
Being centrally located MALFROY is very
conveniently positioned for fishing trips to all of the above Lakes and
Rivers. We are also well located for
visiting the other Rotorua attractions – geo-thermal, sporting, or scenic.
We would like to thank the team at - http://www.fishing.net.nz/fishing-rotorua/#sthash.pRFjwgrM.dpuf – for the above information. Much appreciated
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