Sporting Life - Turangi

16/10/2026

Friday 16th October 2026

Weather: 7.6° A few showers, clearing this afternoon but remaining partly cloudy. Gusty southerlies, easing at night.

River Flow: 23.4 Cumecs (m³/s)

It’s certainly feeling a lot more like winter again! With snow falling on Ruapehu and yesterday’s rain giving way to a gnarly south-easterly sweeping through today, it’s easy to see why the rivers have been a little quieter. The wind has had anglers either seeking shelter on some of the smaller rivers, making it a day at the vise, or taking the opportunity to stock up on supplies.

We received a welcome dump of rain yesterday, spread nicely throughout the day. The river began to rise in the late afternoon, peaking at 63 cumecs at around 9 pm last night. This fresh flush, combined with the drop in temperature, should give the fish a great reason to start heading upriver. Things are certainly looking promising!

The wind is expected to ease as the day progresses, although it looks like we’ll still have a bit of a breeze hanging around into Saturday morning before things settle down for the rest of the weekend. Temperatures are then forecast to climb as we head into next week. We’ll still have some chilly nights to contend with, but the outlook is looking good, with clear, fine days on the cards.

Reports coming through the shop over the past few days have been fantastic! Anglers have been getting into some quality fish, with plenty coming in on the heavier side, and a few have even reported having their best days on the water all season. It’s great to hear the fishing is firing!

With the recent fresh flush, we expect insect activity to ease off a little for now. However, with warmer temperatures on the way, we’re hopeful things will pick up again and the bugs will be back in good numbers by next week.

Natural patterns have been the clear winners this week, with the trusty Hare and Copper leading the charge. Sometimes you just can’t beat the old favourites!

The long-awaited Major Jones Bridge has finally been completed, officially opening this morning! There was plenty of excitement among locals, with many keen to be among the first to cross and check out the new bridge after all the hard work put in by everyone involved. It’s great to see the project come to fruition, and a big thanks goes to all those who helped make it happen.

It’s been a long time coming, and we can now gladly let the old bridge rest as we look forward to having the new crossing in action. A great milestone for the local community!

With the long weekend just around the corner, we’ve been busy stocking up the shop and getting ready for what we hope will be a fantastic few days on the water! We’re expecting a decent top-up of Tassie Devils, Tobies, sawdust for the smoker, and plenty more goodies to keep everyone well equipped for their long-weekend adventures.

We’ve also been busy behind the scenes, spooling up a good number of jigging rods and getting them all rigged and ready to go. Whether you’re planning a trip out on the lake or getting your gear sorted for a few days of fishing, we’re doing our best to make sure you’re all set for the weekend ahead.

It’s shaping up to be a great time to get out and enjoy everything the region has to offer, and we’re looking forward to seeing plenty of familiar faces, as well as welcoming some new ones, throughout the long weekend and into next week.

Thanks to everyone who has been popping in and sharing their fishing stories with us. We love hearing how you’re getting on out there!

Tight lines everyone!

~ Niamh (Bluey)

10/10/2026

Saturday 10th October 2026

Weather: 15.7° Cloudy periods. Isolated showers, becoming confined to the ranges in the evening. Light winds.

River Flow: 20.5 Cumecs (m³/s)

Another very warm but overcast day here in the Central Plateau, with temperatures sitting in the high teens for most of the day and barely a breath of wind. With the school holidays coming to an end, there have been plenty of anglers making the most of their time on the river.

Reports coming through the shop have been very positive, with most anglers managing to land a good number of fish. We’re seeing a mixed bag overall, although there are still plenty of fresh fish coming through. We have had many new anglers also being successful on the start of their fly fishing adventures.

Natural patterns are starting to outperform egg patterns, but eggs are still producing fish during the early mornings and when a bit of rain rolls through.

We’ve also seen a nice increase in traffic through the shop as the lake fishing starts to pick up. Tim has been out on the big lake recently and has reported good success while jigging.

Trolling and harling seem to be fishing a little better along the eastern side of the lake, based on the reports we’ve been hearing. However, there appears to be less action around the river mouths at this stage.

Opening week around the country has been fantastic to see, with plenty of anglers making the most of the settled weather and getting out on the water.

Last night, I gave a presentation to the Women on the Fly group, covering some of the key safety tips, a bit about the main access on the Tongariro and essential gear required for fishing in the area. The group was here for their Cast and Connect weekend, and hopefully the information came in handy as they headed out today for a mission on the river and some social fishing.

Insect hatches have been increasing, and we’re starting to see more fish rising to the surface. A few anglers have been lucky enough to convince the odd rising fish to take a dry fly, which is always a great sign as the season progresses.

Nat was out fishing yesterday evening and gave me a very excited phone call after landing a beautiful brown trout. It’s great to see a few more browns making their way to the net, particularly when they’re in such good condition.

Looking ahead, we’re expecting some rain tomorrow, with the possibility of heavier falls before things begin to ease towards the evening. Hopefully, as the week progresses, we’ll receive enough of the forecast rain to help lift river levels, which are currently in a pretty desperate state. Temperatures are set to remain warm, but cooling as the week progresses, with daytime highs sitting in the mid to high teens through to at least the end of next week.

As we edge closer to Labour Weekend, we’ll continue to keep the shop well stocked with all the boating essentials for those planning to make the most of the long weekend out on the lake.

We’re all looking forward to seeing how things develop as we continue to work our way through spring. With a bit of much-needed rain on the way and fishing activity continuing to pick up, it’ll be interesting to see what the coming weeks bring.

Tight lines, everyone!

~ Niamh (Bluey)

07/10/2026

Wednesday 7th October 2026

Weather: 18.0° Cloud increasing, with the odd shower about the eastern ranges. Southerlies dying out early evening.

River Flow: 21.7 Cumecs (m³/s)

We’ve been greeted with a fantastic start to the week, with plenty of sunshine and calm conditions. Temperatures have been steadily rising, and we’re now sitting at a whopping 18°C with only a light breeze about. It’s certainly starting to feel like summer is just around the corner!

Reports coming through the shop have been very positive, with many anglers enjoying fantastic and successful days out on the water. Fish are being reported from the lower reaches right through to the upper reaches, giving anglers plenty of options to explore.

We’re also starting to see more and more reports of fish rising and taking dries. It feels like we’re seeing a real overlap between the seasons, with fish still very keen on eggs, particularly early in the morning, before switching their attention to naturals as the sun comes up.

The dry-dropper setup is definitely becoming the preferred method for those wanting to fish the nymph. It offers a great chance of bringing fish up to have a look at the dry, or even take it, while also being an excellent option for targeting those more cautious and easily spooked fish.

Evenings have been producing some very healthy insect hatches on the river, with mayflies being the most prominent. It’s been great to see the evening activity picking up, and a few lucky anglers have even managed to bring some of those rising fish to the net.

Daylight savings has also made a big difference for those working during the day and wanting to squeeze in a quick evening fish before dark. I’ve been able to get out quite a number of times after work over the last week, which has been absolutely amazing. Most of my fish have been coming to small naturals such as Hare & Coppers, Caddis Nymphs, and Pheasant Tails.

We’re now into the second week of the school holidays, and with the main road to Taupō open, we’ve happily started seeing an influx of anglers and their families coming through the shop. It’s great to see more people getting out and making the most of the improving weather and fishing conditions.

With the rest of the country now open as well, we’re also hearing reports from anglers heading over to the Whakapapa River and the Whanganui River. From what we’ve been hearing, these rivers are in a similar state to our local waters, clear, low, and a little challenging, but certainly still offering some great opportunities for those willing to put in the time.

Luke has been the main man getting out and about on these rivers, making the most of every opportunity to explore and get amongst the fishing while he’s here in New Zealand. He’s already managed to land some great fish, and with the spring season only just getting started, there’s certainly plenty more to come!

Luke even took a friend out for his first taste of fly fishing, and Elliot was able to get into a few fish of his own. It’s always great to see someone new experience that first fish on the fly, so hopefully he’s well and truly hooked and keen to get back out there for another go!

Looking ahead to this week, we’re expecting more settled weather, with some lovely high-teen temperatures forecast right through into next week. We may see some scattered showers on Sunday, but these are expected to ease away during the evening. Overall, it’s looking like another great week to get out on the water and make the most of the improving spring conditions.

We’re also starting to stock up and plan ahead for summer, with wet wading bound to become more popular as the temperatures continue to rise. Wet-wading socks, boots, and hats will be hitting the shop floor soon, so we’ll be well prepared for those warmer days ahead.

With the warmer weather, increasing insect activity, and more fish starting to look up, it’s an exciting time to be out on the rivers. There are plenty of positive signs for the season ahead, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the coming weeks bring.

Tight lines everyone, and enjoy the sunshine!

~ Niamh (Bluey)

02/10/2026

Saturday 3rd October 2026

Weather: 11.9° Cloud increasing. Rain developing this afternoon, possibly heavy about the ranges, clearing to fine this evening. Southwesterlies, changing southeasterly late afternoon.

River Flow: 20.9 Cumecs (m³/s)

The sun was out this morning helping warm us up before the cloud cover has crept in which should keep the fish out and about throughout the day.

As spring weather settles in, we are seeing an increase in the wind around the central plateau. It may be time to change your fly line to a more appropriate spring line such as the Rio Gold and Gold XP that can help cut through the wind paired with a faster action rod such as the Sage R8 series.

As the post-spawning fish start feeding hard to put condition back on whilst slowly dropping back out to the lake, we are seeing the low conditions and sunny days increasing insect life in the top water column, beginning to emerge and hatch. We have been seeing rising fish in edge water throughout sunny days and into the evenings. So make sure you have a good handful of small emerger patterns at hand, I was caught out the other day as I approached a rising brown in calm edge water, armed only with a box of nymphs! Needless to say, my dry fly box has been organised and now firmly packed in my vest for this weeks missions.

Swinging wee wets is another productive method for the current conditions and fishing small emergers can entice fish to take from the surface. Keep an eye on the water as you approach, as we see so many wade straight out through shallow water where the fish are sitting before throwing heavy nymphs into the deeper water. Fish your feet guys and girls!

The backcountry season has opened as of the 1st October and we are getting very excited for the summer missions ahead and the dry fly season when the fly fishing really comes alive. The local lakes are open now too, and we wish everyone a great opening season weekend!

Josh and I headed out to our favourite lake for opening day and had great fun throwing streamers all day, finding a good number of fish of mixed sizes. The maidens are in great condition with the as expected spawned out rainbows still needing time to recover and put on condition before things really start ramping up and we see those elusive trophy fish and big models starting to appear in prime condition. I am dreaming of big beautiful browns chasing damsels! Not too long to go team...

The Tongariro has been fishing well, with fish holding more in the tails of pools now, so swinging small unweighted rabbits and woolly buggers into shallower tails and edges has been productive for those on the wetline. Nymphs that have been doing well, include the yellow and white caddis and prince nymphs as insects begin to move around and emergers become more on the menu for the trout. Fresh fish are still pushing through and holding in faster deeper water, but in lower numbers as the season slow.

Remember the road to Taupo from Turangi is closed until Tuesday at 5am and there is no detour through the Waiotaka. So those heading north to the smaller local rivers will have to wait until Tuesday or if super keen, head out on the western bays drive to go right round.

Looking ahead to the weeks weather, sun, cloud and breezy conditions are on the way as spring continues. There are plenty of good sheltered spots on the rivers, so don't let the wind put you off!

See you on the water guys!

~Rosie

29/09/2026

Tuesday 29th September 2026

Weather:15.4°Fine spells increasing. Westerlies, dying out at night.

River Flow: 21.5 Cumecs (m³/s)

After a chilly and wet few days, we’re back to sunshine here in the Central Plateau, which has been accompanied by the classic spring wind. The wind has been sending some cold gusts down the river, making things a bit of a pain for those out on the water.

Over the weekend, the river climbed a few cumecs and coloured up for short bursts before easing back down to its now-normal low and clear conditions.

On Saturday, I headed out for a little mission with my dad (aka Dinny) in the rain. Clearly, we had managed to hit water that had already been well fished, as we didn’t get a touch for a good while.

As lunchtime approached, Dad finally managed to get a pretty silver hen to the net after a bit of coaxing with a small Pheasant Tail nymph. We had jobs planned for that afternoon, so we headed home with at least one of us on the board!

We’re into the first week of the school holidays, and we’ve definitely seen a nice influx of people through the shop, with plenty of kids getting out and into the fishing with their families.

The lake fishing has also been picking up, with Tim reporting a successful day out jigging. He had a good number of fish to the net, all in great condition. Trolling and harling have been picking up as well, and as we head into the warmer months, these methods will only continue to get better.

Looking ahead to this week, we’re seeing another stint of limited rain, with plenty of sunshine about but cooler nights. As spring does its thing, we’re expecting to see a bit of wind around, which can make things tougher on the water. The dry-fly fishing will continue to improve as the days go on, with reports of rising fish increasing daily, always a good sign!

There may be patches of scattered showers throughout the rest of the week, but nothing looks like it should be too significant.

Some exciting news for the shop. We finally have FISH BAGS back in! They’re a little different from what we used to have, but they’ll do the job just fine.

A reminder that there will also be road-work disruptions to sections of State Highway 1 between Tūrangi and Motuoapa, starting Thursday night. The road will be closed until 5am on Tuesday, 6 October.

If you’re travelling from Tūrangi to Taupō during this time, you’ll need to take the Western Bays route. Those heading down this way will also have a detour in place, so make sure you allow a bit of extra time for the journey.

Happy school holidays, and we hope to see you in the shop and out and about on the river!

Tight Lines!

~ Niamh (Bluey)

24/09/2026

Thursday 24th September 2026

Weather: 10.9° Fine. Cloud developing for a time this afternoon. Southwesterlies developing this morning.

River Flow: 21.6 Cumecs (m³/s)

With a very breezy start to the day and temperatures lower than we have been seeing, it’s feeling a little more wintery than spring out there. The wind has been persistent throughout the day, although it is expected to ease towards the evening. It looks like it will pick up again briefly around midday tomorrow before settling for the weekend.

Luckily, we avoided the frosts that were forecast, so the morning was a little warmer than expected, making things more pleasant for those heading out early to the river.

Reports through the shop have been fairly positive, with Monday sounding like it was the best day out of the week so far. There is a real mixed bag of fish around at the moment, and with some rain possible tomorrow, we should hopefully see a few smaller pods continue to make their way through the system.

As we transition further into spring, we are starting to see more insect hatches and some fish beginning to rise. As temperatures continue to climb, we should see more fish looking to feed from the surface. With this in mind, switching out the indicator for a larger dry fly and dropping a nymph underneath could become a more productive way to fish over the coming weeks.

The river is still sitting incredibly low and clear, and it has remained reasonably tough to convince fish to eat. We are seeing some massive pods of fish holding in the runs and pools, but many have been quite coloured up or are in spawning mode.

Looking ahead to the coming weekend, school holidays are starting again, so we are hoping to see an increase in traffic both through the shop and out on the lake. For those heading out lake fishing, we have been hearing some positive reports, with success while trolling and harling starting to pick up.

The weather forecast for the next couple of days and into the weekend is showing some showers, which should ease by Monday. Overnight temperatures are expected to sit in the low single digits, with daytime highs in the low to mid-teens. Hopefully, the small amount of rain will keep things ticking over and encourage a few more fresh stragglers from the lake to move up into the system.

With Lake Rotoaira now open, and Lake Otamangakau and Kuratau opening on the 1st of October, we are very excited to get back out on the smaller lakes and into some classic lake-style fishing.

Importantly, from 8pm on the 1st of October until 5am on the 6th of October, NZTA has confirmed a road closure affecting major sections of State Highway 1 between Tūrangi and Motuoapa. Travel will be significantly disrupted between Tūrangi and Taupō, with the road closed for the entire period to allow major strengthening work to be carried out on the Waiotaka Bridge.

This will affect travel and access from Tūrangi to some of the other popular rivers, including the TT and Hinemaiaia. Unfortunately, access will be via the western bays during this time. The work is essential, and we understand that NZTA and the contractors initially tried to plan the work around partial closures. However, due to the large machinery required and the limited space along that section of road, a full closure is necessary.

We will still be operating as normal, but we encourage anyone planning to be here during this period to plan ahead and allow extra time for the detours and disruptions.

In the shop, we have been working hard to stock up for the holidays. We have also just received a big shipment from Guideline, so a lot of gear that has been out of stock for a while, including fly boxes, vests and rods, is now back in and available both in-store and online. We have also had a top-up of slushy material, which was running very low.

We look forward to seeing everyone over the weekend and throughout the holidays!

Tight lines, everyone!

~ Niamh (Bluey)

21/09/2026

Monday 21st September 2026

River flow:21.7 Cumecs (m³/s)

Weather: Mainly fine, cloud increasing this evening. Westerlies, strong at times this afternoon.

After nearly getting blown away yesterday, the wind has finally calmed down. It's fairly chilly out there today, with south-westerly winds blowing through. Despite the cooler conditions, it is a much more pleasant day to be out and about, there is a good stock of fish in the river with good numbers of fish being caught.

There was a colour on the Tongariro yesterday evening, a milky blue colour, but this has since changed overnight, with the river running clear today. Fishing on the Tongariro is producing some mixed results at the moment, but there are good opportunities for those putting the time in. I think the main thing is simply to find the fish. Once you locate them, you can have some very enjoyable fishing. It’s all about covering the water, looking for where the fish are holding and adjusting your approach as you go.

I was on the Pouto yesterday evening after work and managed to have some enjoyably fishing on it. With fish taking naturals and also, they were smashing slushie's. Had a funny experience on the river, I caught this rainbow on a slushie and I released him back into the river but he just sat a few meters away from me so I said I'd cast the slushie over him again and he took it again without hesitation, must have been a fish with a few screws loose but he couldn't resist the slushie.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, the weather is set to remain fairly changeable around Tūrangi, with westerly and south-westerly winds dominating. There will be a mix of fine spells and passing showers, with some stronger winds at times. Temperatures are likely to stay on the cooler side, particularly first thing in the morning, so it will be worth keeping an eye on the forecast before heading out. With conditions expected to move around a bit, the river could see some changes as the week progresses.

Cheers,

Luke.

17/09/2026

Thursday 17th September 2026

Weather: 10.2°Mostly cloudy with a few showers, mainly from afternoon. Northerlies.

River Flow: 22.6 Cumecs (m³/s)

This morning we woke to vastly different weather from what we had yesterday, with plenty of sunshine and reasonably warm temperatures throughout the day. I had a rare Wednesday off, so I decided to head out to the Delta first thing in the morning to see what was happening around the river mouth.

Unfortunately, we didn’t even get a touch while we were out there. By midday, we decided to head up to the big river to see if we might have a bit better luck, but it seemed to be just as tough. There were plenty of anglers out and about, and from all reports, it was a pretty challenging day all around.

We did, however, see a surprisingly large number of fish. Most were spawning and showed no interest in anything we threw at them, while others were incredibly spooky due to how clear the water was. Despite the lack of action, it was still great being able to watch them doing their thing!

Looking ahead to this weekend, we will see a recreational release take place on Saturday the 19th, which will affect flow levels on the Tongariro. If we don’t see any significant changes to river levels from the forecast rain, we can expect flows to reach around 35 cumecs.

We want to remind everyone that while this isn’t a significant increase in flow, it will still make a difference, and wading can become more challenging and dangerous. Take your time when out on the river and keep an eye on the river levels in case we see any further increases.

The release will begin at 9am, with water levels around the town pools expected to start rising at approximately 10am. The release will finish at 3pm, after which flows will gradually begin to drop back down.

Looking at the weather for the rest of the week and into the weekend, we can expect showers to continue right through the weekend and into the start of next week. At this stage, Friday is looking like it could bring some heavier showers. The wind is also forecast to pick up on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, which may be a bit of a nuisance for anglers, although it is expected to ease later in the morning.

Reports coming through the shop have been fairly bleak, but anglers are still managing to get a couple of fish to the net. We are seeing a real mixed bag at the moment, but as we transition into spring, this is something we expect to see.

There have also been reports of hatches in the afternoons, with some fish even starting to rise to them. The fish aren’t quite committing to taking dries just yet, but it’s certainly a positive sign as we head further into spring.

Natural patterns such as Pheasant Tails, Caddis and Hare & Coppers have been the go-to when the sun has been out. However, we are still hearing that egg patterns, particularly Slushies, have been very effective during the early mornings and on overcast days.

Personally, I’ve been sticking with a slightly larger dry fly, such as a churnobyl, and dry-dropping to reduce my chances of spooking fish with an indicator. This has been working much better for me than using a nymph indicator in the shallower water where I’ve been spotting fish.

Tight lines, everyone! Bring on the rain!

~ Niamh (Bluey)

14/09/2026

Monday 14th September 2026

Weather: 13.2° Morning cloud breaking up to a mainly fine day, but isolated showers in the afternoon and evening. Light winds.

River Flow: 22.6 Cumecs (m³/s)

It's been a very mild few mornings here in the central plateau. Spring weather is creeping in now as we move through September. The wind has been fairly constant with a few days where it's luckily been just a light breeze throughout the day, but we have seen an increase in overall wind.

Conditions on the river have been fairly consistent with it sitting low and being incredibly clear. Angler pressure has been quite high on all of the rivers with a steady number on both the Tongariro and the Hine.

I hit the Tauranga-Taupo yesterday after being stuck at home with the flu for the last 2 weeks. I was desperate to get out for a fish after being cooped up inside. I made plans with 2 friends of mine. We decided to give the TT a go as there seemed to be less people there and we were introducing freshwater fly to one of our friends so needed a little bit of space.

The river was incredibly low and clear, which we did expect but it really did surprise just how low it had gotten. We spotted a handful of fish, but all were very spooky as we approached runs and pools. Luke managed to pull out a skinny recovering fish, but we headed home for lunch empty handed.

After lunch we hit the Tong to see if we had a bit better luck. This seemed to pay off a little better with both Luke and Richard landing nice jacks each. I unfortunately was less successful with only managing to hook into another jack and dropping it just before the net. But we had a good afternoon regardless and Sombra the cat came with to be part of the action.

Richard was stoked with the day, and we all had a great time teaching him some of the ways in for fishing the rivers. Hopefully he will be coming back so that we can all get into some more fish!

Looking ahead this week, we are seeing light winds until about Friday where it looks like it will pick up slightly but nothing major at this stage. Thursday into Friday we may get some light showers which will hopefully help things. But overall, a mild week with nothing major happening.

Tight lines everyone!

~Niamh (Bluey)

13/09/2026