BENDS POOL

August 2006

Many anglers have suggested that this lower Tongariro might as well be a different river to the upper reaches.

Compared to the magnificent scenery associated with the town pools and upper river, this is a snake and crocodile river delta landscape.

Firstly, difficult access - the sand/pumice/gravel fines on the Grace Road extension are diminishing after each flood and part of the road is increasingly like driving along a stream bed.

Secondly – the foot track similarly gets covered in pumice after each flood, waders are needed to get in.

Thirdly – the snags readily devour expensive lines and gear on first casts. Any fly retailer will readily recommend this lower river area.

Any natural growth is comparatively dull and uninspiring for angling, more akin to a devastated flood delta. But do not let these minor cosmetic defects discourage you.

There must be some advantages down river. Fishing guides’ vehicles are parked there regularly for a good reason – to get first pick of feisty fresh run silver rockets. Also, for many the wading is easier, as the river boulders moving down river with seasonal floods have mainly ground themselves into sand below Bain Pool– that is in the few spots where it is possible to wade.

This lower river pool was not reported on in 2005 due to the foot access track being too difficult to find and the flooding problem towards the end of Graces Road. There were also some regular guest-anglers who threatened me never to reveal their pool? In 2006 DoC contractors widened the walking track in so now it is easy to identify and anglers traffic has increased considerably – most regulars claim it is excessive considering the limitations of choice. The road was re-metalled from the braided section (opposite Plank Pool) so that it is now mainly above the flood plain except when very wet. The track entrance is located about 30 metres back from the parking at the end of the road.

If anglers’ vehicles are parked ahead of you at the end of Graces Road it is probable that the best lies have already had a thrashing and will need time to recover.

However you can use this track as an alternative walking access to the Reed Pool section. The track emerges on the RHS river bank with several limited wading spots on the way up-river to the Bend – about 15 minutes waddling in waders.

The most favoured destination Is where the river takes a sharp right hand turn. There is a small beach with adequate room for a big back cast to fish the shallows out to the main current. In clear conditions trout can often be seen lying in the shallow water above the deep corner pool so a stealthy approach is recommended.

The pool falls into a deep hole on the corner and then widens away to the right - down river. The tail of this pool, where it widens out, is also a reliable producer. Another beach offers good wading for nymphers and wet lines is 10 minutes further up-river on the way to the pools and runs between Reeds-Jones-Parade-Smallmans Reach pools.

Another warning - this lower river area has more problems with snags than regular upper river users may be used to. It would be fair to suggest that the middle-upper river is more suitable for fly fishing – the fish may not like the lack of cover whilst anglers like the lack of snags. But fish prefer all the cover from numerous large snags down river. down river.

The river bank from Graces Road to the Bends is also good for spotting big trout early in the season as they hide in/behind/under/amongst the willow roots and the fallen log jams. Occasionally they get sucked in by a devious woolly bugger and then the challenge really starts as they know every snag in the river.

Don’t expect to land every hook up. Anglers often “complain” as the trout are so fighting fresh at this early stage of their spawning run they are either impossible to land or immediately find a snag to break off most anglers. As such, this river stretch probably has the lowest rate of successful landings anywhere on the river.

( At the time of taking the photos on 10 August 2006 after a decent flood – refer photos, four anglers’ reports were: 1 - hooked five, landed one, 2 - hooked six, landed one, 3 - hooked three, lost three, 4 - skunked)

Comparatively the fish prefer the cover provided down river but many fly fishermen do not enjoy it due to frustrations from less time fishing while often having to replace gear. Nevertheless, this stretch has some regular devotees who know the lies and seldom fish anywhere else.

Summer fishing down river is also interesting, when this lower river is usually deserted, to quietly meander up river during the evening rise or during the cicada hatch. Dry flies do not appear to snag so often.

But do not venture too far off the main tracks. Visiting anglers from Tasmania – who shall remain nameless – got lost down here as darkness descended after the evening rise on a moonless night. They took several hours to find the track back to Graces Road just before local mozzies devoured them.

The limited fly fishing further down river below the road end is not worth the effort. The DoC maps label De Latours Pool but this corner has even more difficult access from the end of road car park struggling over flood debris and over-grown banks.

The DoC map sign at the end of the road would similarly indicate there are pools further down river but access is through private land and any pools are now inaccessible due to flood debris strewn along the banks. The DoC map sign at the end of the road would similarly indicate there are pools further down river but access is through private land and any pools are now inaccessible due to flood debris strewn along the banks.

On some of the old maps this Bends pool was named the Fence Pool - not to be confused with the Fence Pool above the Whitikau at the winter limit.

Many pools named below this point were popular back in the dark ages when the only access to the Tongariro River for pioneering anglers was by boat across to the delta from Tokaanu.

The usual trip from Taupo was by ferry via the Tokaanu Hotel. So it took many years before the upper river became popular. The 1928 map names sixteen pools and “reaches” from the end of Graces Road down to the delta. By 1974 these had reduced to nine. Now they are but a faint memory…

On the 1977 river maps the walking tracks extended down river to Cobhams Pool on the RHS and to Dog Island on the LHS.

One day, when NZ elects a Prime Minister who is a fly fisho, DoC will remove the riverside debris and flood carnage to extend the walking tracks down to the delta and this lower forgotten stretch of the Tongariro could recover it’s glory days.

De Latour lived for his fishing at the turn of last century. Barbara Cooper’s account suggests he appears to be the same angler mentioned in Carr Rollett’s Angling in New Zealand – “In 1881 Dr. De Latour took seven trout out of the Kakuni River”.

According to P. J. Burstall, Conservator of Wildlife, De Latour was a scientist who took a private interest investigating the fisheries. He fished the Tongariro and the Waitahanui where a pool is also named after him. .

These Pool Reports for the Tongariro River are prepared from guest/anglers experiences. As such, Tongariro River Motel do not accept any responsibility for the opinions of other anglers who are traditionally acknowledged liars about their best fishing pools.