New Zealand stillwater

[Langenbeck]

Have made 20 trips to the North Island of New Zealand to night fish in Lake Tarawera, Lake Okitana and Lake Rotoiti all near the town of Rotorua. Go in the dark of the moon in either May or June. This is all public access fishing on my own. Use a floating line with a smelt fly tied with luminous material that you charge with a flashlight to make it glow. Can expect 1-4 hookups for fish from 5-10 pounds. A three year old fish can weigh up to 10 pounds. These fish are very robust as a 27" fish can weight 10 pounds. What a thrill to hook a 10 pound fish in total darkness. Here is one of those robust fish:
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[eggs]

Wow nice fish! OnTheFly just got back from NZ this last December and did some fishing.. Unreal fish man what a pig!

 

[Sinkline]

.

 

[bigsteel]

thats a fattttttttttttttttttty,,nice fish

 

[Langenbeck]

My largest New Zealand rainbow at almost 13 pounds.
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[bigsteel]

are you fishing streamers to entice these beasts?

 

[Langenbeck]

No. These are smelt imitations on a Size 8 hook using luminous material that glows in the dark once charged with a flashlight.

 

[OnTheFly]

I haven't fished the Rotorua area but my sister has. Yeah fishing until midnight opens up more possibilities. Have you fished Taupo?

Edit: silly question after 20 trips I'm sure you have. lol.

 

[brandon4455]

pigs!!! by the size of their bellies it appears they have been eating golfballs for dinner :lol:

 

[Langenbeck]

Yes I have fished both Taupo and the Tongariro River but much larger fish from the Rotorua Lakes. Here is an eight pound fish from Lake Rotoiti.
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[OnTheFly]

Good on you mate! I fell short of catching fish on the Tongariro just after Christmas then the river blew out on the last day there. I could spend months fishing that area. My dad used to own a house lot in Kinloch on the north shore of Taupo. There is a greenspace between the lake and the lake front homes and we would walk down and fish the first and second rip. His friend had a boat that we would troll with gear but I preferred the fly rod. I hope Flybum gets an eyeful of that fish of yours. We had a discussion about those Kiwi fish awhile back.