Summer Lakes

Smelt Fishing Lake Taupo

There are three main food sources for the trout growing up in Lake Taupo.  Bullies (a small native bait fish), Koura (freshwater crayfish), and smelt (a small native fish introduced to the lake from another part of New Zealand).  Of interest to us predominantly over the summer months is the smelt.  There are numerous streamer type wet flies out there that imitate theses including the grey ghost, Jack Sprat, Silicon Smelt, Ginger Mick, green orbit and many others.  During the season as the smelt mature they head to the shores of the lake to spawn and this is when they become of interest to the fly fishermen is the trout follow the food source to the lake margins in particular the river mouths and the start a process we call smelting.  This is where just like ocean going fish, they race through the schools gobbling up what they can.  They thus become susceptible to a well presented fly.  We Target them from boats, from the shore around the margins and from the river mouths.  In most situation a slow or medium sinking line is ideal however there are situation where a fast sinking shooting head is necessary and also floating lines

High Country Lakes For Trophies

Fly Fishing New Zealand lakes in summer is one of the best time for targeting the huge wild trout in some of the high country lakes.  During summer theses lakes are abundant in insect life such as cicadas, damsel flies, dragon-flies, caddis, and of course mayflies.  Each of these lakes has its own idiosyncrasies and you need to know them to have any degree of success.  Most of the time we employ static nymphing techniques and long leaders, although we do also fish English style, casting out nymphs on a long leader with no indicator and slowly retrieving.  On certain days, stripping wet flies is the answer with flies like a Mrs. Simpson and of course a Wooly Bugger.