Nothing beats the savage smash of a winter-run Tongariro rainbow as your wet-fly swings across the current. It’s an addictive thrill with few parallels. As a die-hard downstream dredger with better than 40 years thrashing the waters of the Tongariro, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learnt. And maybe you’ll improve your catch-rate, throw away the nymphing gear, or even teach me something if we meet on the riverbank.
Today I use just one fly pattern. Sure, I’ll have the odd darker one for murky water or late evening/early morning but the one fly I find works every time is the orange-beaded olive green Woolly Bugger. There are lots of variations including black heads. Tied on a #6 Kamasan B830 with a 4mm orange bead and plenty of hackle, it moves well
