Waiteti Stream mouth
The last few hundred metres of this stream, where it enters the lake is quite deep and very slow moving. Most people fish it successfully with a nymph/wet fly combination though a double nymph or wet fly works as well. Few fish out in the lake and those that do can do very well. I consider this both a summer and winter fishery that produces both brown and rainbow trout. While the water temperature entering the lake is not as low as Hamurana or the Awahou this stream attracts a lot of fish all the same. Walking directly out from the stream mouth, one can get out 250 metres while heading off on a tangent to the right will lead you to a reasonably significant depression in the lake bed. This depression seems to be where a lot of fish hold over the summer and I suspect that it does in the winter as well though any wind from the West or South – Southeast tends to push the stream plume away from there. Woolly buggers grey ghosts catch fish here when used with a floating line and long trace of around 8lb. Casting a brown or white tokoroa chicken, green or red veltic or a zed spinner works well for those who don’t fly fish.
Ngongotaha Stream mouth
Easy access to the mouth is from Beaumonts Road in Ngongotaha. One can walk along the reserve to the stile at the end of the reserve or walk through the water – fishing all the way to the mouth which is about 150 metres to the left of the boat ramp as you face the lake. For some reason this stream mouth seems to fish best at night with a South – Easterly wind during winter. It fishes fairly well at anytime, especially if there is rain coming or has arrived as well though. The secret to fishing this mouth during the winter spawning months is not to venture out too far. Stand at least 12 metres upstream of the very small delta at the mouth and cast a line that allows your fly to swing in the current right were the delta drops way to the lake bed. It is here that trout will rest for a while before moving upstream. Cast this distance and direction 10 or 15 times, then lengthen your cast by one metre and repeat. If you decide to change your fly, start with your original length of cast and repeat the above instruction. As there is less flow and water volume at this mouth, browns will move into the delta if they are around but be sure to cast into the quieter water to the side of the current every now and then in case they are there. Wooley buggers in olive or black, craigs night time and similar variants, dragonfly and damsel nymphs catch fish here. Casting a brown or white tokoroa chicken, green or red veltic or a zed spinner works well for those who don’t fly fish.
Utuhina Stream
While fishing solo at any of the other stream mouths entering Lake Rotorua is relatively safe, I can’t say the same about this mouth. The stream enters the lake in a significant and relatively unstable geothermal area. There are pockets of very hot water at the mouth and some very soft patches in the lake bed. The true right bank, which is the easiest access point, also has patches of geothermal activity so one has to be very careful when walking up to the road bridge on Lake Road. The pool directly below the bridge does hold a lot of trout and fishes superbly summer and winter. The only drawback is parking one’s car on a side street several hundred metres away. A weighted nymph/glowbug or streamer pattern works well here.
The Ohau Channel
The Ohau Channel links lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, allowing fish to move both ways. Brown trout up to 9kg and rainbows up to 4.6kg have been caught in this short stretch of water over the years. Unfortunately the amount of public access water is quite limited as much of the surrounding land is in private hands or Maori owned. Some of the larger brown trout have come out of the privately owned access points. The channel delta has fished well over the years but seems to be in decline since the wall was finished, The drop-off at the delta is still there but downstream of that the bed is infilling fairly quickly and is less than 1.5 metres deep in places. A slow or medium sinking line and smelt patterns such as a woolly bugger or grey ghost stripped in fast seems to work better than anything, particularly late in the season. By crossing well above the delta, access is gained to a long stretch of water which can hold a lot of fish after Opening Day on October 1. Nymphing using glowbugs is successful in this area. The mouth of the channel provides the easiest access for anglers and it is here that most anglers congregate. Access to the weir from the true left bank is via public reserve and sign posted from the road at the western end of the Marama Resort property boundary. The more tradition method of wet fly fishing from this bank is being steadily superceeded by nymphing as it appears to be more productive overall. Heavy bombs and egg patterns work well most of the spring, summer and autumn. Access to the true right bank is via Takinga Street, which is opposite the Duxton Hotel, and one can drive to the water’s edge. A short stretch of the channel is available here, courtesy of the adjoining landowner. A fast sinking line or shooting head is best when used in conjunction with any smelt pattern, though at times silver works best. I have had a fair amount of success when using a floating line and smelt pattern here as well so try this line if you have one. Fishing from the weir is quite popular and one’s line is fed out and allowed to drift in the current. On the Lake Rotorua side of the weir there is a hole either side which holds good numbers of trout at any time of the year. A smelt pattern is cast across the current and allowed to drift over the hole, then retrieved fairly quickly will result in fish being hooked. Night fishing is a viable option too as the fish hold in close to the bank. A floating or sinktip line is best inside the channel. After June 30 fishing is restricted to the Lake Rotorua side of the weir, marked by two yellow and black landmark poles. The water on the downstream side of an imaginary line drawn between the two poles is closed until October 1. Even so this area is well worth a visit over winter. Large brown trout and reasonable rainbows can be caught any time of the year. Mission Bay One of the most overlooked fishing spots on Lake Rotorua, access to this bay is close to Marama Resort. The lake bed has large rocks dotted all over the place and is a favourite haunt of both rainbows and browns. To the right of the bay, as you look across the lake, a point juts out into the lake. There is a spring coming from the bottom of the lake here and during summer especially, it holds a lot of fish. Spinning and fly fishing is a common method of fishing for the few who fish this area. Standard smelt patterns and floating line or tokoroa chickens and green or red veltics work particularly well.
Where To Stay
Being centrally located MALFROY is very conveniently positioned for fishing trips to all of the above Lakes and Rivers. We are also well located for visiting the other Rotorua attractions – geo-thermal, sporting, or scenic.
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