Te Whaiau Canal

Te Whaiau Canal is a relatively short stretch of water but produces some superb fish. The canal is effectively an extension of Lake Otamangakau (The "Big O") which shows in the numbers and the superb quality of the fish in this water.

Fish type	Brown and rainbow trout
Situation	The Te Whaiau Canal is situated between the small Lake Te Whaiau and Lake Otamangakau.
Maps	Access map
Check conditions	View the rainfall. View the MetService weather forecast for: - Tongariro National Park - Taupo
Description	The Te Whaiau Canal is short slow moving and deep. It generally has steep banks with quite dense vegetation coming down to the waters edge. There are few areas however where the land opens up allowing for good casting. Much of the length of this water is difficult to both find a good place to stand and cast from.The fish numbers, particularly early and late in the season can be very high and the fish tend to free risers. During the warmer months they can often be seen crashing onto terrestrials and chasing emerging insects. That said they are often very difficult to fool and will rise close to anglers yet reject even the most beautifully presented fly. The water is quite similar to a still water of a lake as the flow can be quite slow and the angler must adjust accordingly. Fishing slowly and with jerkily retrieved wet flies is a popular method when other methods fail. Spinning is also popular as small fish make up a good portion of the trouts diet.
Methods	This water suits all methods at different times. Using sunken nymphs that are slowly retrieved can be effective when no surface activity is seen. In summer large terrestrials such as cicadas and hoppers can be the answer when there are splashy rises. Often however any surface activity is from fish feeding on emerging insects or small bullies just subsurface.This is one water where you will need to continually change to suit the conditions (or out of sheer frustration when what you are offering continues to be rejected).
Recommended tackle	Rods 9 foot plus around weight 6-7 seem to be best as a wind can sometimes be quite strong. Leaders can be short though. Many anglers in this area use a spin rod with a bubble float and suspended nymph and either allow it to move slowly with the current or with a slow retrieve. Use tippet with a reasonable breaking strain (3kg or higher) as some fish are big and will take some stopping and there is plenty of weed for them to bury themselves and your flies in..
Recommended lures	Dry fly: Cicada patterns, Hoppers, Beetles (brown), Ants, Blowflies and even Muddler Minnow fished dry during the summer months can be effective. Nymph: A dark green or olive nymph such as a Stone Fly, buzzers, or Hares Ear that is almost black when wet. Wet flies: Small bully patterns such as a Mrs Simpson or Hamill's Killer or a green or olive Wolly Bugger. Spinners: Rapalas in small sizes are favoured as well as bladed spinners such as Mepps or Veltic in dark colours or a black and gold Toby.
Regulations
Applicable to	Te Whaiau Canal
Region	Taupo fishery area regulations
Season	1 Oct-31 May
Methods	Fly, spinner.
Bag limit	6
Size limit (cm)	35 cm minimum

Other fishing waters of the region

Central Plateau Fishing