Tumbling white rapids bounced and spat as I cast my fly across the current. Gusty winds made conditions difficult, but once sunk, my hare and copper lure danced along the stoney river bed enticingly..
Dressed in chest-high neoprene waders, the clarity of the water tinged only by an ice blue, betrayed its depth. I was quickly waist-deep at the pools edge. This was Dread Nought pool on the Tongariro river, fabled for its hard fighting wild trout.
This stretch was as beautiful as any I had encountered in the Scottish Highlands. Knees bent, I focussed on the fluffy floating bite indicator.
It bobbed past me and stopped abruptly. Was it stuck under a rock?
Suddenly it disappeared under the water. Instinctively I struck.
My arm raised high, the rod arched over like a willows branch.
Thump, Thump, Thump. This was a MONSTER........
Lake Taupo, an immense volcanic crater filled with fresh water is home to some of the biggest wild trout in the world. Back in England I had dreamt of casting a line upon its tributaries. Sleeping, I had heard the roaring rapids and watched fish rise for Daddy long legs in the gentle glides.
The brown trout were introduced for sport by the British whilst the more aggresive Rainbow trout came from a river in California. Like everything American, they had to be bigger, better and more aggresive.
At this time of year, the trout make a journey from the main lake to the feeding rivers to spawn. This meant that there was good potential for fish in the deep pools.
Just how big these fish would be - I didn't know.
The line zipped from my reel as the fish steamed towards the strong current. My arm began to ache as I struggled to control the initial run.
Moving the rod left I tried hard to coax the fish into shallow water. It had other plans.
Running again it dashed into deep water pulling with such force that the rod tip broke the waters surface with a splash.
We fought for a further 10 minutes before I caught a glimpse of its long silvery flanks.
I'd guess 7-8 pounds of wild fighting rainbow trout - so big, it half hung out of my landing net.
This was easily the biggest wild trout of my life and the biggest of three I landed that day. I returned one and kept a brace.
Having had them smoked in Taupo they fed Maria and I gloriuosly for 3 days. Lacking the earthiness of British, "stocked," rainbows, these were sweeter, firmer and more like Salmon.
We became creative with our use of fish, eating,
trout with noodles, trout omlette, trout soup, trout sandwiches, trout and watercress, trout fettucine, trout pate, trout on spinach, trout with rice..................
