Ruapehu Lures Major Fresh Water Fishing Competition

Ruapehu’s successful hosting of the World Fly Fishing Champs in March 2008 last year was the perfect lure to the Composite Developments sponsored NZ Fly Fishing Championships being staged from National Park Village last weekend.
The finest fly fishers of the nation gathered at the Park Travellers’ Lodge last Thursday evening to commence the three day long competition. Persistent rain late in the week restricted the competition to the lake venues only with the Whanganui River unfishable at 120 cubic centimeters per minute.

Competitors tested their skills instead on Lakes Kurutau, Otamangakau and Rotoaira with the New Zealand title won by national representative John Bell (Auckland) who caught and released over forty prime Tongariro trout during the tournament. In second place was Kiyoshi Nakagawa (Japan now Auckland) with Aaron West (Pukekohe) in third place. Daniel Comer (Murupara) was fourth.
The Oceania Fly Fishing Champs featuring teams from Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region will be staged from The Park Travellers’ Lodge in National Park from 15-22 March.