Team Tristram’s 691 Offshore sat tied up in Kinloch Marina, wheelhouse covers zipped in and the diesel heater steady at 21 °. Outside, the lake sat at 10 °, the mountains carried a dusting of snow, and the winter air cut sharp. Swimming was off, but boating was on.
The crew grabbed hot coffees from the Kinloch Marina—a fitting start in a harbour with real roots. Kinloch Marina was officially opened in March 1962 as New Zealand’s first purpose-built inland marina, born from a collaboration among Ian Gibbs, T. N. Gibbs, and Sir Keith Holyoake.
Kingsley pointed the bow across a glassy Lake Taupō. Bluebird skies overhead, Tristram Marine’s “Amping Alpine” playlist on Spotify (click here for access) running through the sound system, and the 691 set course for the western bays — where depths plunge rapidly through sheer rock walls to 186 m (610 ft) deep.
First stop: a hidden waterfall cove. The boat was backed in gently, stern close enough to feel the spray bounce off the transom. Sheer rock walls rose above — silent reminders that this vast lake fills the crater left by one of Earth’s most explosive super-eruptions over 25,000 years ago.
From there, rods went out. The Garmin Kraken controlled the troll along the cliff lines, lures running tight to the contours. It didn’t take long. Mike’s rod doubled over with the weight of a strong rainbow. A quick fight later, the fish was netted and iced — the first meal of the trip secured.
With morning fishing done, the crew reset course for Two Mile Bay Sailing Club. The 691 was backed in close so the crew could step off onto the sand. With a quick tap of the Kraken’s wireless remote, the boat then motored itself out into deeper water to sit steady just offshore while lunch was enjoyed on land. Live music, great food, and a blue-sky backdrop set the tone for the afternoon ahead.
Afternoon meant more fishing. Back on board, the Garmin Kraken went to work again, holding position along Taupō’s drop-offs. Lines ran, rods twitched, and another rainbow was hooked — silver, fat, and destined for the table.
The day wasn’t done yet. The crew rounded out the run with a visit to one of Taupō’s most iconic landmarks — the Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings. The carvings stood over 10 metres high, cut into the cliffs above the cockpit — their detail clear against the still water.
Back in Kinloch that evening, the trout went straight from ice to flame. Kris manned the Ooni pizza oven from Land & Sea, turning bases and topping them with sashimi-thin trout slices, cream cheese, capers, and pesto. Flames rolled, bases blistered, and the pizzas vanished in minutes.
As night settled, Mat and Tris set up a fly-tying vice at the table. Grizzly Marabou feathers and thread were worked into new olive-toned patterns, ready for the next mission.
That’s a Tristram winter weekend in Kinloch: coffee at sunrise, waterfalls and trout by midday, lunch at Two Mile Bay, more fish in the afternoon, rock carvings to finish, and fresh trout pizzas into the night. A rhythm of moments stitched into memories — proof that adventure doesn’t stop with the season.
