This week’s "TRM Fishing Reports" will bring you a series of "History Lessons" on the Taupo Fishery. Now that the minimum size is being reviewed it is an appropriate time to reflect on recent history and changes to regulations over the years. Tha aim is to show how the Taupo fishery has experienced many similar changes and still has lots of potential for improvement…
The "History" has been extracted from the Tongariro National Trout Centre web site – go to Links.
History Lesson No 1
1904 … Early records.
"In April 1904 the first rainbow trout was caught which weighed 1.36kg. Yet by 1906 Count Fritz von Hochberg, who otherwise found very little to commend the North Island, wrote of being impressed by a rainbow trout caught by Robert Jones, landlord of the Tokaanu Hotel, which weighed 8kg. By 1907 rainbow trout were the dominant species in the lake, surpassing the brown trout which were introduced in 1887, in numbers although not in weight. Anglers were delighted; the whole impetus for the introduction of rainbow trout had arisen through disappointment with the difficulty of catching brown trout…..
A typical catch was that of Charles C. Percival of England, who between 26 March and 25 May 1911 caught 354 fish weighing 1376kg, the largest 6.8kg….
In 1917 the average size had fallen to 1.45kg but by 1920 the population was making a remarkable recovery and netting ceased. By 1924 the size and condition of trout exceeded the peak of 1910, and the mid-1920s probably reflect the best years of the Taupo fishery. Pat Burstall, a former Conservator of Wildlife, lists a rainbow of 12.5kg caught at the mouth of the Waitahanui River in 1924 as the largest caught on a rod and line in this period while Ralph Ward, a Taupo historian, suggests a fish of 9.9kg caught by William Branson in the 1923/24 season was the largest ever caught on a fly. There is also a report of J.D.A. Painton of Taupo catching a 10.6kg rainbow at the Waitahanui stream mouth one night in 1925, a night in which he caught 11 fish, 10 of which were over 9kg. These fish all pale in comparison though to a fish described by Budge Hintz, a 17kg (37.51b) rainbow caught in the Mangamutu stream prior to the First World War."
Tomorrow - History Lesson No 2 on Anglers Foot Access rights, followed by No 3 on Zane Grey’s 1920′s era, No 4 Golden years of the 1930′s, No 5 changing regulations in the 1950′s, No 6 on 1960′s to 1980′s, and last No 7 1990′s – fascinating, topical stuff as the regulations are being reviewed again.
TRM promise this will be of interest to all Taupo and Tongariro anglers, not to be missed.
Featured anglers today are Johnathon & Peter Restall from Miford. John has been visiting TRM and the Tongariro River for many years and was trying – unsucessfully – to introduce sibling Peter to the delights of fly fishing the Tongariro River. But there is still time…
Good to see you back after so long.
Photo below, taken by TRM’s roving reporter Wayne Godkin, is the Honeypot on Sunday morning – wish you were here?.
World Fly Fishing Championships Results
Place Team
1 Czech Republic
2 New Zealand
3 France
4 Poland
5 Italy
6 England
7 Slovakia
8 USA
9 Canada
10 Finland
11 Ireland
12 Australia
13 Portugal
14 Japan
15 Republic of South Africa
16 Holland
17 Wales
18 Croatia
Individual results:
(Photo right – reflections on Lake O)
Place Individual Country
1 Martin Deoz Czech Republic
2 Julien Daguillanes France
3 Tomas Starychfojtu Czech Republic
4 John Horsey England
5 Lucjan Burda Poland
6 Des Armstrong New Zealand
No of fish caught
(Photo right – Lake Rotoaira)
The most fish caught in a single session at each venue was:
Whanganui River: 37 (Day 1)
Waimakariri River: 37 (Day 1)
Waihou River: 35 (Day 1)
Lake Rotoaira: 10 (Day 2)
Lake Otamangakau: 16 (Day 3)
Longest fish (Photo right – Guest Hans Neilsson with trophy from Lake O)
The longest fish caught at each venue was:
Whanganui River: 580mm (Day 3)
Waimakariri River: 560 mm (Day 3)
Waihou River: 494mm (Day 2)
Lake Rotoaira: 604mm (Day 2)
Lake Otamangakau: 689mm (Day 2)