I was of the belief that I had emailed the Annual Report for 2015 to members at least a month ago. Two committee members have advised me that they have not received the Annual Report. If you have received earlier then my apology for receiving a second time as I will resend and an apology if you are receiving late for the first time.

It does give me an opportunity to rectify a mistake in the Annual Report. The notice of the Annual meeting states Saturday 27th May. Saturday is the 28th May and not the 27th.

The Annual Meeting is on Saturday 28th May, 10.00am at the National Trout Centre, Schoolroom.

We look forward to meeting you.

We thank those who have paid subscriptions and made donations. John Toogood as Treasurer has mastered the database and relieved me of that duty. If you are still to pay your subscription we will be pleased to receive as our membership is what gives us our authority to speak for the river.

We welcome new members to our committee.

On the 25th May the Taupo Fishery Advisory committee will meet and I hope to report on that meeting. The main development since the last TFAC meeting is that changes to the regulations now will now be by public notification and not require parliamentary change. This will be a much faster process. It will mean matters such as size of fish and limits will be made when necessary rather than having to wait for parliament to process. The Minister will still be required to approve the changes.

Earlier this month I attended a meeting of the Waikato Regional Council Taupo Zone committee of which I am a member. I can report that WRC work in the Tongariro River was completed in the allowed consent period. Work will again occur next summer to maintain vegetation below 1.5meters in height in the flood flow.

A matter of interest to me was a report on global warming. WRC is preparing for more intensive storm events which are now predicted. Adam Munroe will circulate shortly the paper he prepared and I will pass it on when it comes to hand. The flood events of 1:100 years are now predicted to be at least 1:50 years which the floods of 1958 and 2004 show a closer relationship to. Adam’s paper referred to the Hockey stick diagram with the year 2000 starting an ever sharper increase in global warming. What influence this will have on the fishery I don’t know.

There are more anglers around but I am not seeing a lot of success at this time. The weather today is attractive for fish to be running. It is cold and wet.

Eric Wilson

Secretary.