The Fishery
There is not a lot of activity on the river to date. There are fresh run fish in the river but they are not a great number. Some anglers have had good success but most are finding the fishing slow. The best time to fish is change of light.
There is a lot of algae in the river. Anglers are constantly removing algae from their hooks.
I thought after Monday’s downpour that the river would have a significant flood. The river level, as I write, is 21.6 m3 but after the deluge the river rose to only 81m3 . I doubt that it had the necessary action to clean the growth from the gravels and rocks
The Delta has a few good days but mostly poor. The hot spot in the lake appears to be the Horomatangi Reef. Good numbers of fish are being caught there. The fish are full of smelt. At the Southern end of the Lake the fish have gone deeper. Perhaps the lake temperature has been higher and the trout take refuge in the deeper water.
Access
Anglers will find access up stream from SH1 to the Blue Pool a challenge after rain which hides the depth of the potholes on the road. High wheel base vehicles cope well but sedans need to take the puddles very carefully. The photos show potholes on the sealed section which was old SH1. The second photo has a sharp drop into a deep hole.
Track clearance
Work is under way to clear tracks. I walked the Tongariro River Trail and was impressed with the clearance work done. The photo below is the track to Boulder Reach which has not needed clearance once the overflow channel has been crossed. It represents the quality of access tracks.
Aquatic problems
Lake Snow was first recorded in the Southern Lakes. I was given this photo of Lake Snow which was clogging the Wanaka household water filter thus restricting the flow of water to the house. We often don’t recognise the problem until it happens to us. The fact is that Lake Snow is now in Lake Taupo.To date there has been no issue that has caused concern for individuals as is the case in Wanaka. It is the reason why we support Check Clean Dry to protect our waters.
A personal view. Genetic Engineering.
The blogs to date have been written by me and are not necessarily the views of the Advocates. Here I have a personal view that I present which was aroused in me on hearing that the Australian Government have allowed genetic engineering, of the mosquito which causes Dengue fever, as a means of control.
I value the NZ flora and fauna and see the threat brought by pests and disease. The loss of native bird species through introduced pests is a concern. Natural vegetation being eliminated by dominant introduced species is a concern.
I note that the campaign for predator free Wellington also proposes a genetic engineering solution.
I would like to think that our scientific community could develop the research to enable control of pests and disease.
Catchment Environment
Wilding Pines
We have been responsible for elimination of wilding pines. Pines dealt to are now entering the final phase. Branches have almost gone, the tops are coming out. Only the spars remain. It was a pity that the trees were able to develop to the size and number that they did.Regrowth is evident and needs attention at this stage.
The Conservation Indigenous freshwater fish amendment bill
Julian Proctor will present our submission and that of the Taupo Fishery Advisory Committee on the 11th April, 9.45am to the Parliamentary Select Committee.
Membership
I thank the support we receive from our membership. It is the powerbase that we need. Our membership at any time is dependent upon subscriptions paid. We realise how easy it is to let matters slip and if you still have to update your membership we look forward to receiving your subscription.
We are not a fishing club. (I liked the image) The Trout fishery based on the Tongariro River is central to our aims. Our interest is the whole catchment of the Tongariro River.
Annual Meeting
The Annual General Meeting is just 3 weeks away. A reminder that the meeting is on 27th April, 10.00am at the National Trout Centre schoolroom. We would love to meet with you whether you are a member or intending member or simply interested in us.
Eric Wilson
