TROUT FISHING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22433, 1 June 1936, Page 11

TROUT FISHING

TAUPO SEASON ENDS "GENERALLY' DISAPPOINTING ADVERSE WEATHER EFFECTS Flooded rivers in the early part of the year and a dry spell duriug autumn both contributed to patchy fishing conditions in the Taupo district in the season, which closed yesterday, and it cannot be claimed that the season reached the expectations of visiting anglers. Large numbers of fishermen, including a good percentage of overseas visitors, spent several months fishing the district and waiting in the hopes that conditions would improve toward the end of the' season, but their hopes were not realised.

" Some good catcheii, including limit bags, have been recorded but, generally speaking, the fishing has been disappointing this year," stated a visitor from England. Tongariro at Low Level The " runs " from the lake up the rivers to the spawning beds were very erratic, due to the continued dry sjkjll during the last six weeks. Trout were plentiful in the Tongariro River last month, but while the river remained low, and at the end of May it was approximately the same level as it usually is in February, the fish showed little interest in the artificial fly and remained in the pools instead of going upstream to their spawning grounds. Had the rivers been flooded by heavy rains, as they very often are during May, the trout would have shown a greater tendency to move, but during the last two weeks conditions became increasingly difficult, and, as a result, the majority of anglers had secured only small catches. " It has been hard work," stated another angler. " Before sunrise the famous Tongariro has been dotted with enthusiastic fishermen, and they have worked during the day and during the evening until the eyelets in their rods hare been frozen by the cold ice-fed river." Overcrowded Pools The usual difficulty of the betterknown pools being hopelessly overcrowded by anglers was still a source of annoyance to visiters, but one claimed that the anglers themselves were partly to blame for the position. He cited cases which, frequently occurred when all the popular pools were overcrowded and good fishing waters within easy access were entirely neglected. The average fisherman would not trouble to explore the lesser-known pools, in spite of the access provided. He preferred to fish the pools with a reputation, in spite of the fact that conditions were very often difficult. The sportsman also mentioned the case of an angler who recently decided to explore the neglected part of the Tongariro River in preference to the other congested areas. He had a good day's sport and landed six well conditioned trout.

In marked contrast to the majority of fishermen who were securing only fair catches in the Tongariro River was the case of six Wellington anglers, who landed the splendid total of 305 fish during their fishing holiday.