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[Archival audio: reporter] What size has he got?
[Fishing guide] Oh we'll we'll weigh him, mate. He's four-and-a-half or five. Now then,
draw him, that's right... Beach him, beach him on this shallow, on this shelving
bit. Beach him. Go right back. [Water splashing]
Oops, right, that's right, that's right, he's
done now. Those last kicks are always very wild, but that's the last thing.
[Narrator] The town of Tūrangi is located on the Tongariro River, and the trout in that
river attracts visitors from around New Zealand and all over the world. In New Zealand, trout
fishing is a pastime available to all. Whole season licences cost less than a hundred dollars,
so it is not unusual to see locals fishing alongside overseas anglers or celebrities,
who are usually out with a guide. Around 40,000 adult whole-season fishing licences are issued
each year. Many other types, such as day and week licences, are also sold.
The Tongariro River is also easy to get to. Many of its pools and rapids follow State
Highway One, New Zealand's main highway. Freshwater fishing for recreation was introduced
to New Zealand by British settlers. They wanted New Zealand to be a land where anyone could
angle for sports fish. But they found most native species small and difficult to catch
so introduced freshwater species, such as trout, from overseas.
About three-quarters of the trout caught in the Tongiriro are rainbow trout; the other
quarter are brown trout. Brown trout were imported from England, and
Rainbow trout were imported from California during the late nineteenth century. Within
ten years news had spread about the abundant and large trout to be caught in the Tongariro
River and nearby Lake Taupō. In 1906, the government, realising the tourism potential
and the need to ensure the sustainability of the fisheries, took control of the Tongariro
River.
In 1911 one angler caught over 350 fish in two months, the largest weighing nearly 8
kilograms -- about 15lb. The largest trout caught in the area weighed 17kg, which is
over 37 pounds. Caught just before World War 1, it was so big that it had to be cut in
two to be weighed.
During the 1920s, Tongariro's plentiful trout attracted international attention when famous
American author Zane Grey wrote about the river, describing New Zealand as an angler's
El Dorado. Soon after, the Duchess of York, who later became known as the Queen Mother,
spent ten days fishing the river with her husband. A pool on the river, The Duchess,
was named after her.
Fly fishing is the only legal fishing method on the Tongariro River. Most fisherman use
artificial flies, which imitate insects or small fish that trout like to eat. Flies are
made of thread, fur, feathers and other materials, and tied onto hooks.
Dry flies float on the surface of the water, and look like insects such as beetles or mayflies.
When trout rise, they take food off the surface of the water, forming distinctive circular
ripples -- and can often be caught using a dry fly. Wet flies, also known as lures, sink
beneath the surface of the water to imitate small fish.
The daily limit for the Tongariro River is only three trout. Though some anglers keep
their fish to eat, many release trout after catching them -- especially on back-country
rivers. Just up the road from Tūrangi is the Tongariro
National Trout Centre. Here visitors can see and feed trout in their natural environment,
as well as find out more about local fishing and the history of trout fishing in the area.
New anglers to Tūrangi are encouraged to contact one of the many guides in the area,
or to speak to the staff at the local fishing stores. Trout fishing licences can be bought
from most fishing and outdoor stores in the region.