ANNUAL ANGLING CONFERENCE

Taupo Times, Volume 11, Issue 77, 8 July 1953, Page 1

ANNUAL ANGLING CONFERENCE

REPORT RY MR D. F. HOBBS ACCESS COMMITTEE SET UP The Fourth Annual Wildlife Conferertce of the Taupo Fisheries Distriet was held at the Club Rooms of the Lake Taupo and D:stric-t Angling Federation, at Turangi, on Saturday last, July 4, und.er the chairmanship of Mr G. L. O'Halloran, Acting-Seere-fcary of the Department of Internal AfFairs. The;re was a full attendanee of deiegates from all angling bodies in the distriet, namely th.,e Lake Taupo and Distriet Angling Federation; Tongariro Anglers Club; Waitahanui Angling Improvement Association; Taupo Rod and Gun Club; Taupo Commercial Launchowners Association. Also present were Mr G. F. Yerex, Controller, Wild Lif.e Division; Mr S. A. McNamara, Conservatoir of Wild Life; Mr D. F. Hobbs, Senior Fisheries Officer; E. Maegregor, K. Westen'skov, P. J. Burstall, Internal Affairs Offieers. Yaluable Researeh ReporL Pride of place was given to the Report on the project earried on duiring the past three years under the direction of Mr D. F. Hobbs, reporrted elsewhere in this issue. Mr Hobbs addressed the Conf.erence on major points of the Report and answered a number of questions. Ma' 0. S. Hintz (President, Waitahanui Association), in moving a resolution of congratulation to Mr Hobbs, said that the Report was a most valuable docurpent. Mr O'Halloran, in response to requests made by deiegates, said that c o p 1 e s | of the Report would be niade available i to Clubs fcir the information of their i members. Mr Hobbs referred to the good work of the Departmental officers engaged on the project, which had been the biggest reseaach job done in New Zealand on any single fres'hwater fishery problem, and mentioned the co-operation given by anglers, He stressed the fact that the keeping of angling diaries was of the greatest help in the ireseareh work. Notbing could fcak.e its place. Access to Fishing: Waters. Several remits dealirig in general with the matter of access to fishing waters in the distriet, a very live topic, wer,e discussed. The subject had two rnain aspects, that of actual access by roads, tirucks, and bridges to fishing sites, and that of the nefd for the Crown to acquire land now from private owners to ensure prop.er access in the futuire. In this connection it was pointed out that in a number of places, although there was a right of way for anglers along the waters there was no practicable access to the right of way, and owners were making charges for suc.h access. Mr Kitto (Tongariro Club) referred to access to pools on the Tongaodro, imentioning a road to the Poplar Pool, and swing bridges, which had been promied, he said, by the Minister. He also referred to thirty miles of the riveff which could be made available to- the fish if falls blocking the way were blown up. He also mentioned access to the Tauranga-Taupo River, where a number of.gates barred free access. Mr H. Digby Smith (Lake Taupo and Distriet) referred to the Waiotaka and Waimarino, where blackberry made access impossible. Mr L. Stephenson (Taupo Rod and Gun) referred to access difficulties at the Hatepe Stream. The speakars also mentioned the peed for access being given through

farm development lands controlled by the Maori Affairs and Lands Departments' and along the Western Bay Hydro Electdcal road. Mr O'Halloran (Internal Affairs) mentioned recent drastic cuts in works programme finance but said that one of the twc bridges might be done. On Mr OTIalloran^ suggestion, it was decided to set up a Committee of angling club deiegates and Departmental officers to Blake a survey of the whole mattei of access in general as soon as poss ible.