QUESTIONS FOR ANGLERS

Taupo Times, Volume 11, Issue 77, 8 July 1953, Page 2

QUESTIONS FOR ANGLERS

SUGGESTION BY MR D.F.HOBBS In his repoirt on the Taupo Fishery Investigations, presented for consideration at the Conference of Angling Cluhs and Departmental Repr.esentatives, held at Turangi on July 4th., Mr D. F. Hobbs, Senior Fishery Officer, suggested that it would be helpiful if the Conference .expressed its views on certain matters. A summary of Mr Hobib's Report is. given' in this issue under the heading, "Taupo Fishery Repo-rt." Mr Hobbs stated in his Report that it would b.e difficult for the administration, and for himself as its technical adviser, to judge how so much of the stock, as might safely be made available should b.e made available, unless anglers assisted by giving a fairly cleair .expression of their preferences on matters coming within a broad interpretation of the phrase "angling convenience." Mr Hobbs indicated the following questions as covering some of the matters referrred to. Queries as to Season. To such extent as stocks are available for use, is it in the interests of anglers gen.erally that there should be a season of long duration, with a moderate bag limit, or one of shorter duration with a more liberal bag limit? Had the staggering of opening dates for lak.e and tributaries proved satisfactory ? Had it aggravated to a seirious, or intolerable, de7 "P:- i •. gree, the congestion of anglers at river mouths. in the early part of the season ? Or on tributaries at the end of the season? Ignoring precise dates, would the convenience of anglers g'enerally be best served by an open season to include : — (i) Spring and summer months. (ii) Summer and autumn months. (iii) Autumn and winter months. If the present summer and autumn season is favoured, at which end would an extension be preferred and a reduction least popular ? Access and Restrictions. Mr Hobbs refenred to the matter of access to fishing water, asking was it in the interests of anglers • generally that, within practicable limits, the maximum access for anglers should be pirovided, especially on tributaries, even if ultimately offsetting restrictions had to be imposed by way, for instance, of a lowered bag limit or reduced hours of night fishing? Were there any places where existing irestraints on angling techniques ("fly only" areas; asreas where stationary -boats are probited; or fishing from moving craft is not permitted), could be relaxed without causing unfa'r competition with shore-based anglers, or undue congestion? Were there any places where additional restraints on techniques were necessary for the avoidance of unfair competition or undue congestion ? Were there, anywhere, inadequacies

of wharfage oa' slipways of so seriotis a nature that anglers, who would prefer to fish the lake, instead often fished river mouths and streams? Other Questions. Mr Hobb's final questions for consideration asked whether, apart from possible effect of change of duration of season, there were any practicable ways of discouraging both the selective killing of young, well-conditioned fish and also the irelease of older, 111conditioned fish? Did the treatment of the six-fish-a-day limit as a "kill" rather than a "catch" limit aggravate CGngestion at river mouths and on streams, and, if so, whaf was ihe remedy? What would be the views of angling organisations if, solely for investigational and management puirposes so that the incidence of angling and its •ffects eould be kept under bett.er observation, a simplified form of licensing, involving th,e following changes* were introduced: — -(i) Abolition of all residential qualifications; (ii) The eharging of all anglers according to their actual use of ihe fishery, by sale of short-term licenses only, of, say daily, we.ekly and niu!tiple weekly terms? In connection with this last question posed by Mr Hobbs, it may be mentioned that elsewhere in his report it was stated that diaries showed the average numbar of days fished by license holders to be:— Week-.end licenses, 2.39 days; Weekly licenses, 5.05 days; Whole , season licenses, 24.80 days. - -