TALES OF THE TAUPO TROUT

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 108, 19 February 1954, Page 4

TALES OF THE TAUPO TROUT

ONCE upon a time, a friend remarked to the editor of "Punch" that his paper wasn't as funny as it used to be. Somewhat to his surprise, the editor agreed with him, and then added, "And it never was!" No doubt there was a grain of truth in the editor's chafhng afterthought, for our human tendency to romanticise and exaggerate the virtues of the good old days is notoriously deep-seated. Similarly, in these days when the Taupo trout are obviously not as big as they used to be, the angler might be forgiven who wondered of they ever were. The records of the fish and fishing of the Taupo waters are unfortunately not to be found in any one neatly compiled and easily accessible book or publication, but sufficient facts can be substantiated to make a story that would interest any angler. When the fish were first introduced the rate of growth and the rate of increase were both extraordinary. Brown-trout fry were first successfuly liberated in Taupo waters in 1894, and by 1906 fish had been taken weighing up to 20 lbs. Rainbow fry were first liberated in 1903, and rainbows weighing from 10 lbs to 18 lbs were taken a few years later. There has often been discussion as to the greatest weights attained by Taupo trout. It seems that the brown trout reached weights of 20 and odd pounds, probably up to 30 pounds, and the rainbows did attain weights in excess of twenty pounds, while apparently not equalling the size of browns. In May 1909, Mr Ngamotu Wiremu, of Taupo, trolling with a spoon above the Wharf at Taupo, took a rainbow of 22i lbs. But, as in other waters where

trout have been introduced, such figures were not maintained, and by the season of 1918-19 the average weight had declined and was probably not more than 4 lbs and may even have been less. After 1919 a gradual increase in size took place, Teaching a peak in 1924. In that year Mr W. Branson, of Taupo took a rainbow at the mouth of the Tongariro weighing 21 lbs 11 ozs. In April 1924 a party of four rods took sixty-two fish at the mouth of the Waihah Riiver which averaged eleven pounds each, the largest being 20 lbs and the smallest 7 lbs. Since then the average size of Taupo trout has declined more or less steadily, though it has not reached as low a point as in the 1918-19 season. While the story thus outlined is a fascinating one, it would be even more interesting if more definite details as to weights and lengths of fish had been recorded by the anglers of other days. It is a surprising fact that there is a lack of much information of this type. Many anglers recorded weights of some of their bigger fish, of course, but very few records exist of anglers' catches in which all fish were weighed and their length measured and the figures recorded. And it is only from such reliable and complete records of anglers catches that a full record of the fish from year to year can be compiled. There is no dOubt that if more anglers today could be persuaded to keep such accurate records of their catches they would be of great value as a contribution to the continuing history of the Taupo trout. And though such recording takes time and effort, any angler practising it would find that his record was of constantly growing interest. •