ANGLING OPINIONS ON ALL-YEAR FISHING

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 185, 12 August 1955, Page 1

ANGLING OPINIONS ON ALL-YEAR FISHING

Some Points For RegTihir Winter Season l Following a report in last week's i Taupo Times referring to an address |by Mr D. F. ITobbs, Senior Fisheries iOfficer, in which he eommeiuled the Isubject of winter fishing to the conIslderation of the Rotonia-Bay of gfpienty Angling Conference, severn 1 1 further expressions of locnl angling Boplnion have been made to the Tiiues. 8 These have queried whether the pstatement, in last week's issue, that Rlocal anglers appear to have no speciial enthusiasm for a permanent winRter season, after experience of the Ipresent one and that of last winter, Rean be taken to represent any general Bocal view against a regular winter Iishing season. \ It has been pointed out that, while Rthe two experimental winter seasons R.kave provided the Fishery autliorities Rwith considerable information. it' can§Bot fairly be said that tliey provide Kafficient experience, of winter fishing Rjn Taupo waters, upon which to base ti final decision for or against the Kesirability of winter fishing from the Bpoint of view of its "worth-whileness" Kta an angling amenity. jg; Experience of the usual NovemberMay season has been gained over Bbany years and it is claimed that to wesnme to give a final verdict on a ferinter season after two such experiHpental seasons only is unjustifiable. ■pxperience over a periocl of eight or m years, at least, should be regarded |p being needed to provide a sound Eksis for a decision. gjjn putting these views for ward B&e concerned have said that the Bpestion of whether year-round fishpkg would endanger maintenance of pe fishery hardly comes into the picnre, as it would seem to be clear, Bbm Mr Tlobb's reeent address, that Bfehas now been satisfied bv research ■feady done that it would not be

it has been pointed out, further, t the winter season regulations aldy in force have prevented fiying above certain points in the jams, so that spawning fish are Kfbat winter conditions are such It many anglers would not be inSted in winter fishing is also eed, and this is used as being a J&g argument for- the claim that k would not in any case be so at an amount of winter fishing as ihreaten fishery conservation. le value of a regular winter searls claimed to lie in the fact that k New Zealand anglers who can:get away fishing over most of the nner could do so in the winter. It also said that niany overseas pers and visitors wold, when in ; eountry in the winter, gladly do K fishing then if it were possible, iag that they thus had an opporfey to try the world-famous fishing Sese opinions have been supported Ihe view that no ndded cost of png would be thrown on the Fishis authorities. as ranging has to fcrae in winter in any case. It has ibeen said that winter fishing, by [ fact that anglers might he ex|d to be about the district, would | to discourage winter poaching. Iwinter season would thus be an fiction to a proportion of winter Irs, both overseas and local, it iped, while it would not harm Iishing, and would represent a Ite .added economic asset. for the | urging that the question should j

not be dismissed without. fullest consideration by both the Fishery authorities and angling bodies, one angler sunnned up hy asking, "Why not have a winter season, when it can't harm the fishing? Because many anglers aren't attracted by it it is no reason to bar those who would like the opportunity." The question is one of considerable importance from various points .of view. and the Taupo Times will welcome further expressions of opinion hy those interested.