FISHING AT TAUPO.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 16 May 1925, Page 11

FISHING AT TAUPO.

AN ANGLERS’ PARADISE. TIMARU VISITOR’S EXPERIENCE. Air J. E. Pigott, of Timaru, lias just returned from a month’s visit to Lake Taupo, -where ho went to try the i fishing, and he says tiiat it was the 1 best holiday lie had ever spent in his life. Ho added that lie could not understand why this locality had not been brought more prominently under notice as a holiday resort, for there was everything there to make a holiday delightful—pretty country, most beautiful scenery, and tho best of fishing, and shooting ,and deer stalking. When he was there he met Indian Army officers, and other over-sea visitors, who told him that the fishing there was the best in tho world, and ho quite believed them from his own experience. He did not fish in the lake itself, but at the mouth of the Taurangg-Taupo, and in tho Tongariro river. There were rainbow trout there, and fishing with tho fly, he had enjoyed tho very best of sport. The fish were numerous, and in excellent condition, and all the conditions made the place p,n angler’s paradise. His biggest trout turned the scales at 18)lb, and there w,as only one day (when rain fell heavily) ho had drawn a blank. The fish were not wasted now, as tljcy used to bo; the Alaons collected those which anglerfe could not hake away, and smoked and cured them. The fishing grounds were quickly reached from Timaru. Leaving boro one day, the traveller was in Wellington next morning, and leaving there by tho mid-day train, lie reached W,aimarino at 10.30 that night. Next morning tho motor coach was taken for Te Kaano, tho fishermen's headquarters, which place was reached alter ,a three hours’ drive. At the Jake there were motor launches, by means of which various bays, and all the beauty spots could be visited. Air Pigott said he was pleased to see the bird life in that district. There were, plenty of pheasants, quail were very numerous, and there were wild pigeons and grey ducks in large numbers. In the opening of the shooting season, sportsmen had had a good time among tho birds at the mouth of the Tauranga, and tho near-by bays. He had also been delighted to find that tho Scotch heather, which had been planted in that locality, had made splendid growth, and as seen growing on the hillsides (in poor soil where nothing else. would grow) it made a very pretty sight. Air Pigott explained that the heather had been planted, as food for the imported grouse—a very fine gamo bird. Several attempts to acclimatise grouse in New Zealand had failed, but tho birds which had, been liberated, after heather had been grown as food for them, had done exceedingly well. Ho considered this the best acclimatisation work which had been done in New Zealand. The last consignment consisted of three brace, winch had been hand-reared in England,-, and sent to Air. Massey for liberation in tho Tongariro National Park They had arrived in Wellington last September. The, lion, warden of tho Park (Air John Cullen) took the birds to his cottage at Tongariro, where ho kept them in pons. tol ' about a fortnight, and then liberated them. Word had recently been received that a hen, with a fine brood of fourteen chicks, had been seen on the plains near the foot of the Tauhungatahi. It appeared, therefore, that grouse were now acclimatised in the North Island. He would like to see them established in tho South Island, but a necessary preliminary would be the growing or Lather for them here He noticed that some peoplo wore foolish ei }° u P;h to suggest that the heather should be destroyed, as if it were a noxious weed. 3 It would never do any harm, -and was only grown on country which was fit for nothing else. Air Pigott mentioned mcidentallv that at Taupo he had met Cupples (of the All Blacks), ho and his brother having bought 600 acres there, and their land gives access to the two best fishing pools-