19 June 2017

Greater fishing opportunities in Lake Taupō

The new fishing season will see some changes to the existing Taupō Fishery regulations as the Department of Conservation strives to provide better opportunities to help anglers, and families, enjoy this this fantastic fishery.

Multiple changes will go into effect when the new season starts on July 1.

The changes are the result of consultation between DOC, Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, the Taupō Fishery Advisory Committee, and Destination Great Lake Taupō.

The changes include new licence categories which will make it more affordable for seniors and families to get out on the Great Lake, and increased bag limits to make fishing trips more rewarding.

The condition of Taupō’s trout has steadily improved over the last few seasons. To increase the harvest of trout from the lake, the bag limit is going up from three to six, and the size limit will drop from 40cm to 35cm.

Fishery Manager Dave Conley says increasing harvest to the current trout population is the big driver in changing catch bags and size limits.

“Over the last decade we’ve seen a slight downward trend in size and quality, which would point to a high trout population placing pressure on their food source.

“We’re encouraging anglers to increase their harvest to provide a positive change.

“With the lake’s trout condition improving, it’s timely to introduce these changes now and monitor any effects closely. Based on submissions from anglers during the consultation we are confident the changes will be well received.

“This approach has strong merit based on 30 years of research data, and we are looking forward to anglers enjoying being able to take more fish home with them.”

This enhanced fishing opportunity comes with a modest price increase.

Fishery managers have increased the cost of most licences for the first time in the past 6 seasons, but these increases are modest and anglers will still be able to take advantage of the new family and senior licence categories which are intended to offer more affordable fishing. The prices for children’s licences are unchanged.

The Taupō Fishery has also introduced non-resident licences for both the week and whole season categories, which will mean a slight increase in pricing for international visitors, and is similar to what has been the case with Fish and Game regions for some time.

The introduction of new licence categories regulation changes is part of an attempt by the Taupō Fishery managers to increase anglers in the district.

Dave Conley says, “We want to see more people out there enjoying what is a fantastic fishery in a beautiful part of New Zealand.

“To keep up to date with these changes and others, I’d like to remind all anglers to check the regulations on our website and be familiar with them”.

Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board Chief Executive, Topia Rameka says the changes to the fishery regulations have been a long time coming and he is looking forward to hearing the feedback from the community.

“Lake Taupo is a wild fishery and we support the use of adaptive management techniques that are focussed on ensuring that the quality of the fishery is improving, and the fishing experience is rewarding for fishing enthusiasts of all age groups and gender”.

Other changes include the fly fishing only water designations being reduced around stream mouths from the existing 300m distance to 200m, and the definition of fly fishing.

“With the increased uptake in modern styles of fly-fishing such as euro nymphing, an improved definition will allow moderation of these new techniques while still accommodating those that enjoy the new forms” says Dave.

“We want to take away any confusion and conflict on our rivers, and let anglers enjoy all that the Taupō fishery offers”

For further information about the new changes visit www.doc.govt.nz-fishtaupo.

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