Conservation Act 1987

Taupō Fishery Regulations 2004

Pursuant to sections 26R(3) and 53(4) of the Conservation Act 1987, the Minister of Conservation approves the following Anglers Notice for the Taupō Fishery.

Notice

This notice shall come into force on 1 July 2016.

1. Interpretation

1.1 Words and expressions in this notice, which are defined in the Conservation Act 1987, the Taupō Fishery Regulations 2004, or the Taupō District Trout Fishery Licences Fees and Forms Notice 2011, shall be so defined.

1.2 In this notice, unless the context otherwise requires:

artificial fly includes any lure of feather, fur, wool, or other material used in the making of artificial flies.

bait means natural bait, including any insect or spider, worm, crustacean, shellfish, fish or fish ova, bread or cheese, or any scented lure, soft bait or other artificial lure with chemical attractant properties.

boat means any manned floatation device.

fly fishing means to fish for trout with a fly rod, fly reel, fly line and artificial fly.

foul hook means to hook a trout otherwise than through the mouth.

landmark post means a white, black, and yellow ringed post.

length, in relation to a trout, means the total length from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail of the fish.

lure means any artificial fly or spinner.

spin fishing means to fish for trout with a spinning rod, spinning reel, and lure, and includes tackle customarily used for harling, trolling, and jigging for trout.

spinner means any artificial lure other than an artificial fly.

strike indicator:

(a) means any synthetic or natural yarn, and its means of attachment to the line or cast, used by the person fishing as an aid to detect a strike; but

(b) does not include:

(i) any other material or any object attached to the line or cast; or

(ii) any synthetic or natural yarn to which has been added any material or chemical (other than a colour dye or surfactant line floatant preparation).

Taupō Boat Harbour means that part of the Waikato River lying between a straight line commencing at the shore end of the rock mole at the outlet of Lake Taupō and extending across the outlet for a distance of approximately 40 metres to the normal site of a landmark post on the western shore of the outlet, and the control gates bridge over the Waikato River at Taupō.

trout includes:

(a) any trout whether alive or dead, and any part of a trout;

(b) char of any species; and

(c) any hybrid of any trout or char.

2. Authorised Methods

2.1 The only authorised methods for fishing for trout in the Taupō District are:

(a) fly fishing; and

(b) spin fishing.

2.2 No person fishing for trout shall use in any water specified in the Schedule to this notice any fishing method other than those specified in the Schedule for that water.

2.3 No person shall attempt to foul hook any trout.

2.4 Any person who foul hooks a trout shall return it immediately to the water with as little injury as possible.

2.5 No person shall fish for trout when wearing or using felt-soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a sole of felted, matted or woven fibrous material.

2.6 No person shall fish for trout from:

(a) the Taupō Boat Harbour wharf or Taupō Boat Harbour jetties;

(b) the control gates bridge over the Waikato River at Taupō; or

(c) the bridge over the Tokaanu Tailrace Canal which carries State Highway 41.

3. Authorised Tackle

3.1 No person may use bait when fishing for trout in the Taupō District.

3.2 When playing a trout, a landing net may be used to secure or land that fish.

3.3 No person when fishing for trout shall:

(a) take trout by any means other than with one rod and running line;

(b) use a gaff to secure or land a trout;

(c) use any net, trap, wire netting, or similar device, except as provided for in subclause 3.2;

(d) use any spear or similar implement, or spear gun;

(e) use any hook which has a distance greater than 14 millimetres between the point and the shank;

(f) use any lure having attached to it more than one hook or a hook that is not a single-pointed or single-barbed hook;

(g) use more than three lures;

(h) use any fish-attracting electronic device;

(i) use any lure treated with any fish attractant or chemical preparation other than that used solely to control the buoyancy of an artificial fly; or

(j) use any preparation not attached to a lure to attract fish.

3.4 No person fishing for trout in waters reserved for fly fishing (as set out in the Schedule to this notice), shall add to or attach to the cast, line, or fly:

(a) any spinner or bait;

(b) anything made from lead, glass, plastic, or other material to facilitate casting or to increase the buoyancy of the line

but may attach a strike indicator and may add weight to the line to facilitate sinking.

4. Daily Bag Limits

4.1 The maximum number of trout that may be taken from waters in the Taupō District by one person in a single day (the daily bag limit) is as set out in the Schedule to this notice.

4.2 No person shall on any one day take and keep more than the daily bag limit for trout; and no person shall continue to fish on any day on which he or she has already taken and kept the daily bag limit for trout.

5. Minimum Fish Length to be Taken

5.1 The minimum length of trout that may be taken from waters in the Taupō District is as set out in the Schedule to this notice.

5.2 A person taking a trout of a length less than that set out in the Schedule to this notice must, whether it is alive or dead, immediately return it into the water from which it was taken.

5.3 For the purpose of subclauses 2.4 or 4.2 or 5.2, any person who takes a trout and fails to return that trout immediately to the water from which it is taken is treated as having taken and kept that trout.

6. Hours of Fishing

6.1 No person shall fish for trout between the hours of 12.00am and 5.00am.

7. Open Season

7.1 No person shall fish for trout in any waters in the Taupō District except during an open season for those waters.

7.2 The open season for waters in the Taupō District is as set out in the Schedule to this notice, except where a closed season is specified in clause 8.

7.3 If any waters are included in both the Schedule to this notice and clause 8, clause 8 takes priority and a closed season will be in place for those waters as set out in that clause.

8. Closed Season

8.1 A closed season is in place for the following waters, and no person shall fish for trout in any of these waters at any time of the year:

(a) All rivers and streams (including their tributaries) flowing into Lake Taupō other than the rivers and streams listed in Part B of the Schedule to this notice;

(b) all tributaries of the rivers and streams listed in Part B of the Schedule to this notice;

(c) Tokaanu Tailrace Canal for a distance of 110 metres downstream from the powerhouse;

(d) that portion of the Waiotaka River (Stream) that lies wholly within the boundaries of the Tongariro/Rangipo Prison (from approximately 2 kilometres upstream of the Hautu Ford on Waiotaka Road to the north-western boundary of Kaimanawa Forest Park);

(e) Te Whaiau Stream and its tributaries (including the Whanganui River diversion culvert outfall) and all other streams (including their tributaries) flowing into Lake Te Whaiau;

(f) all rivers and streams (including their tributaries) flowing into Lake Ōtamangakau other than the Ōtamangakau Canal; and

(g) all rivers and streams (including their tributaries and including Poutu Aqueduct) flowing into Lake Rotoaira except the Wairehu Canal.

8.2 A closed season is in place, and no person shall fish for trout at any time of the year within:

(a) any waters in which trout are held in captivity for display, hatching, monitoring or other purposes; or

(b) a distance of 80 metres from those waters.

8.3 Subclause 8.2 does not apply to authorised fishing activities held in the fishing pond of the Tongariro National Trout Centre.

9. Use of Boats

9.1 No person shall fish for trout from a boat in those portions of Lake Taupō within 300 metres of the centre of the mouth or mouths of rivers or streams listed in Part B of the Schedule to this notice. (Each of these river mouths is generally marked with a landmark post.)

9.2 Despite subclause 9.1, a person may fish for trout from a boat in those portions of Lake Taupō within 300 metres of the centre of the mouth or mouths of the following rivers, provided the boat is securely anchored with not more than two anchors:

(a) Tongariro River.

(b) Tokaanu Tailrace Canal.

(c) Tauranga Taupō River.

9.3 No person shall fish for trout from a boat in Lake Taupō within 300 metres of Te Rae Point, located approximately 780 metres south of the mouth of the Kuratau River and normally marked by a landmark post, unless the boat is securely anchored with not more than two anchors.

9.4 In waters other than Lake Taupō, no person shall fish for trout from a boat in waters where only fly fishing is permitted unless the boat is securely anchored with not more than two anchors.

9.5 No person shall fish for trout from a boat in the following places:

(a) The Taupō Boat Harbour;

(b) that portion of the Hinemaiaia Stream (or River) which lies between Lake Taupō and the lower hydro-electric dam (known as the HB Dam);

(c) that portion of the Tongariro River upstream of a point at the head of that stretch of water known as Downs Pool (situated downstream approximately 3.1 kilometres in a straight line from the bridge carrying State Highway 1 over the Tongariro River at Turangi) which is normally marked by a landmark post;

(d) Lake Te Whaiau;

(e) that portion of the Ōtamangakau Canal (also known as Te Whaiau Canal) (which flows from Lake Te Whaiau to Lake Otamangakau) upstream of the site normally marked by a landmark post; and

(f) that portion of the Wairehu Canal (which flows from Lake Ōtamangakau to Lake Rotoaira) downstream of the site normally marked by a landmark post.

Schedule

Open Season, Authorised Methods, Daily Bag Limit and Minimum Length

Dated at Dunedin this 19th day of May 2016.

Hon MAGGIE BARRY, onzm, Minister of Conservation.