Above chart from the Trout Centre – From 2000 you have to continue the chart yourselves with any significant memorable items like “February 2004 – massive flood over 1400 cumecs”.
Since then the world famous Tongariro River has unfortunately suffered from a series of continuous botch-ups – such as by Waikato Regional Council plans to eradicate willows. TRM inmates (who should have been out fishing?) have added their additions that they would like to see – which they suggest would make more entertaining reading – i.e.
June 2006 – Flood washes away new road across braids (approved by Waikato Regional Council to remove shingle from trout spawning redds in the most important Brown Trout nursery for Lake Taupo) see “before & after” photos above and below.
January 2011 – Massive trout slaughter from flood damage caused by more council blotch-ups in clearance of willows – see images above and below…
2012 -More river damage following Council earthworks to remove willows – caused the river to break through at The Bends to bypass De Latours Pool and destroy major brown trout spawning beds and nursery – see images below.
This was compounded by Waikato Regional Council excavating a new canal full of snags from the old swirl pool to emerge at Reeds Pool Soon after this broke through below Bain Pool.
But as we continuously remind anglers, the Tongariro River was subject to similar abuse for a decade during huge excavations associated with gravel removal for the TPD [Tongariro Power Development] project during the 1960’s and still recovered.
For 2017 anglers are quietly optimistic that common sense will prevail, as Council will have to acknowledge this is a tourist region relying on fishing tourists to support local industry and any future ridiculous earthworks schemes – that have been proven to fail – will be cancelled. If only local iwi would object, it would be cancelled by lunch time.
A river always finds it’s own course.
Council policies – following their “consultants” advice in the last decade, has caused so much damage to the best trout fishing river in New Zealand. Eventually they have to admit their consultants have been consistently wrong and should review the future plans to return to making ‘trout habitat’ the first priority and to restore the natural river environment.
It’s nice to dream…
For 2017 the TRM inmates would really like DOC to add to the chart:
2017 – Daily Bag Limit increased to six, minimum size reduced to 35 cm.
2017 – Largest Rainbow trout ever landed on Tongariro River.