Taupō Fishery Focus. By trout anglers for trout anglers.Issue 33 – March 2024. Welcome to the latest edition of Taupō Fishery Focus. It’s been a busy summer for the Taupō fishery team. Gathering survey information from anglers is a key piece of work at this time of year. This data helps us understand how the fishery is tracking and contributes to a broader pool of monitoring work that informs management decisions. We also spoke to anglers and other recreational lake users about invasive gold clams and measures in place to control their spread – read more about summer surveys and gold clams below.The pulse of bad weather appears to be behind us, so we can look forward to a more settled period, offering trout anglers the chance to enjoy the variety of Autumn fishing available in the Taupō fishery. Most rainbow trout in the Great Lake will be gorging on smelt in deeper water. Jigging at around 40m deep is a very effective method for targeting these trout – according to our survey data this method accounts for nearly 50% of trout caught over summer. Lake Otamangakau has also reopened in March, offering anglers a very different lake fishing experience, with the chance to target some big fish in relatively shallow water.River anglers will be on the lookout for resident rainbows along with large browns working their way up stream. Dry fly is a great way to take these trout, but it can become frustrating when a rising fish continually rejects your fly in favour of a natural.  Under these circumstances a vine hopper or lacewing pattern can make all the difference!Have you taken a few good snaps while fishing in the Taupō District? If so, you should keep an eye out for the launch of our annual photo competition, so you can be in to win a season fishing licence!Finally, please ensure you have purchased and are carrying a Taupō fishing licence before you start fishing. Our online licence store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:  www.doc.govt.nz/fishinglicence Tight lines. James Barnett Editor

Summer snapshot. Technical staff generated a snapshot of how the Taupō fishery is tracking based on lake survey data collected from November to mid-January. Overall, 233 rainbows were measured and weighed. They averaged 472mm in length and 1.2kg (2.6lbs) with an average condition factor of 41.7. This summer, the rainbows have been similar to those from last summer and to summers 2019/20 & 2020/21 but behind the exceptional peak of 2021/22 (Fig.1). The overall estimated catch rate to mid-January was 1 fish per hour which is on par with the last couple of summers (Fig.2) but behind the peak of 2020/21 which saw a catch rate of 1.26 (1 legal sized fish every 45 minutes). Anglers chose to keep 270 trout (50.8% of the total catch), release 222 legal sized trout (41.8%) and release a further 39 trout that were undersized (7.3%). The high percentages of legal sized returns during recent years indicates a lot of recovering trout amongst the population. . Jigging remained the most popular fishing method and accounted for almost 50% of all angler interviews (Fig. 3). This was followed by trolling with lead lines (22.7%), shallow trolling with lead lines (19.6%) and downriggers on 4.9%. These percentages are very similar to what we saw last summer. From a fishery management perspective, it is encouraging to see a decrease in the number of anglers adopting catch and release (Fig 4).  Harvesting plays an important role in the Taupō fishery, helping control the trout population and maintain balance with the main food source, smelt.  In summary, the data suggests the fishing experience has returned to a more typical level, following the outstanding fishing season experienced in 2021/22.

Gold clam awareness hot over summer.Over summer you may well have come across our Invasive Species Threats Ranger, dedicated to increasing awareness of invasive gold clams and emphasising the importance of MPI’s Controlled Area Notice (CAN) for the Waikato River and the key role played by Check Clean Dry (CCD). This was particularly important work given the elevated risk of incursion resulting from increased water traffic over summer.Work mostly involved talking to anglers and other boaties at the many boat ramps that encircle Lake Taupō. As part of this, 420 CCD surveys were completed, capturing valuable information from variety of lake users including people on fishing boats, jet ski users, kayakers, wake boarders and general boat users.Local businesses and tourism operators were contacted and responded brilliantly. They played an important role helping increase gold clam awareness by sharing information with their customers. Campgrounds were also approached, and again the response was great. Everyone was keen to help spread the word about the risks of gold clam and importantly, what actions to take.Firstly, strictly adhere to Controlled Area Notices. Secondly always Check Clean and Dry gear before moving between waterways and ensure you are using the latest advice adapted for gold clam control. More information about gold clams, the Controlled Area Notices and Check Clean Dry can be found on the Biosecurity NZ website>

Lake Otamangakau reopened 1 March. March marks the reopening of Lake Otamangakau to trout fishing, following the February closure.  1 March, along with the first weekend in March, have quickly become popular dates in the Taupō fishing calendar, as anglers look to capitalise on trout that are less wary due to the break.Early reports suggest the fishing this March has been challenging at times but once the period of stormy weather settles, we anticipate the situation will improve.Other factors also make March attractive for anglers. Insect activity can remain high, particularly damsels that are often prolific at Lake Otamangakau at this time of year. Trout will be feeding avidly as they look to build up weight and condition in preparation for spawning.  In addition, March usually offers more stable weather which makes trip planning easier – although this year someone forgot to tell the storm front that just rolled through the country!Lake Otamangakau webpage>

Lake Taupō productivity, Spring survey analysis. Analysis of the spring echo-survey of Lake Taupō was recently completed. The raw data revealed some interference along Transect 4 (from Hatepe to Waihora) but this was removed from the analysis and did not have a significant impact on the overall results, as the productivity in the sections without interference was consistent.The distribution and density of the back-scattering is presented in Graph 1.  The good news is that the productivity of the lake was much higher than in Spring 2022 and almost as high as in spring 2021 – the highest recorded since the start of the monitoring in 2010. The back-scattering was particularly high in the Western Bays and along the western shore of the southern part of the lake. This is an encouraging result that should reflect positively on the quality of the fishing over summer and autumn, the survival of fish that spawned last season. Benefits could extend into the next river fishing season as well.As previously stated, this monitoring work provides a valuable insight into the functioning of the limnological processes in Lake Taupō. This monitoring could become even more informative if compared with other data available on Lake Taupo from other agencies.  Dr Michel Dedual is currently exploring which additional data are being collected by other agencies and their potential to add value to the results of our echo-sounding surveys.In summary, Lake Taupō trout have had very good feeding conditions this year and should benefit in condition compared with last year.

Stairway to heaven. Fishery Rangers recently completed an upgrade to the steps leading down to the mouth of the Mapara Stream. While it may not be everyone’s definition of heaven, it can be a pretty heavenly spot to catch a trout or two.Storms regularly batter the shore of Whakaipo Bay, where the Mapara Stream enters Lake Taupō. As a result, the lower box steps would regularly come under attack from waves and eventually be destroyed. A more robust solution was required.The new approach which involves a more substantial wooden stairway attached to piles, should be more resistant to storm damage and offer anglers easier access to this small productive stream mouth. Photos of the new access steps can be found on our Facebook page>

Your chance to win a free fishing licence. Our annual Taupō fishery photo competition is just around the corner. The competition is your chance to win a season licence of your choice, and to see your photo used to illustrate one of our licence categories. One overall winner will be selected to appear on the front of our printed credit-card style season licence.We are looking for a variety of shots that reflect different aspects of the fishery, including families, children and seniors. So, look out for the competition launch and keep those photos handy.

Taupō Fishery Advisory Committee. The Taupō Fishery Advisory Committee (TFAC) is a statutory advisory group that represents the Taupō angling community, and regularly meets with fishery managers. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in April, so if you would like to propose an item for discussion simply email the Chair of the Committee, Julian Proctor – TFAC@doc.govt.nzYou can find more information about TFAC by visiting the dedicated web page – www.doc.govt.nz/tfac