September 27, 2024 – Tongariro River Motel

The publicity photo above dated about 1959 illustrates the local ‘River Road’ store (selling Peter Pan ice cream) when the original “proprietors” Sylvia & Keith Penketh developed the village shop and caravan park. Now Taupo Council’s enlightened planners will not allow any commercial development of the motel as the land was rezoned “residential”.

A history of the wind vane at TRM was posted on Facebook about seven years ago. Now it deserves a rerun as the son of one of the early owners of TRM stayed here recently and remembers the iconic fishy logo being erected over fifty years ago.

Above photo was dated about 1959 when Taupahi Road was the main north-south road and Piri Road (replaced Link Road) and Turangi town was not even a dream. SH1 now extends diagonally across the back of the motel land. That driveway in the foreground is now Te Aho Road. The present-day “laundry assistant” used to stay in one of the caravans during school holidays in the late 1950s.

Ken Rogers may be remembered by Turangi folk as he attended school here for about eight years from 1965. His father, Trevor, originally lived in the back of the shop – see photo – which was converted to Units 1 & 2, and then arranged for the house to be added before the motel changed ownership again about 1970. That is Ken below pointing to the wind vane that he remembers his father erecting. He was astonished by the historical connections mentioned below…

As indicated in the photos below there are several other replicas seen around Turangi and even on the sky-scraper at the bottom of Tongariro Street in Taupo.

TRM’s historic logo/wind vane explained

Recently on the same day, we had two queries about the TRM (Tongariro River Motel) logo or wind vane. One fisho from West Island wanted to incorporate it with his letterhead so we needed to explain the historical significance that others would find interesting.…

The following info has been lifted from a TRM blog dated 27 April 2016.

As indicated in the photos below, it was copied off the finial wind vane ornament at the gable end of the Manager’s house, built over 50 years ago. That finial was copied from the original design over 300 years old from a very famous fishing temple on the River Dove in England. It is so interesting it is worth repeating for trout fishing purists… A fascinating tale.

If you look carefully at the photo above you should just see the replica finial ornamental wind vane on the gable end of the house behind the reception.

SWMBO’s standard reply was usually to explain how TRM is located in the trout capital of the world and the North, South, East, West compass bearings are to suggest we are halfway to everywhere.

But SWMBO’s explanation was never quite complete as there is much more to it than that. For TRM’s select group of inmates, it is a famous symbol with significant historical links, designed over 300 years ago for perhaps the most famous “fishing temple” in the world and is now part of fly fishing folklore (as is TRM?)…

Did you know where Tongariro River Motel (“TRM”) adopted its logo from? It is a direct copy of the finial on one of the most famous fishing lodges in the world with direct links to Izaak Walton.

Walton, the author of the angling ‘bible’, the ‘The Compleat Angler’ (sic), spent hours on the banks of the River Dove with landowner Charles Cotton – who built their retreat in 1674 in honour of his friend.

The Compleat Angler is reputed to be the third most widely published book in the world after the Bible and Shakespeare. Trout fishing must have been more popular back then.

TRM’s logo was originally designed as the finial for Charles Cotton’s “Fishing Temple” on the banks of the River Dove about 340 years ago. This was built for his fishing buddy, Izaak Walton. – the father of fly fishing.

There was one necessary, essential alteration to adjust to the antipodean Tongariro River location compared to the classical River Dove version. TRM’s trout is of course much bigger!

Recently it became exposed to the public again as follows:

Property Advert from UK :

Sounds like a great catch! The stone temple was built to honour a fly-fishing inventor 400 years ago on sale for £450,000 and the river is included (in 2016).

The stone temple was built in the 17th century in honour of Izaak Walton author of the angling ‘bible’, ‘The Compleat Angler’

He spent hours fishing with his friend Charles Cotton – who built the retreat in 1674 as a place to shelter.

Now the family-owned retreat in Hertfordshire has been put on the market.

Whoever buys it will own a three mile stretch of riverbank, fishing rights, listed lodge and 33 acres of woodland. The birthplace of angling – complete with a 400-year-old ‘temple’ honouring the inventor of fly-fishing – was put on the market for £450,000.

The stone temple was built in the 17th century in honour of author Izaak Walton, and as a place to rest and take shelter on the banks of the River Dove, in Staffordshire.

Walton, the author of the angling ‘bible’, the ‘The Compleat Angler’ (sic), spent hours on the banks with landowner Charles Cotton – who built the retreat in 1674 in honour of his friend. Their initials are carved in stone about the doorway of the Grade II listed stone-built structure.

Whoever buys the idyllic fishing retreat will not only own the three-mile stretch of the riverbank, the fishing rights, and the Grade II listed fishing lodge but also 33 acres of unspoiled woodland and grassland.

The unofficial birthplace of angling, complete with its 400-year-old ‘temple,’ built in the 17th century in honour of author Izaak Walton.

History: The quaint interior of the temple with an open fireplace. Walton, the author of the angling ‘bible’, the ‘The Compleat Angler’ (sic), would spend hours on the banks with landowner Charles Cotton – who built the retreat in 1674 as a place for him and his friend to shelter as they fished

The sale includes three miles of beautiful unspoiled riverbank, stretching alongside River Dove in Staffordshire

Walton’s tome – the so-called bible for anglers – was published in 1653 after he and his friend Cotton spent many hours experimenting with methods of fishing at the idyllic spot.

The temple even bears the crest ‘Piscatoribys Sacrum’ (Sacred to Fishermen) over the door.

In the mid-17th century Charles Cotton, an author, inherited Beresford Hall which was a quarter of a mile from the River Dove.

Mr Collins said: ‘Cotton was so impressed with Walton and the way he taught him to fish using a dry fly that he adopted him as his father in the fishing field and they became great buddies.

Izaak Walton

Walton, the author of the angling ‘bible’, the ‘The Compleat Angler'(sic), would spend hours on the banks with landowner Charles Cotton – who later added to the tome

‘The temple is just four walls and a roof with a stone table and fire place.

‘It was a place to shelter in and take a break and have a spot of lunch. You can imagine servants coming down from the main house with trays of meats and cheeses.

‘Walton wrote the Compleat Angler which is regarded as the Bible for all trout fishermen.

‘He pretty much invented dry fly-fishing and mastered how to attract fish by laying an artificial fly on the surface of the water very gently – there is a great skill in doing this.

‘He also passed on tips such as the fisherman disguising themselves in khaki colours and bending down on one knee or behind a bush.’

(Photo on right of Wendy & SWMBO – daintly hopping over the River Dove’s ancient stepping stones in 2010.)

‘When the Compleat Angler was re-published in 1676, Walton was too old to contribute to it so Cotton added new chapters about trout flies and techniques for tying them.’

Estate agents Knight Frank, said:

‘The Beresford Fishery has about three miles of superb wild trout fishing on the River Dove.

‘At its heart is a Fisherman’s Temple which is of huge historical significance and its three beats each have contrasting qualities, enough to challenge any keen fly fisherman.’

(I wonder what Izaak would have thought of the Tongariro…)

RIVER DOVE

Trout fishing on this exceptional limestone river dates back to the 1600s when Izaak Walton wrote The Compleat Angler with his friend Charles Cotton who built the Fishing Temple in 1671 that stands today and is our fishing cabin on this historic beat.

Set against the backdrop of Beresford Dale the river is dry fly fishing of the highest quality. The beat covers a huge variety of water with fast sections, long glides, tumbling weirs, and deep pools. The trout and grayling are free-rising to abundant hatches of Mayfly, blue-winged olives, and a variety of sedges.

The beat may be fished from the bank or with some wading if preferred. It is suitable for one or two rods, or a party of three or four.

The River Dove is the principal river of the Peak District 40 miles in length. It rises on Axe Edge Moor near Buxton and flows generally south to its confluence with the River Trent at Newton Solney. From there, its waters reach the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. For most of its way, it forms the boundary between the counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The river meanders past Longnor and Hartington and cuts through a set of stunning limestone gorges, Beresford Dale, Wolfscote Dale, Milldale, and Dovedale.

(Other photos are from Winchester Cathedral where their chapel is dedicated to fly fishing, being the last resting place of the father of fly fishing, Izaak Walton.