To celebrate the reopening of Creel the blog below is a repeat from July 7 when everyone in Turangi was mourning the loss of a local icon. The 100 year old history below reflects a tiny portion of the role of Creel Tackle Shop in the trout fishing lore in Turangi.
Everyone is so grateful to be saved by the “Woods” from Hare & Copper restaurant. We all look forward to supporting their endeavours. The Historic Places Trust should be paying for the restoration!
Andrew Wood and Lili Calva – owners of the Hare & Copper restaurant and now about to restore Creel.
Creel Tackle Shop update…
Above photo of Creel tackle shop – Welcome back Steve.
As anglers continue to express their concerns on social media i.e. “What a waste, this shop is a Turangi icon.”
Creel Tackle Shop have been teasing customers with the change in operators, and in particular the identity of their new shop staff. So we popped down to get his photo. Normally, retail customers would not be concerned, but as explained in the TRM blog dated June 28 below, Creel, is the oldest trout tackle shop in NZ. It deserves its special, historic, and unique reputation among all Tongariro fishos. Tongariro anglers deserve much more than the usual retail staff robots, requiring comprehensive technical advice on fly fishing gear with information about which Tongariro River pools are performing and which flies are working, etc. To learn it all takes endless patience and time. You cannot buy that. Particularly after three recent floods, visiting anglers need to get updated on local conditions and to learn of any changes. Prospective angler customers look for that essential “hands-on experience” in tackle shops, and in Turangi they are naturally inquisitive about any change in ownership. That is why the photo below is so relevant with Steven and the previous operator, Brian Scott (aka Scotty) on duty at Creel over ten years ago.
Fortunately we found an old photo of him – over 10 years ago when he had more hair! Welcome back to Steve on duty from Saturdays to Tuesdays. He qualifies with that essential “experience” ingredient.
(Prior to working from Creel, Steve was with John Baker at the “Raised Hackle” tackle shop located in the old telephone exchange built in the lean-to on the northern side of Roy Bell’s general store (historic photo above) on Taupahi Road, many years ago when it was the main north/south road. That has now been converted to residential accommodation.)
Below is TRM’s previous blog asking What is happening at Creel cafe & tackle shop? – revising some of the local history of Creel, dated:
(Above photo of Creel Tackle shop in 2012 before the cafe was developed.)
To TRM inmates, this is much more important than just another retail business closing due to Covid or hard times. In Turangi amongst many Tongariro River fishos, Creel is regarded as a historic institution. Read the previous TRM blog below.
Anglers who have relied on Creel for their fishy supplies for many years need to know what is happening? The only other remaining retail tackle shop, Sporting Life, must be loving it!
TONGARIRO RIVER MOTEL blog from January 2014:
An interesting new fishy cafe opened along the road on Boxing Day.
TRM welcome and encourage such competition providing such facilities for angling folk. It all adds to the overall quality of the fishing experience on the Tongariro.
But as TRM do not have a cafe, we need to advise where SWMBO will most likely be found if you can’t find Her in the garden. The iconic Creel tackle shop is well known internationally along Taupahi Road. The historic structure dates from the 1920’s having been originally operated by the legendary Joe Frost with many other famous anglers and guides following like Brian Scott, the Franks – Frank Harwood and Frank Schlosser, Geoff (Pop) Sanderson, (and from 2013, Grant & Deb Allen).
This was originally the main (SH1) road through the small fishing village known as Taupahi before MOW (Ministry of Works) arrived about 1960 and built their new town to develop the hydro power scheme, and called it Turangi, located on the western side of the realigned Main Road now designated State Highway 1.
(That is why Tongariro River Motel reception is at the back fronting the old main road (AKA River Road) which shifted about 60 years ago but we have not had time to move the reception office yet.)
The new cafe is located through the back of the tackle shop which has been renovated as well but to provide access through to the seating and cafe bar. Fortunately the old tackle shop is such a delightful simple structure – good bones – so still maintains the folksy mature character and style appropriate to the best fly fishing environment in the world.
Below is a copy of the interesting entertaining informative never-to-be-missed TRM Daily Report from last September 2013 when Scotty – Brian Scott – retired, and to welcome Deb & Grant who were planning to open their cafe as an extension of the tackle shop….
Deb & Grant Allen have a huge background owning and operating up-market lodges so we look forward to their new ideas. They could not have chosen a better location with so much history.
Below is the TRM report on Creel Tackle Shop which was posted in October 2013 last year.
Simply, there are no other tackle shops in New Zealand which enjoy such a rich trout fishing history.
Today it is one of three tackle shops serving anglers fishing the Tongariro River – the other two are located over on the western side of SH1 in the more modern Turangi shopping centre.
So TRM and Creel Tackle House are the sole ‘commercial’ survivors remaining from the original sleepy little fishing village, from the good ol’ days on Taupahi Road.
The tackle shop and guiding business had originally been established in 1921 by Joe Frost – a famous guide who operated out of Taylors Camp – previously also known as Hatch’s Camp.
Joe Frost guided and tied famous dry flies and sold fishing tackle from this store for some thirty years – 1921 to about 1950 when he sold out to Geoff “Pop” Sanderson.
Back in 1941 Geoff Sanderson created a trout fly, the Red Setter, that was probably responsible for catching more fish than any other wet fly used on trout waters in the Taupo region during his time – just fractionally ahead of Parsons’ Glory, which was just ahead of Hamill’s Killer. Now the Woolly Bugger has clearly taken over top spot. You can see some Sanderson-tied originals at Creel Tackle House. (That was added to qualify this historic buildings survey lesson as a fishing report.)
Such was the fame and reputation of this tackle shop, the structure was bought and shifted down the street and restored in the present location outside Creel Lodge. The tackle shop and guiding business was then bought by Frank & Frank – being Frank Schlosser in partnership with Frank (& Carol) Harwood – both famous trout fishing guides who have operated from Turangi for many years..
Then in 1997 Brian Scott (Scotty) bought the business and has been there for the last 15 or so years. Each of these angling tackle shop operators has been a local legend. They each deserve a book to record their experience operating from the Creel Tackle House. If the rustic walls of Creel Tackle House could talk, they would certainly tell several volumes of extraordinary trout fishing stories.
The images illustrate how the building was restored with fibro panels covering the original weatherboards and window joinery replaced and a verandah added. Despite the additions, it retained all of its simple cottage charm. It is soooo ‘Tongariro’. So it is much more than just another tackle store. Locally, it is a fly fishing institution. They talk a different fishy language there. For any visiting anglers it is worth a visit purely to pay homage to the past (and buy some genuine Red Setters). They should charge admission…
Anglers from overseas in particular, return from Creel Tackle House and rave about it with that emotional far-away look and dribbling with tears in their eyes. They recognise and value a genuine heritage building reeking of such a rare combination of qualities which distinguishes it from all the other boring retail businesses and makes fly fishing so special. As usual, Kiwis just take it for granted…
If only for its contribution to fly fishing lore on the Tongariro it should be registered on Council’s protected buildings list? (So should all the deciduous trees along Taupahi Road… ) What anglers love is the complete lack of any architectural integrity or merit. It is just a delightful simple functional structure oozing charm. Wonderful.
There are no other buildings in Turangi that have so much fishy character and so many stories to tell. Even the 65 year old TRM almost appears sterile and modern alongside the Creel Tackle House. But I said ‘almost’. OK? We are working on it…
Did you recognise TRM or Creel in the 1960’s aerial photos? Note no Link Road – now renamed Piri Road, no main SH1 highway…