Recognise this bridge? Photo of Poutu footbridge was taken in July 2007 when it was bloced off to anglers. I understand it is now up in Tongariro National Park.

TRM just received a phone call from a South Island angler who fished the Tongariro regularly for a period of about ten years and was looking forward to returning. She was checking old pools and access tracks as she has not been back for 25 years. She started off by asking about her favourite spots along the Poutu River. She could hardly believe me when I explained they had all gone – or rather were inaccessible as the tracks were covered in blackberry. She was referring to the old closed-off main road access near the footbridge in the photo above. So any nostalgic tramping and exploring around there was now a waste of time.

Then we got onto the Bridge Pool above which was well-established for many years as the most popular pool in NZ. Now it is deserted except for a few determined anglers who swopped sides to wade the TRB where there is only room for a couple of rods – see photo above. Even the lower Bridge Pool is a shadow of its previous self.

So the following photos were taken with her questions in mind when the river was still flowing at about double the normal flow at 50 cumecs on a fine Saturday afternoon. Three anglers were casting off the TRB below Herekiekie Street and one was below the car park on the TLB.

She struggled to believe that angler organisations had lost many of the other anglers’ access roads and tracks downriver. I hate to think the bare truth might have ruined her day, but it was a rude reminder of how much anglers have lost on our world-famous trout river. I wonder if the fishery managers/councils/fishing clubs will ever have the courage to restore it back to its former glory? She reminded me why the South Island rivers are so popular, targeted by more overseas tourist fishos, as they seem to be more conservation aware as they fight to protect and retain their freshwater fishery against hydro and irrigation schemes.

Kaimanawas east of Judges Pool still has a mantle of snow from the first real dump for 2023.