The TRM post about the kids fishing went ballistic – unbelievably, over 400,000 views etc. and many amusing comments from readers to share with you, with the main purpose to show Council and DOC the huge interest in trout fishing that has been so neglected by their policies.
First is an email detailing a typical DOC Ranger experience sent in on Sunday to explain how rangers, aka fishery managers, aka DOC, aka bureaucratic government department, encourage kids into trout fishing. It is a classic case of the Kremlin abusing its power. Sadly, it is not the only one…
ps The only reason I can now be so bold to publish all these is I do not have a fishing licence any more – I am up to my fourth ankle replacement so have retired.
Hi Ross,
I saw your post the other day about the kids dangling their line from the bridge, kids being kids right?! Using their imagination and creativity, which is what kids do best, beats them sitting in front of a screen!
Had the most bizarre encounter today with the DOC Taupo fishery team today. Thought you might like to hear about it.
My son, 9 years old, is a mad keen fly fisherman, and we have recently, in the last 6 months, moved to Turangi, perfect for him to get right into the thick of it.
We were going for a walk today, and my son thought he would bring his ‘pretend’ fishing rod along for the walk. This consists of a stick, a piece of nylon attached to it with a makeshift lure, no hook I might add.. Great imagination, I thought.
We ended up at the breakfast pool; he was standing in the water casting away with his makeshift rod. I glanced upstream and saw a couple of DOC rangers standing on the bridge; thinking nothing of it, we just enjoyed the sunshine while he was ‘fishing’.
A few moments later, these 2 fine men come down and approach us, introducing themselves.
He says, ‘do you realise that what your son is doing is illegal, it’s fly fishing only here’ to which I replied, that has to be the most fucking ridiculous thing I have ever heard! He reminds me that it is illegal and he needs to stop ‘fishing’. Now, these two men saw him from the bridge, went out of their way to come down and see us and tell him that what he is doing is illegal. No fisherman in sight; he is literally harming no one. Just an innocent child doing what children do.
Now, this has made me lose all faith in humanity, and now I wonder what the world has come to…
A child isn’t even allowed to use their imagination or creativity anymore.
Absolutely, beyond ridiculous.
Cheers,
More confirmation of the stupid situation that viewers claim has become typical of DOC’s pompous attitude. (I have to add I know and respect some excellent people in DOC, but there are others…)
For example, here are some of the “public” comments sent to TRM after we posted the boys photo, fishing from the road bridge. Their father was so frightened by DOC that he asked us to block out their faces. I did not have the skill to do that, so they got decapitated instead. Take it from me, they were two super keen young fishos who deserve more encouragement. They are our future…
Comments
Well done boys.. out there doing it where most kids are sitting around with their heads in there phones
Kids that hunt and fish don’t deal and steal. Support like yours could change their lives
Legends
Give them a DB
Wicked boys
You just got yourself a new customer.
Will definitely support a business with such a great attitude.
That’s the way no technology in their hand and out in the outdoors
Moments like this are being less and less captured. What i could do as a youth is no longer an option for the children of today. Technology has ruined most New Zealand children.
thats how its done
awesome,, it all starts with giving kids the t
Id rather see the kids doing this then theifing,stealing breaking into homes , any fishing inspector given these kids a fine is cooked , some educational awareness and some lures would be the go, or be like Tongariro River Motel
doing a good deed
Life skills and survival our minds are at its best doing this,..
Big up to the Tamas,..
Yep go old Tuwharetoa kids..getting a Kai
Kids should be allowed to fish for free.
Jst my opinion.
Good to see them not stuck behind a play station or computer 
Kids should be exempt from fishing license anyway. Good on those lads !
If you’re going to be naughty , try a bit of cheese lol
More kids need to doing that not playing Playstation and watching phs
Love this! Love how our kids just know how to improv when they’re doing something they love
too much boys!!
Kids shouldn’t need a licence to fish they don’t get greedy like some adults. What an awesome awesome thing to watch.
Maori didn’t need licences 50 years ago
They look Māori so all good
yeah that’s why everything died out nearly. And now the seafood.
the type of antics we would get up to as kids
Good fr them enjoy there day..they may end up helping others.. enjoy fishing
There own special memory for life.
Great photo. I hope they went to collect prize.
This was fun when I was a kid xx
This is really cool and then they use their brains run down and reel them in love it .. on to it as x
Love to see it. Out there doing it…. No devices and living life
There is hope for the world!!
good stuff!
I was over for the commonwealth in 2020 loved the place if had done it in younger years would never have come back.
Awesome great childhood memories
Good on them Tgi at its best
Awesome go kiddos !!! Also so cool that TRM offering to help them with rods
Great too see kids doing what we used to do 70 years ago i hope that they caught decent fish each
Real lil kiwi! Grow up to provide for their families and protect the whenua
Good on them.
Well done boy keep it up no e bikes no phones just enjoying life
Tupuna knowledge
Never understood why we have freshwater licenses… the primary fish for fishing are exotic and damage the native ecosystem. There should be open trout, and carp seasons… salmon obviously need protection but not trout.
Love this
U all gud i ask a hunting n fishing shop about river fishing for kids no license till over 11 years n well done 10 4 not just pulling it up n it flicks off
our children should not need a licence to go fishing.
We used to pull them in on the roe baby
Yeah the boys
Not me zooming in to see if it’s any of my kids
Teach a kid to fish as they say
Super impressed honestly kids these days outside being naughty and getting into so much trouble.. then there’s these boys taking there whanau home a kai.. there’s hope yet!—————-
Would have to be a right jobsworth if the ranger was to stifle kiwi ingenuity!
So proud of them.
Give the boy a rod n he will feed his family for life. Thank you for protecting their identity.
Under 18 shouldnt need a licence just like aussie
As a fly fisherman – respect
When I was there I saw some big fish exactly where they are fishing! Good on them.
awesome, happens all over the world ….kids being kids
Not supposed to fish of there omg they kids for heavens sake
Kids under the age of 16 shouldn’t need a license.
Pity you took their photo and said where it was…
That trick has been handed down from generations.
No phones, no tech. Kids being kids without annoying anyone. Absolutely awesome.
Legends well done … old school
Fantastic
Good size browns and rainbows in there especially the upper reaches
Perfect well done good on them
Good on them out there doing it
Great kids being busy an keeping it simple, cause it works, cool
Introduced species anyway so fair game.
Good one and showing some initiative. I hope they caught a few for their effort.
Better than being in front of a screen every spare minute…kids being kids and learning math and actually doing geometry
kai pai tamafreakie
Nice ones boys .
Long as they taking them home to eat after and not just catching and ending life then good on them
Let em have their fun
No worse than sitting on the wharf at the tokaanu tail race with your. Fly or glow bug trailing in the water
Kids being kids , gold
Local knowledge
Great to see kids fishing, i did a bit of poaching as a young boy, now I buy a lic.
Did the same as a kid with a worm
That is so cool!! Love it
Love this for our future generations and love the awhi you’ve shown and giving to keep them going
Clever kids! Awesome
Winner winner trout for Dinner
Good on them feeding their whanau and not doing real naughty stuff…be happy to buy them a license.
Bread on the water and a worm on a hook on a length of nylon!! Great days,!!
The fun police could zoom in if they wanted to, but you’ll find most rangers are pretty good. Kids being kids, and adventures outside is great to see, while not hurting a soul. We need more kids doing this – Carry on….
Rob Raw better than playing on there i pads
In the 1980’s a mate of mine got prosecuted age 14 for fishing without a licence.
Judge threw it out and gave f and g a good telling off:
Rob Raw absolutely.. finally a child without some sort of screen in their hand..
Kids enjoying fishing , taking home their catch to be shared
Been there done that.. Kids being kids harming no one and creating memories..
Thats wat we like to see
That’s awesome and all about been a kid should be like. Well done kids!
Awsome got them a kai and keeping out of trouble good mahi boys
Would it be an issue with DOC?
Reminded me of that add that used to run with the guy on the bridge throwing bread in and bungee down scoops up the trout then pops back up while the flash fishing gear guys get nothing hahaha
Not sure on licence requirements for juveniles, but lots of kid out fishing, heading off on their bikes to spots along the river, suggest free to under 18’s, they are getting out and away from social media. Even if they do post pics and vids, they are out enjoying themselves.
Ranger “how did that smelt get on the hook of that nymph” Father “must have foul hooked it sir”…Whilst the kids stash the smelt scoop nets…tail race fishing in the late 80’s.
Kids should get a free pass on most fishing rules.
This is them learning life skills at a young age.
Kiwi kids being kiwi kids, good on ya boys
There was a recent report that the poms released millions of brown trout into NZ rivers in the early 1960s and now all river and creeks native fishs have almost been cleaned out including young eels spawning upstream eat by these introduced trout so these young ones are doing native fishes a favour keep catching all you can
They’re addicted for life!
Next time you see a ranger, ask to see his trout license! I bought my license off the same ranger for 15 years when I was growing up, he never in his life held a trout license and fished 3 or 4 days a week, if they weren’t interested in his flys he would bait the hook! cheese, worms, water spiders, wetas, anise oil, mice whatever. If he had no action after 12 or so casts, he wasn’t going to catch anything.
Wicked! Nothing better than a young fella out doorsing it being real with mother nature. Get em boi
Awesome seeing kids be kids
Kids finding the wild is great
Do u need a license for eels lol
Bloody Awesome,,Freedom Fishing
,,I our blood
Kiwi ingenuity. The sort of thing we did on the farm when I was a kid. We never had a licence, but we still got a feed of brown trout and koura.
I had some banging fish out of that river.
Good on your boys trout for dinner
Who cares about a licence if you’re hungry wear a hoodie.
Don’t let the ranger catch ya fishing off the bridge.
look these kids so resourceful and having fun rewards for their win is so awesome.
Kids can still have fun without screen time
Awesome. Kids catching a good feed
Joff BakxThat’s cool! Doing what kids should be doing
Love it boys
Will be a thing of the past with all the bull crap happening…
They were doing fine until adults butted in
Beautiful. Not phone or Playstation controller in their hand. Would love to see more of this. Oh and screw D.O.C they kill eve…
I fish with row under that bridge only take a kai good on those boys we maori no license for the river just respect
You go kids ..the start of your hunter/ gather ..and the government wants you to have a license?? 16 and under shouldn’t need one i reckon ..
Poaching at that age, no good
That is the true essence of being a young kiwi kid.
That was my childhood right there.…
Never know what lies beneath
Great work kids
…
Good on you guys keep fishing. If no licence catch and release. To stop a child fishing or having fun is a crime. Let them enjoy
Nothing more exciting than catching fish
This story popped up on my fb feed
so awesome kids being kids and thinking outside the box. I need to know if the kids have …
Kids should be free to fish if they want.
Our future innovators kiwi kids can do
Wow awesome TRM you guys are cool
Their family will never go hungry,at least they outdoors doing kids stuff.. lov it.
They kids tbvh .. Leave them alone no matter who you are or who you work for .. I’d rather them do this, then be up to mischief’
Wow,out living,not on social media etc !!!
Young Kiwi boys having
fun.
Trout are an invasive pest DOC are happy to poison our waterways with 1080 so good for you.
Go them, I caught all my trout with a gaff or spear when I was their age
always someone looking for a negative in every positive 
well done boys good stuff keep it up. And finding ways to make it work pure kiwi enginuity at it’s finest 
