The cunning plan was to provide transport for a rubbish collection patrol on a quiet Monday after all the weekend brigade had gone home. But I had no idea of how many have been recruited into Didymo Dave’s Army of spies…

As indicated by the congested parking at the Braids car park the lower Tongariro River was still crowded. This is a direct reflection of how good the spawning runs have been this winter season.

So we continued to the extreme end of Grace Road and down the 4 WD track to the beach known as The Parade. The first two anglers encountered could not wait to get stuck into DD about the disgraceful habits of so many other fishos leaving their rubbish behind them.

They were the two Peters – Peter Canziani and Peter Bragg – the latter displaying nylon trace material he had already collected on the Parade beach. Every morning when they take their clients down the river they take a rubbish bag for the discarded leaders. They were both disappointed about the continual pollution from other fishos who should know better.

Just after we left them Peter Bragg landed this trophy trout.

If you want a “responsible” fishing guide, their contact phone numbers are: Peter Canziani (fluent in German, French, Italian as well as that other historical noble language we are afraid to promote during Maori language week) ph. 027 445 2644; or Peter Bragg aka Trout Junkie ph. 021 058 6725. Just make sure you pocket any loose ends when you change flies!)

Then I came across DD’s local mounted cavalry patrol on their E-bikes. They can go anywhere faster than fishos waddling in waders to catch out grubby rubbish dropping perpetrators. So you have been warned. DD has his private army of spies patrolling the access tracks down the Tongariro River to make sure all visiting anglers take their rubbish back home with them.