Wading perils…

Fly Fishing on the Tongariro has been cancelled for today.
SWMBO has sent all inmates to Tokaanu Wharf for a catfish contest.
10am Update:
Images tell the story….
Above image last Sunday looking across the top of Judges Pool from angler access track at the end of Te Aho Street. 
The bypass is usually easily waded to get across to the Doctors Pool or tail of Island Pool.
Lower image this morning at 10 am with the river flowing close to 200 cumecs. 
What the photos do not show is the greatly increased speed of the flow… 
Even the little bypass was impossible to wade. 
Many big branches and trees were also seen drifting just under the surface. 
While the Tongariro River is flooded at natural levels – faster and deeper than usual around 200 cumecs – it is worth reminding anglers of the dangers of wading! 
Too many take too many risks.  i.e.  Lots of concern on TRM Facebook about this image below – taken 27 August 2013 below Blue Pool. 
Needless to say the risks are just not worth it.  We did not think they would make it across so took a photo to illustrate the perils.   Yet after this lucky escape the fishing guide emailed TRM asking why we did not send him more clients… ?  
SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed manages the “Occupational Health & Safety” programme at TRM) cannot afford to lose inmates.  He used up all his goodwill that day.  They were very lucky to get across.
This next image on right was dated 8 August 2013.
We were watching this bloke nervously ever-so-slowly hesitantly wade across Vera’s Pool – beside Tongariro Lodge – without a wading pole.  We were sure he was going to take a tumble so took his “before” photo. 
He was stumbling about so much on the greasy stones that we were tossing up who should go and rescue him.
Then we recognised him and decided to stay where we were or we might get punched…  Guess who?

 

1080?

Interesting email in response to Dr. Neil Hayes’ comments yesterday on TRM Daily Report re 1080… 

Hi Ross
 
The comments by Dr Neil Hayes is the best example of unsubstantiated “Fake News” constantly spewed out by the anti 1080 lobby I have heard in a long time.     Unfortunately New Zealand is saddled with a complex menagerie of introduced predators that not only have brought many native species close to extinction but thank God also prey on each other.     It is this secondary and tertiary poisoning what makes 1080 so effective.     Most 1080 drops although primarily aimed at opossums spread twice as many pellets as would be needed for the target pest.    This ensures that after the rats have eaten some immediately after the drop there are enough left when the opossums come out after dark.     The rats and mice do not die instantly and become easy prey for stoats and feral cats, which also die after ingesting the poisoned rodents.      The kill rate of a well planned drop is extremely high and provides a temporary relief for the native fauna and flora.    I say temporary relief because over time such treated blocks become reinvaded by the above mentioned pests and putting any recovery under renewed pressure.     It could also be argued that birds that have been born in the absence of predators could be extra vulnerable once predators become re-established.    1080 is by no means the silver bullet but given the vastness of our wild lands it is for the foreseeable future the most economical weapon in the on-going war on this menagerie of pests.  In my opinion the main opposition to 1080 comes from deer hunters because 1080 is highly effective for such animals and DOC very quietly targets deer by increasing the poison load of the pellets well beyond what is needed to kill possums.   Sure there are unintended by kills but to say that the forests are silent because of 1080 is plain BS.     On the contrary the forests are silent because of the unrelenting damage these pest have been doing to our vulnerable native species.     During 40 years of working in the back country including a decade on pest control I have seen too many spectacular (albeit temporary) recoveries of forests and birds following a 1080 drop then to buy into Neil Hayes’s and others venomous anti 1080 propaganda.