New Zealand trout fishing is famous for its free access to water holding big trout, in stunning surroundings.
Unfortunately there has been an insidious growth in some guides and guiding operations paying landowners to restrict access to rivers and streams running through their properties, to their operations.
Bad as that is, many of the guiding operations using this tactic are foreign guides and guide operators. These operations are well funded and use their dollar muscle to reserve the best water for foreign clients, very wealthy clients.
But there is a sting in the tail, it is illegal in New Zealand for landowners to charge for access to rivers and streams. So NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers is declaring war on the practice. Legal challenges are to begin. The water and fish these guides are ‘buying’ belong to all New Zealanders – and it must remain that way.
Free access to rivers and streams for New Zealanders and visitors is a big part of our heritage, and I am very happy to see that this ‘cancer’ is about to be exposed.
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At a guess I would say most Taupo turangi guides pay for some form of access
I know a pretty long list of guides in the whole Taupo area and I believe that the vast majority of them do not pay land-owners for access. Simple reason - they simply cannot afford the amount of money being splashed about by a few guides or outfitting operations - NZ or overseas based.
In any event, what remains true, is that paying for water access in NZ is something that needs to be stamped out, sooner rather than later.
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