‘Bugs’ Boost for Fish & Game’s Trout Breeding

Veteran fly fisher ‘Bugs,’ aka John Wilson, is generous with tips for novices on how to fish his favourite spot – Tarawera Landing.

The Rotorua bricklayer known to all as Bugs, has fished the Landing for over 40 years and “hasn’t missed a winter yet.”

The weathered angler is as generous with the fish he catches as he is with his fishing know how, and gives away many of the sizeable trout he hooks.

But among his most important “donations” are large fighting fish – often real trophy specimens – kept aside for Fish & Game’s breeding programme.

The fly fishing expert has had a long association with the Eastern Region’s officers and the hatchery at Ngongotaha, and even built some of the ponds there. He also built the fish trap near The Landing. “We had 50 anglers with wheelbarrows,” he says.

Bugs is so committed to catching the best breeding-quality fish for Fish & Game that he has a special net for keeping them live and healthy in a local stream, until Fish & Game officers can collect them.

“I try and donate the good ones – I sorta know what to look for.”

“I like to donate fish that really fight,” he says, “and at the moment there’s a lot of good fighting fish in the lake.”

One of Bugs recent catches at The Landing at Lake Tarawera was put to a different purpose. A film crew from Kaitime, the top-rating food show on Maori Television, filmed Bugs reeling in the fish. It was then cooked by a local chef for the part of the programme where “kai” is prepared and cooked on the spot, and shared with special guests.

Fish & Game says that Bugs knows exactly the sort of fish they’re looking for – the biggest and finest of the breeding stock, in the best possible condition.

And again this winter Bugs has provided the best of the trout that have been donated for breeding, says Fish & Game Officer Mark Sherburn. He says over the years Bugs has donated well over 100 fish – providing them ever since Fish & Game’s breeding programme started. “He is a real asset to us; we’ve had some cracker fish from him over the years.”

So far this winter Fish & Game have liberated 30,000 trout grown at their hatchery at lakes including Tarawera, Okataina and Rotoiti.

More liberations are scheduled for the week of June 20.

ENDS

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