HVAV Newsletter March 2013 - Christchurch Fishing and Casting Club

Last Month’s MeetingThe first club meeting of the year is quite a social occasion wheremembers get a chance to catch up and listen to some fishy tails(some would say tall tales).Bob Curry should have been awarded a prize for his true storyabout the trout he caught and ate at Taupo. He almost broke atooth on some very hard object that turned out to be a miniaturesignal transmitter that was lodged in the trout. It is questionablewhether the recorded data would be recoverable after this devicehad been cooked and partially eaten but Bob will send it off to DOCat Taupo nevertheless, and he will give details of where he caughtthe fish, its size, etc.Other members related their fishing experiences since our previousmeeting in December and there was a mix of freshwater andsaltwater stories.Club President, Fraser Gibbs introduced Pat van Berkel, aspokesman for “Friends of the Hutt River” (FRH). Pat gave themeeting an outline of the aims of “Friends of the Hutt River”. Hepointed out to the members present that the Hutt River is far frompristine in quality and is subject to mild pollution throughout mostof its length. Mr van Berkel explained that the Hutt River is fed bysmaller tributary rivers in five catchments. FHR consider that thesefeeder streams are all part of the Hutt River.Pat van Berkel stated that since FHR was formed it has madesubmissions to Greater Wellington Regional Council when theyapplied for a change to the resource consent to increase the watertake down from a minimum level flow of 600 l/sec to 400l/sec atKaitoke.Editor’s NoteThese and other submissions against the change to minimum flowlevels have been sidestepped by assuring the public that IFecological damage occurs then GWRC will rectify the matter.Periodic testing of the health of the river will be carried out but aswe all know only too well, any test results will show thesedeficiencies after the damage is done, not before it is going tooccur.It has been noted that testing will be undertaken in the Hutt RiverHutt Valley Angling Club Incorporated—March 20137