Trout fishing bragging rights up for grabs

Sport

24 Apr

Patrick Clement proudly displays his 2024/2025 senior licence featuring his winning photo. Photo / Patrick Clement

A free licence, a lasting memento, and bragging rights: all of this is on the table for contenders in this year’s Taupō Fishery photo competition.

That’s according to last year’s winner Patrick Clement, whose photo featured three generations of family enjoying Taupō Fishery.

He says his family all ended up with a licence featuring the photo to keep as mementos.

“They love it. The photo was taken in 2017, and the boys are now old enough to fish, and I’m pleased to report they caught fish not just at the Trout Centre, but also in the ‘big river’.”

As one of the winning entries, Patrick also received a free full season licence for the 2024-2025 season.

“My mates were out on the river bragging that they were fishing with someone famous,” he says.

This year, seven Taupō fishing licences are up for grabs to kick off the new trout fishing season beginning 1 July 2025.

While the overall winning photo makes it onto printed season licences, other winning photos are used for categories on the website and paper licences.

DOC Senior Community Ranger James Barnett says the judges are looking for photos celebrating the uniqueness of the world-famous Taupō Fishery.

“It could be a trophy shot, but equally important are those moments with family, with friends, or even landscape shots with a fishing theme.

“We’re looking for photos for seven licence categories, including family, senior, and junior.

“For many of us getting out into nature with a fishing rod is our happy place, and a photo of your fishing experience could be just the thing we’re looking for to celebrate the joy of fishing in Taupō.”

Entries close midnight, on Sunday May 18.

Up to five photographs can be submitted per person. To enter, email photographs to fishlicence@doc.govt.nz along with your name, where the photo was taken, and the approximate date it was taken. All photos must have been taken in the Taupō Fishing District.

Further information, including a list of the licence categories and full terms and conditions for the competition, can be found online at: www.doc.govt.nz/TaupoFishingPhotoComp.