Thread: Fishing license

I was in our local H & F today when an old fella came in and asked to buy a years worth of fishing license. Got chatting as you do, and he say he wants to fish lakes in Rotorua area as well as streams around Waikato, but he intends to fish for Perch.
I suggested that he probably didnt need to buy a license unless he was trout fishing, and of course this opened up a bit of debate.
No one in the conversation knew for sure if a license is required for course fishing, even though the place you are fishing and methods used "may" catch trout.
What are the rules??

If you catch a trout without a licence it is illegal but only if you get caught

Why would he target Perch when he can catch Trout? I don't think he needs a licence for Perch, he could get a licence to procure from a police station? Interesting because I could fish Taupo for catfish, because some dumbarse let them come into NZ as pets, and some wanker who couldn't bear to kill them, put them into one of the best fisheries in the world, but I digress. Problem would be the bait, worms, maggots etc would be taken by trout, and like when ya speeding there will be no excuse!

Perch require a licence, just the same as trout.

I have targeted them down here at Lake Waihola, use the fly rod and black and red streamers. Good size fish would be a couple of pounds. Easy to catch on spinning gear, good fun for the kids.

They taste bloody good, need to fillet them off the bone, roll in Flour S and P, awesome. Way better tasting than Pan Fried Trout IMHO.

Cheers

Dino

you need a licence for course fishing

Cheers all.
I can understand the need to comply when using fly fishing tactics as Trout are the obvious bycatch.

From F&G website under FAQs

What species do I need a Fish & Game licence to fish / hunt?

Sports Fish: The Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983 Schedule 1 defines the following species as “sports fish”:

Brown trout (Salmo trutta):
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, formerly known as Salmo gairdneri):
American brook trout or char (Salvelinus fontinalis):
Lake trout or char (Salvelinus namaycush):
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar):
Quinnat or chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha):
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka):
Perch (Perca fluviatilis):
Tench (Tinca tinca):
Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) found or taken in the Auckland Acclimatisation District—

and includes any hybrid and the young, fry, ova, and spawn, and any part of any such fish; but does not include salmon preserved in cans and imported into New Zealand.

Fishing Licence Info | Fish & Game NZ

Do you need a licence if you are fishing in a place that has trout but also has kahawai. I target the kahawai though I have caught trout I just throw em back. It is in a place where I should have a licence if I was trout fishing but if I'm not targeting them soo???

Read the second reply

My understanding is that you need a license for freshwater fishing, irrespective of the species targeted or methods used.

Don't know how estuaries and river mouths are handled...

Pengy, trout will go for bait, spinners etc, not just fly.

That is far too easy and far less entertaining way to get such info GM
EBF. I have caught heaps of Trout on all manner of baits, from bread to worms and everything in between. Just not in NZ
The subject of estuaries etc also came up in the original conversation, and it does look like a grey area between salt/freshwater

Originally Posted by Toby

Do you need a licence if you are fishing in a place that has trout but also has kahawai. I target the kahawai though I have caught trout I just throw em back. It is in a place where I should have a licence if I was trout fishing but if I'm not targeting them soo???

You do not need a license if you are fishing for anything other than the species controlled by F&G. If you catch any of the controlled species you are not allowed to land them, ie let them loose, preferably whilst still in the water.

Originally Posted by Pengy

Cheers all.
I can understand the need to comply when using fly fishing tactics as Trout are the obvious bycatch.

You tried the old MOW minnow? The old Ministry of Works, government department that was responsible for roading, bridges, power schemes, goverment buildings, ...

What GM says you can fish for Eels, Kahawai etc any where trout, and other Sport fish are but don't need a licence. But if you catch a Sport fish, then it must be returned to the water asap

Or at least return the bones