Well team it is going to happen . I have just heard back from DOC about collecting mollies,etc.

This is going to be a weekend away and is open to all members of the FNZAS or other fishkeepers that wish to come along.

The weekend will the the 15th & 16th of November.

The following is a rough intineary

Meet at the Prawn Park in Taupo at 10am on the 15th Nov. This is located down the huka falls loop road.

There wie will have a guided tour of the prawn park etc . After the tour we will eat a few prawns the most enjoyable thing after meeting and greeting them !!!.

Leave at 12pm so we can make our way to the National Trout Centre for another tour at 1pm .As i said we have a tour aranged of the trout centre I have done this previously and it was very imformative .

After our vsit to the Trout centre we will make our way to the Oasis Motel in Tokaanu . I am thinking we could have a BBQ at the hot pools or something that evening . Wanting to hear back on prices of accomadation but last time we stayed there it was very reasonable.

On the morning of the 16th we will then make our way to the thermal swamp to collect the mollies. My method is a pond net a bucket and getting right amoungest it . You wil need old shoes , old clothes , net , bucket , air pump , chilli bin , towel and most imporatanly alot of ethusiam.

I will be emailing and posting details to clubs . So if you are interested feel free to email or phone me (07)8495275 so i can put your name down for this

weekend.

Just email itineary for molly hunt to clubs will also post itineary soon

Sounds interesting, please do get back to us on those prices as I'd need to save up a lot and get another tank or two to house them .

Those intersted in molly hunt . Have an intineary with prices etc .Just contact me and i will email intineary with cost etc to you . It is going to be a great weekend

Saturday 15th of November

10am: Meet at the Prawn park located down the Huka falls loop road. Tour the Prawn Park and meet and greet the large Malaysian prawns raised at this facility.

Lunch: Try prawn fishing for your lunch. Good selection of prawn dishes at reasonable prices available from the restaurant at the facility. $13.70 per person

1pm: Leave Prawn park to arrive at National trout Centre by 2pm

2pm: Tour through the National trout centre. Covers the breeding, raising, and releasing of trout into our waterways by a DOC ranger. I am sure that this will be an interesting tour. Plenty of time to have a walk around the centre.

Check in at The Oasis Motel , Tokaanu

Accommodation options below. Please let Dave know ASAP which option you prefer so he can get early bookings.

Motel Unit (Sleeps 4) 7 available

1 Double bed and 2 Singles bed

Bedding etc supplied

Cost $25 per person

Studio Unit (Sleeps 3) 7 available

1 Double bed and 1 single bed

Bedding etc supplied

Cost $24 per person

Bunk House (Sleeps 12) 1 available

3 bedrooms

Need to supply bedding

(use communal facilities)

Cost $22 per person

Cabins (Sleeps 2) 6 available

(1 cabin sleeps 7)

2 single beds

Need to supply bedding

(use communal facilities)

Cost $ 17 per person

There are also hot pools, shop, BBQ area and restaurant within walking distance of the motel. We could be having a BBQ at the hot pools or similar that night.

Sunday 16th November

10am: Tokaanu Swamp to collect our mollies

We will be joined by a DOC ranger during this time just to make sure we do this correctly. Things that do become useful when collecting mollies...

2 Nets; a pond net & a smaller one

Bucket; to put mollies in

Baitcatcher; Some use this method

Old Clothes; You will get muddy

Old Shoes; Don’t ruin your good ones

Towel; you will get wet

Plenty of enthusiasm - a must !!!!!

If interested contact ASAP

Dave Dalziel

[email protected]

I've just discovered that I can't attend this after all. I checked the dates and 15-16 November is the weekend before my Bursary exams. I'll have to stay home for the weekend and study for Biology on monday. I don't think I could manage to persuade my parents that questions on prawns, trout, or wild molly populations are likely in the exam .

Are you likely to be running a repeat of this in the next few years? It's a shame to miss out but I definitely can't come this time.

It appears to be a fairly regular event so I am sure you will make it to one eventually :lol:

Good luck in the exam

Thanks Caryl for the posting of itineary on this forum.

Please contact me with intrest or any questions with the weekend

You sure picked a great weekend :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

I will be in Aussie that week, will have to go and hunt some of those moreton bay bugs instead :lol: :lol:

I am sure everyone will have a great time

/Bruce

Hope you have fun in Aussie .

Make sure a couple of hawkes bay members come along to fill you in about the weekend

Those of you who are interested in the molly hunt can you please let me know by the end of august as i hope to have the accomodation booked by then

I'm in

Sweet as , just email me your accomodation option and numbers

I am very tempted to join in the hunt, but I will not know my availability until closer to the time, when is the last point that I can notify you?

preferably before the end of august so i can confirm the accomodation . Everything else over the weekend not a promblem . If you wait untill after august you may miss out on the choice of what accomodation you want

I am in, and if anyone wants to learn to flyfish while we are there let me know so I can bring some extra rods.

I'm sorry I can't make it, it sounds like good fun.

How many signed up so far Dave?

Caryl i have about 22 people that have confirmed accodation , at least 10 others that have indicated they are interested but haven't confirmed as yet . I suspect that i will end up with 35 to 40 keen molly hunters for an enjoyable weekend .

Joze please email me your accomation choices with numbers etc . Bring your fly rods you just never know . Last time i was down there i did a bit of spinninf forvtrout then went fishing for catfish off the tokaanu jetty

sounds like fun ! pitty I can't make it tho, I wish I could Maybe next year if it happens!

Just for one, if it comes down to it there is always club habitat, but it wouldnt be my forst choice for a bunkhouse. But it is cheap. I can probably bring 6-7 rods, and maybe source a few more. Those who wish to are responsible for their licences and you must have a licence, the doc officer could probably do this on the day.

no promblem , glad to have you on board . i am sure we could manage some fishing in somewhere . Possibly on the Saturday afternnon after we have checked in to the motel.

Good idea Joze. From what I hear, trout and catfish might be the only fish we see, as land developement in the area the mollies are in mean there might not even be any left. Anyone else able to elaborate on this?

They live in a bloody big swamp. in an area that is liable to erupt at any time soon

Years ago the locals used to scald their pigs in the hot-spring, and cook their food as well. It has cooled down considerably now.

So unless we have pole houses and sampans, I don't see these getting built out.

Although the swordtail population is another story :evil:

When we were in Turangi for the Exec meeting last month the swamp was very dry, there was only a very small amount of water right out in the middle which was impossible to get to without very long gumboots!

However, I drove past there last weekend (unsuccessful skiing trip) and it looks to have filled up with water again. Not to it's original level but a lot better than it was!

The land development sign is still up, but nothing appears to be happening yet, so fingers crossed we have a successful molly hunt next month!

up until about a month ago there had been very little rain in turangi, the lake levels were low and I noticed that the runs were about 6 weeks late. The trout were at the point where they werent waiting for fresh water before heading up and the jacks and hens were full to bursting. I dont know the swamp well but I would hazard a guess that the mollies found somewhere to hole up in while waiting for the rain.