Tūrangi, Zane Grey and the hallowed fishing grounds

First travel influencer — the Zane Grey legacy, 100 years on

A Tūrangi fly fisherman is continuing a century of obsession, sparked by a wildly successful 1926 publicity stunt.

Peter Wilton is researching an historic visit by renowned American author Zane Grey who fished the Tongariro River before writing Tales of the Angler's Eldorado: New Zealand the same year.

Peter says the book immortalised the river and triggered a flood of visitors. A hundred years later, readers – particularly from the United States – are still travelling from around the world to fish in the author’s wake.

“They come here because of him, because that river is kind of hallowed ground for them,” Peter says.

River romanticism

“We need to capture the importance of what Zane Grey did. He was our first fishing influencer.”

Peter has been digging up details of the author’s government-sponsored visit and its effects, and is calling for fellow anglers to mark the anniversary. He says the Tongariro River’s most famous advocate didn’t merely champion Tūrangi’s exceptional trout fishery, he romanticised it.

“The world would eventually have heard about the Tongariro and how good it is. The river would still have attracted fanatics to fish here. But without Zane Grey, it wouldn’t have the same mystique or history.”

Peter was just 12 years old when he fell for the author’s bewitching prose: “His writing is beautiful. To me, that book just built up this image and fascination with the Tongariro, kind of created this mystery place where big trout swam in crystal clear water. And you just had to go.”

A curious curator

Peter has read the book a dozen times in the intervening decades.

He moved to Tūrangi for the river in his 40’s, to become a fly fishing guide for Chris Jolly Outdoors and guests from Huka Lodge. He has long been involved with Tongariro National Trout Centre and its society, and he is a former board member who curated the trout centre’s museum.

Peter says his museum work gave him a deeper understanding of the author’s influence. The museum, which stands just 400m downstream from the spot where Zane Grey fished, includes a nationally-significant collection of New Zealand trout fishing books and other fly fishing memorabilia. One wall is hung with photographs of the American and his local guide Hoka Downs.

More recently, Peter has also been researching stories from the author’s three Tūrangi visits.

While the prolific novelist was best known for writing about the American frontier, Grey also held several world fishing records for fresh and saltwater species. And that is what prompted the New Zealand government to issue an invitation.

Putting NZ on the map

“It was a smart move by the government. They wanted to bring tourists here, they wanted to sell fishing licences and they hoped Zane Gray would fall under the spell of the Tongariro and put us on the map as a top international fishing destination.

“That’s pretty much exactly what happened.”

On his first visit to New Zealand, Grey met tourism officials as well as then-prime minister Gordon Coates. After arriving in Wellington aboard the SS Makura, he headed north for a deep sea fishing expedition before arriving in the Central North Island with his travelling companion Captain Mitchell in early autumn, 2026.

Initially, the author and his skipper friend spent two weeks fishing on Lake Taupō, in a government department boat, with a government-appointed photographer on hand.

“He was a controversial figure. Apparently he was an egotistical, strong-willed man. Quite a hard man and I think a bit of a romancer,” Peter says.

Massive trout

There are stories about him trying to purchase land along the riverbank and tales of him criticising New Zealand anglers for using spinning rods and lures with triple hooks. And plenty on the record about his fishing exploits.

“Back then, the fish were three times bigger than they are now. The average size trout was 8-9 pound. Today’s fish average three to four pounds, though there are still some seven or eight pounders out there if you’re lucky or skillful enough.”

The visiting Americans caught 70 trout on the lake, at Waihora. But Grey was a fly fisherman at heart so he spent six days camping at Kowhai Flats, on the Tongariro.

“It was hard fishing, the river was low and clear and the fish weren’t spawning. The biggest fish he caught was about 12lb, under the guidance of Hoka Downs, from the Dreadnought Pool. Hoka’s family owned the land where he camped and his ancestors still own it today. ”

Peter says the author returned to the river the following year, bringing son Romer along. Zane Grey’s third and final visit happened in 1929, a decade before he died.

Still special 

A century on, Peter says Lake Taupō and its tributary rivers continue to hold worldwide appeal. In part, this is due to the size and health of the fish, and certainly because the fishery is not dependent on hatchery stock. 

“This is one of the last great wild trout fisheries in the southern hemisphere. Wild spawning fish in the rivers maintain the fishery in the lake. This fact alone draws fisherman here. That these wild fish can be caught in a special wild scenic river environment like the Tongariro makes this New Zealand experience unique.”

Meanwhile, the hatchery building that forms part of the trout centre also celebrates its centenary this year. It was constructed in 1926, to safeguard the fishery in the event of a natural disaster and to supply other fishery regions if need be. Today, it is used to keep the on-site children’s fishing pond supplied with rainbow trout.  

“There’s an educational component but it also helps children and school groups discover the joys of fly fishing and the importance of freshwater habitats.” 

Last word 

Taupō’s fishery region remains alluring for Peter, and for the thousands of overseas visitors who fish it each year. The wild beauty of the river and surrounding landscape continue to strike anglers with what Zane Grey described as “singular force.” 

“The very roar of the rapids seemed different,” the author wrote. “The valley of the Tongariro wound away to the dim ranges, a valley of boulders and pumice. The great white-peaked mountains stood up to meet the moon.” 

After his first trip, he describes the green-white thundering of the river and makes a vow to “come again down across the vast Pacific…to fish in the swift cold waters of this most beautiful and famous of trout streams”. 

In Zane Grey’s footsteps

Favourite fishing spot: Dreadnought Pool, on Tongariro River. The pool takes its name from a German battleship; the adjacent cliffs are said to resemble the ship.

Most successful river fly: the matuka fly, tied with feathers from New Zealand’s native bittern.

Biggest fish: Zane Grey did not catch the biggest New Zealand trout in his family. During his return trip in 1927, Zane brought his adult son Romer Grey along and the younger Grey caught a 15lb rainbow trout close to their camp at Kowhai Flats.

Other publicity: His South Sea Adventures film included footage of trout fishing on the Tongariro. In 1979 – 40 years after Grey’s death — extracts from his New Zealand fishing diary were published as Tales From A Fisherman’s Log.

Museum memorabilia: Visit the trout centre to find photos of Zane Grey, copies of the Anglers Eldorado and Fisherman’s Log books and an impressive collection of Hardy fly rods and historic reels. It also displays old maps of the Tongariro prior to the great flood of 1958 that swept away some famous fishing pools.