Who would have thought chucking a piece of clothing in the lake would result in a trout's tongue being nearly cut in half?
The net result of pollution was posted on social media this week by Taupō Fishing Club president Shirley Fraser, who is keen to promote the message of keeping our waterways clean.
Shirley caught the trout in Lake Taupō and could see the trout was in poor condition.
But she was horrified to find it was due to a piece of thread running through the trout's mouth and gills, nearly cutting the trout's tongue in half and slicing through its body.