Speckled Nomads

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 11 (Supplement)

Speckled Nomads

S INCE Charles Kingsley, in "The Water Babies," sketched the life cf the fish from the fish's point of view, we have had two outstanding lives of the salmon so written; but none that we recall of the trout, says the Times Literary Supplement. The two salmon Jives are: Mr. Haig-Brown's "Silver, the Life-story of an Atlantic Salmon," and Mr. Williamson's "Salar the Salmon." There was also tlio German "Laikan, the Story of a Salmon." But that, naturally 'enough in the account of a fthine salmon, did not emphasise the angling side. Its gifted I author would have been even less able ! to combine both aspects of a trout's life as it appeals to us—the natural history and the sporting aspect—as Mr. Towner Coston has done so happily in his book. For there arc no chalkstreams in Germany, though the Bavarian limestone breeds big fish. And though the Traun and other rivers give an occasional monster, there is no high average sizo trout in Germany approaching the standard of tho famous New . Zealand rivers and lakes. Apart from that, there has been, till recently at any rate, no tradition of sport, of fishing for fishing's sake and of fishing writing as literature, in Germany. s Both sides 'aro excellently brought out by Mr. Towner Coston. For he can tell us of .tho life of a trout from its

LIFE HISTORY OF THE TROUT

very beginnings, from egg to alevin, from fry to five-pounder, in the chalkstreams of this country. His knowledge of conditions in New Zealand has enabled him also to trace tho growth of a New Zealand trout to threo times that size; one of the stock resulting from the acclimatisation, duo to Frank Buckland, which began in 1864. And in tho stories of both fish, besides giving that life history, ho writes as a practised, and evidently enthusiastic, fisherman. The result, this happy contrasting of the life of tho Hampshire trout and his New Zealand cousin, is fascinating to all who love running waters* and the fish that live in them. On the natural history side there are, as Mr. Towner Coston says, still gaps in our knowledge; and perhaps some of his statements are open to question. For instance, is not a grannom rise now very rare? And did it ever como at the samo time as tho May-fly?

But he describes fully the life of a trout so far as it is known, and the enemies which the small trout ihas to encounter, wherever he swims; and lie knows well tho rhythm of the chalkstream. If we cannot check so carefully what he tells us of Now Zealand, his description of the country, and of Maori traditions and practices, is equally charming to those who have not fished those famous waters. The photographs, some of which have appeared in a film, aro of exceptional interest, especially those taken through water. "Speckled Nomads," by H. C. Towner Coston (F.abcr and Fnber).