ATLANTIC SALMON

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17937, 4 December 1923, Page 8

ATLANTIC SALMON

GOOD FIGHTING AND TABLE QUALITIES.

(SPECLU-LT VraiTTZN FOR "THE FBESS.")

(By John Montgomery.)

In search of good fishing I recently explored the haunts of the Atlantic salmon and found this fish fully established in some of the tributaries of the "Waiau. In one stream it has completely ousted the brown trout, and so far as numbers are concerned I consider that there are at least 30 per cent, more salmon available there this year than at the same period last year. Those 1 caught this year were also i n better condition than those I secured in the sams district last year, and with the exception of one fish that had recently spawned, all were excellent and of a light silver hue. One salmon caught in the lake was particularly plump and fat. This fish w«is a female and showed signs of being ready to spawn about the beginning of January. Several others showed signs of spawning in February or March. Every fish opened contained food in its stomach, mostly green beetles or black flies with an occasional minnow. The large up-river fish did not seem to be keen feeders. The largest could be seen at the bottom of the deep pools apparently content to live a peaceful life, and though they moved along to inspect the fly they seldom took more than a passing interest in it, and allowed the smaller fish, 01b or under, to take the b-it. In consequence out of 12 fish caught only one was over 81b, whereas there were plenty of 101b and 12ib fish. Go and catch them if you can.

I never actually saw a salmon break the surface of the water to take a fly, but my companion saw one at least 141b in weight take a fly. on the surface. I saw several fish feeding and most of these caught came with a wild rush at me ii y or otner lure when it was a foot or two below the surface.

Itegardmg tne vexed question as to whether all these salmon g« to sea or not, I am unable to make any definite statement. There is nothing to stop them going to sea but there again tner© is no necessity for them to do so, as Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, which must be passed through on the way, are very large lakes and provide ample food supply. If experts would only settle the question as to whether the Atlantic salmon is a sea lish which goes inland to spawn or an inland fish which goes to sea for food, the real position of this interesting; fish in New Zealand would become 'very much clearer. At present there, does not seem to be any definite run from the sea; if there were then we should find fish inland of 30lb to 401b weight. It seems most likely that these fish do not migrate in any large numbers to the sea, but use the lakes as feeding grounds. If, however, it is true that all jgo to sea ; then many must be devoured by denizens of the deep and. those that survive have not found within range of the mou>h of the Waiau a sufficiently abundant food supply to enable them to attain a large size. If I were asked which is most plausible I would say th-t con. sidering these salmon were introduced into New Zealand in 1867, and shepherds usied to catch them for food 20 years ago, a race of -fish has developed which finds Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau and their tributaries sufficient for their needs. If this is sq. Let-us hope they will multiply exceedingly and go to sea, in search of food, returning to gladd-en the hearts of many allglers who look forward to catching a 40pounder in New inland present I consider the sport superior to other fishing in New Zealand, and those that are prepared to go a long way back will find that tho further back they go the bigger the. fish, and that for fighting qualities and the table they have no equal.