THE SELWYN TROUT.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18677, 28 April 1926, Page 11

THE SELWYN TROUT.

10 TOE EDITOB OF 'THE PRESS." Sir, —I notice from recent discussion on tho subject that considerable misuutieisianoiiig exists tvnh regard 10 Uia beiwyn trout. Ihe following particulars apply to the lower permanent water: that section of river extending for several miles both above and below the iJouthbridge railway. fciome twenty years ago this water carried a large and permanent stock of fish, in all stages of -growth, from fry to two pounders, and a scattering of large tisli. They could bo counted by dozens in tho pools, rising iit every ripple, and were continually disturbed while wading the shallows. Of late years, in the first half of the season, one ijjay tramp for miles-up the river, and find only a scattering of medium-sized fish and thousands <jf fry. The numerous species of May .flies and Cdddis flies, which in the various stages of their existence formed, at least eighty per cent. - the food of tlie growing fish years ago, are still there, and an examinar tion of the contents of the fish's stomachs , shows that they still constitute the principal diet, but the old-time stock of medium-sized fish is gone. Shortly after New Year large fish com-

j mcnce to ascend the river preparatory r to spawning, this upward migration ■ continuing into winter. These fish congregate in hatching pools, giving the ' uninitiated the impression, of an overstocked water. They nre not supported by the : river. Their feeding and growing is done in Lake Ellesmere, and during thair upward migration and stay in the river, they take very little food. Their stomachs are much contracted, but usually contain some halfdozen small flies of the Tipulidne order, and a May fly nymph or two, the whole being insufficient to sustain a yearling. The fish rapidly fall off in condition, and the most forward begin spawning towards the end of. April. TTiey are spawning above Ellespjere now. From an angler's viewpoint these fish are inferior. Occasionally one may be taken

if discovered in running water, and the fly carefully put on, but the.v are shy in the extreme, and usually lie in the deepest water all day, and decline to stir. In the evenings there is usually a slight rise, and . this is when the majority are taken. They are big and sulky, and poor sporting fish compared with * the splendid trout that 'leapea from the sunlit ripples in bygone days. About the same time as the large fish ascend the river, the majority of the fry disappear. This used not to be the case, and this downward migration or fry, or one might term them smolts, is becoming more pronounced. The schools descending tho river in February this year, although composed chiefly of fry from last spawning, contained individuals obviously from the previous one. The trout are developing migratory habits, and have already as- [ sumed many of the characteristics of salmon or sea trout. Fry reared artificially from Lake Ellesmere ova show no difference in this respect. This condition has resulted through repeated breeding from trout with migratory tendencies, and is only' natural under hereditary, law. It is evident that onetenth of the quantity of fry now liberated would stock, the river if they were of a type that would stay there. The obvious course is to stock with fry from stationary river trout. The difficulty would be to fiud original river stock untainted bv recent liberations, and the introduction of new blood of suitable strain may be necessary.— Yours, etc., 0. STOKELL. ' Shands Track,' April 26th.