THE FISHING SEASON

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22414, 30 May 1938, Page 15

THE FISHING SEASON

SOCIETY’S ANNUAL REPORT EXCELLENT SPORT IN OPItHI The last season was one of the best for South Canterbury anglers in many years, according to the annual re* port of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, which will be presented at the annual meeting to-morrow, The Opihi in particular was Ashing remarkably well, and many limit baskets of fish were taken from it. There was a very good run early in January, when the largest fish taken weighed 171b, and others, ranging from 101b to 151b, were reported. One angler landed 42 fish in six nights, at an average weight of 591b. The smaller streams all held plenty of fish in the early part of the season, but more Intensive angling as the season advanced reduced the number. Lake Alexandrina did not yield such numbers of rainbow trout as it did the year before, but the specimens were very fine. The society’s Income for the year was £1505 2s Id, an increase over that of the year before of .£169 16s sd, and the expenditure was £1334 6a 2d, against £1227 last year. The increased licence fees were responsible for the higher revenue. Depreciation was written oft the assets amounting to £llß, thus reducing the excess to £52 15s. Brown trout fry numbering 605,000 were liberated in the various rivers in the society’s district, from the hatchery at Temuka, and 465,000 rainbow fry went to the lakes. Besides this, large supplies of eyed ova were sold to Wellington, Waimate, Otago, and Ashburton Societies. Since the hsitchery was set up at Temuka, there have been liberated in local rivers and lakes 6,072,000 brown trout fry, and 3,813,000 rainbow. ■ , The salmon fishing was not so good as usual, because of the continued floods during the run in the Rangitata.