POOR WHITEBAIT CATCHES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29608, 2 September 1961, Page 13

POOR WHITEBAIT CATCHES

Canterbury Rivers Too Dirty Poor catches of whitebait marked the opening of the season in Canterbury yesterday. The heaviest catch reported was half a pound taken by a fisherman in the Waimakariri river. The heavy rain in the morning made rivers too dirty for good fishing. There was no whitebait for sale in fish shops, and it is not certain that it will be available on Monday The supply in the first few days of the season will depend on local catches. Early in the morning there were a number fishing in the Waimakariri, Styx, and Kaiapoi rivers, but the heavy rain drove them away later. There were also one or two fishing in the Avon river at Kerr’s Reach and near Pleasant Point. The Marine Department in. soeetor of fisheries (Mr R. Reid) said that whitebaiters who had staked their claims on the Waimakariri river had no claim to the soot, and that whoever got there first had prior claim. Mr Reid said that if someone went away for a moment another could take his place. No whitebait was caught in the Grey and Teremakau rivers yesterday. There were some small catches on the back tide in Buller streams in the morning. There was not much water in the Grey river, and other rivers and creeks were clear.