ROD AND GUN Arguments In Favour Of Winter Fishing

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31378, 25 May 1967, Page 8

ROD AND GUN Arguments In Favour Of Winter Fishing

(Specially written for "The Press" by JAMES SIERS) The North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, in deciding to allow fishing this winter, is not only giving anglers a fairer deal, but applying the lessons learned by research workers throughout most of the world. In rod and line fishing for trout and salmon, the angler accounts for only an infinitesimal number of fish. Nature takes the rest It seems strange that the writings of men like Radway Allen, the former director of the fisheries laboratory, continue to be ignored. Acclimatisation societies continue to pour thousands of trout by way of ova, fry and fingerlings into river systems not equipped to hold thenr Where the work should be directed towards improving habitat, spawning conditions and guarding against water aggregation, pollution and the ruination of rivers, societies often as not spend their .time working about which stretch should be open and when. The Wellington society is one of the chief culprits in the game of appeasement to disgruntled anglers. It pours some half million ova and fry into rivers which promptly disgorge them into the sea. Perfect Example The most perfect example of a good trout stream, the Mangatinoka, gets not a drop of it nor has it ever been stocked since the original liberations. In fact it is used for trapping so that its choice fish can be stripped for other systems. The argument and example apparent to all but the blind are ignored almost completely. No society knows in a scien-

tific way the efficiency and yield of any of its rivers, where anglers should be required to keep a diary record so that the catch per hour ratio can be worked out; nor does it know the capacity and potential of rivers under its administration. Winter fishing has been a feature of the New Zealand angling scene for some years. It began in Taupo-Rotorua. As restrictions are relaxed anglers are catching more fish and the average size in the Taupo fishery, particularly, is rising. There are fewer slabs around, and fair indication that the surplus crop is being taken and that there is enough food all round. It has proved such a success that there is now a school of dedicated anglers who go to Taupo in July and August only. Elsewhere, winter fishing was made available in waters predominantly suitable for perch, with the hope that surplus numbers would be reduced. However, if perch fishing is not popular in the first place, then the fact that it is available in the off season does not seem to make extra numbers of trout anglers fish for them. Good Results Mindful of large numbers of trout that come in from the sea during the winter months, the Wellington society was quick to allow the lower portions of their rivers to be fished during the winter

months. This has not proved popular with the majority of anglers, but those who have persevered have obtained good results. Mr George Ferris, with the support of the work being done by Dr. Donald Scott, of Otago University, has insisted for a long time that rivers along the east coast of the South Island are subject to runs of sea trout during the winter and has published material showing figures of these' trout that have been trapped. What a shocking waste that these fish were not cropped. Conservation as a principle does not only mean to preserve, but to allow the species to flourish in a good healthy community. Fish by nature are the first to suffer through over-population, and the greater the restriction on the angler, the surer the fate of most of the fish—an untimely death by other causes. One of the greatest mistakes is the closing of most of the Westland rivers during the winter. A great number of these snow-fed streams are only clear and low in the winter. As they teem with fish now, what is the sense of trying to ensure that there will yet be more if they cannot be caught? Let us hope that North Canterbury anglers take a leaf out of the history of RotoruaTaupo fishing and give it a go, and then insist on good reasons for any future restrictions.