HYBRID TROUT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1930, Page 15

HYBRID TROUT

A SECOND GEXEEATIOIs

To produce a hybrid with the sporting proclivities of the rainbow trout and some of the natural qualities of the brown has for" several years past been the aim of Mr. D. Hope, Curator to the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, says the Christchurch "Press." Twenty or thirty young fish, quite unconscious of their importance in this piece of research, as they disport themselves in a limpid pool at the society's hatchery, bear witness to his success so far. They are the-second cross of the two species, but unfortunately the experiment has been delayed for a year by accident; the third generation, cultivating- a habit which trout show at certain seasons, leaped out of the water in the boxes and were found dead on the floor. Mr. Hope thinks that a hybrid would make an excellent sporting fish. The angler likes the rainbow, but it will not stay in the supw-fed rivers,of the South Island. One or two are. sometimes landed from the Waimakariri, but these conic from- Lake Pearson, finding their, way out down. Broken River during a '■fresh. The brown trout is the river trout in Canterbury, but it is not nearly .sp good a fighter as the rainbow. [ ' " .What Mr. Hope, is trying to do is to combine the best-qualities of the two and produce a fish which would frequent our h'shable rivers and also be an angling attraction. Apart from this the experiment itself is interesting, but it is also difficult. Air. Hope himself realises that it may not come to a successful issue in his time, but he is confident that it is practicable. When, the first cross was produced three years ago there were many "throwbacks" among them, many of the fish inclining to the characteristics of the rainbow. ; As the young fish; developed all 'the imperfect specimens were culled. These were crossed again, and the second generation produced. Here, too, there were many "throwbacks" which were culled. A third generation was produced from the remainder, but these were lost. "It is a work of years," explained the curator on Tuesday. "Producing a hybrid trout, is like producing a hybrid sheep—■ the Corriedale, for example. The Corriedale sheep was established as a distinct breed only- after years of experimenting, and even now heavy culling is necessary to keep the breed pure. The same is true of the production of hybrid trout."