WAIRARAPA TROUT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17491, 8 June 1920, Page 6

WAIRARAPA TROUT.

PROPOSED NETTING IN LAKE.

A proposal that netting should be permitted on .Wairarapa Lake was placed beLre the Wellington .Acclimatisation Society by Mr. Whatman. The. lake, ho said, contained a very large quantity of fish, and it was not hang used for sporting purposes or for any other purpose. He had known the lake for forty years, and the fish had always been plentiful. Very little fishing was done, and it seemed a pity that so much good food should be wasting. Much of the lake could not be- netted owing to snags, but he thought that an attempt should be made to establish a small industry, which would provide employment for some returned soldiers. The chief fishery officer, ' Mr. Ayson, _ approved of the project. A net with a very large mesh would be used, so that only big fish could be taken. This would improve the fishing, and there would be no possibility of cleaning out the lake. Very little legitimate fishing was done in, the Wairarapa rivers but poaching was very prevalent indeed. Fish were shot, dynamited, tickled, speared and netted, but they were not caught with the rod. "It is very difficult to induce the young colonial to take up legitimate sport," said j Mr. Whatman. "He won't waste his l time." Mr. Ayson wa» sure that the netting of big fish in the Wairarapa Like would not harm the fishing in the rivers in any case. Big eels were becoming very plentiful in the Wairarapa rivers. The fishing scheme, added Mr. Whatman, would cover trout, eels, flounders, and whitebait. If successful, it would provide a supply of fish for the Wairarapa district.

In answer to questions, Mr. Whatman said the lake had an area of about 30,000 acres. The netting would not interfere with the mouths of the streams. % Some illicit netting was proceeding already. A member remarked that the lake contained many trout, but for every trout there were "from two thousand to two million eels." The chairman, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp Raid the matter had been referred to a committee by the council. His own idea was that the scheme, with proper safeguards, was worth trying. The proposal would bo carefully considered by the council.