THIS SEASON'S TROUT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18354, 21 March 1923, Page 11

THIS SEASON'S TROUT.

LAKES TAUPO AND ROTORUA

IMPROVEMENT- RECORDED.

SOME HEAVY CATCHES.

Much has been heard in the last month for two about tho improved fishing in 'Lakes Rotorua and Taupo, particularly the latter. The reports coming to hand ! from both lakes still show that heavy ' takes are being made by the skilful anglers, and that the fishing all round is better thii season than for years pastOne veteran fisher—a well-known Auck- ; land business man, who has regularly taken toll out of the waters of Rotorua for the last 12 or 15 years—said yesterday : "I had heard a great deal about the frequency with which 10-pounders were being caught at Taupo, but I am bound to say that until I had personal observation to convince me, I was inclined to think that the stories as to size : and quantity were exaggerated. My own . oxperienco with the Taupo rainbow trout fully bears out all I had heard. To take I single day's sport alone: One afternoon ®»V> drove out to the point where the. Waitahuna River joins the lake. There were three rods in our party, one wielded by a lady. In the course of about four hours' • fishing I had caught eight fish, of a total weight of 921b., or an average of nearly 1141b. My host also caught a nice bagful, and so did his wife. My record at Taupo for four days and from four to five hours each day, showed a total of 22 fish, totalling 226'b. There were also a number of other anglers operating about the lake, and many of them could show takes almost as pood as my —some had even larger individual fish." In all these cases the fish, even the | heaviest of them, were of excellent quality. llt is worth mentioning that in regard to _ the Waitahuna fishing-ground, the j resident Maoris have the right to make an extra charge upon sporting visitors, I and exercise it by exacting a fee which, for the right to the season's fishing, works out at about equivalent to tho license fee charged by the Government. With reference to 1 Rotorua and the improvement in the conditions there, the same authority vouches for the fact that out of hundreds of trout taken by his rod this season, he has only caught one of the " slabs " that were so prevalent nome years ago, and also that he has not seen a great number in the catches •jf other men who fished in his company. " And yet," lie observes, " some of the Government officials wero advocating the netting of the lake this season to thin out the fish, and the operation would nave been carried out but for the strong representations made by tho anglers to ; 'he Minister at the head of the depart- | ment. My own opinion is that if the ! officials leave tho fish population of the j lake to the hona-fide fishermen and give their attention to the suppression of poaching, it will be in the interests of both sport and the country." As to the condition and size of the Rotorua trout, this gentleman states that when fishing on one recent occasion at the mouth of the Waitete Creek he caught 35 between 10 a.m. and 3.15 p.m., the average being about 41b., and the ,-ange from 3ilb. to 61b. Out of the 35 there were 31 in the pink of condition, with one " slab" and three fish of middling size.