ACCLIMATISATION FEAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19275, 13 March 1926, Page 13

ACCLIMATISATION FEAT.

INTRODUCTION OF SALMON.

GREAT RESULTS ACHIEVED. | QUINNAT OK HEAVY WEIGHT. i|| [BS TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] || WELLINGTON. Friday. || 1 here can be no doubt of the success ji'fj which has attended the years of hard jj|! work and the systematic pursuit of an ||| tdail regardless of difficulties by the chief f| inspector of fisheries, Mr. L. F. Ayson, in the acclimatisation of quinnat salmon. |g L'h j Canadian experts who have visited |l Netv Zealand to investigate the accli- if matisation of quinnat state that, for rich- ji rieis in the oil which makes for quality |j| in salmon for canning, New Zealand sal- || men are equal to the best on the Pacific coasts find they stats that under no other fj| system save that employed by Mr. Ayson || could the acclimatisation have been made. || In uo other country in tho world have fjj quinnat salmon been acclimatised. "Salmon were being caught in fine |l style alt the mouth of tho Rangitata la:st || Sunday," said an enthusiast who re- |.| turned to Wellington to-day. "They fjfj got 17 and lost 17 on the rod and line while 1! was watching them. There was f| ore fish of 231b., two of 201b,, three of |j] l£lb., and a number of 161b. and 17lb. ||| ll.ey averaged 17th. and would have aver- jjfej ajed more if it had not been for one ffl small fish which some thought a sockeye, i| ol about 41b." Large- Than Last Year. Mr. Ayson, who returned from the |j South this morning, more than corrobor- IS ated a statement that must be cheering |1 to anglers. "Quinnat salmon," he gi said, "are running very freely in all the j| risers from the Clutlia to the Waiau in | North Canterbury. Dntil the last two || weeks the rivers have been high and |jj d rty and conditions have not been fav- S ourable to anglers, but since then large 1 nimbers have been taken in the Rangi' I fcs,ta„ Rabaia and Waimakariri rivers, i Last week-end in the Rangitata about 11 40 fish were taken, ranging from 121b to I 231b. in size. The fish are in splendid | ccndition, and on tho average are larger flj tban last year's run. The year before that Ji ttey were large also. S ; "To dale eight salmon-netting licenses have been issued in the Waimakariri B estuary, and some good catches have been g made by some of the parties. The strong- Jj est nets are required to hold tho strong'm sea-run fish, and some of tho biggest break fi through and are lost Tho fish are in- || ceasing in size as the run progresses, and | over 2DO fish have been taken on rod and j line during the last three weeks. The run ; id all rivers is much greater than came jj up last year, and the season promises to b«i an exceptionally good one. Visiting Anglers Increase, "Tin:) Atlantic salmon have been pro- || vising anglers with good sport in Lake To i|l Auau And tho Upokuroro River. Visiting 1 srglerm have been particularly lucky, and 1 each season sees an increase in tho num- ■ bdr of visitors for tho Aitantle saliron fishing, The fish I saw were in splendid || condition,, and ranged from 101b. to 131b. jjf "I should mention one fact in regard to I quinnat which is very satisfactory, The I visiting Canadian experts assure me that 1 New .Zealand is th# only country which 1 his succeeded in acclimatising quinnt, 1 and they stato that only tho methods fol- J lowed by mo of careful packing of ova and f systematic intensive yearly stocking of a | suitable river could have succeeded. i hey || ato delighted with the salmon possibilities $ ol our rivers, which thoy contiider mngni- f fi<:ent sipawning grounds, and another thJntr I wbich is pleasing to hoar from them is l tt at tho quality of these acclimatised fish ft is fully oqua! to that of tho quinnat on I ti eir native Pacific coasts. The American fl csnneries havo become adept in grading Si sslmori,. One of the most valuable aids to | jtdging, liie quality is the amount of oil 1 it tho flesh. Tho more oil the more valu- 1 able in the salmon for food. The visiting f experts sampled our quinnat salmon anil I fcund them particularly rich in oil, com- i piring favourably with the finest salmon 1 o:i th« Pacific coast. New Zealand cart 1 therefore look forward to producing canned I sulmoJi of the finest quality in the future." If