ANGLING IN OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26229, 13 August 1946, Page 4

ANGLING IN OTAGO

EARLY SEASON PROSPECTS CAMPAIGN AGAINST BLACK SHAGS The angling season does not open until October 1, but early reports received by the secretary of the Otago Acclimatisation Society (Mr L. Millar) indicate that fish have been observed running with the whitebait in most of the Otago streams. “This is usually a forecast of good sport for the early part of the season,” Mr Millar said to a Daily Times reporter. yesterday. Many of these searun trout remained at least in the lower reaches of the streams until after the whitebait season terminated about the middle of December. Most of the streams throughout Otago and Southland have been at a very low level for this time of the year, and as a result there should be every chance of the natural food in the streams increasing instead of being disturbed by constant flooding as generally happens in the winter and early spring, Survey of Shag 'Rookeries With a view to waging an extensive campaign against the depredations of the black shag, the Otago Acclimatisation Society is appointing a young man to concentrate on as many rookeries as possible, and during the next two months a survey of all known frequented rookeries will be made, with a view to the organisation of parties to clear the inland rookeries of black shags. Anglers generally will be of assistance to the society if they will report the exact location- of rookeries known to contain shags at the present time. During the coming angling season complimentary licences will be issued to those ‘servicemen who have not yet had the opportunity of taking advantage of this privilege either for game shooting or fishing. It will be necessary for these servicemen to present their discharge certificates, in the case of the army or posting certificates in the case of the navy or air force, to the secretary for endorsement. Minimum Size of Fish Advice has been received from the Marine Department that the minimum length of fish to be taken from the Mataura River in future shall be 12 inches instead of 11 inches, as in the past. This amendment to the regulations was recommended by the Otago Acclimatisation Society to coincide with the regulation being brought down by the Southland Society which has increased the minimum length of fish to be taken from streams in its district to 12 inches. . , The minimum lengths of fish to be taken irt the Otago district will be 11 inches for the Tomahawk lagoons, 9 inches from the Leith Stream and Waitati River, and 10 inches from all other streams except the Mataura River.