AHURIRI RIVER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27092, 28 May 1949, Page 4

AHURIRI RIVER

Baitcasting Methods In accordance with his notice, Mr J. A Wray moved at ’the annual meeting of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society on Thursday night that baitcasting be prohibited "in the Ahuriri River. Mr Wray •said that other societies had preserved certain stretches of water exclusively for fly fishermen. North Otago had no such river set aside and in his opinion the Ahuriri should be preserved for the purpose. Mr W. Thomas, who seconded the motion pro forma, said that fishing in the Ahuriri was already restricted to artificial bait. There were certain stretches of the river totally unsuitable for fly fishing. Tliis river was a great distance from Oamaru, and if the motion were carried fly fishermen who travelled to the Ahuriri for a day’s sport, and upon their arrival found it to be In an unsuitable condition, would have to return home. If the motion were defeated, however, they could turn to their baitcaster. Mr J. McKerrow, Kurow, said that the fish taken out of the Waitaki in the vicinity of Kurow had been small and if similar conditions continued to prevail for the next few seasons it would be reasonable to, assume that the fish stocks in this river would be seriously depleted. If the motion was carried, bait casting fishermen who lived in the up country would be deprived of fishing during the period in which the Waitaki was unfishMr R. Young expressed the opinion that in the event of the Ahuriri River not being in suitable condition for fly fishing anglers should be able to tum to other means of fishing. Care should be taken in enforcing new restrictions. The president, Dr E. E. Butler, said that it wa s felt by some fishermen that baitcasting was a very lethal method of fishing and that stocks would be depleted in this river if this method was persistently used. This river, he said, was one of the hardest in the society’s district to police. On being put to the meeting the motion was defeated by a large majority.