BY JOCK SCOTT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 28

BY JOCK SCOTT.

To be a perfect fisherman you require more excellences than are usually t» be found in such a small space as is allotted to a man's carcass. — Parker GUmore.

Bank Notes.

Waiwera. — I have been informed (writes the local correspondent of the Witness) that several young men in this district have made a point of shooting as many shags as possible this year. Mr D. Spiers, who is a good type of the sportsman, has killed a large number of the birds, keeping their heads as trophies of his success. This no doubt means a considerable saving of young fish, and should be encouraged as much as possible.

During the last two. days the attention of most passers-by in Princes street has been attracted to Messrs Wilkie and Co.'s window, where a portion of the collection of New Zealand edible fishes which Professor Parker ia forwarding to the Melbourne Exhibition has been on view. The fish were admirably prepared for exhibition, and were all, big and little, beautiful specimens of their kind. There were three king fish, a groper, , v i ling, kelp fish, whiting, and a number of other sea fish found about our coast ; also a collection of imported fish, which will be shown in the tourists' conrt which Sir James Hector intends to arrange in the New Zealand portion of the Exhibition. These were represented by one large brown trout from the Shag river, two handsome specimens from Lake Wakatipu (male and female salmon), a specimen of the Fontinalis or American brook trout (which is^ beautifully coloured and marked, and really the prettiest fish we have), two Loch Leven trout from the Acclimatisation Society's ponds at Clinton, two Scotch burn trout, and two young salmon. The collection was arranged by Mr Wilkie in a suggestively sportsmanlike fashion among open fishing baskets, &c., and it will no doubt be a very attractive! addition to the New Zealand court, and specially interesting to fishermen.

It is stated that there are swarms of trout in the Oreti river. A Gore resident recently saw as many as 200 in one pool at Mavora.

All the American brook trout at the Masterton Fish Hatchery (says the Wairarapa Daily, have completed spawning, and ova to the amount of 52,000 have been stripped off, and the, majority of the eggs are batched out. Qi English brown trout 36,000 ova have been taken, and 17>000 of Loch Leven trout,