BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1951, 11 April 1889, Page 28

BANK NOTES.

Salmon Frt in Southland.— ln my notes of March 28fch Mr Aaron Blacke, of Invercargill, takes exception to some remarks I made re the liberation of fry in the Aparima. Perhaps I went a little too far in saying that Mr Burt liberated the whole shipment; but I still say that Ranger Burt, if he did not actually turn out the fry, was oh hand when about one-third of the number were liberated in the Aparima. While on this subject I would like Mr Blacke to answer me the following questions. When he has done so, then perhaps we shall be in a better position to decide to whom the honour (if any) is due. Question No. 1 : Are you quite certain that Mr A. N. Campbell liberated the whole 60,000 fry that were "hatched out at the society's hatchery? Question No. 2; Is it not a faci that Mr Howard wrote to Mr Broderick telling him that the fi.sh were starving and that ife would b,e advisable to send Ranger M'Kay up to look after them ?• Question No. 3, : Who. was looking after the fry at the time the river overflowed and coyered the boxes* thus enabling a large eel to ge^ into them and swallow over 3,00 young salmon I Question No. 4 : Is it not a fact that Ranger Burt assisted Mr A. N. Campbell to liberate 15,000 of these fry; and is it not also true that Mr Broderick was secretary, of the sooiety at this time, and not Mr Aaron Blacke ? If I am wrong in any particular I shall be glad if Mr Blacke will set me right, as I wish as much as he does to give honour to whom honour is due. Athol.— Messrs Chisholm and Brown, of Dunedin, have been paying a visit to the Mataura at Athol. Unfortunately for them, but luckily for the fish, they hit on a rather bad time for this river, which is in its prime during the months of January and February. When they arrived the water was very high, and full of snow broth, making it almost unfishable. However, having come ao far, they were not going to turn tail without having a triaL The first day only one fish was caught ; the second day the water was very bad, and empty oreels were the order of the) day. During the three following days four fisn were landed, of an average weight of 3Jlb. Just when they had to leave I the river began to clear, and large numbers of fine fish were seen, but as there was a heavy frost every night they were very sluggish, and would not look at any lure until the sun had well warmed the water, and even then they were nothing like so frisky as they are during the months of January and February. Both gentlemen speafc in glowing terms of the way in which they w.er.e entertained by Mrs Reid. The accommodation and attendance, they say< is qujite equal, if not superior, to what can bo obtained in houses much nearer to the centres of civilisation. They both intend going back at spine future date, and recommend all anglers who wish to fish on one of Otago's ' grandest streams not to miss giving this river a ' thorough trial in the naidole of the season. The Late Shipment op Salmon Ova,— Now that the late shipments of salmon ova have been all unpacked and laid down in the hatching boxes, it may be of interest to the friends of acclimatisation to know tke exact condition in which it arrived,. There were two •shipments, comprising 36. boxes, 35 being , salmon ova, and ope Lochleven trout ova,— the Government distributing the salmon, ova ! amongst the southern acclimatisation societies 25 box.es being allotted to Otago and 10 to Southland. Of the Ofcago portion 15 boxes were put , down at Cljlnton a,ud 18 at Opoho. The lot ex Arawa turned oat to be the finest lot of sva ever received in the colonies, about 95 per cent being good. The Aorangi lot did not turn out ao well. At Opoho the average percentage was 62, and those at Clinton yielded a similar percentage. On the whole this may be considered very successful— the percentage of good eggs of the shipments of 138? were a fraotion over 61. The unpac^iag was rather a tedious business, but $w*y of help was forthcoming At the K^owietoan batohery Sir James Maitland employs a. number of females for the purpose, of amending to the Jova, they probably bew# better suited for such delicate work A Jew ladles volunteered their services both at Clinton and Opoho, which of course were accepted with considerable advantage, and they evidently enjoyed the novelty of the work, notwithstanding the feet that some of thesa got uncomfortably wet through at ijb. With reference, io the ova taken on to Javercargill the Times says .--"Southland's share of the shipment of salmon ova (pe* s.s. Aorangi) arrived in Jjnvercargijl, on Saturday evening, and was conveyed, direotly to. the Wallacjetown ponds by Mr A. N. CampbeK m a couple of vehicles.' On the following day the ova were unpacked, when it was found that the consignment was not in as good condition aa that per the Arawa. The 3even bases received were supposed to contain ' 129,000 ova, but there were actually only about ! 128,000, and o£ these only 83,078 were so^nd-" Poet Molyneto.— The sport Q f trout-Jshine which is usually considered to. a#ord; a find opportunity for mendacity, has been prosecuted vigorously during the season (says a local correipondent), with, results that amount into aunIreds, both, in weight and numbers. ty^qN.—The piscatory tribes have been very Juggish since the last flood, few or none of' heir number having, been caught. This no - loubt, is owing to the large amount of feed I luring and after the flood. Since the opeoiDg

of the season some very good baskets have been made. Fish are very numerous in the river. On a fine clear day I have seen dozens of small trout measuring from 4in -to 7in in j length. Shags are not quite so numerous as they used to be. Our ranger, Mr B. M'Kay, made a raid some time ago on one of their haunts, which I think has had the effect of making the survivors shift their quarters.— News' Correspondent. Ktoiwao.— Mr Walier Gibb, of Clinton, shot another shag last week on the Euriwao river, and took from it eight or nine young trout. The bird was handed over to Ranger Burt.—Waiwera correspondent. Southland.— On a late date, say 30fch March, not 100 miles from New river7any pedestrian, or equestrian, might have observed three or four willows dangling from the parapet of a culvert, and seated near to those piscatorial engines as many Waltonians.having aspell after their after noon's exertions— three sad with empty bags, the fourth jubilant over; an eight-pounder— all | naturally considering that the day's sport was at an end. But it was not so, for, lo ! another knight of the rod is observed approaching, with a true " I'll catch 'em if I can " swagger, his rod over his shoulder, aad minnow dangling pretty near the ground. Although of mature years the sportsman was not of gigantic stature. Now, there was nothing in this had not one of our farmers, who fancied that he had important business to transact in the flourishing city of Swinton, appeared upon the scene, accompanied by one of his small canine companions. It is not; known— perhaps never will be known— the how and the wherefore, but it nevertheless remains a fact that Johnny got a nibble,— and a good vigorous nibble, too— and not in the usual locality either, but from the dog's caudle appendage. And now started a beautiful piece of play The dog would dart along the road, the sportsman's reel playing out with lightning rapidity; anon he would double, followed by the sportsman in rapid winding darts, double and fantastic gyrations being now the order of the day. During his play the dog ' had been propounding an idea which he immmediately proceeded to put into execution —namely, to pull out the offending object. This he cleverly accomplished, and transferred ifc from his tail unto his lip, and the play was again resumed in a more natural form. After a little more play, with the assistance of our hero's brother knights, the game was ultimately gaffed. — Occasional correspondent. Mountains op Cod.— Professor Huxley, in an address at the International fisheries Exhibition, pointed out that an acre of good fishing ground will yield more food in a week than an acre of the best land will yield in a year. Still more striking was his picture of the moving " mountains of cod," 120 ft to 130 ft in height, whichi for two months in every year^ move westward and southward past the Norwegian, coast Every square mile of this colossal column of fish contains 120,000,000, consuming every week, ' when on short rations, no fewer than 840,000,000of herrings. The whole catch, of the Norwegian fisheries never exceeds m a year more than hal£ a square, mile of this M cod mountain," and one week's supply of the herrings are needed to keep that area of cod from starving. | Cantbrsw.— m Artificial Fly," in the Prese, writes.'—^ From fche appearance of several trout recently caught, it would appear thai the fishing season should be closed fully a month earlier Mr N. Nicholas, of Temuka, oaught on Saturday last a trout scaling about 91b, which contained 12oz .of spawn. As may be supposed, this was far developed, and it many fish in a similar condition are destroyed the loss to acclimatisation societies will be very great" 1 The Lyttelton Times states that some evil-disposed persons have made a. raid upon two creeks in the Ashburtoa district, and have cleared them of all fish of any size. It is believed from 300 to 400 farout were taken The business appears to. have been done systematic cally. From the indications it is evident that lime, that wholesale destroyer of fish, has been used, and that the fish were removed in a southerly direction in a four-wheeled vehicle drawn by two horses. It has been also reported to the police in this connection that a firm of fishmongers in Dtmedin notified that day that they had "a large quantity of trout to arrive." Mr M'Lean has already offered a reward of £20 , for assy information thai will lead to the conviction ofthe offenders. On the Tasmanian Lakes. — Tasmania I promises to rival New Zealand in the opportunities offered- to anglers. The Hobarfc ' Mercury stakes that the Governor of Tas- ,™ Ia *»* jf r Harry Hamilton returned ott Friday, the 23rd, from a trout fishing expedition: ;to the Great Lake. They reached the la&e on the forenoon of the 13th, and left it on the ! morning of the 2&d. They kept a careful record of the weight of each fish caught. They .were all caaght by spinning in the daytime, rhe total number of fish caught was 60, and the total weight 2501b. Of these 17 were caught in the lake, weighing 2401b, and 43 in the iiver and lagoon, weighing JIGHb. The largest fish caught? in the lake scaled 16^1b, and the largest in the- ; river s^b One of the fish .caught-a fine.female fish of 121b-had its adipose fin removed.