ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 33

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott.

To be n perfect fliherrasn you requlr* more excellence! than are usually to be found in such a small ipace a* it allotted to a min'n carcasi.— Pukih Gauou*.

Headers are invited to contribute items oflocal flibinj new* for luiertlon in thli column. For insertion in the entiling iiiu* they ihould icaoh Dunedin by Monday night'i mail.

BANK NOTES.

Mr Deans has had a big time among the brown trout this season, the stock fish having yielded an exceptionally fine lot of ova. At the present time both Mr Deans and his assistant are very busy stripping the river fish in different localities. They secured a very fine supply of ova in the Glenomaru a few days ago, and intend paying this stream another visit shortly, as there are still a few left that will give good returns.

By the bye, I hear that some of the poaching fraternity are up to their old games on this stream. It is to be hoped that they will fall into the hands of one of the society's rangers, who will most assuredly require them to interview the local S.M and account for their doings.

The following paragraph appears in the Windsor and Eton Express of May 19 :—": — " New Zealand Trout. — A very pleasant surprise was in store for those gentlemen of the Windsor and Eton Angling Preservation Society who assembled on the 9th inst. at the house of the chairman, Mr A. BrowD, of Eton, to judge of the possibilities of trout arriving in this country from the antipodes in an edible condition. The fish partaken of weighed 841b, and was one of several sent over by Mr A. H. Shury, of Ashburton, New Zealand. Additional interest was taken in the experiment by the detention of the fish (the ship being six weeks overdue), also the probability of its being bred from the ova sent out from the Thames some 17 years ago ; and on examination, the markings and shape were identical with that of a good-conditioned Thames fish. When received by Mr Bambridge, of Eton, it was frozen hard, and two days elapsed before being thoroughly thawed out, but when served up there was no difference in appearance, and none could be detected in flavour from that of a fresh caught fish. It was put to those assembled what should be the report to their brother anglers in New Zealand, and it was unanimously carried that the word 'excellent ' would best convey their opinion. A vote of thanks was accorded Messrs Shury and Bambridge for the trouble taken, and a very pleasant evening spent. The gentlemen prrsent were Messrs A. Brown (chairman), B. Brown, A. Stevenson (secretary), J. Howlett (vice-chairman), B. Thomas, F. Goddard, T. Sainty, J. Mitchell, H. Sargeant, F. Roberts, and B. R. Bambridge. One of the fish, weighing s^lb, sent- to the Rev. Mr Weekes, of Sutton-at-Hone, Dartford, brother-in-law of Mr Shury, has been reported to Mr Bambridge, of Eton, aB arriving 'in excellent condition,' and the writer adds, ' we found it very delicious.' " — Another box of six trout frozen about December 13, 1893, which should have gone Home with the ones referred to above, and was omitted in error — in fact not shipped — are to be forwarded by the first ship leaving. This will be an extra test of freezing. — A. H. Shury.

TROUT IN CENTRAL OTAGO.

I have received from Mr W. M'Connochie, of St. Bathans, the following interesting article on " Trout in Central Otago " — written, I may explain, for the St. Bathans Debating Society. It has always been a mystery to the local acclimatisat'on Society why trout did not increase in the streams mentioned in th'h article, but the mystery is now solved. The writer suggests a remedy which, if the local anglers and those interested were to join together and get carried out, would boon put these .streams in fine angling trim, and ail'ord no end of sport in the season to the local residents. A HISTORY OF TROUT IN CENTRAL OTAGO. By R. Cowan. Residents in Central Olago are aware that the Otago Acclimatisation iSocie'y has, for a number of years, been instrumental in the

hatching out and distribution of thousands upon thousands of trout fry throughout districts wherever streams were thought to bo favourable to a healthy growth and a rapid increase. The results so far have been most disappointing, or, at any rate, far from cncouragiug — not by any means in regard to the healthy growth of the trout, for the streams in which they have been liberated aro specially adapted for securing this, but assuredly disappointing in regard to a rapid increase. The reverse can bo proved to bo the case in many rivers carefully and repeatedly stocked, thus showing that trout are a prey to some enemy or enemies of a most destructive type. I have read of streams in Franco becoming barren through over fishing of a lawful nature, I but in our local streams we are compelled to admit that although we could count the number of licensed anglers on our fingers, yet thousands— aye, tens of thousands— of trout that havo been successfully liberated by the society rangers and gentlemen interested in the protection and development of fish in our streams have been lost to us. Where are they ? What has caused this wholesale depopulating of our streams ? To enlighten our society in these \ points and to give the members food for reflection and discussion are the main objects for I which I have undertaken this article, and before I have finished I hope to convince you that it is absolutely necessary for tbc best interests i of trout acclimatisation in Central Otago, and of all residents of Central Otago who love tbe "meditative art," who are true disciples of the famous Isaaz Walton, and who, in other words, "with patient anglo lovo to troll the finny deep," to adopt some method by which the protection of trout may not bo diminished, so far as angling is concerned, to a worthless minimum. Since my arrival in Central Otago I have watched with interest the work of the acclimatisation society, and have regulargly read the succeeding annual reports. In these I have seen references made from year to year to tho numerous enemies of trout and the hindrance by those enomies to the success of the angler. One of these scavengers is tbe shag. It is generally known that trout form its principal food, and I sec that tha societies of both Otago and Southland have been forced to recognise the depredations of this voracious bird to Jfche extent of fusing means for its extermination by fixing a price on its head amounting to Is for each bird destroyed, while on some rivers where they are more numerous, as on the Aparima in Southland, 2s a head has been paid. Regarding shags, I deem it the duty of every true sportsman in the community to destroy them whenever opportunity offers. The remuneration is fair, and, I daresay, as much as the societies can afford. A boon would unquestionably thus be effected by thousands of trout being saved to our streams. So much for shags. Another two-legged enemy, and one who has reasoning powers and ought to know better, but whose ultra-socialistic tendencies will not allow him, is the person wbo feels impelled through his Selkirkean characteristics to proclaim himself when he sees a trout a " monarch of all ho surveys," and under the impression also that tho trout will afford him an enjoyable change of diot, he instantly proceeds to defy the regulations of the acclimatisation society, either by puddling, by spearing, or gaffing, orbytheuso of dynamite or linio poisoning — in fact, by any illegal means — in order to secure the coveted prize. It is very gratifying to find, however, that occasionally tho ranger obtains sufficient evidence to enable him to prosecute successfully, and secure a conviction in a court of law, and by this means is provided a wholesome deterrent against what, through the use of lime at any rate, can be safely set down as " wholesale destruction " Had such a person lived in earlier times in England instead of now in this free and independent country of New Zealand, he might have been able to add to his history the fact that for this offence he had had his name recorded in the Blue Book or criminal list at the convict nrison of the noted Port Arthur of Van Dieman's Land, now utilised as a rendezvous for the pleasure seekers of Hobart. Therefore, in disrespect to the person who would be guilty of any of the illegal modes which I have mentioned for capturing trout, I make no hesitation in writing him down a poacher, and one of the worst enemies of the true angler. Needless to say, the ncclimatisation society in the stocking of our streams with trout and other fish had not in their mind's eye the supplying of the general public in Central Otago with a daily gratuitous fish diet. No, their object in stocking our streams was to afford to our rising generation and to ourselves the advantages of the indulgence at a small cost in the true and harmless sport of angling, an amusement and a recreation which is probably the most innocent and the most healthful that our glorious country can afford. The Otago Society, then, distrustful of the characteristic tendency of the poacher, framed laws, and wisely too, for the protection of the fish distributed They ' appointed rangers throughout the district, and fixed a licenj)£ fee of £1 per annum, subject to a close season required during the spawning season. Fresh supplies of ova have been carefully packed time after time to Naseby, St. Bathans, and other places from the spawneries .or hatcheries, and after very considerable trouble and care, the fry have been successfully reared in the hatching boxes with yolks of eggs, grated liver, and ceaseless streams of pure water, until a time when they were properly developed to be safely distributed in their future habitat. By these means, and through the services of gentlemen interested, thousands upon thousands, of trout have been successfully lodged within the past few years in theDunstan creek and the Manhuerikia river. It will be readily admitted now by those who have followed up my statements that the acclimatisation society has worked well to secure good results — that, in brief, their associates have stocked many of our best trout streams with healthy trout fry, including Loch Lcven, American brook, brown trout, and Scotch burn — that they have protected these to all appearances as best they can for tbe use and pleasure of legitimate anglers, by the destruction of numberless shags at very coDsiderable expense, by the occasional resort to law where poaching came under the notice of their rangers, and by their giving credit to their anglers who, by fair baiting with the minnow, the creeper, the gentle, or the worm, lure and j capture heavy fish which would certainly prey : upon their smaller relatives. Yet notwithstanding all these protective measures of the society, I still have to put the question, Where is now the countless throng ? Is the comparative absence of trout in the streams mentioned entirely due to the depredations of the shag, the gull, the poacher, and the larger trout V I say emphatically No. These play but a minor part in the loss. And now 1 come to the main issue of my subject, and throw out to you what 1 look upon as THE C'AU&E 01' THK GRADUAL BUT SUKE DX- j STHUCTION OP TJIE THOTJT ! in the best streams of Central Otago. That cause is'thc presence of numerous death traps, called in mining phraseology water races. The.se are the destroyers. Let the fish but wander into one of these, and it vanishes These races are fed by the main streams and are so numerous that I have counted no fuv.er than .six ' issuing from the Duubtan creek alone, and with-

out exaggeration I can say that they have up to the present been the means of carrying to their death thousands of trout. One could count without much difficulty tho fish caught in accordance with the law, nndf-r the imprimatur of a fishing license, but it would not bo so easy to count tho great majority. Hundreds at a time worth taking have been capture (I when tho water supply of tho particular race or races has been cut off. The miners naturally and feasibly say that during repairs to the races tbe water must be cut off ; that wlrlo off they may as welt take what fish they require for themselves and friends, bocause the fish would die in any case ; but they do not perhaps recognise this fact — that many fish they may not see owing to the size die off speedily in this dry trap. Many of the fish too are drawn into a string of iron pipe? leading from the races to some mine workings, and having been carried down a steep gradient at a fearful rate for even a trout to travel, they are at length shot through a 4in nozzle, only to be dashed against a hard face of rock and mercilessly murdered.

Kow after this tragic description of the lifts and death of the trout I would draw attention to the great need of their increased protection, so that the already laudable efforts of the acclimatisation society may not utterly fail and bo rendered fruitless owing to the broadcast destruction of the fish in these death traps. To ensure safety, then, for the trout in the main stnamrf to the extent of preventing their admittance to the races, I would propound a remedy which if found feasible and practicable, and which if applied would not in any appreciable degree bo an obstruction to a regular inflow of water for miningpurposes, would I, am certain, resultinthe Dunstan crock and Manuherikia being streams which anglers would delight to visit and sing the praises of as first-class fly streams ; and not only so, but, as in tho older countries, reaches could be apportioned, and angling competitions of a most interesting kind would bo successfully indulged in. To be brief, th n, I would havo gratings fixed at the ihead of races of very considerable length, as, for example, the Otngo or tho Scandinavian. The gratings would consist of upright iron bars forming a- fixed frame, which would bo'placed at an angle from the main stream of, say, 60deg, thus providing by the slopo an escape in flood t-iuc, at any rate, for any accumulated debris by the fact of the weight of such debris. Bufc the necessity for its use in this direction would hardly ever arise. I have been told by some practical miners that the race would be choked by floating debris, and would require someone very frequently in attendance at the grating to clear it. They admitted, however, that the great proportion of silt and debris passes by in the niain current and would not reach the gratings ; and, further, they agreed with my views that, provided the races took their rise not in tho central current, but were side branches, as they usually are, nearly all floating substances would be collected, not at tho inlet, but from the sides along the course of tho race ; and as a miner who is superintending one of these races mo such a fixed grating as I have proposed would not, in his opinion, require to be attended to more than once a month, arrangements could fee made between the anglers and miners as to the clearing of these gratings I am sure. Regarding the frame, I am told that it must be a fixed one, because a movable .frame which might clear the debris on its reaching a certain force or pressure through weight, would not always be selfadjusting — in other words, would fail to z-everb to its former upright position.

In conclusion, 1 hope I have clearly proved that until some scheme be carried out by which the trout can be fairly well retained in our main streams, instead of being insidiously drawn into these water races only to b9 mercilessly and unhesitatingly destroyed, trout preservation in Central Otago will continue a failure, and under existing conditions it would, I am of opinion, bo useless expenditure of time and money to liberate further supplies of fry in either tho Dunstan creek or Manuhcrikia, or in any stream from which water races are fed. Lastly, I may state that I think it my duty to lay this matter before the Otago Acclimatisation Soc : ety for their consideration.