LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2949, 21 September 1910, Page 36

LAND AND WATER.

I Two years ago the Marine Department j imported a million Atlantic salmon ova to stock the Waiau River and the streams running into Lake Te Anau. Acting on the lines of its successful experience with quinnat salmon in the Waitaki River, the department will now import another million ova for Lake Te Anau and its connected watercourses. Mr C. L. Ayson, i manager of the salmon station at HakaI taramea, and son of the Chief Inspector '. of Fisheries, left for England by t-hc lonic ' to superintend the consignment. There has been a remarkable fun of sea ■ trout in Southland rivers this season. Strip- ! ping operations conducted by Mr L. M. : Barr (curator for the Acclimatisation j Society) have resulted in 856,500 ova being secured, which is 356,000 more than was ! obtained last season. One direct result I is the saving of £75, which was paid away by the society for ova last year.

OTAGO AXfiLEWS'?ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING

The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the Otago Anglers' Association was held in the Masonic Hal) on the 14th, Mr T. Burt (president) being in the chair. The annual tvport submitted was toJ the f>llowmg effect:

The membership is still 112 members, as against 107 last year The committee arranged a series of four competitions during the aea«on, three of which wore competed for by a satisfactory number. The fourth competition arranged to be held on Lake Logan was abandoned owing to the lack of entrants, poor rceulte being obtained on the lake at the time.

The first competition for the association gold oieda4s was held on the Shag River on Labour Day, 24 members having entered. The first prize was won by A. Spears, 13 fieh. 7flb; second bv D. M'Lennan, 9 fish. 91b; third, N. B. Edwarda, 9 fish, 631 b. T. D Harty secured the special prizo for competitor having heaviest basket, and not having previously won a prizo—basket being 6 fish, siJb. The bare flv competition on the Waipahi River, on November 9, was well contested for, there being 26 entrants. The first prize (gold

medali was secured by J. Walders, with 5 fish. 17£lb, the second prize being secured by J. Drew, with 2 fish, 41b 6oz. Mr Anderson's special prize was won by W. Wal-. ders. The poor results of this competition! are accounted for by the unsuitability of the weather, uhich made fishing impossible in many parts of 'the river. The competition held on the same river the following day was also disappointing in the size of the baskets secured. Mr Thep. Murray headed the list with 16 fish, lllb, taking second place by handicap. A. L. Thow. with 14 fish, 741 b, took first prize, and W Dellow, third, with 1 fish, silb. The past season was about the worst wo have experienced from the anglers' point of view, another very dry season having followed the two previous dry ones. Fortunately, the drought broke in time to allow of the spawning fish getting up from the sea, and on the Leith the rangers secured 1 1,500,000 ova in. the oourse of a few days. During: the latter part of October and November many members had good sport on various streams, but after the middle of Decerrber only the larger streajms yielded anything like satisfactory results. With the lack of rain and the consequent sluggishness of the rivers, the weed nuisance became intolerable in some-streams, notably the Shag and the Waipahi. It would be a great boon to anglers if someone would devise a means of combating this nuisance. Notwithstanding the work of the Acclimatisation Society in endeavouring to improve the angling vo Lake Logan, the results were not so erood last season as formerly. Whether this is to be accounted for by poaching or otherwise it is. difficult to prove. However, it is reported that some nice fish have already been seen in the lake, and members will soon have an opportunity of testing it. Some nice rainbow trout were taken in Tomahawk Lagoon last season, and as a Rood many more have recently been turned W* th-srie. it might be worth a trial. The weirs placed on the Fraser River, near Clyde, are reported on as having been of inestimable benefit ciurinsr the past dry season, and the means of improvinc the sport on that river. It is to be hoped thafc the same result will be experienced in regard to the Leith. With tho extension of the sewera-«e 6ys*em through to the valley the pollution of the Leith should be a thing of the past. However, it is to be regretted that many drains are still punning into th» Leith, and an effort should be made to have these altered. The deposit ing of garden rubbish, etc.. is also an unsightly and objectionable practice, and the association might reasonably expect more assistance from the city authorities in checking these malpractices.

The midwinter social meeting of membera held during 1 show week was very successful, and the committee was gratified: at seering Several country members • present, and also in listening to tfoe-ir suggestions in regard to competition conditions, etc.

The committee wish to record the honour done to one of our oldest members and former president—Mr R. Forrest—in being elected an honorary life member of the' Acclimatisation Society.

The thanks of the association are dueto the Acclimatisation Society for the usei of its office for meterings, and for ite consideration of any masters brought befora it by the. association 1 . Thanks are also due to the various donors of prizes and the friends who so cheerfully assisted ft th* social functions.

The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the annual report, referred to the fact that the last three seasons had been nothing to boast of. They had had a bad time owing to unfavourable weather. The membership had slightly increased. The competitions had pa6sed off fairly well, but the one arranged to be held at Lake Logan had had to be abandoned. He also moved the adoption of the balance sheet, which showed a credit balance of £2l lie Id. The motion was carried. Mr D. Cooke referred to the fact that an Angling Committee had been appointed •by the Acclimatisation Society Council which, it was hoped, would result in ait improved state of affairs with regard to angling. The liberation of fish in the rivers had not been attended with complete success on account of one and two-year-olds being liberated together, but it was hoped that a systematic sorting of the fish would bring about an improvement. Mr T. Burt was elected a patron of V.ie association, Mr H. G. Williams president, Mea>rs J. F. Marshall, L. De Beer, B. Hatfield, C. S. Jenkins, and J. A. Park , vice-presidente, Mr A. E. Jenkins secretary, Mr W. Finlayson treasurer, Mr C. Wilson auditor, and Messrs A. Matthews, R. C. Glendining, R. C. Fraser, J. Hutchison. W. B. M. Fea, J. Brownlie, D. ; M'Lennan, S. Lavvson, J. Burt, and J. Drew a committee.

Mr A. Anderson referred to the good service Mr Jenkins, the secretary, had done for the association, and suggested that he should receive some tangible recognition of his efforts, and it was resolved that a committee seleot some suitable token to present to Mr Jenkins. Mr Cooke made some reference to the possible diversion of the Water of Leith, and suggested that Mr R. Chjeholrm should explain the position of matters. Mr Chisholm said there waa no cause for alarm. From the present outflow of the Leith into the harbour there was to be a straight channel cut to the left of the.. Cement Works. The walls were to be of concrete, and the cut was to be about 10ft or 12ft wide, so that no harm would be done so far as trout running up the Leith to spawn was concerned. An advantage would be that the channel was further away from the netting area, and on the whole he thought it would be an improvement rather than otherwise. It was the question of Lake Jx>gan that would affect them. There would be no possibility of the fish getting into the lake from the harbour, but, on the other hand, there would be no possibility of them getting out. except when caught by anglers. Mr R. C. Giendining referred to a statement that had 'been made as to a party from Dunedin visiting the Silverstream in a motor car and poachinsr ami liming the river. He had heard it said that he was one of the party, and he wished to give that a complete denial. The newly -elected president then took the ehair. and returned thanks for his election, and the remainder of the evening was spent in social intercourse, songs being contributed by Messrs Roach, Dempster, N. Smith, Ritchie, Morrison. Otto, Jago, Lawson, Michelle, and Warren, Mr D. Cooke acting ae accompanist. Mr J* Coombs played a violin solo, and Mr Samson gave a humorous recitation.