GOOD FISH STORY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12913, 2 March 1906, Page 7

GOOD FISH STORY.

' ; An enthusiastic angler from Australia made an interesting statement to a Christchurch reporter anent the attempts made to introduce salmon to this colony, and the re.'.ion why all such attempts have ended in failure- The species chosen for acclimatisation purposes : —the Salmo Salar—is not, he says, "from its migratory habits, adapted for the purpose. Many thousands of young salmon, he pointed out, have been liberated, at considerable, cost, yet not one true salmon has returned to its natal stream. This is due to the predatory fish which inhabit the coastal waters of New Zealand. The fry go down to the sea, as is their habit, and are there preyed upoa by ravenous enemies. The Salmo Salar, he considers, should be replaced by the Salmo Hucho, from the Danube, which dees not migrate like the Salmo Salar, Jut like the trout is satisfied to live upstream."

This paragraph has been going the rouuds of the papers. It is surprising to many "enthusiastic anglers in New Zealand " that no reply has been made to it. Perhaps these anglers thought that as for the most part the paragraph is amusing, they were content to let it j;o ut tLat. -Some think, however, that s-everal t-f i u e. statements made should be e.>ntrad«:ted. For instance, the fact that " not ere true salmon has returned to its natal stream" is not at all, peculiar. The Australian enthusiast cannot surely have read British, Canadian and' American history on the cul■ti:rr -and acclimatisation of the king of "fi-a. ~ Had. he. done "so, he might hot have .■conyxitfecl '■ himself to : this statement. As t:- the story of predatory fish mopping up tr.e salmon at the mouths of rivers in New 2.-i!;:nd. it is utterly wrong; and the '"'xj" that -trout are satisfied to "live is such a gross libel that if taey come to hear of it, they will be so ash-:acd cf their habits being so little k:..'.va, that they will never more be seen spotting in the surf at the mouths ff our livers. The enthusiastic "Australian ought for instance to visit any river when "a. it:;; of trout" is on. He would tten see.

and if they were angling would most likely c.xeyh, trout as small as a sprat. The w: iter has seeu trout three to six inches ionsc caught at the mouth of the Gpihi, many rimes-; and has also seen Writ mak-iCt;-_for the sea after spawning. Ami no doj:ot anglers have seen similar »:- <::<?. e-its at- the bars of other New Zealand rivers. Ft trout so small safely run the g'u:st?cr of alleged fi>li, s -'" , ; '- e sa 'iuon. a much m.re active £sh tn-s .-i tut Stout, can do so.