WAIMATE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16821, 29 May 1919, Page 9

WAIMATE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

ANNUAL REPORT,

The following is the report of vho Waimato Acciiiiiatiißa,uon Society io oj presented ab the annual meeuug tonigii.t.

'j.'he Council congratulates inembrra en the satisfactory nnancial position of 'the Society as diseased by the attached statement of receipts and expenditure which shows a credit baence of £7l 2s 3d. Thia receipts from the sale of fishing licenses show a plight failing off as compared with last year, Tinfavourable weather conditions prevailing during the firsifc thre® months of the seasrm, when the rivers wevs, almost witihoui exception, unusually ch'r'ty and unfishable. However, some real good catches were obtained from the Waihao and PaTOora rivers, trout taken wijth the minnow from the Waihao scaling up to eight pounds; while fish weighing five pounds were common. Some good reports were also received regarding the Pareora river, arid fish verying from ■Sib tot 2jlb were secured by fly fishers. Tbe Waitaki did noti yield up its usual quantity of large trout this season, but 1 some fairly largo trout ivere secured during January and February. Quinm&t salmon were again conspicuous by their absence this year, and your Council has recommended the Government to repeal all regulations regarding salmon, fishing in our rivers.

Native game is fairly plentiful, and, although the present year is a close season for both natir? and imported game, the Council (on being petitioned) obtained a short season for shooting; native game in the Society's district ag from Ist to 31st July. Wallabies are repotted to ha more plentiful on the adjacent hills than they have been for tb/3 last seven years. These will provide Excellent sport for local and viaitiing sportsmen during the winter months. Forty thousand brown trout fry were liberated during 'the year, being distributed equally between this W-aitiaki, Waihao and Pareora' 3-ivers. Your Council invitfs tdie co-operation of'all sportsmen in its efforts to check poaching. It will be remembered that fishing is kspt up to a great extent by the funda contributed by license holders, and it is an exceedingly mean and unsportsmanlike thing for anyone to take trout by the various ilegal methods that are .only too common.

..Since the last .annual general meeting it has been decided to form an Acclimatisation Societies' Association for the ■Soutlh Island, and your Council has forwarded a number of lianits for consideration at the proposed Conference to be heild in. Christdhurch in Jund next. .'■■■■ ' ' .

lushing licenses issued were ns follows : —llea's (gonerall 53; half-season 5; single r'rer 10S; -women's 15; youths' 56. Free licenaFs issued numbered li, being 8 ijo constables and rangers and 3 to returned soldiers. Ten ordinary and frre special: jneetings were held during the year, the attendances , being:—A. C Middlefon, (president) 11, P. Nash (vice-president) 11 E. J. Aitwil (treasurer) 8, W. E. Evans 7. E. Pollock 13. F. W. Jones 10, Tho<-.. Manchester 8, R. Y. Smith 10. R. L. Wills 11. R. Appe'hy 6, K. H. Wtf-son 3, J. Mines 2. Messrs Wilson and Mines were elected members of the* Counc'l on 6th February. 1919, to fi'l vacancies caused by the resignation of two gentlemen elected at last annual genera 1 ! meating.