TEMUKA FISHING SEASON

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21968, 21 May 1941, Page 3

TEMUKA FISHING SEASON

Comprehensive Review Acclimatisation Society

Reviewing the fishing season, the annual report of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society states that a very dry summer and autumn was again experienced, making the third dry autumn in succession. During the earlier months of the season when the streams were carrying a good volume of water, the fishing was quite as good as usual and good baskets were obtained. As summer advanced and owing to the lack of rain the fishing naturally deteriorated, as most streams became very low and the extremely hot summer raised the temperature of the water to a degree that made the fish sluggish. The irrigation scheme again had a bad effect on the Opihi as owing to the whole of the water being diverted down the irrigation channel many miles of the course of this river became totally dry, and millions of fly larvae must have perished. In spite of what the Minister of Public Works or others might say to the contrary, it was contended that as the years rolled by and the population of Timaru and Temuka increased to double or more, the Opihi would be more valuable from the point of view of the pleasure that it would afford the' community as an angling stream, together with the amount of fish food that it would supply, than it ever would be as used at present as an irrigation stream. Lake Alexandrina agaig provided many anglers with good baskets of rainbow, and provided a welcome change from the fishing in smaller streams down country. Fair Run of Salmon Owing to the continued prevalence of north-westers, continues the report, the Rangitata River had been discoloured for most of the fishing season. There had been a fair run of salmon, but most of the early runs got upstream when the river was in an unflshable condition. Many good-con-ditioned and heavy fish were caught in the few days that the river was in a fishable ztate. Had the water remained clear during the period of the main runs, the catches would have been up to the average. Hundreds of salmon spawn along the edges of the Rangitata river between the sea and the Gorge, and contrary to what Mr Hobbs has said as the outcome of his research, that trout and salmon do not spawn in fresh clean shingle, these salmon choose the type of bed and gravel that Mr Hobbs would have us believe they will not use. Anyone who knows the Rangitata, knows only too well the unstable nature of its stream bed, but in spite of this salmon still use it freely for spawning operations. Research “At the monthly meeting of your Council in April we had the pleasure of a visit from Mr Hobbs the fresh water biologist of the Research Department,” states the report. “This was Mr Hobbs’s first official visit to South Canterbury, and your Council had what might be termed a round-table discussion with him. He read to is a report by Mr Allen, his co-biologist, on Mr Allen’s investigations in the Horokiwi Stream in the Wellington district. According to Mr Allen’s findings only two per cent of the fry hatched or liberated in this stream survive to the end of their first year. This might be termed a colossal loss. Mr Hobbs could give no information as to the causes of this enormous loss. Mr Allen’s findings show further that only one per cent survive to the end of the second year. Mr Hobbs, in his bulletin No. 8, would have us believe that 90 per cent of naturally deposited ova by the fish survive and reach the free swimming stage, but he does not carry his investigations beyond this point. Many of us will seriously differ from Mr Hobbs’s findings, as does also the fact of what happens in many waters that are consistently fished by anglers. In a recent address Mr Hobbs unwittingly put up a strong argument for the abolition of the Research Department while he himself was advocating the scrapping of the fish hatcheries. Some societies would appear to have swallowed the findings of Mr Hobbs, but in South Canterbury we have had definite beneficial results from the intelligent and common-sense use of the hatchery and the distribution of. its scrapping of it is not likely to be taken seriously.” Game Shooting “After continued pressure on the Minister by all societies, together with the two Island Councils, he eventually decided to cancel his previous decision to have a close season during 1941 for the grey duck. From reports from many landowners and personal observation there would appear to have been a very favourable breeding season for grey duck. Our Council accepted an offer from Mr Whitney of a large number of sittings of golden mallard duck eggs. These arrived in good condition and were distributed amongst many farmers who hatched them under sitting hens. Most of the eggs proved to be fertile and a good hatch was obtained. It is hoped that the result of this venture will prove to be for the benefit of the shooting man. The thanks of your council and the shooting men of South Canterbury are due to Mr Whitney for his very generous donation.” The income for the year, states the

balance-sheet, amounted to £1468/1 n 's compared with £1435/1/6 for the previous year, an increase of £3B/B'u; Expenditure amounted to £1136/11/2 leaving a credit balance of £l3l/19/3. EUCHRE PARTY A successful euchre party and dance organised by the local branch of the Red Cross Sub-Centre held on Thursday evening in the Clandeboye Hall, euchre prizes were won by Mrs Ferguson, Mr D. Phiskie, Mrs Phiskie and Mr J. Adair. Music was supplied by Mr A. Donehue and Miss E. Trumper. Mr J. Donehue was M.C. PERSONAL Mrs W. Mihaka, accompanied by her son, Mr Mana Mihaka, who has been in Kew Hospital, Southland, as a result of an accident on Mutton-Bird Island, Break Sea, East Cape, arrived Lome yesterday. Miss M. Taehan, is a visitor to Temuka. "DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS” AU the charm, all the humour, all the pathos, all the simple human and folksy quality of last year’s memorable “Four Daughters" have been recaptured by Warner Bros. in “Daughters Courageous,” which opens to-night at the Elite Theatre. All of the cast of “Four Daughters” are present again in short, with the delightful addition of Fay Bainter in the role of the young and modern mother of the four girls, and Donald Crisp, as her solid, middle-aged fiance. The story of "Daughters Courageous,” however, deals with an entirely different family from last year's screen play, and while the two films share the same charming, heart-warming quality, the new one has a good deal more humour interspersed with the romance.