Quinnat Salmon.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 18732, 16 February 1933, Page 3

Quinnat Salmon.

“A MENACE TO TROUT.” SOUTHERN RANGER’S VIEWS. A report on thfe prevalence of c[uiiinat salmon in the Opihi River, and on their detrimental effect on trout-fishing, has been submitted to a meeting of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society by the ranger, Mr F. W. Pellett. “Quinnat salmon,” the report stated, “like the German oavl, are a menace, the former to trout life and the latter to bird life.” Quinnat salmon Avere essentially a salt-water fish. They spent most of their life in salt water, and consequently they did not afford the angler the same amount of sport as do trout. Then Avas not the same amount of skill in angling salmon when hooked as there was in trout. 'Salmon and trout Avere identical in their spaAvning habits/ and needed shalloAV running, Ava-ter and gravel beds Avherein to deposit ova. Thero .was a difference of pine weeks be.tAvpen; ,|>£ $$alm6p and that itfr trout. Bo t h'/Mb spawned on the sarnie beds. Salmon were a voracious fish, ,and ~ would dpmineer trout... The same .remark applied, to the . parr fish of salmon;. they also would fight part . trout,,for an existence. In the matter of food fossicking, said Mr Pellett, salmon parr would outstrip trout parr,, as rainbow parr fight off brown parr Avhen it came to procuring food.' As both quinnat and rainbow fish Averje near allies' in nature, and both species were a gormandising fish, it could easily be understood that either of these species existent in any river must depreciate the Avell-being of brown trout for these reasons alone.