Waikato Anglers' Club.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXV, Issue 3863, 19 August 1908, Page 2

Waikato Anglers' Club.

The following is a extract from the annua! report of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society: It is a matter for regret that very few fish were caught in the Waikato River during the past season, the floods of 1907 having seemingly reduced their numbers to an alarming extent. Evidence of their existence in large numbers prior to this catastrophe had buoyed up the hopes of fishing enthusiasts, who looked forward to the time, which they hoped was not far distant, when a good day's fishing would be obtainable at their own doors, without the expense and loss of time in travelling to a more favoured spot. The realisation of this wish now appears to be as far off as ever but local anglers have not lost heart, and this severe reverse has only spurred them on to further efforts in the direction of stocking. In August last we liberated 2uoo well-grown fish, which would assuredly compare favourably with any yet raised in the Waimakariri, averaging as they did from 10 to 12oz. These had been reared in the local ponds at Kirikiriroa, and were a credit to all who were in any way connected with them. We have at present 2000 yearlings in the pond, and under the care of Mr W. H. Paul they are doing equally as well as their predecessors. If this good work is continued, and there is little doubt that it will be, it should not be long before the 1906 standard is again reached, and then, as we only get a severe flood once in twenty year.-, there should be some hope for fishermen. It is hard to understand why trout should be so plentiful in the upper reaches of the river, and not in the lower, and it is a matter for conjecture what becomes of the thousands which are libcated annually. Do they fo out to sea and forget to come back? We should like to know. An effort has been made to establish perch in several of the adjacent lakes during the past year or two, and this season about 100 yearlings, which had been kindly presented by the Hawera Acclimatisation Society, were placed in the Hamilton Lake and one of the smaller lakes at Hukanui. So far only one has been caught in the former; but as it was a well-grown fish, weighing about 21b, if is confidently believed that the experiment will prove a success. There is ample food, in the shape of carp, and when the place is properly tried, it may be found that they exist in goodly numbers. So far this has not been done. I am exceedingly sorry to report that the past two seasons, so far as trout is concerned, have not been a success from an angler's point of view ; but the members of our club die hard, and intend to maintain a vigorous stocking policy in the interests of fishermen as a whole.