WAIMARINO ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19049, 30 June 1924, Page 7

WAIMARINO ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

ally heavy flood in the latter end of March. The Whakapapa has been better patronised in the upper reaches than in any former season, and every angler who has been there once is anxious to go again. Seven and eight pound rainbows are common there and fish from ten to twelve pounds are often struck. Some very nice fijy fishing has been afforded in the Piopiotea in the vicinity of Raurimu. The Retarukc has not been much fished during the season, and was even in a worse state than the Waimarino after the March flood, fish from anything up to ten pounds being strewn along the banks. Good fishing has been obtained throughout the season in the Wanganui and lower reaches of the Whakapapa, and after the March flood some most excellent baskets were made in these streams in the vicinity of Kakahi. Atlantic Salmon.—The Government during the year established a hatchery on the Waiwatea creek at Kakahi for the purpose of hatching out Atlantic Salmon eggs, and stocking the Wanganui River and tributaries, and your couucil contributed £5O towards the project and showed Mr. Ayson, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, over the head-waters of the Wanganui and tributaries. Over 650,000 par were liberated, the majority in the Whakapapa. Deer. —Two licenses were issued to take red deer stags, but one holder did not get out and no heads were taken by the other. Messrs Perham and Larsen were granted permission to shoot deer causing damage to crops, and shot 4 stags and 6 hinds. Poaching.—Dynamiting is very prevalent in the Whakapapa Gorge on account of the secluded nature of the locality, and on the same account it is very difficult to detect. Shags.—A larger amount has been paid for destruction of shags during the past year than in any previous year of the Society’s existence. They are more numerous on the Wanganui River in the vicinity of Kaxahi than has been previously noted, due possibly to the raiding of shaggaries in the upper end of the Whakapapa Gorge. . Death.—The Society sustained a severe loss during the year in the death of its esteemed president, the late Mr. P. G. Smith. Mr. Smith was one of the founders of the Society and held the offices of president and chairman from the date of inception until his death, a term of over 20 years. Always taking a keen and en thusiastie interest in the Sociefty s welfare, he seldom missed a meeting, and in the early days Of the Society’s existence this often meant travelling over a bush track at night His interest and assistance materially resulted in the successful carrying out of the Society’s operations, to winch satisfactory position now hettl by the Society is largely due. The chairman formally moved the adoption of the report, and this was seconded by Mr. Proude. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Mr. Crawley proposed that Mr. Ashwell bo president, and in so doing referred to the excellent work he had done iu the past. Mr. Proude seconded and Mr. Ashwell was duly elected. Vive-prcsidcnts, Messrs T. Shout, L. Mackenzie, W. McNie, and .1. P. Proude; secretary, Mr. A. C. Henderson; council, Messrs R. H. Crawley, It. Jennings, E. Bunn, J. Hunter, T. E. McLean, E. M. Broughton, H. J. Angus, S. 3. Cox, A. Turton, A. C. Henderson, A. McCowan, W. Cressy. Mr. Crawley moved that of rules committee be elected in order to orlng them up to dve This was sec<-rded. hv ?,Ir. Shou'. and cnxried. The lub-cominittee is to consist of Messrs Crawley, Shout, and Mackenzie. It was moved by Mr. Shout, seconded by Mr. Broughton, that an extension of the telephone be erected to the society’s building.—Carried. An application was received from ' Mr. Lane for permission to sell fish- ■ ing licenses at Ohakune Junction. The ■ [letter was received and held over till ■ the council meeting prior to the opening of the. season. • BALANCE-SHEET. On April 1, 1923, cash in bank amounted to £9B 14s Bd, and this together with fishing licenses £4lO 15s, game licenses £2B, members’ subscriptions £5, fines £4, rent £l, and a refund of £25 from the Auckland Acclimatisation Society brought the receipts to £572 9s Bd. The expenditure, including salary, commission, game, fry, wire netting, etc., amounted to £159 8s 4d, leaving a credjt at March 31, 1924, of £323 Is 4d. The assets of the association, amount to £3B 5, the value of land and buildings, live stock valued at £7 17s 6d, and cash in hand of agents amounting to £46. RECOMMENDATION. In consequence of a suggestion by one of the Ohakune visitors who had appeared at the meeting during the early part of the evening, Mr. T. E. McLean moved, and Mr. Shout seconded “That it be a recommendation to the new council that holders of £ 1 fishing or game licenses be allowed to become members of the society without extra fee.’’ —Carried. "conferences. Mr. McLean moved “That at the uext conference of acclimatisation societies to be held in Wellington, Mr. Hendcrsou be the Waimarino society's representative.” Mr. Ashwell seconded, and it was carried. 808 WHITE QUAIL. Mr. Proude referred to the Bob White quail and said it was three 'times the size of the Californian quail, and good shooting and excellent eating. He thought that the society should obtain particulars with a view to importing some for the society’s district. The secretary was instructed to obtain particulars and present them at a forthcoming meeting. WEASELS. Mr. Shout drew attention of members to the destruction to game that was being wrought by weasels, and said that if something was not done to eradioate them there would soon be no game left in the district. Only recently he had seen a weasel in the borough dragging a fowl round a backyard. It was unanimously decided to have a remit sent to the next conference with a view to having legislation altered. HATCHERY. The matter of a hatchery was mentioned and finally left over till next council meeting. The secretary was instructed to purchase a cock pheasant for breeding purposes.

TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. The annual meeting of the above was held in the society’s room, Raetihi, on Friday evening. Mr. A. W. Ashwell (president) presided and there were present: most of the members of the old council and some twenty interested fishermen from Ohakune. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed, and inward and outward correspondence was dealt with. Apologies were received from Messrs McCowan and Angus. The chairman stated that there were a number of visitors from Ohakune, and he wished to extend them a welcome. A discussion ensued in respect to ihe election of members, and on ncof two members being elected at the last annual mt eting the visitors thought they were not welcome, and considered they should be elected at the annual meeting. The rules, however, stated that they should be elected by the council. Mr. Jones, of Ohakune, questioned the secretary at length in respect to the rules, and satisfactory explana-? tion being forthcoming, the business of the meeting proceeded. Tlie visitors, on finally not being allowed to vote, withdrew, and Messrs Jones and Dinwoodie referred to the autocratic manner in which the society was run and resigned and left the room. The report for the year was as under:— Financial.—The past year shows a substantial increase in fishing licenses and a heavy decrease in game licenses. The sum of £4lO 15s shown in the< revenue account for fishing licenses’ includes £72 7s 6d in the hands of agents in March 31, 1923, which leaves a balance of £338 7s 6d, to which may be added the sum of £46 in the hands of agents on March 31 this year, making a total of £384 15s 6d for licenses sold during the year, being an increase of £5O 15s compared with last year. The game licenses sold this year only amounted to £2B, being a decrease of £27 10 s. Trout Liberation.—Three thousand, rainbow yearlings were ordered from Hawera Acclimatisation Society for liberation during the year. The Department of Internal Affairs sieiutV 100,000 rainbow trout from Rotorua hatcheries for liberation in the National Park streams. These were distributed in the various streams which flow through and have their source in the park. Hatcheries.—The Chief Inspector of Fisheries suggested that instead of establishing a hatchery at Karioi, the hatching could be dope at the salmon hatchery at Kakahi, but it was found later that more ova was procured from the salmon than was expected and all the space in the salmon hatchery would be required for the other side of the creek to erect a trout, hatchery should your council consider it advisable, with the consent of the Marine Department to do so. The Fishing Season. —The fishing season has been a very good one. and many fine baskets have been taken. The ” Manganui-o-te-ao, although yielding good baskets, at times did not come up to last year’s standard. The Makotuku, although full of small fish, held also some of respectablo size, and the record of two anglers who fished this stream only, throughout the I season, shows fish up to five pounds and a number of other sizeable fish, which would surprise the casual observer. The Mangawhero has been heavily fished and has given good sport from the traffic bridge at Makaranui down but the upper reaches are swarming with small fish, and only occasionally are fair-sized fish struck. One of these occasional fish taken at Ohakune Junction turned the scale at 12 Jibs. Very fine baskets of good rainbow have been taken from the Makatoe. Several good baskets have been taken from the Waimanno but mostly small fish, the heavy fish proving too wary. This stream was practically cleaned out by an exception-