H.—ls

Fresh-water Fisheries. Quinnat Salmon. Owing to the low volume of the Waitaki River and an almost complete absence of the floods which prevent productive angling, the salmon-fishing season in the early months of 1939 had been exceptionally successful and it provided record catches to anglers in the lower reaches of the river. As a result of these conditions, however, the number of salmon running into the Hakataramea was much below the average. When the rack was being constructed at the usual site in the tributary a short distance above its confluence between 11th April and 20th April both rivers were very low, and most of the fish remained to spawn in the main river below the junction. The first salmon at the rack was observed on 21st April. The fish taken for stripping and the number of ova taken for the hatchery were as follows :—

In addition to those which were stripped for ova and milt, 52 males and 3-6 females in April and 133 males and 115 females in May were allowed to pass the rack to spawn naturally in the Hakataramea River. The runs consisted of unusually small fish, those of larger size apparently preferring to remain in the main river rather than swim "through the very shallow channel at the mouth of the tributary. The hatchery output for the season provided 414,000 salmon fry which were planted in the Hakataramea River, 46,000 ova shipped to Melbourne, and 20,000 fry kept for rearing to yearlings in the ponds. The angling season in the early months of 1940 was in complete contrast to that of the previous year in that the principal quinnat-salmon rivers were almost continuously turbid and in flood. The conditions were such that neither rod-fishermen oil the Waitaki, Rangitata, Rakaia, and Waimakariri, nor the netsmen, whose operations were confined to the tidal waters of the last-named river, had many opportunities for successful fishing. Information from returns sent in by rod and net fishermen holding licenses permitting them to sell quinnat salmon is summarized in the statement below : — I

Quinnat Salmon, 1940.

19

Males. Females. Ova. April (21st to 30th) .. .. . • 34 40 161,000 May .. .. .. •• 124 126 419,000 Totals 158 166 580,000

—— Males. i Females. ®°? c Totals given. Returns from Rods. Rakaia River, 9/3/40 to 30/4/40 (four rods)— Number of fish caught .. .. • • 99 99 11 209 Total weight .. .. .. • • •• 1,241-5 lb. 1,365 1b. 120-5 lb. 2,727 1b. Average weight .. • - • • * • 12-5 lb. 13*9 lb. 10-9 lb. 13-0 lb. Ashburton River, 20/2/40 to 29/2/40 (two rods)— Number of fish caught .. .. • • 3 4 .. 7 Total weight .. .. • • • • ■ • 39 lb. 57 lb. .. 96 lb. Average weight .. 13-0 lb. 14-2 lb. .. 13-7 lb. Rangitata River, 16/2/40 to 21/4/40 (four rods)— Number of fish caught .. .. ■ • 39 42 .. 81 Total weight .. .. .. •• •• 556-5 lb. 560-5 lb. .. 1,117 1b. Average weight .. •• •• •• 14-3 lb. 13-3 lb. .. 13-8 lb. Orari River (one rod) — Number of fish caught .. .. •• 3 4 .. 7 Total weight .. .. • • • • • • 43 lb. 41 lb. .. 84 lb. Average weight .. •• 14-3 lb. 10-2 lb. .. 12-0 lb. Opihi River, 12/2/40 to 10/4/40 (two rods)— Number of fish caught .. .. • • • • • • 56 56 Total weight .. .. .. •• •• 754-5 lb. 754-5 lb. Average weight .. •• •• •• ■■ 13-5 lb. 13-5 lb. Combined Rivers, 1.2/2/40 to 30/4/40 (thirteen rods*)— Number of fish caught .. •• 144 1 49 67 360 Total weight .. .. .. 1,1801b. 2,023-5 lb. 875 1b. 4,778-5 lb. Average weight .. .. •• 13-0 lb. 13-6 lb. 13-0 lb. 13-3 lb. Ret,urns from Nets. Waimakariri River, 20/2/40 to 4/4/40 (two nets)— Number of fish caught .. • ■ • ■ 30 38 1 69 Total weight .. 376-5 lb. 423-5 lb. 111b. 8111b. Average weight .. •• •• 12 • 5 lb. 11-1 lb. ll-01b. 11-7 lb. * Two rods fished on two rivers during the season.