ANGLING NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21418, 9 March 1935, Page 11

ANGLING NOTES

THE SALMON RUN [By BLACK GNAT.] Tlicsa Notes, which are written by m fisherman of lone experience and considerable theoretical knowledge, will appear every Saturday. Letters containing news items or questions, and addressed to "Black Gnat," care of the Editor of "The Pr«ss," will receive prompt attention each week. The thoughts of almost all anglers are at present centred on the approaching run of quinnat salmon. When will the run start in earnest? will it be better than last year? are question asked whenever two anglers meet. The word "run" is really inadequate, as it implies that all the salmon will go upriver in a few days at most, whereas they are steadily working their way into the rivers for a period of four months. The run then starts gradually. sometimes in December, and reaches its peak between the middle of February and the first week in April. In North American salmon rivers there is not only the usual autumn run, but in most of them there is also a spring run, and in the Columbia and other streams farther south, yet another run which takes place between the spring and autumn runs. That is to say that there are quinnat in the Columbia from the beginning of January until early in October, corresponding in time in New Zealand from July until April. Though any comparison between our salmon fisheries and those of other countries merely serves to show how insignificant the run in our rivers is, it is of interest to note that: in the Columbia river alone the yield of quinnat is sufficient to allow the cannery proprietors 1o put approximately 400,000 cases of tinned salmon on th« market each year. F.very conceivable means of destruction is employed against the ascending army of quinnat, from nets of various kinds, spears, gaffs, and fish-wheels, to the humble bow and arrow and many thousands more arc taken before they even reach fresh water by boats trawling round the coast. It. may be correctly stated lhat although the introduction of quinnat salmon in New Zealand has been a marked success avhen considered as an experiment, the present-day distribution of the fish in New Zealand waters is mainly the result of a- natural dispersal tendency, rather than of the distribution of young fish by the Marine Department. Be-

Iween 1875 and 1880 abortive attempts wem made to establish quinnat in different parts of the country. In 1900 the Government took a hand and decided on large-scale liberations in one stream, instead of the earlier policy of releasing fry in small lots in different waters. In the years 1901-04, 1905-06, and 1907 shipments of ova totalling nearly 2,000,000 were received and hatched in the then new hatchery on the Hakataramca, a tributary of the Waitaki. According to Hutton, these importations resulted in more than a million and a half young fish being turned into various Waitaki tributaries. Almost immediately the result became apparent. In 1905 anglers took several salmon in the mouth of the Waitaki, while in the winters of 1906 and 1907 a number of salmon spawned in tributary streams. In 1907, too, was seen the first evidence of natural dispersal, for in that year fish were taken by anglers in the Rangitala. From the Waitaki salmon have spread mainly in a northerly direction, with the result that all the major Canterbury rivers became well stocked. This northerly movement apparently is still persisting, for salmon have begun to show up where they were least expected—namely, in the North Island. But the quinnat in this country seems to be developing a habit of surprising pisciculturists by perversely refusing to establish itself in some waters where it is introduced, and by suddenly cropping up in such places as lakes Kanieri and Coleridge. Netting operations in the Waimakariri last season resulted in a total

catch of 111S fish of an average weight of 12.11b, compared with 928 fish aver* aging 13.31b the previous year. Rod fishermen holding selling licenses accounted for a total of 260 fish averaging 15.91b in the Waimakariri and otner main rivers. The figures for 1933 are 298 fish averaging 17.51b. Many of the anglers who went out to open the salmon season last weekend received the iirst check in their enthusiasm. The Rakaia, though in good order, yielded only a very few fish. At: the mouth only three fish were taken by upwards of 30 rods. The Waimakariri was also disappointing, but salmon have come in in fairly large numbers this week, so there should be some good bags taken next week-end. The Waimakariri is now carrying a good head of fish right up to the gorge. No definite reports have yet been received from the Hurunui, though it is significant that one of the best-known anglers in that district sent an urgent order for salmon tackle in to a local tackle shop this week. A few fish have been seen fairly well up the Waiau.