A HOME OF SPORT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2699, 19 February 1916, Page 9

A HOME OF SPORT

AN ANGLER'S LAND FINE TItOUT-FISHING STREAMS BEAUTIFUL SCENERY A big asset to the Waimarino country is the opportunities the district affords sportsmen. Some of the finest fishing in the world is obtainable in it rivers and streams. Outside sportsmen are patronising the Waimarino in numbers which increase year by year. The interests of the sport are attended to by the Waimarino _ Acclimatisation Society, which has. its headquarters at llaetilii, aiid has jurisdiction over an area that includes the whole of the Waimarino and Kaitieke Counties. The society's district extends as far north us Taumarunui. The president is Mr. P. G. Smith, who has been in that office since the formation of the society, and tho secretary is Mr. A. C. Henderson. The society employs a permanent ranger, and a number of honorary rangers assist him. The farmers throughout the district help in every way possible, and «'ith their aid game has been. liberated in many of the outlying parts of the district. Many of the streams , are easily accessible from the Main* Trunk Railway. Good fishing is to 'be had in the Makotuku Stream, which runs through llaetilii, and in the Mangowhero, which also is within easy reach of R-aetihi and the railway. The streams on the Waimarino Plains'have been extensively stocked; and have been fished by a number of Wellington sportsmen; and oil the opening of "the new tourist »oad from Waimarino to Tokaanu this should become a very popular fishing «;rea for sportsmen from Wellington and Auckland. To show how plentiful trout are even right in the town of Raetihi. it may be mentioned that recently two Maori boys were prosecutcd for taking the' fish by killing them with an iron bar. The lads had, seven or eight trout on the bank when'they were utopped. Tongarfro National Psrti. The Acclimatisation district includes

the scenic portion of the Tongariro Natonal Park, and angling and sight-see-ing combine to make a holiday spent in tho district a very pleasant one. _ The Waimarino Acclimatisation Society was formed in 1903, in which year thero was a secession from the Wanganui . Society. The Waimarino body was then a very small ono and its total revenue in its first year was only £43. The second year showed some growth, aiid there was a- revenue of £60. It was not until 1905 that the society had sufficient money | to buy fry to commence stocking the steams with. They obtained 15,000 fry from Masterton, and' liberated them in the streams about Eaetihi. The revenue that year was only £50, and in the following year it was only £66. in 1906 the society bought 30,000 brown trout from the Masterton hatcheries, and 10,000 rainbow from the Auckland Society. The rainbow were liberated ill the Waimarino Stream, and in two years' time there were 31b. trout taken from those waters. That year the Tourist Department sent up five red deer (two . stags and three hinds), which were liberated by the society in tho Tongariro National Park. There lliey are now, reported to be increasing. In 1907 the society liberated 45,000 fry hi various parts of the district— . 10,000 in the Waimarino'Stream, and j tho remainder in Karioi Stream and | ' tiller streams previously mentioned. ! j The revenue that year was £110. In

1908 the society lost its first secretary, Mr. A. E. Liggins, who left the district. Sixty-six thousand li'.v were obtained from Masterton, and tho year's revenue was £121.

Stocking Streams With Trout. In 1909 the society had a .total liberation of 8;j,000 fry—-10,000 in Manga-v.-hero aud tributaries; 20,000 in Orautolia, 20,000 in Makotuku, and 5000 .(rainbow) in the Waimarino. Stream,

3 hat year the revenue went back to £99. In 1910 the society ordered 2000 yearling rainbow trout from Auckland, and. most of them were liberated in the Kaitieke Stream. In the Mangawhero and Makotuku Streams 50,000 brpwn trout wore liberated during the same year. The highest revenue up to that date was obtained in this year, the income increasing to £132. This year also the Tourist Department sent the society 20,000 rainbow trout from Rotoiua to stock tho Whakapapanui Stream, up under Tongariro- Mountain, a delightful clear-water stream, whoso attractions are added to by some beautiful waterfalls. The Department's idea ivas to improve the streams which run partly through the National Park However, the trout arrived dead. The society then purchased 20,000 rainbow trom the Department, aud liberated them.

About this time the society took steps to make a very valuable extension of its boundaries. When the GovernmeHtook over from the Auckland Society the area of country known as the Hot iv t S ,P Jstrl °fc a small portion of tho nest -Taupe County south of tho N auganui River was left uncontrolled, and men shot and fished there without restriction or payment of fee. After much agitation the Waimarino Society cjinexed . the area, the chief value of V Inch is its fishing streams. virli.ir 12 SOci ? ty obtai ned 1000 S g fnr a ?l IVS fr ° m the society for the upper waters of the x aild anotter 10 °0 for the Kaitieke stream. That year it had been intended to go in a good deal frv w"? y earlin £s instead of tiy, but the society considered the price prohibitive, aud m the end no Welling:lmf ™' 6 purchased and no Wellington fry liberated. This year ho revenue was £270. Five thousand ainbow fry were secured from Auckland on the suggestion of Mr. Humphries, then a member of the society and a settler near the Kokakanui stream. Mr. Humphries liberated them in this stream, and undertook to look after tlicm.

This year several. prosecutions of interest and importance to anglers arose in the district. Sportsmen who had bought licenses from the agents of tho \\aimariuo Society proceeded to fish in the Wanganui River, which divides the Waimarino Society's district from the .tor u a and the Auckland Acclimatisation districts. These latter districts had not opejied their fishing season, and complained that -men were fishing in their water without a license and out of season. The Taumaruit'ii police took the matter up, and biought several cases before the court. There was mild excitement among anglers when the prosecutions went forth. Those who had received summonses were naturally indignant, aiid the first persons to experience the anglers' anger were the agents who had sold them ihe licenses. Tho agents, of course, communicated with the AVaiinarino Society, and the society decided to stand by its patrons. It even promised them it would bear the costs of the pending court cases should they lose. Howover, they did not lose. The Court decided that the middle of the river was the boundary between the districts.

A town section (on the corner' or Duncan, and Queen Streets, Raetihi) was acquired ]>}[ the society in 1913, and offices have since been erected there. Tho society's revenue in 1913 was £290, and in 19H it was £305. Tourist Road to Tokaanu. The Tourist Department continues to interest itself in the stocking of the Waimarino streams. Last year it sent along 120,000 fry, and this year 500,000. The Government is now making a road from the Waimarino railway station across the plains to Tokaanu. It is purely a tourist road, and the work is being done by prison labour from the Waimarino Prison Camp Four miles of formed road has been done, and it isconsidered that when completed the road will provide one of tho finest motor runs in the Dominion. It is 40 miles to Tokaanu through, scenery of the grandest. • Prior to the formation of the Waimarino Society no money from any outside society had been expended in the stocking of the streams with fish. What had been done was through private enterprise.- One instance of this is tile case of Mr. ' Grant, of Karioi, who procured 2000 rainbow fry at his own expense, and liberated the greater number of them in the streams about Karioi, and a few in a stream near Raetihi. Two yey-s later small fish were seen in the Karioi streams, and the Wanganui Society issued licenses for fishing hi- the district. Seven years ago thero was an 111b. fish taken in the Mangawliero. Four and five pounders are common now in that stream. Last year a 16-pounder was taken, from the Manganui-o-te-ao, and another of the same weight this year. This season Police-Commissioner Cullen'arrested a 6-J-lb. fish from the Whakapapauui. A great number of small fish have been seen in this stream and before the Waimarino-Tokaanu Road is through there will be ample big fish there.

Several importations of pheaswsks have been made by the society. The larpccst consignment, was obtained last year, when seventy brace were secured ' from the Wellington Society. In 1905 the society imported hares from Canterbury. For two years they were protected, the third year licensehoklers -ere allowed to sboot them, and over since thc.v have been declared "not Same, 11 because they have increased so rasidlx a$ to become a Best to farmers,...