Feilding Trout Hatchery

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 46, 23 August 1893, Page 2

Feilding Trout Hatchery

In consequence of the great attention now being given to the subject of fish acclimatisation, we think a few details as to the manner in which the hatchery at Aorangi is conducted -will be of interest to many in these districts. It is of great importance that various kinds of fish should be acclimatised to the New Zealand rivers, and it would be of great value to the Colony. Up to now the experiment has succeeded only with trout and perch, the attempt to rear salmon from Scotch ova having failed. The next trial is to be made with grayling, and we sincerely hope that it will be successful as the grayling is a most sporting fish, and would be in season when the trout were spawning, thus enabling fishermen to pursue their sport all the year round. In addition to the grayling it would be well if some of the English coarse fish, such as roach and dace, could be brought out. They should thrive well in many of our creeks. The dace is a very lively fish and rises voraciously to an artificial fly. Neither roach nor dace would interfere with the trout, and these would form a variety in a day's fly fishing. Now for a few facts about our own hatchery. A constant supply of running water is obtained from a spring situated in Mr C. Bull's property. It is conveyed by pipes to the hatchery, where it runs into a tank 10 feet long by 3 feet wide. In the tank are six flannel screens through which the water is filtered, and then it flows into another pipe which extends round the hatchery. This pipe is perforated with holes placed a foot apart, through which a slender stream runs into each box. The sizes of the boxes are 4 feet 6 inches by 10 inches, and there are 42 of them in use at the present time. The boxes are carefully charred inside to destroy any fungi, and a layer of tine gravel (which has been previously boiled) is then placed in them, after which the water is turned on and they are ready for use. The first consignment of 12,000 trout ova was received from Masterton on 21st July and a second lot of 10,000 arrived on August 2nd. These were all carefully distributed among the boxes, and in a fortnight commenced to hatch out. There was a slight mortality among the ova amd great care had to be exercised in taking out the dead ones, as a fungoid growth soon appears on them, which, if not removed, spreads to the live ova and quickly kills them. This fungus is the greatest enemy which we have to contend against. The dead ova are taken out with glass tube-. • On the whole the ova hatched out well, and it is calculated that there are over 16,000 fry in the boxes. The majority of the young fish are about half an inch long at the present time, but a few have nearly absorbed the egg sac. The greater portion of them will be turned into the Oroua river in about a month's time, a few being destined for the Kiwitea creek at Beaco'istield. Great credit is due to Mr C. J. D. Sharp for his unremitting care of and attention to the young fish. A number of gentlemen in town have also interested themselves in the undertaking, viz., Mr H. L. Sherwill, Mr W. A. Sandilands, Dr. Johnston, and others.