ROTA AIRA TROUT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 196, 4 September 1937, Page 14

ROTA AIRA TROUT

Valuable Angling Reserve Available A golden opportunity to build up cme of the fintst trout-fishing reservea in tlie country now lies open to het Htate if Maorl and Buropean iishermen cau be given equal rights to iisli Lake lioto Aira, according to a number of Auckland iishermen. With very little work, Ihe lake, which is described as providing iniinitely better sport than Taupo, could be mad© an ideal fishing ground. The fitst stocking of Eoio Aira was done in 1908 and fresh stock was added in 1918. The first trout taken was caught by the rangitira of the tribe whose fishing rights were guaranteed to them by a previous Government, and it weiglied 27|lb. A man whose interest in the lake has extended over the whole period smce its original stock said that the sport there was still exeellent and from this viewpoint alone all that had to be don© to guarantee the perpetuation of the vigorous stock was to cnsure tlie control of shags, wliich were distributing worm to some of the trout, the liberation of fry that would spawn in April and May and the blasting of a path down the falls scparating the lak© from the upper Waikato. This iast course would ensure freedom fot the iish. At prcseut, however, the fisli were still sufiicientlv cl-ean and vigorous to niake immediate restoeking unuecesaary.