Lake Horowhenua

Levin Daily Chronicle, 22 March 1917, Page 2

Lake Horowhenua

MR. AYSON'S VISIT. report on; PISCATORY PROSPECTS.

'Ihe recent visit of Mr Ayson, fisheries expert ivlio came at the invitation of the newly-formed Lake Domain Board to inspect Lake 'Horowhenua with a view to reporting upon the varieties of fish most suitable, is likely to have good result. Mr Ayson who had not been on the lake before was favorably impressed' with its possibilities. Among suggested varieties wa!s a species of carp which is very common in Europe and is used as a food supply; it grows to a fair size. Mr Ayson, who had gathered information concerning this carp while on a visit to Europe, said the fish had been introduced into Itlio Urated States and at first had not been regarded with favor, but lately opinion hacl changed. This carp lias not yet ha en introduced into New Zealand. Perch was mentioned by Mr Ayson as a fis'li that would succeed very well in the lake, and if successfully introduced would breed and become prolific without any re-stocking. The ova was attached by a sticky substance to rushes, reeds, etc., and although eels fed upon the eggs freely the fish was so prolific that numbers survived. Of the varieties of trout at present -in New Zealand Mr Ayson mentioned the rainbow 'trout las one tlnat would thrive in the lake, but owing to this fish needing clear, running streams with a shingly bottom" to spawn in, all fisli would have to 1 !>e hatched out in fisli hatcheries and placed in the lake. Speaking o ftrout and eels thriving in the same lake, Mr Ayson mentioned Lake Ellesmere, where there were a© many >eels to the yard as in any lake in ■New Zealand, and yet trout throve in the same water. While on the lake, .'Mr Ayson gave some interesting information to the members of the board about quinnat salmon. After several years of preserving effort the salmon were established in the AYaitaki river, and' the results have 'far exceeded! ,all expectations. This year' the fish were coming up from, the sea in large numbers and had spread to several other Soirth Island rivers. This fact hacl upset# the opinions of scientists in America*, who had always held the view that salmon always returned to the same river. The New Zealand experiment had disproved this idea, as salmon had' only been liberated in the Waitaki.

The Fisheries Department are going to stock the AVairau river next, and a hatchery is being built now for that purpose. It was hoped that if the Ralmon became established. |in tihe Wairau that it would' spread and hecome plentiful in the sounds. ! P le Wanganui is, in the opinion of Mi Ayson. another likely river for quiiinat salmon, a report in due course will be sent to the Lake [Domain Bard, and no doubt some effort will be made to make the Lake a popular anglers' report and an asset to tli© community.