QUINNAT SALMON FISHING.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 21 March 1927, Page 2

QUINNAT SALMON FISHING.

FAIRLY GOOD RUN REPORTED. POACHING RIFE ON THE RAKAIA Mr Frank Dyer, of Wellington, . ho ahs just returned1 from a fishing trip on the Rakaia Rivep, reports a fairly good run of Salmon, hut experienced quinnat anglers assured him that the fish will come into the river in larger numbers a little later on in the month. Mr Dyer, who was camped at the mouth and thus had a good opportunity of seing the fish enter the river and proceed on their way to the head waters to spawn, says that when they first strike fresh water after their three year's at s'ea, they engage in extraordinary antics, juniping and rolling. To see these huge fish, up to 301b in weight, going up the rapids like torpedoes, and sending the water in all directions, is. he states, a wonderf-ui sfght. A large numher of fish are scarred by porpoises and sharks. Hundreds of porpoises were observed off the mouth of the river harrying the salmon as they came in. Mr D^^er's party, which consisted of three rods, did fairly well ,and took fish up to 171b in weight, but much beavier fish were taken by other parties, the heaviest fish he heard of being killed while he was there being 321b., but 251b to 231b., and 201b. fish were common. The 'advent of salmon into the Rakaia is responsible for large numbers of anglers visiting the locality, and on the Sunday that Mr Dyer jvas there he counted 32 rods from a particular point of £he river. "The large numher of anglers would not matter so much," he said, "if they fished fair, but unfortunately this is not so and poaching of ! salmon is rife. The method chiefly employed is what is known as stroke hauling, a well - known poaching device in the Old Country. | The tackle. used consists of 16ft stiff bambo rod, a stout schnapper line, and a big reel (usually a good one), and, last but by no means least, a 2i to 3yards trace, consisting of stout copper wire, or strong picture wire, to wlRch is attached a flight of three or four double hooks at intervals of about a foot. The poacher selects a good pool, starts at the top, makes a cast across the i stream, and drags hjs flight of hooks i across the bottom of the river, and tliis process is repeated to the bottom of the pool." Mr Dyer was told that the stroke haulers boast that if there are salmon resting in a pool they can clean the lot out." On one occasion his spoon foul- j ed a snag in the river. and on wading out and getting.his gaff into the snag he was able to pull the obstrpction out on the bank, and on it he found to his surprise a complete stroke hauler's trace, hooks and all. This meipento, he says, is ccrtainly a most dastardly instrument for poaching fish. In the opinion of Mr Dyer the ranging on this partichlar piece he was fishing is very ]ax and he siiggested that the rangers of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society would get a dozen cases a week if they were working the territory. "I never saw a ranger the whole time I was there," he said, "and neither he nor any/hiember of his party was ever aSsfeed for his license." 5 AU the salmon he saw were in particularly fine condition, being fat and silvery in. colour, and the only blemish being the porpoise and shark scars already referred to. The history of the introduction of quinnat salmon into New Zesland waters was also outlined by Mr Dyer. Quinnat salmon, he said, wpre first introduced ihto New Zealand in the year 1898 or 1899, when the Seddon Government was in power. Sfr 'WiUiam HalLJones was then Minister of Marino, and it was his Department that placed the first order of half a million ova in America, and Mr Ayson, wfio was then curator at the Masterton hatchery, was selected by the Government to talce delivery of the ova in America and bring theni to New Zealand. The experinsyent of hatch- j ing out the fish here was most suc^ - cessful, due largely to the slcill and . attention devoted to tbem by Mr Ayson. In due course they were Jih- i erated in the southern rivers. Tliey . did well, hut it was found that they J had so many n.mural enemies when ; they made their way to tlle sea that I very few got back to the rivers, sn j the Govermeht very wi^ely decided s that more intense stocking would •' have to be carried out}> and they jfiaced an order in America for hitlf i a million ova per year for fivc years, which produced excelleni rssults and accounts for the fact that ) anglers were talcing fish in the . southern rivers thjs season from \ •30 to 401bs in Weight.