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Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 36

Speaking at the weekly meeting of the Wanganui Rotary Club on the subject of “Eels,” Air T. W. Downes said that he did not know whether the eel was detrimental to the trout or not. He did know, however, that the shag was the biggest enemy the trout had, and he had on one occasion had ample proof of this when he and a friend were on the river. They saw, a shag lying on the water which could neither sink, swim, nor fly. Upon investigation they discovered that the shag had a trout wedged in its throat and that it could neither swallow nor eject it. Mr Downes released the fish, and on measuring it found that it was 17J inches long and 11| inches in girth, and, he concluded, “Aly companion and I made two meals of it.”