MARKING TROUT

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 47, 3 December 1952, Page 7

MARKING TROUT

CO-OPERATION OF ANGLERS NECESSARY During the Winter of 1951 trapping was commenced' to enable the Internal Aftairs Department. to provide anglers with information re-> garding the movements of fish in the Lake, the effect of certain feeding and weather factors on the condition of the fish, and to enable an estimate to be made of the total yield of the Lake. In that season, 1951, 6,000 fish were caught and marked. These experiments were carried out in the Whareroa, Whangamata and the hatchery streams.

Operations during the winter of 1952 have been confined to the Whareroa stream and a fresh site on the Mangamutu, a tributary of the Waitahanui stream. Those fish caught at Whareroa were marked by removing the left pelvic fin as shown in the picture above whilst at Mangamutu both pelvic fins were removed. A total of 8,000 fish have passed through the rangers hands by this means and of these fish 3,000 were marked at Mangamutu. There are stiil in the lake 4,000 fish with the adipose fin; removed (marked in 1951); and 1,000 fish with adipose and left pelvic fins removed. These fish — with adipose and left pelvic fins removed— are fish which were marked in 1951, and came back up the Whareroa River to spawn the following' year, where they were remarked. Useful information has therefore already been obtained about the habits of the fish in returning to their spawning grounds in successive years. The successes of experiments relating to the conditions of fish depends upon the co-operation of anglers, who are asked, as last year, to make returns relating to the length, size, weight and place where such fish are caught. By recording their fish and handing their papers to a licence agent or to an ofricer of the department, anglers can help the authorities to help them. Some Trout History. "Kickshaws," in his "Random Notes" Column in the Wellington "Domiinion" had something to say the other day about big trout. As a matter of local interest we print the following extract: "The fact that a rainbow trout which weighs 1111b. is large enough to get into the news makes one wonder if even fish have been affected by the high price of things and have reacted by growing smaller. . . "Until 1951 there seem to have been some 15-pounders left in Taupo despite its tribulation. One was caught by Mr J. Powdrell, of Te Puke, at the mouth of the Waihora Stream, with a weight of 1511b. In 1945 Mr B. Northcroft caught an 18i-pounder from a pool near the old flaxmill. It was in perfect condition and was 32in. long with a girth of 21in. This was stated at the time to be the biggest fish taken in the Taupo or Rotorua district since 1924 when Mr W. Branson, of Hawk.e's Bay (now of Taupo), landed at the mouth of the Tongariro River a trout which weighed 211b., lOoz. "In 19/14 a 1611b,. fish was taken at Waitahanui, and in 1940 two 171b. fish were caught in Lake Tarawera. But in the old days even brown trout were caught which surpassed these figures. Mr E. P. V. iSealy who took out his first fishing licence in 1893 declared some years ago that in those days the Opipi river was the wonder trout river of the world. People thought nothing of catching 201b. brown trout. At Tongariro similar catches

excited no particular comment. Inleed fishermen imagined they would always be able to rely on trout to attain this size. Gradually, however, the trout have started reducing. One : may well a$k what has happened to our trout. Are they on a decline )r don't they get time to grow up? This mystery d'oes not seem to have • jeen solved. A report received on Monday from Yestern Bay stated that trolling has been good on the previous two days but fly fishing was poor. The streams wero becoming clearer, and ihere was considerable hope of an .mprovement in a few days.