WITH ROD AND GUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1922, Page 3

WITH ROD AND GUN.

ACCLIMATISATION ACTIVITIES. TARANAKI SOCIETY. Th© following report will be presented at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society to be held at New Plymouth this evening: In presenting the 59th annual report the executive ar© pleased to be able to congratulate the Society upon its improved position. The trout hatchery in Pukekura Park has more than justified its existence. During the last hatching season some 70,006 Rainbow and 200,000 Brown trout ova were successfully handled, the former being a grant from the Government, were obtained from strong fish at Rotorua. The Brown trout ova came from the Hakataramea, Hatchery in the South Island and were especially selected on account of the good and virile stock in those waters. The percentage of natural losses from malforms, etc., was very lew and from other sources practically nil, which is a record the Society may well be proud of, and was made possible alone by the unremittent and highly skilled care exercised by Mr. W. J. Bell, who undertook the management of the hatchery as a labor of love. The Society is under a deep obligation to Mr. Bell, and is very sensible of it. In this work Mr. Bell was ably assisted by Mr. Bowen and members of the council. As a consequence of the ibove, the streams of North Taranaki received the heaviest stocking that has ever been achiev-. ed by the Society in one year, and the whole of the liberation was also carried out gratuitously by members of the council with assistance of local sportsmen, and this includes the cost of transportation of this large number of fish to the following rivers: Brown Trout. —Waiongona, the Ngataras, Maketawa, Waiwakaiho, and tributaries, Tapuae, Kaihihi, Warea, Waiweranui, Kopuwaia, Oaonui rivers, Waiaua, Taungatara. Rainbow Trout.—Stony River, Okaiha.

For this season the council have or- ; dered 200,000 Brown trout ova from Hakataramea and 50,000 Rainbow ova from Rotorua. It is the aim of the council to make the rivers of North Taranaki famous throughout the Dominion, and a very few years at the present rate should achieve the object. The past fishing season has been somewhat spoilt by the abnormal rainfall causing the rivers to be very frequently Hooded and unfishable, but from all quarters come reports of good bags and a good stock of fish. The past shooting season showcri a fair stock of game and reports from the Tataraimaka Sanctuary indicate that the pheasants liberated there as well as others are increasing very satisfactorily. Again it is necessary to bring to the notice of sportsmen the fact that the shooting season is habitually anticipated by persons (who usually pretend that they are merely shooting hares. To particularise, the council is aware that shots have been heard during the last week in the Tikorangi, Bell Block, and Upper Mangorei Road dis- , tricts. The Society will prosecute in any case of a breach of the Game Laws, and invite the co-operation of all sportsmen in the protection of their own interests. The bank balance stands at £159 13s sd, which may be considered very satisfactory. The Society’s funds were augmented by the sum of £BO, voluntarily subscribed by sportsmen towards the cost of the hatchery in Pukekura Park. The total cost of the hatchery was £’Bo. which of course, is very much under its true value, but thanks to donations oi material and labor, as well as of money, the cost of erection was small.

It is to be hoped that as many license holders, and others interested, as possible, will attend the annual meeting, when matters of importance concerning the future policy of the Society will be discussed.