FISHING IN THE PAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 November 1942, Page 2

FISHING IN THE PAST

INTERESTING SIDELIGHTS.

REMINISCENCES OF FORMER CURATOR.

Members and past members of the Wairarapa branch of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society recently paid a surprise visit to the home of the late fish curator (Mr J. Miller) where the chairman of the local branch (Mr Pickering) presented Mr Miller with a firescreen, and Mrs Miller with a bevelled-edge mirror. In doing so, Mr Pickering paid a tribute to Mr Miller's work in general on behalf of Wairarapa sportsmen, fishermen and gunmen alike. Mr C. E. Grey, on behalf of the committees of the past .endorsed Mr Pickering's remarks, pointing out that nothing was a trouble to Ml’ Miller in his endeavour to foster the stocking of all Wairarapa streams. Mr H. W. Dale called attention to the fact that Mr Miller’s associaation with the society over the long period of 39 years had never varied in the matter of making each of them a successfu one in every way. Ali members were unanimously of the opinion that the society had lost to anglers one of the most learned as well as practical curators of any like body in the Dominion. Speaking in reply, Mr Miller thanked those present and all others associated with the fine gifts made to himself and his wife, which would long remain reminders of happy days spent in Masterton. Over a long period every angler and portsman almost witjrout exception had become known to them, and for these he had striven to provide the best of sport each season. He recalled some interesting sidelights on .fishing in the past, one of which was the trapping of 3333 fish in one day from the .Waipoua River, averaging between 4 to 5 pounds in weight, and leaving many more untrapped so as not to upset such even figures. He also called to mind the famous 29'/ 2 -pounder trout caught in the Ruamahunga River above the swing bridge on the way to Eketahuna. It was not generally known to younger members of the society than 2000 rainbow trout were liberated in the Waingawa River in the year 1903, but without much resultant success, whereas those liberated in the Kourarau creek in the same year, laid the foundation of the wonderful speciments of rainbow trout later caught in the Kourarau dam nearby. He referred to the splendid services rendered to the society by Messrs Seal, Galway, Beetham Bros., Holmes Bros., Sir Walter’ Buchanan and others since trout were first introduced to Wairarapa streams by the late Mr A. J. Rutherfurd, of Alfredton, in the late 'seventies, and since when visitors (some of them distinguished personages such as Governors of the Dominion) had never failed to find excellent sport provided for them in this respect. Ml McDermott and he had in 1903 packed in and liberated the now much-destructive and plentiful deer into the Waingawa gorge and watched with anxious feelings their later success in the loftier regions of the Tararuas, where today an army of men were endeavouring to stay their possessive hold thereon. , . ~ , , . Mr Miller concluded by saying that his work for the society and its members had ever been a matter of pleasure to him, and in this connection he would the gieatei appreciate the present mark of theii high esteem.