LINE & TRIGGER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 738, 28 April 1904, Page 15

LINE & TRIGGER.

(By

“Gillie.”)

A record kept during the fishing season at Rotorua, which has just closed, shows that 6952 trout were caught, the aggregate, weight of which was 80.6811 b. It is considered that this represents only about twO-thirds of the actual amount caught, for it is obvious that a great many trout must be taken which are not recorded. “It may safely be said that during no previous season has anything like the quantity of fish been taken from the lakes and streams as during that just closed (says the “ Hot Lakes Chronicle ”1 ; the fish may be numbered by the thousand and the weight by the ton. In addition to those secured here large quantities have been caught at Galatea and Atiamuri, of which no record has been kept. One gentleman, Mr Arthur Morton, who has spent the season with us, is delighted with the sport he has had. His catch for the season was 204 fish, the aggregate weight of which was 8791 b. Many visitors —indeed all — have been greatly pleased with their angling, and intimated their intention of returning next season, accompanied by friends. A fair number of fish have been secured with the fly, but the bulk has been caught with the minnow. From] the 12th to the 15fh ihst. 174 fish wete taken, the aggregate weight of’ which vVas 786£tb.” Thus a grand season was. wound up in style. May there be many more like it. : .

Mr T. F. Cheeseman, secretary of the Auckland' Aeclimitisation Society, has received a communication, 'from the Colonial Secretary, enclosing a notification pointing out that the postmasters are empowered to issue licenses for shooting game. This, year no licenses will be issued to sell game, at any rate licenses of this description are not referred to at all in the notification. Eden. County will be entirely closed to shooting, also Lake Takapuna, and the country for about half a mile all round. The Little Barrier Island and Hen and Chickens group are also closed to shooting, as is customary.

'['here has been a great deal of talk recently on cancer in trout. Mr L. F. Ayson, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, when inf ci viewed on the subject said : “ I first noticed this gill disease in 1890, among the American brook trout (Salvelinns fontinals), at the Masterton trout hatchery. The disease was at first peculiar to this fish until the rainbow trout (Salmo iiidens) were introduced, and among them it made its appearance when the fish were three years old. I have never found any in the English brown trout (Salmo fario), but I found three Loch Lcven trout (Salmo levenensis) affected in 1896. These fish were all from three to four years old, and the three were collected from 0000 fish taken in 189;>. In 1898 about, two per cent, of the American brook trout over three years of age would be affected, and about one per cent, of rainbow trout over that age. It is only the fish kept in hatcheries that have been found, so far as I know, suffering from this disease. All diseased fish not kept for specimens are knocked on the head and destroyed when they have been tal en. I have never known a case of brown trout being affected, and I should most certainly have been the first to be informed of such a case. I think Mr- Ctleeseman has stated that ‘he had not heard of any cases occurring in the bush in fish in the wild state in the Auckland district, although he believed such cases had occurred in the South, where the disease had been more troublesome among the brown and brook trout.' Now, as a matter of fact, as I have already said, I never heard of a solitary instance of the-. disease occurring in wild fish either in the South or the North In-

land ; no case-;, in; short, except among fish confined in the hatcheries, fish that arc kept there for breeding purposes, fi he largest percentage of the fish affected were the rainbow trout and the Amer Fan brook trout.’’ ' ■ ' ■

It is reported that sonfe. wealthy sportsmen in •' England are introducing a ■ new'bird; from'Afghanistan, known as the. Prince of Wales pheasant. The price is al-' most prohibitive, each specimen being worth £3 to £lO. r l he peculiarities of this bird are the white coverts or shoulder feathers of the wing. Game preservers are buying it because it is hardy, a high flyer, and is considered the best to cross with the almost-too-tame-to-shoot-at English varieties. Some time ago a similar experiment was made by Lord Rothschild to acclimatise the Chinese or Mongolian pheasant, with marked results.