io An Angler's Paradise. 



number quoted (six thousand) does not, however, by any means, 

 sum up the extent of Mr. Pillans' operations so far. He has, it is 

 said, given a quantity of fry to the Acclimatization Society, and 

 exclusive of these, he has now at his nursery fifty-seven thousand 

 ova in course of hatching, six thousand yearlings, and nearly two 

 hundred and fifty two-year-old fish, all apparently thriving exceed- 

 ingly well in the limited space at their disposal." The report goes 

 on to describe the " stripping " of the trout, and manipulation of 

 the ova and fish at r Mr. Pillans' hatchery, of which it gives a very 

 interesting account. 



In looking through the " Report of the Otago Acclimatization 

 Society for 1891 " I see a most gratifying feature, and that is a 

 balance-sheet of the Society showing a profit over and above 

 working expenses, resulting from the sale of licenses, sales of trout, 

 etc. The Society began the year with a balance in hand on fish- 

 culture account of .248, and at the close of the year, after paying 

 all expenses in connection with the work, the account shews a 

 balance of ^396, or about ^148 profit on the year's working. 

 When we take into consideration all that had to be done, and that 

 the working expenses were excessive, this result speaks volumes. 



Now let us take the state of things in New Zealand to-day, 

 and what do we find ? Why, that the rivers of that country are 

 many of them full of magnificent trout, that have grown beyond 

 all expectation. Trout cultivation in New Zealand is a grand 

 success. The attention bestowed on the fish by the Wellington 

 Acclimatization Society and the Otago Acclimatization Society 

 is most praiseworthy, and has produced the most gratifying results, 

 and much larger fish than the average in Britain are very plentiful. 

 In the records received from time to time I see such cases as 

 thirteen fish, a hundred and two pounds ; about eight pounds 

 each on the average. Fish from five to ten pounds are common, 

 and trout varying from thirty to forty pounds are reported as 

 having been occasionally taken. Take, as an example, one out of 

 many reports which have appeared in our papers, the following 

 from Rod and Gun, March nth, 1893 : 



"The Rakaia is a river of forty or fifty miles, stocked 

 with the finest trout, seldom under two pounds, and not un- 

 commonly containing weights of twelve pounds, fifteen pounds, 



