218 FISHES 



to read the following paragraph from the i8th Annual Report (1883) 

 of the Otago Society, where certain fish are reported (the italics are 

 mine) : 



One taken at Lake Hayes, said to have been 60 Ibs. in weight ; two seen in 

 the Clutha River, below the mouth of the Lindis, estimated at 80 Ibs. each 

 by Sergeant McLeod; and one from the Mararoa, which weighed 42 Ibs. 

 As no Salmo fario over 30 Ibs. seems ever to have been taken in English 

 waters, the above weights must be received with caution. 



As one friend suggests, apparently fish grow much faster out of 

 water than in it. 



The biggest trout are found in the lakes and in the sea; Lakes 

 Wakatipu, Wanaka and Hawea have yielded many fish up to 25 Ib. 

 in weight, and trout of 20 Ib. weight and upwards are abundant in 

 the sea, but are very difficult to catch. They are, however, occasionally 

 taken in moki nets. The prohibition against taking, having in posses- 

 sion, or selling trout without a special licence, prevents any accurate 

 record from being kept of these big sea-fish. It does not pay fishermen 

 to take out a licence, because the catch is too erratic, but the fish 

 are constantly taken both in set nets and seines, and they are nearly 

 always so injured about the gills that if thrown back into the sea, 

 as the law demands, they are almost certain to perish. Therefore a 

 great number of them are taken, hidden, and sold surreptitiously, 

 not as trout, however, but as "canaries." I do not know how this 

 popular term has arisen, but it is in common use. A law which 

 tempts men to do illegal actions is a bad law, and should be swept out 

 of existence. Other means must be devised to protect the streams 

 from being depleted of fish, such, for instance, as prohibiting seining 

 altogether in certain areas. 



The following records of actual catches of brown trout are taken 

 from the lists annually published by the Otago Society. 



Waipahi River 



These were nearly all got with bare fly. The reports for 1890-92 

 state that : 



The Waipahi still holds the premier position as a fly stream. It is now 

 yearly attracting the attention of tourists from England, Victoria and the 

 North Island. 



