Arthur. — On the Broivn Trout introduced into Otcujo. 479 



one of them actually seized my artificial minnow under the water when 

 quietly spinning it in a deep pool in the Lee Gorge ! But others, as Mr. 

 Peat and Mr, Clifford, have told me they have seen them at work, or actually 

 cut the trout out of their stomachs, as many as fourteen in one bird being 

 found by Mr. Peat. It is a curious fact, also, that the only places where 

 young trout can be seen at all plentiful are close above and below the 

 accommodation houses on the Lee and the Deep Streams. The reason of 

 that is, I have little doubt, the constant presence and passing of human 

 beings at these places tending to scare the shags from the immediate 

 vicinity, so that at these parts the trout enjoy comparative protection. The 

 destruction of trout by only fifty shags during a year on one river, allowing 

 each bird five young trout per day, a very moderate allowance, would 

 amount to 91,250. I do not, as a matter of fact, believe they are quite so 

 successful in plundering, but it gives their capabilities an alarming reality 

 to consider these figures. Lastly, this variety (S. fario ausonii) evidently 

 requires more range of water, and a greater food supply than these two 

 streams afford it ; for it has been matter of observation for years that the 

 bulk of the trout have been working down stream. Almost every good 

 basket for the last three years has been taken in the lower gorges, while 

 very few fish have either been caught or seen in the upper waters. There 

 can be no doubt also, that constant fishing has reduced the stock, for in 

 angling everyone here has found that the biggest fish in a pool " rule the 

 roost," and these are to a certainty the fish which take fly or bait first. For 

 example,. I killed in one pool in the Deep Stream, with grasshopper, first a 

 three and a half pounder, and then, within a few minutes, two trout, one 

 pound each, or about that weight. So that when a large trout is killed in a 

 pool, it not only takes longer to supply its place by the natural growth of 

 another which might be smaller, but there is also the loss of the greater 

 number of ova that a large trout can produce beyond what a smaller one 

 can, if a female. 



A careful consideration of the facts I have just mentioned has led me to 

 the following conclusions : The Shag Eiver has plenty good spawning beds, 

 abundance of range in its pools, and a good supply of bottom feed, supple- 

 mented from October to April by immense shoals of smelts and whitebait. 

 Although not quite so large as formerly, its trout remain fairly plentiful, 

 the small ones very plentiful, and are very fat and in good condition, and 

 very silvery in appearance. During the last fishing season, the "takes" 

 were not nearly so good as in the preceding years, still I regard the Shag as 

 one of our best trout rivers and one not likely to be soon fished out. Some 

 idea of the best takes of trout in the Shag may be gained from two days' 

 fishing by Captain Fullarton, in the season 1880-81. On one of these days, 



