Arthue. — On the Brown Trout introduced into Otago. 481 



The Omarama River, a tributary of the Ahuriri, was first fished by Mr. 

 J. A. Connell, in December, 1879, and the following is the result of several 

 day's good sport, but subsequent trials were not so successful. During one 

 day, two evenings, and an afternoon, he caught 14 trout, weighing 27|lbs., 

 or an average weight of l-961bs., heaviest fish 7lbs. During the same 

 month I fished the Omarama also, two and a half days, and killed 5 trout, 

 weighing 13jlbs., or an average of 2*7lbs. each. I also lost a trout after 

 playing him out, which I believe, from his size (having seen it) and its 

 strength, must have been 81b s. Mr. Connell's take would average alto- 

 gether, including his clean days, about three fish a day, so far as I can now 

 judge ; while mine was two trout per day. This river is shingly and snow- 

 fed during part of summer, and lies about 1,400 feet above sea-level. Its 

 banks are covered only with native grass, and its trout were remarkably 

 strong and very fat, giving abundance of play. As trout were first placed 

 in this river in 1875 their yearly growth is about 21b s. increase in weight. 

 The food-supply is very likely identical with other inland streams, but I 

 have no precise information about it. Lately Captain Fullarton, of Pal- 

 merston, has told me of many large trout being seen in this river during 

 last season, as well as in the Ahuriri and Waitaki. Mr. Begg reports small 

 trout as very numerous. 



The Otekaike River, another feeder of the Waitaki, was fished by Mr. A. 

 C. Begg in February, 1881, when he caught two trout, total weight 5£lbs. 

 This river flows over slate formation in its upper waters and shingle in its 

 lower waters. It is partly snow-fed, like the Omarama, but in summer 

 lower parts disappear under the gravel. 



The Kakanui River has for years been unprofitable so far as angling 

 goes, but Dr. de Lautour, of Oamaru, and Mr. Statham Lowe, during last 

 summer, had some wonderful sport in it with minnow, both natural and 

 artificial. The former, fishing at night with natural minnow, had the fol- 

 lowing luck :— December 3, 1882, two trout, weights mibs. and 31bs. ; 

 and on the next night five trout, weights 131bs., 81bs., 7$lbs., 31bs., and 

 31bs. ; being 7 trout altogether, weighing 501bs., or the very extraordinary 

 average of fully 71bs. each ! The night of the 4th December was very dark 

 when the doctor was fishing, and the locality was a mile and a half above 

 Maheno. He informed me that the trout were rising in all directions, and 

 when he hooked his fish it took him from twenty minutes to an hour and a 

 half to land them — hooking his first at 9.15 p.m., and landing his last at 

 1.30 a.m. Of course anglers imagine the time very long when holding on 

 to a big trout ; the excitement and anxiety causing one's mind to measure 

 the minutes by the intensity of their feelings ; a thing which is, I fear, 

 rather misleading. The fish were all very fat and handsome looking, but 

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